To win the Al adoption race, Singapore must mind the social class and gender gaps

Success will depend on making the technology relevant and accessible to lower-income workers and women.

- Laurel Teo

A career fair at Sands Expo and Convention Centre on Feb 13. A recent IPS survey shows a stark divide in AI use. While 84 per cent of degree-holders report using AI chatbots, usage drops to 66 per cent for those with post-secondary qualification, and 31 per cent for those with secondary education and below.

(ST PHOTO: LIM YAO HUI)

The late American economist Nathan Rosenberg notably argued that the most important question about technological progress is not “Who did it first?”.

Instead, it is the diffusion process ~ the rate at which a new technology is adopted and the extent to which it is embedded in an economy’s processes ~ which marks the true impact of an invention.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong touched on this point when he spoke about artificial intelligence (AI) at a conference co-organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) in 2025.

While countries that pioneer the most cutting-edge AI technology may capture the most attention, PM Wong noted that real advantage comes from “broad-based adoption; when countries really, truly harness technology across the entire economy”. He made it clear that this would be Singapore’s strategy.

Singapore is among a growing pack of nations jostling to get ahead in AI diffusion.

Details of Singapore’s approach to broad-based AI adoption were disclosed on Feb 12 in the 2026 Budget statement delivered by PM Wong, who said the city-state’s competitive advantage lies in execution and speed.

PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, announced that he will chair a new National AI Council to drive Singapore's Al strategy, with measures to speed up Al deployment and foster collaboration across industries and enterprises.