AI adoption is on the rise in Singapore, with 52% of workers in the country using the technology in their jobs, according to Slack’s new Workforce Index.<\/p>\n
Primeimages | E+ | Getty Images<\/p>\n
Singapore has inked separate agreements with Google<\/a> and OpenAI to strengthen its position as a global artificial intelligence hub and accelerate AI deployment across public services, healthcare, education and enterprise.\u00a0<\/p>\n The agreements, announced on Wednesday, include a new National AI Partnership with Google and the first memorandum of understanding between Singapore and OpenAI, which will see it set up an AI lab in the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n Under the partnership, OpenAI will commit more than 300 million Singapore dollars ($234 million) to strengthen Singapore’s AI ecosystem, according to a joint statement released by the ChatGPT-maker and the Ministry of Digital Development and Information.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Google’s announcement didn’t include an investment commitment, the company said the main focus would be on solving societal challenges, building an AI-ready workforce, driving enterprise innovation and creating a secure AI ecosystem.<\/p>\n The companies announced the news alongside Singapore’s ATxSummit, a flagship technology conference taking place in the city with a heavy focus on AI deployment this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n The city-state has been trying to carve out a niche in the global AI race, positioning itself as a neutral and talent-rich platform for developing, testing and deploying AI solutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Google and OpenAI’s deals also build on Singapore’s broader national AI strategy, which includes an investment commitment of more than 1 billion Singapore dollars to strengthen public AI research capabilities over five years from 2025 to 2030.\u00a0<\/p>\n Singapore has attracted major commitments from global AI players, including Amazon<\/a>‘s AWS and Microsoft<\/a>, in addition to frontline model developers such as Google DeepMind and OpenAI.\u00a0<\/p>\n Frontline deployment\u00a0<\/p>\n The establishment of the “OpenAI Singapore Applied AI Lab” \u2014 the first such lab established outside the U.S. \u2014 follows the opening of its Singapore office in 2024<\/a> to support customers and partners in the Asia-Pacific region.<\/p>\n The new lab is expected to employ more than 200 people over the next few years, aiming to help its local partners harness frontier AI to enhance everyday economic capability.\u00a0<\/p>\n That work will include national priorities such as education, public services, finance, healthcare, digital infrastructure, and a training program for mid-career engineers. Some broader “AI for All” efforts will see the company co-develop AI startup accelerators and citizen-centric applications.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Google’s deal will heavily involve training government researchers to use agentic AI tools for science, while working separately with the Ministry of Education to train educators.<\/p>\n Google will also explore collaborations in areas including healthcare and life sciences under its “global AI co-clinician research initiative.” That includes exploring how AI can amplify a doctor’s expertise and how AI agents can help support patients. \u00a0<\/p>\n Google also released a joint whitepaper with Singapore’s government that addressed safe deployment of AI agents, following the launch of an AI Agents Sandbox in August 2025.<\/p>\n The agreement builds on a long-standing AI collaboration between Singapore and Google, signed in 2022, to strengthen AI cooperation.\u00a0The tech giant opened its AI research laboratory, Google DeepMind, in Singapore in November last year.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n