SINGAPORE – At the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered a pointed reminder to world leaders: as artificial intelligence accelerates global innovation, it must not be allowed to erode livelihoods unchecked. He stressed that AI’s transformative promise is undeniable, but governments risk being swept away by hype if they ignore the real possibility of job displacement.
Wong emphasized that public policy plays a decisive role in shaping how AI develops. He noted that Singapore has already woven AI deeply into its public sector operations—streamlining administrative tasks, improving service delivery, and freeing civil servants to focus on strategic, higher-value work. This, he argued, shows how governments themselves can model responsible and productive AI adoption.
He also highlighted the technology’s dual benefits for businesses. For small enterprises, AI tools can dramatically raise efficiency, while large companies can tap advanced models to redesign work processes entirely. To encourage experimentation, Singapore has built regulatory sandboxes and dedicated testbeds that allow firms to trial AI solutions safely and iteratively without fear of regulatory missteps.
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Yet his speech was far from techno-optimistic alone. Wong acknowledged deep public anxiety over automation’s impact on employment. He described how Singapore partners with employers and labor unions to ensure workers are supported through transition—whether through upskilling, retraining, or shifting into newly created roles. He pointed to crane operators at Singapore’s port, who now manage machinery remotely from air-conditioned control rooms, as an example of how technology can raise productivity and wages.
Wong also praised India, Brazil, and South Africa for elevating discussions on “decent work” within the G20 agenda. He argued that the bloc is uniquely placed to shepherd global cooperation, helping countries turn AI into “an engine for growth and good jobs” rather than a source of instability.
Ultimately, his message was clear: AI should uplift societies, not fracture them. And for that to happen, global leaders must act collectively—crafting policies that balance innovation with fairness, and ensuring that workers stand to gain from the technological shifts reshaping the global economy.
