Paul Kent:
Hello, James and Bo Han. Great to see you again. As we approach Budget 2026, it’s timely for us to gather and discuss how Singapore can accelerate business transformation with AI and technology. To achieve this, firms need help moving from experimentation towards enterprise-wide deployment with measurable returns. This means evolving our digital tools and platforms, ensuring that businesses have the right leadership capabilities for driving AI adoption into the future. What’s your thoughts on this?
James Wilson:
Yeah, thanks Paul. We’re looking at how governments can help firms stay ahead in the Intelligent Age, where we are witnessing the rise of AI and the increasing convergence of AI, data and automation. With agentic AI capable of autonomous decision-making, we’re seeing transformative opportunities and challenges that can reshape global competitiveness.
Lee Bo Han:
That’s right, Paul and James. Scaling AI and emerging tech has been and should be a strategic priority for firms, both large and small. It is important for governments and enterprises to embed trust, transparency and resilience into the architecture of technological systems. This will drive long-term scalability and interoperability, better positioning firms for success.
Paul Kent:
Well said, Bo Han. So, we’ve observed this through a KPMG and Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) poll across 1,000 professionals, managers, executives and technicians in Singapore. This revealed that firms want government-supported open-source tools and clearer frameworks to align AI adoption with sustainability goals.
James Wilson:
Yeah, leading on from this, one of our key recommendations this budget season is to encourage co-funded, sector-specific shared data pools in partnership with trade associations and industry stakeholders. These shared, anonymized data pools would allow enterprises of all sizes to access high quality proprietary data sets and intellectual property without the prohibitive costs. Such initiatives would drive supply chain optimisation across sectors and unlock new efficiencies for innovation and for growth.
Lee Bo Han:
Beyond costs, local enterprises may lack the strategic clarity to identify where AI can augment their operations. Thus, this shared data initiative should also be paired with guided AI adoption to support and accelerate the fair and broad adoption of digital solutions across industries. Paul, how else can Budget 2026 help Singapore move to a state of accelerated AI adoption and innovation?
Paul Kent:
Well, thanks a lot, Bo Han. So as firms navigate high costs and limited guidance around AI adoption, there’s opportunity for the government to provide greater access to infrastructure and lower barriers for AI experimentation and deployment. Our recommendation for Budget 2026 is to enhance the public-private partnership (PPP) framework. The enhanced framework would create spillover effects from existing AI initiatives, as governments, agencies, academia and industry stakeholders collaborate to strategically integrate AI solutions into business strategies.
James Wilson:
Yeah, I agree. This would accelerate growth for both small and large enterprises, fostering a culture of open innovation in AI. With the right leadership capabilities, we would see cross-sector collaboration rise across all key industries. Indeed.
Lee Bo Han:
Indeed. And to add to that, AI in its various forms such as generative AI and agentic AI can be a very powerful and flexible tool. Referencing the KPMG-SID poll results, we also found that many may not be aware of the many opportunities surrounding AI and other digital tools. It is important to build up a digitally fluent workforce and leadership, one that is equipped to harness these technologies effectively to drive innovation and performance.
Paul Kent:
Well said again, Bo Han. So, we’d like to see how our government can help future-proof a workforce where both businesses and employees thrive. Bo Han, how do you think Budget 2026 can help Singapore move to this next state?
Lee Bo Han:
Targeted upskilling initiatives and national programmes are areas where the government can render assistance. Greater support for hands-on AI governance and training, frameworks for data quality and accuracy across board members and executives could be one measure. Transforming talent, embedding next-generation skills such as digital fluency and sustainability across all levels of the workforce. This includes leadership. Whilst traditional software and generative AI are in the IT space, one follows rules and the other creates. Instead of operating a software, learning to collaborate with generative AI is key. Therefore, it is important for board leadership to also evolve in parallel, to effectively steer and lead a workforce with these new capabilities.
James Wilson:
Absolutely correct. This would complement existing SkillsFuture programmes as well, by moving beyond AI awareness to address strategic and operational gaps at the leadership level, covering ethical deployment, change management and cross-domain applications.
Paul Kent:
So in summary, focusing on across-the-board training for AI governance, shared data pools and broadening government support for access to AI solutions through deeper public and private partnerships would see Budget 2026 empower firms to scale their AI and technology transformation with confidence. This would make businesses in Singapore as a whole more resilient and in turn equip all of us for the Intelligent Age. I’d like to say thank you very much for the discussion.
James Wilson:
Thanks Paul.
Lee Bo Han:
Thank you both. We are excited to see what’s next.
