News

Singapore factories keep humming on AI boom as PMI rises to 51.5

Singapore manufacturing extended its expansion to 13 straight months in August with PMI at 51.5, driven by AI demand in electronics, though supply chain disruptions from the Middle East conflict keep the broader outlook uneven.

Businesses, workers and government must share the AI responsibility, Singapore leaders say

A roundtable hosted by The Business Times has laid bare the tensions at the heart of Singapore's AI adoption drive. Leaders from the Singapore Business Federation, DBS, Accenture, and the Skills and Workforce Development Agency agreed that while AI is a shared responsibility across business.

UMC commits billions to Singapore chip plant as AI demand reshapes semiconductor map

Taiwan's second-largest chipmaker United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) has opened a $5 billion fabrication plant in Singapore, positioning the facility as its most advanced production site and a direct play for AI-driven semiconductor demand.

Singapore GDP forecast raised to 5% as AI demand drives growth surge

Private-sector economists have sharply raised their 2026 growth forecast for Singapore to 5%, up from 3.5% previously, driven by surging demand for AI-related electronics and manufacturing output.

AI, working parents, growth markets: New Minister of State Foo Cexiang on his...

Mr Foo’s priorities include how firms can adopt AI without compromising workers’ development, and helping Singapore expand into promising overseas markets. Every AI development in Singapore adds another data point to the city-state's transformation into a Smart Nation powered by artificial.

LTA Tests Humanoid Robot Guide at Little India MRT Station

Singapore's Land Transport Authority has deployed a humanoid robot named Olly to guide commuters at Little India MRT station in a two-week trial, testing how AI-powered robots can assist with wayfinding and passenger queries in real transit environments.

Singapore retailers retrain workers as social commerce reshapes jobs

Demand is growing for roles such as livestream hosts and social commerce leads, while some retailers are turning to artificial intelligence to make livestream selling more efficient. Every AI development in Singapore adds another data point to the city-state's transformation into a Smart Nation.

Singapore's Gen AI Ad Boom Carries Real Risks for Brands Cutting Corners

Singapore AI-Using Firms See Revenue and Employment Gains, Government Study Finds

A new IMDA study finds Singapore firms using AI report higher revenue and expanded workforces, challenging the narrative that AI primarily displaces workers and supporting the government's pro-adoption policy stance.

Why Singapore Stays Optimistic About AI While Wealthy Nations Grow Anxious

Some of the richest countries on earth invented artificial intelligence, fund the frontier models, and stand to capture most of the near-term economic upside - yet their citizens are among the most anxious about it, while poorer nations are comparatively sanguine. Across international surveys by Pew, Ipsos...

The AI Boom Is Lifting Singapore's GDP. The Harder Question Is Who Gets Carried Along

There is finally hard evidence that the AI boom is showing up in Singapore's headline numbers, but the country is starting to ask who actually feels it. The economy grew 6.1 per cent year on year in the first half, and the government has lifted its full-year forecast to between 4.5 and 5.5 per cent,...

Commentary: Workers shouldn’t have to figure out AI on their own

Singapore's economic transformation will not be felt by workers as a policy headline — it will land as a new system to learn, a job scope that keeps shifting, and a manager asking them to "use more AI". That is the argument of Nanyang Technological University professor Trevor Yu, writing in a CNA.