NDR 2026: PM Wong flags ‘unsettling’ AI risks, says Singapore ready to put in safeguards
Social media platforms will have to verify users’ ages more robustly, with further restrictions possible if safeguards fall short, Mr Wong says.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that as technology becomes more powerful, Singapore will have to guard against risks that are harder to predict. (Photo: iStock)
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SINGAPORE: Amid unsettling developments such as AI systems going rogue, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong spoke on Sunday (Aug 23) about managing the disruption from new technologies and putting safeguards in place.
Speaking at the National Day Rally, Mr Wong said that as technology becomes more powerful, Singapore will have to guard against risks that are harder to predict.
He cited the example of an artificial intelligence model tested by OpenAI that broke out of its test environment, moved into the wider internet and infiltrated the systems of another company.
“No one told the AI agent to attack the company,” said Mr Wong. “But in trying to complete its tasks, the agent did things which its developers did not want it to do.”
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Such developments are “unsettling”, he said, adding that AI agents are becoming more capable and will be able to do more with less human supervision.
“That brings enormous possibilities,” he said. “But when things go wrong, the consequences can be very serious.”
Countries should ideally work together to set common rules and safeguards, he said, but this is getting harder as major powers seek to move faster and gain an advantage over their competitors.
“But we must keep trying to find common ground,” he said, adding that Singapore will do its part to bring countries and companies together, and build coalitions around practical safeguards.
Actions will also be taken domestically, he said.
“We will not embrace new technologies blindly. We will anticipate the risks, and put appropriate safeguards in place, and we will always ensure that people remain in control.”
During his Budget speech in February, Mr Wong announced the formation of the National AI Council to coordinate and drive Singapore’s AI strategy.
Mr Wong said then that he would chair the council, and that how AI is developed and used in Singapore will be defined, with clear rules to ensure it is applied responsibly and safely.
SAFEGUARDS FOR YOUNG SOCIAL MEDIA USERS
Mr Wong also announced that social media platforms will be required to put in place stronger safeguards for children and teenagers.
Social media created new opportunities and connected families and friends when it first emerged, he said, but some of its downsides only became clear over time: one in six young people aged 10 to 24 in Singapore today show signs of problematic social media use.
“For some the problem can be severe – they spend six or seven hours a day on social media, sometimes till the wee hours of the morning,” he said.
Children and teenagers are particularly vulnerable as their brains are still developing, making them “more susceptible to social pressures and more easily hooked by features designed to keep them constantly engaged”, he said.
While most platforms already set a minimum age of 13, enforcement is largely left to the platforms themselves, Mr Wong said.
“Today they mostly rely on users to declare their own ages, and we know this is not working well,” said Mr Wong, adding that he is struck by how many children are already active on social media when he visits primary schools.
“Self-declaration is just not good enough,” he said. “They will have to put in place robust and reliable checks, so that the minimum age is properly set and enforced, and our children are genuinely protected.”
Even for children aged 13 and above, social media can have negative effects. The immediate priority is to make social media safer by design, Mr Wong said.
Many platforms are designed to keep users endlessly scrolling, he said. These features are hard enough for adults to resist, and the risks are greater for teenagers.
Stronger safeguards will thus be required for young users, and any platform that wants to serve young users in Singapore must meet these requirements, he said.
If safeguards remain inadequate, additional restrictions will be considered, including raising the minimum age for access to that platform beyond 13, Mr Wong added.
“Through every major technological shift, we have embraced change on our own terms, built new capabilities and emerged stronger,” he said. “We have done it before, and we will do it again.”
Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said in a Facebook post on Sunday that she will share more in the coming days on the new requirements, including “how they can partner the Singapore government to make their platforms safer for children and youth in Singapore”.
Source: CNA/jx(cy)
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