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SINGAPORE - Workers will be supported through the AI transition with a “fair deal” that prioritises job redesign, training, and sharing productivity gains, Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Jasmin Lau said on May 6.

While the development of AI cannot be slowed, Ms Lau said in Parliament that the Government will demand “clear and meaningful outcomes” for employees, particularly from companies benefiting from public resources and policies.

Her speech followed a motion by NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng on achieving “no jobless growth” amid AI disruption. It comes on the heels of the May Day Rally, where both Mr Ng and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong spoke extensively on protecting Singapore’s workforce as AI reshapes various industries.

Ms Lau, who co-chairs the technology and innovation committee in the Economic Strategy Review (ESR), addressed three core concerns: job security, widening inequality, and the sharing of productivity gains.

“These are not unreasonable fears,” she said. “They come from people who have worked hard, built up skills and experience over time, and now sense that the ground is shifting beneath them.”

While some roles, particularly those involving repetitive tasks, will change, Ms Lau said that the Government is moving to act before the disruption arrives.

To protect Professionals, Managers, and Executives as technology automates certain tasks, the ESR team will recommend more targeted support for them, including enhancements to the Jobseeker Support Scheme and private sector expertise to improve placement support, Ms Lau said.

It will identify sectors with continued labour demand and lower AI displacement risk, she added, and work with unions and employers in those sectors to create c...