Singapore has launched AI Trailblazers, an initiative to help organisations identify real-world challenges that can be addressed with generative AI, build generative AI solution prototypes, and bring prototypes to production.
The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI), Digital Industry Singapore (DISG), Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) are collaborating with Google Cloud on this project.
Two Innovation Sandboxes have been established – one for government agencies and other for the enterprises.
Speaking at the launch of AI Trailblazers, Minister for Communications and Information Josephine Teo said the Innovation Sandboxes will identify and address 100 generative AI use cases across government and industry within the next 100 days.
It will provide up to 100 organisations access to Google Cloud’s graphical processing units (GPUs), Vertex AI platform, pre-trained generative AI models, and low-code developer tools to build and test generative AI solutions.
This will be provided at no cost for up to three months.
Singapore Economic Development Board’s managing director, Jacqueline Poh, said the initiative will help Singapore-based companies experiment, uncover value, and create novel and meaningful generative AI solutions to deliver better products and services.
“We look forward to this partnership with Google Cloud, and the impactful applications created from the initiative,” said Poh.
Participating organisations will be enrolled in a “mandatory” full-day workshop sponsored and conducted by DISG, SNDGO, and Google Cloud.
Building production-ready generative AI solutions
Google Cloud engineers will provide hands-on training to organisations’ AI practitioners and developers to identify potential use cases of generative AI.
The next step calls for the use of AI tools from the innovation sandbox to build a prototype and, subsequently, develop a minimum viable product (MVP) over the course of three months.
The panel of technology experts will evaluate MVPs based on design, usability, reliability, functionality, and propensity for real-world application.
High-potential MVPs will be shortlisted as “Capstone Projects'' and receive the opportunity to be showcased and recognised at the AI Trailblazers Awards ceremony organised by MCI, DISG, and SNDGO toward the end of the year.
The Ministry of Manpower, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the Public Service Division (PSD), SNDGO, GovTech, American Express, Mastercard, PropertyGuru Group, and Tokopedia are some of the organisations participating in the initiative.
Google Cloud’s Asia Pacific vice president, Karan Bajwa, said with AI Trailblazers, Google is orchestrating a pathway for organisations to quickly, easily, and responsibly develop and deploy generative AI solutions with security and data governance.
It is the first of a series of initiatives under a joint four-pronged strategy with MCI, as the firm looks to establish a local AI ecosystem that positions Singapore as an open and trusted global AI hub, Bajwa added.
