Speech by Minister Josephine Teo at the Committee of Supply Debate 2025

1. Mr Chairman, I thank members for their cuts.

2. Last year, Prime Minister launched Smart Nation 2.0 – a refresh of our vision for Singapore to use technology to uplift the lives of our people. Today, I will elaborate on our efforts in four areas:

a. How we support our workforce to succeed in the age of AI;

b. How we keep Singaporeans safe by fighting harmful online activities;

c. How we protect our cyberspace against malicious attacks; and

d. How we preserve trust in our infospace by strengthening public service media.

3. Mr Chairman, may I ask the Clerks to distribute the package of handouts? Thank you. Members may also access these materials through the MP@SGPARL App.

Strengthening the AI Competencies of Our Workforce

4. Sir, in this year’s Budget and COS debates, Members spoke often about AI. Ms Jessica Tan, Ms Rachel Ong, and Mr Sharael Taha also raised concerns about its impact on workers.

5. I understand these concerns. They are real and will be with us for some time, because we are only at the very early stages of AI adoption globally.

6. People all over the world would like to know who will be impacted and how. While there is no perfect clarity, there are ways in which we can help.

7. The first is to recognise that many jobs will still be around. The risk is not that these jobs will be lost to AI, but that they are lost to another country or city that is more competitive than us.

8. Our most important task therefore is to help as many people and businesses as we can become more productive, with the use of AI.

a. We want to become a nation of competent and confident AI users.

b. In doing so, we can maintain Singapore’s economic competitiveness and retain more good jobs here.

9. Sir, I have compiled a list of comparisons by various organisations in Handout C1.

a. Members will see that Singapore is well regarded and well-placed to benefit from widespread AI adoption.

b. We should capitalise on this opportunity.

10. We have established strong partnerships with tech companies like Amazon Web Services, Databricks, Google and Oracle. For example, Microsoft has partnered with NTUC Learning Hub to train up to 100,000 workers with AI skills.

11. At the same time, IMDA is working with SkillsFuture Singapore to expand the curriculum in SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace 2.0 to include AI and Generative AI content.

a. Under this expansion, workers in all sectors – be it manufacturing or retail - can learn how to use tools such as ChatGPT and CoPilot.

b. This will help them to enhance their productivity at work, even if they have no background in tech.

12. The second thing we must recognise is that AI will create new jobs even as it replaces some existing ones.

a. As members have highlighted, our next most important task is to deepen our AI capabilities, and anchor more new jobs in Singapore.

b. This means growing our pool of AI practitioners, which includes data scientists, machine learning engineers and more.

13. Take for example, the need for AI safety.

a. As AI adoption grows, there will be greater demand for AI testing and assurance service providers, just as widespread IT adoption led to greater demand for IT auditors.

b. Estimates of the market for such Testing, Inspection and Certification services vary, but they would be in the billions in time to come.

14. Singapore believes in the importance of good AI governance.

a. We were one of the first in the world to introduce a testing framework and software toolkit, AI Verify.

b. Just last month, I launched the Global AI Assurance Pilot of the AI Verify Foundation to promote best practices in the testing of models using Generative AI.

15. These efforts can help to grow the AI testing industry here and create new jobs.

16. In response to Mr Sharael Taha and Ms Tin Pei Ling, let me provide an update on efforts to expand our pool of AI Practitioners.

a. I previously shared our ambition to expand the pool from under 5,000 to 15,000 in about five years.

b. In the last year or so, we estimate that the pool has grown by nearly 25%.

17. The AI Centres of Excellence that MDDI and MTI work closely together to set up will catalyse more demand for AI practitioners, by the hundreds if not thousands. The public sector itself has growing needs. For example, the Home Team Science & Technology Agency is on track to hire and train a 300-person AI workforce by end-2025.

18. To meet demand, we need to grow a strong pipeline of AI Practitioners. To this end, we will expand our efforts under IMDA’s TechSkills Accelerator, or TeSA.

a. We will provide more company-led training opportunities.

b. We will also explore ways to expand the AI Apprenticeship Programme together with AI Singapore.

19. Let me share an example of how these programmes benefit Singaporeans.

a. Seow Yuxin studied business and started her career in Regional Operations for an e-commerce platform.

b. She did not work on AI systems directly, but the role sparked her interest in the field.

c. After seeing her husband and brother-in-law go through the AI Apprenticeship Programme, she took a leap of faith and enrolled in the programme.

d. I spoke to Yuxin recently, and was pleased to learn that she has pivoted to a new role in a new company delivering AI and data-driven solutions to other organisations.

20. We are determined to keep AI opportunities open and inclusive.

a. Yuxin shows that one can access AI opportunities even without a STEM background.

b. We will aim to support more Singaporeans like her to fulfil their AI ambitions.

21. As a government, we will always put our people at the heart of all that we do, and that includes our AI plans. I hope these efforts reassure Members of our support for Singaporeans to make the most of AI.

Strengthening Our Fight Against Harmful Online Activities

22. Besides succeeding with AI, we want Singaporeans to feel safe when they go online.

a. But this is not something the Government alone can achieve.

b. Social media platforms must do their part, no different from how all service providers bear some responsibilities towards their users.

c. This is why we passed the Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act in 2022, to set out their basic obligations.

23. Like Mr Eric Chua, we believe in adopting a holistic and balanced approach to online safety, particularly for young users. Where it is useful to do so, we will strengthen regulatory levers.

a. For example, in January, we issued a new Code of Practice for Online Safety for App Distribution Services.

b. For the first time, we are introducing measures to ensure that young users under 18 do not access age-inappropriate apps.

24. Last month, we also published our first-ever Online Safety Assessment Report.

a. To questions raised by Mr Xie Yao Quan, the report showed that the designated social media services made good efforts to put in place baseline user safety measures.

b. However, as he has also pointed out, there are areas for improvement. They should respond more quickly to user reports. Their measures to protect children from harmful content are also far from satisfactory.

25. This is why MDDI is studying whether the age assurance obligations for app stores should also apply to social media services.

26. We also want to do more to support the victims of online harms.

a. IMDA’s report found that more often than not, platforms fail to take action to remove genuinely harmful content reported to them by victims.

27. One such victim was Jane, and that is not her real name.

a. At 18, she was horrified to find an image of her face superimposed onto another person’s nude body, circulating on an image sharing platform.

b. Strangers reposted the image and left comments, some of which sexualised or insulted her.

c. When she reported this to the platform, they took down only the original post, but not the reposts.

d. During this ordeal, she felt scared and embarrassed, even blaming herself for posting photos online in the first place.

e. A full decade later, at 29 years old today, Jane continues to question who created that photo of her, and if it is still found online.

28. Victims like Jane need more support to find closure.

29. During the Smart Nation 2.0 launch, PM announced that the Government will introduce new legislation to support victims seeking relief from specified online harms.

a. Ms Tin will be glad to know that the proposed law, the Online Safety (Relief & Accountability) Bill, will be introduced later this year. It will establish a new agency, called the Online Safety Commission or OSC, so that victims can get timely help if they encounter online harms.

b. The OSC will be set up by the first half of 2026. Victims will be able to request the OSC to issue a direction to the platform to take down the offensive content. The platform must also remove existing identical copies on the platform, something they refused to do for Jane.

c. The new law will also help victims hold perpetrators accountable. If they want to sue the perpetrators, they can request the OSC to direct the platform to provide information about the perpetrators.

30. In drafting the new law, MinLaw and MDDI have engaged a wide range of stakeholders from industry, academia, community groups, and international partners. We also invited the public to provide their feedback.

a. The public consultation findings have been published on the website of REACH.

b. We are heartened by the strong support and useful feedback which will help refine our proposals.

31. Given the complexity and vastness of the digital space, rules and regulations alone are insufficient. Everyone has a part to play, and Minister of State Rahayu will share what citizens can do to protect themselves online.

Strengthening our Cybersecurity Against Malicious Cyber Attacks

32. Sir, in his Budget statement, PM talked about the global context being more uncertain and having more downside risks.

33. This is reflected in the digital domain, where cyber threats have become more severe.

a. Criminal groups are increasingly going online to look for illicit gains.

b. Advanced Persistent Threat actors linked to certain states are actively seeking to advance their national agenda.

c. We have seen both kinds of activities in our cyberspace.

34. Last year, a global botnet, which included infected servers and devices around the world, was discovered. More details can be found in Handout B1.

a. Until CSA participated in an international operation to disrupt this botnet, about 2,700 devices in Singapore had been infected, unbeknownst to their owners.

b. The malicious actors exploited poor cyber hygiene practices to infect devices including baby monitors and internet routers.

35. Members may ask, so what if the botnet had remained?

a. Well, it would have meant the devices were vulnerable, and personal data belonging to device owners could have been stolen.

b. More worryingly, the devices could be used as a standby army, much like our NSFs, ready to be deployed into active duty.

c. Except in this case, it would be foreign state-linked actors using the bots for malicious purposes, which can include targets within Singapore.

36. As Ms Tin highlighted, international partnerships are critical in combatting such complex threats. CSA could act only because it has recognised capabilities and was trusted by its partners to be involved in this international operation.

37. Botnets are just one of the many cyber threats we need to defend against. This is why we emphasise the need to safeguard our cybersecurity at multiple levels.

38. For individuals, we will continue working with industry partners to offer better protection.

a. One example is the Enhanced Fraud Protection feature under Google Play Protect.

b. A common scam tactic is to entice victims to download apps from unofficial sources that can inject malware onto our devices. With this feature, such download attempts on Android devices will be blocked.

39. For organisations, the Government is improving the SG Cyber Safe Programme. Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How will share more details later.

40. We also agree with Mr Sharael Taha on the need to raise our national cyber security posture.

41. Last year, CSA amended the Cybersecurity Act to require that CII owners report on a larger set of cyber incidents.

a. We also expanded CSA’s oversight beyond CIIs to other important systems and entities, such as cloud services and data centres.

b. The amendments are expected to come into force later this year. More information can be found in Handout B2.

42. Beyond cybersecurity, we aim to introduce a new Digital Infrastructure Act to enhance security and resilience of digital infrastructure. Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary will share more later.

43. What I worry about are the organisations that are not covered by such legislation, that are not paying enough attention to cybersecurity.

a. Thankfully, over 500 organisations believe in the importance of cybersecurity and have acted on it by getting their Cyber Essentials and Cyber Trust Marks.

b. But we should raise baseline cybersecurity standards nationally and protect more organisations, especially those of higher risk.

44. CSA is therefore assessing if more measures are needed, particularly for vendors that may be given access to sensitive data or systems within Government.

a. Such vendors include cybersecurity penetration testing firms, and cybersecurity auditors.

b. Possible measures include requiring these vendors and their subcontractors to obtain their Cyber Essentials or Cyber Trust Marks before they can be licensed or bid for contracts offered by Government.

c. Government may also take the lead to incorporate cybersecurity considerations in our procurement decisions.

d. As the impact of these measures may be non-trivial, CSA plans to engage the industry before deciding.

Preserving Trust in our Infospace

45. So let me turn now to my final theme. We share the same concern as members that AI-enabled tools, like deepfakes, may be abused to cause harm.

a. This is why we passed the Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) (Amendment) Act to protect Singaporeans from the threat of AI-generated misinformation during elections.

b. We are also developing a new Code of Practice to require social media companies to prevent and counter abuse of fake content.

46. These measures, while important, are not enough. Against the tide of false information online, we must have trusted sources to turn to.

a. Thankfully, our Public Service Media (PSM) entities remain many Singaporeans’ first port of call for credible news.

b. The Straits Times and CNA are amongst our most frequented online news platforms, with more than 40% of Singaporeans reading them weekly.

c. More importantly, public trust in our mainstream media remains high, with CNA and The Straits Times being the most trusted by Singaporeans at 74% and 73% respectively. Meanwhile, public trust in mainstream news has fallen in other countries, hovering at 60% or below. 

47. Many Singaporeans, including Ms Hany Soh and Mr Sharael Taha, appreciate the efforts of Mediacorp and SPH Media to adapt to changing audience preferences. Against a climate of stiff competition, news fatigue and opaque algorithms on social media platforms, both companies are committed to increase audience reach.

48. However, falling revenues have forced their newsrooms to rationalise.

a. SPH Media ceased publication of its Chinese entertainment magazine, U-Weekly.

b. Last October, Mediacorp merged TODAY Online with CNA's Digital newsroom.

49. Mr Pritam Singh expressed concerns about SPH Media’s performance.

a. Like news outlets worldwide, SPH Media’s print subscriptions have declined as readers shift to consuming news online.

b. However, less than 20% of consumers in advanced countries, including Singapore, now pay for digital news subscriptions. Essentially, they can get it for free and they will continue to enjoy such services for free.

c. Without revealing commercially sensitive information, I can share that SPH Media's digital subscriptions have held steady, and it is now 35% higher than print subscriptions. It was only 20% higher two years ago. So, you see the shift.

d. SPH Media will have to continue its pivot to digital news and the Government must support this effort so that our PSM entities can meet audiences where they are.

50. Despite not meeting all their KPIs last year, SPH Media did not ask to lower their targets.

a. They are determined to maintain their reach and relevance with Singaporeans.

b. In 2024, they maintained their strong overall reach at 70% of Singapore’s resident population, although youth and vernacular reach dipped.

51. In line with the funding agreement, MDDI will pro-rate and award the Performance-Linked Incentives accordingly.

52. I would like to address, slightly, to some extent, the comment that was made by Mr Pritam Singh when he compared CNA and The Straits Times. I would suggest respectfully to Members that comparisons must avoid oversimplification.

a. Because we have to remember that CNA is mainly our national broadcaster as well as digital news channel, whereas most of the assets of the SPH Media Trust are still print - even though they have digital versions - and they are meant to be national papers of record. So, they are different and complementary.

b. And it is again, my humble suggestion for Members to look at the performance of PSM holistically. Because in truth, we need all of them, to reach as many Singaporeans as we can. So that is something to keep in mind. And as mentioned, both CNA and The Straits Times remain the top frequented news channels.

c. And Members who expressed concerns about the sustainability of PSM would agree with me that the KPIs, such as reach, are important, but they are not the only ways for us to assess the performance and the effectiveness of PSM entities. Equally, we must look at the trust levels that they are able to harness from the population, and we must also look at satisfaction levels.

d. And so those would be the additional KPIs that we are looking to introduce.

53. Meanwhile, let me also point to the threat to broadcast television, with consumers shifting to platforms like YouTube or Netflix.

a. Even when PSM entities go onto these platforms, the experiences abroad suggest that placements and algorithms in the digital environment disadvantage them.

b. Countries like the UK and Australia have therefore made new rules. They now require Connected TVs to be pre-loaded with public service media apps like BBC iPlayer, or ABC iview, and to display these apps prominently on their user interfaces.

54. Given the important role of our PSM entities to inform, educate and connect Singaporeans, we must be very concerned about their visibility being obscured by the decisions of third-party platforms.

55. Our PSM content must remain visible and easily accessible to our audiences.

a. Therefore, MDDI is studying the regulatory moves in other countries to safeguard the “prominence” and “discoverability” of PSM.

b. We will consult industry stakeholders, including device manufacturers, before deciding the next steps.

Conclusion

56. Sir, please allow me to conclude in Mandarin.

57. 主席先生, 新加坡是高度开放、高度数码化的国家。国人能从各种平台获取信息 — 无论是小红书、Facebook，Netflix、iQiyi，许多国人都不陌生。

a. 但接收的信息越多，我们的判断力是否更强，还是被削弱？社会是否更团结，还是日益分化？这些都值得我们深思。

b. 事实上，在地缘政治竞争加剧的时代，自身的叙述能力受限，对于维护国家立场和国人认同感都是坏事。

c. 在这方面，我国的公共服务媒体 - 如新传媒和联合早报 - 扮演了重要的角色。只有他们会从新加坡的视角报道新闻、分析国际事件对我们的影响。

d. 因此，政府正在探讨，在新的媒体环境中，如何让国人更轻易接触到公共服务媒体的内容。

58. 当然，社会凝聚力受到威胁，并非唯一担忧。有人问我：网络世界充满危险，新加坡是否能放慢或暂停数码化的脚步？

e. 的确，现实生活的新加坡很安全。网络世界则无明显的国界、危机四伏。

f. 然而，我国地小、缺资源。在环球竞争激烈的时代，数码化是我们突破局限，蓬勃发展的关键。

59. 数码之行，不进则退。

g. 政府必须采取的是明智的策略 — 帮助国人、企业提升数码技能，并加强网络安全意识。

h. 这样，新加坡才能牢牢把握数码时代的新机遇，我们的工友才能向前迈进，进一步的争取良好的就业机会！