Singapore unveils AI governance framework

It aims to promote ethical AI use amongst private firms.

Singapore revealed its model artificial intelligence (AI) governance framework for public consultation, pilot adoption and feedback as part of its efforts to provide detailed guidance to private sector firms in addressing ethical and governance issues when deploying AI solutions.

The model framework was announced by minister for communications and information S Iswaran at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Said to build upon the themes raised in discussion paper released by the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) and Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA), the framework maps out they key ethical principles and practices that apply to common AI deployment processes. These issues include internal governance structures and measures, risk management in autonomous decision making, operations management, and customer relationship management.

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“The model framework provides practical guidance to organisations deploying AI at scale to do so with good internal governance and in an ethical manner,” V K Rajah S C, chairman of the Advisory Council on the ethical use of AI and data, said in a statement. “The Advisory Council encourages businesses to pilot the model framework and provide feedback from their implementation experience.”

Meanwhile, Singapore was also announced to collaborate with the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Centre for the fourth industrial revolution to further drive AI and data innovation, the announcement highlighted. Under the collaboration, IMDA and WEF will engage organisations to discuss the model framework in greater detail and facilitate its adoption. Likewise, the parties will also develop a measurement matrix for the framework which regulators and certification bodies can adopt to use when assessing their AI deployment initiatives, the statement added.

Feedback for the framework can be sent to PDPC’s website.