Australia, Singapore ink new AI co-op deal

AI partnership

The Australian and Singapore Governments have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to focus on new opportunities for cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI).

Signed late last year, the new deal sees both governments enter a “new phase of collaboration” focused on AI technologies and their civil applications, including development and “safe” deployment, “capable” workforce and talent, ethics and governance, and safety and standards.

Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic, confirmed the objectives of the new MoU with his Singaporean counterpart, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, during his visit to Singapore last year. They include:

  • encourage the sharing of best practices between the Al ecosystems of the participants, across the governmental, institutional, academic and industry levels;
  • facilitate increased access to Al technologies, markets and talent;
  • build linkages between research and industry activities to support the commercialisation of Al applications; and
  • prioritise a human-centric approach to Al, including support for the development and adoption of ethical governance frameworks for the trusted, secure, safe, and responsible development and use of Al technologies and, where appropriate, the alignment of governance and regulatory frameworks and tools.

“For the huge benefits of AI to be fully realised it needs to be trusted, with international partnerships an important way to ensure checks and balances are in place globally,” Husic said.

“Together with our closest partners across the region we’re addressing common challenges, including the safe and responsible use of AI.

“Singapore and Australia are global tech leaders, offering a compelling opportunity for our countries’ brightest minds and leading institutions to build skills and learn from each other.”

The MoU documents also provided a preliminary idea of what cooperation between the two countries on AI might look like, including:

  • exchange of information and joint projects relating to Al safety, ethics, cybersecurity, and governance issues, which may include practices, policies, laws, regulations, and AI processes (including in relation to regulatory technologies);
  • setting up test beds to demonstrate how Al solutions can be deployed;
  • organising joint seminars, symposia, projects, conferences and workshops;
  • organising business development, technology partnering missions, and initiatives to match businesses opportunities;
  • developing collaborative research and development initiatives, including co-funding research programmes through new or existing mechanisms;
  • shared use of resources, data and infrastructure;
  • exchange of researchers, academics, policy makers, business professionals, students, and technical experts; and
  • any other form of cooperation as may be mutually decided by the participants.

This MOU marks another meaningful milestone between Singapore and Australia,” Teo said.

“It opens new doors for AI collaboration across multiple channels – from research institutes and businesses to government.

“By fostering public trust through the development and deployment of responsible AI, we can fully unlock the transformative potential of AI to deliver tangible benefits for our peoples and businesses and realise Singapore’s vision of AI for the Public Good for Singapore and the world.”