Singapore has won a top award at the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes for its work in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance and Ethics.
At the annual WSIS Forum held in Geneva, Switzerland, Singapore beat four other finalists to claim the prize in the “Ethical Dimensions of the Information Society” category.
The prize was received by Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) Assistant Chief Executive (Data Protection and Innovation) Yeong Zee Kin.
In a press statement, IMDA said the WSIS Prizes recognise outstanding digital projects globally that foster socioeconomic development across various categories. These include e-government, e-environment, e-science and media, and ethics in IT.
Singapore’s AI Governance and Ethics initiatives include Asia’s first Model AI Governance Framework, an international and industry-led Advisory Council on the Ethical Use of AI and Data, as well as a Research Programme on the Governance of AI and Data Use. These efforts are aimed at building an ecosystem of trust to support AI adoption, IMDA added.
“Singapore’s win of the WSIS Award is affirmation of our approach that AI practices must be transparent, explainable and fair," said Minister for Communications and Information Mr S Iswaran. "These are important principles that will guide businesses in implementing AI solutions that are human-centric, while spurring innovation in a digital economy.”
Mr. V K Rajah SC, Chairman of the Advisory Council on the Ethical Use of AI and Data congratulated the win, adding, "This award affirms Singapore’s balanced and pragmatic approach towards AI governance. We look forward to working further with the Singapore Government in forming strong guidance which enable innovation while protecting consumer interests.”
