Lawrence Wong says AI will disrupt labour market, but does not ‘believe we will end up with a jobless future’

SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong sounded a reassuring note at the Asia Tech x Singapore summit on Tuesday (June 6) when he said he doesn’t believe that artificial intelligence (AI) will eliminate jobs.

“I do not believe we will end up with a jobless future, a dystopian jobless future where machines take over humans for everything and humans become upset because technology can replace some tasks,” the DPM said.

He expects that technological innovations, including IA, will be a labour market disruptor, however, in the sense that the nature of jobs will change. This means that workers should learn to adapt quickly, he added.

But DPM Wong also expressed the belief that technology is beneficial in that because of it, more jobs will be created.

Organised by Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore, the ATxSummit takes place on June 6 to 7 at Capella Singapore and will be tackling various topics, including “AI, trust tech, soonicorns, sustainability, and digital healthcare across four key pillars: Tech x Trust, Tech x Good, Tech x Builders and Tech x Creative.”

“Conferences such as the Asia Tech x Singapore create a common platform for policymakers and more to exchange different perspectives. Together, we can better shape our global digital economy,” wrote Mr Wong in a June 6 Facebook post.

The release of ChatGPT in November 2022 gave rise to fears that its technology would cause jobs currently held by humans to be automated.

DPM Wong acknowledged these fears, saying that disruptions stemming from tech would “Understandably… create anxiety among those who are less able to adjust and adapt.

All of us will do more to help workers refresh and update their skills so that they can stay competitive and relevant in an increasingly digital world. We cannot leave this for markets to take care of themselves. Neither can we say this is just the responsibility of employers alone,” he added. /TISG

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