Singapore minister urges firms to be transparent with workers on AI plans

Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, Jasmin Lau, urged companies on Thursday to be more transparent with workers about how artificial intelligence could affect jobs, warning employers not to mistake a quiet workforce for an agreeable one. Speaking at the launch of SG AI Xchange, Lau, who is also acting manpower minister, said employees want to know if business leaders are planning retrenchments or hiring slowdowns. She advised firms to disclose automation plans, potential impacts, and required retraining, and to be open when weak business outlooks, not AI, drive workforce changes. Lau noted "some groundswell" of anti-AI sentiment among workers and students who fear job losses and environmental harm, saying these feelings should not be ignored. Singapore aims to adopt AI widely for value and jobs, with close to 100 AI Centres of Excellence and growing investment from firms like Anthropic and Databricks.