In a mission to bolster the artificial intelligence (ai) capabilities of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) within Singapore, Microsoft has entered into strategic collaborations with key government agencies and industry partners. The tech giant’s objective is to equip SMBs with the essential skills and tools required to harness ai, thereby enhancing productivity and operations across various sectors.
Microsoft’s Strategic ai Partnerships
Microsoft has forged partnerships with SkillsFuture Singapore and the Institute for Adult Learning to empower 2,000 SMBs over three years with ai knowledge. Through these collaborations, SMBs will receive comprehensive training on effective utilization of ai tools in their day-to-day business operations.
Additionally, Microsoft is teaming up with NTUC LearningHub to provide fundamental ai skills training to 100,000 National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) members. This initiative aims to enhance members’ ai literacy and prepare them for the evolving workforce landscape.
Collaborating with EnterpriseSG and ai Singapore, Microsoft seeks to promote the adoption of its ai tool, Copilot, among local SMBs. This initiative aims to identify industry-specific use cases for generative ai and develop resources to aid SMB leaders in implementing ai-driven solutions.
By integrating ai into business workflows, SMBs can reap the benefits of ai on a larger scale, leading to improved productivity and operational efficiency. Microsoft has introduced the ai Pinnacle Program, which focuses on developing ai solutions catered to key industry sectors.
Through strategic partnerships with organizations such as Certis, HTX, Mediacorp, Seatrium, and Synapxe, Microsoft aims to co-create and co-innovate ai use cases that deliver clear returns on investment and significant business impact. The program will establish an ai Center of Capabilities, providing training programs, ai accelerators, responsible ai frameworks, and governance programs.
Singapore’s commitment and Microsoft’s initiatives
Laurence Liew, Director of ai Innovation at ai Singapore, emphasizes the importance of incorporating regional and local data models into generative ai software to mitigate inherent data biases. By integrating models such as Southeast Asian Languages in One Network (SEA-LION), generative ai tools can produce more culturally sensitive responses, reflecting the diversity of the global population.
Singapore’s commitment to accelerating ai development is evident through its recent initiatives and investments. With at least SG$1 billion allocated to ai development, the government aims to enhance access to compute power, develop necessary skill sets, and upgrade critical infrastructure. These efforts align with Singapore’s broader strategy to leverage technology across key sectors and reinforce its position as a global ai hub.
Microsoft’s partnerships and initiatives underscore its commitment to driving ai adoption and skill development among SMBs in Singapore. By collaborating with government agencies, industry partners, and educational institutions, Microsoft aims to empower SMBs with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive in an ai-driven economy.
With ongoing support from the Singapore government and concerted efforts to address cultural sensitivities in ai, the stage is set for SMBs to unlock the full potential of ai and drive innovation across various industries.
