AI Influence Profile
Tharman Shanmugaratnam
President of Singapore
Positioning
A regular voice at international forums on AI governance and its social impact; pushes the global AI safety conversation forward.
Official channels
Public Statements (3)
“We can't leave it to the law of the jungle and most especially, we can't leave AI to the law of the jungle.”
“And in the race to get there first, speed of advance in AI models is taking precedence over safety.”
“We first need the AI equivalent of the IPCC on climate change: an independent group of scientists to keep track of fast-changing AI developments and provide objective advice to governments on the opportunities and risks.”
Recent Talks (4)
- Per Jacobsson Foundation Lecture, IMF Annual Meetings, Washington DC· Lecture proposing an IPCC-equivalent independent scientific body for AI2025-10-15 →
- Asia Tech x Singapore 5th Anniversary Opening Gala· Keynote: Governing AI — A Friend and Foe2025-05-27 →
- World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025, Davos· Remarks at 'Closing the Jobs Gap': making AI complement rather than substitute human skills2025-01-22 →
- Asia Tech x Singapore Summit Opening Gala· Keynote: Regulating AI — the art of the possible, the attainable, the next best2024-05-29 →
External Roles (2)
Parliamentary AI record (0)
No related debate records.
AI videos (9)
Why Singapore sees AI as opportunity rather than threat
2026-02-03 · 03:49 · GZERO Media
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, in a Davos interview with Ian Bremmer, explains why Singapore views AI as an aid to workers rather than a threat.
How Singapore navigates a fragmented world
2026-02-02 · 23:25 · GZERO Media
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in an in-depth conversation with Ian Bremmer on AI, the reshaping of global order, and Singapore's response strategy.
Singapore will face the AI challenge sooner than most countries
2026-02-01 · 01:29 · CNA
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam argues that, given its openness and economic structure, Singapore will feel AI's full impact sooner than other countries.
President Tharman: full GZERO World interview
2026-01-31 · 21:28 · GZERO Media
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam lays out Singapore's global positioning in the AI era, its workforce transformation strategy and its role amid great-power rivalry.
President Tharman's ICCS 2025 keynote
2025-11-17 · 29:51 · Tharman Shanmugaratnam
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam delivers a keynote at the International Cyber Conference Singapore (ICCS), addressing security challenges posed by agentic AI and quantum computing.
Tharman in conversation with Bill Gates: Philanthropy Asia Summit 2025
2025-05-05 · 34:36 · The Straits Times
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Bill Gates dig into what AI could change in public health, education and development.
AI governance must balance ambition and humility: President Tharman
2024-05-29 · 01:42 · CNA
At Asia Tech x Singapore, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam stresses that AI governance must strike a balance between ambition and humility.
President Tharman at Columbia University on AI's benefits for Singapore
2023-12-06 · 01:27 · Columbia SIPA
At Columbia University's World Leaders Forum, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam speaks on AI's positive impact on Singapore's workforce and economy.
President Tharman on AI and jobs: Singapore FinTech Festival 2023
2023-11-15 · 05:44 · Asia Biz Today
At the FinTech Festival, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam warns that AI will displace human tasks faster than previous technologies and calls for accelerated workforce transformation.