Safeguards for Deployment of Employment-related AI
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan’s inquiry on whether mandatory safeguards for employment-related AI, such as risk assessments and human oversight, will be implemented to address high AI exposure. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng responded that the Government and tripartite partners are currently studying international regulatory models and the impact of AI tools before deciding on Singapore's specific approach. He explained that the goal is to create an enabling environment for responsible AI deployment while allowing businesses and workers to benefit from resulting efficiencies. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng emphasized that employers must currently adhere to the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices when using AI tools. Finally, he noted that the upcoming Workplace Fairness Act will provide further statutory safeguards to ensure that AI deployment remains fair and merit-based.
Transcript
41 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider the practices in other advanced economies in implementing stronger safeguards for employment-related AI, such as requiring deployers to conduct risk assessments, ensure human oversight, provide right-to-know transparency and penalties for non-compliance, instead of relying on voluntary frameworks given the high level of AI exposure in Singapore’s labour market.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Government is actively monitoring trends in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption. Different countries have adopted different approaches to regulate the use of AI tools in employment. Some jurisdictions, such as the European Union and the United States, have implemented legislation, while others, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, have published non-binding guidelines. However, the effectiveness of these measures and their impact on businesses and workers are not clear. Hence, under the overarching ambit of the National AI Council and together with tripartite partners, we are studying the use of AI tools by businesses and its impact on employment, before deciding the most appropriate approach for Singapore. We aim to create an enabling environment for AI tools to be deployed in a responsible manner, while allowing businesses and workers to benefit from the efficiencies that AI can bring.
In this regard, employers must comply with the fair and merit-based employment practices in the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) and the upcoming Workplace Fairness Act (WFA) in the deployment of AI tools.