Singapore Minister calls for greater transparency on AI and jobs

Singapore’s Acting Manpower Minister Jasmin Lau has called on employers to be more transparent with workers about how AI adoption could affect jobs, retraining and hiring plans, warning that silence among employees should not be mistaken for acceptance.

Migrant Times reported that Lau made the comments at the launch of SG AI Xchange, as Singapore steps up efforts to expand AI adoption across industries.

Employers urged to communicate

“Don’t take a quiet workforce for an agreeable workforce,” Lau said, noting that employees want greater clarity on whether companies are considering retrenchments, slower hiring or changes to existing roles.

She urged employers introducing automation to explain how workers and jobs could be affected, while outlining the retraining support available to help employees transition into changing roles.

Lau also called for transparency when workforce changes are being driven by weaker business conditions rather than AI. Without clear communication, employees could incorrectly assume that AI is behind organisational changes.

AI exposure rises

The push for greater transparency comes as Singapore expands its AI capabilities across the economy. Lau said the country now has close to 100 AI Centres of Excellence across sectors including finance and manufacturing.

An International Labour Organization study published in July found that 42.2% of Singapore’s total employment in 2025 was in occupations with more than minimal potential exposure to generative AI. This was the highest proportion among the nine ASEAN countries covered by the study.

The ILO, however, stressed that exposure does not necessarily mean job displacement. It said widespread disruption to labour markets has not yet emerged, with employment continuing to grow even in occupations with high AI exposure.

Focus on worker support

Lau said stronger communication between employers and employees would be needed as organisations introduce AI and reshape work.

In August, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong called for workers exposed to AI-related disruption to receive support before they lose employment, including targeted training, career guidance, job matching and placement.

Singapore has also been pushing for earlier intervention as AI changes the nature of work.