Hosted by the Shanghai government, the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC)’s mission is to provide a global platform for current and future AI innovation startups and corporates to exchange ideas and resources in pursuit of humankind’s greatest technological achievements.

See: World AI Conference 2020 goes live on July 9 – 11

Against this backdrop, WAIC in partnership with TechNode Global will be having a Singapore-focused session for the first time. The WAIC Singapore stage will be broadcast on July 10, 2020, from 2pm – 4pm (GMT +8) on its official website. 

TechNode Global is honored to organize WAIC’s first Singapore-focused session. With an aim to deepen cross-border commercial ties between China and the Southeast Asian market, TechNode Global was set up with the commitment to better serve the Asia tech community and forge a closer bond between the different regions.

The city-state is known for being a trailblazer when it comes to embracing emerging technologies. With AI being one of the four frontier technologies essential to the country’s push towards being “digitally ready,” we are already seeing Singapore institutions and companies putting AI into daily use. It is foreseeable that the adoption of AI will be widespread with promise for powerful capabilities, from retail to healthcare, education, and financial services.

Those who attend will have the opportunity to listen to a series of presentations and panel discussion delivered by industry thought leaders and policy makers. Here’s what you can expect.

Singapore’s national AI strategy

The Singapore stage will kick off with a presentation by Dr. Chng Zhenzhi, director of the National AI Office at the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office. She will be sharing how Singapore harnesses the potential of AI to create social and economic value as a key step in its Smart Nation journey. Also, how the nation plans to deploy scalable and impactful AI solutions in key sectors such as transport and logistics, smart cities and estates, healthcare, education, and safety and security.

AI research meets reality

It is important to strengthen partnerships and capabilities between the research community, industry and government to speed up the deployment and commercialisation of AI solutions. Dr. Li Xiaoli, head of machine intellection, principal scientist at Institute for Infocomm Research, A*STAR, will be shedding some light on how A*STAR’s researchers collaborate with government agencies and industry such as Singapore Airlines and KMPG in the deployment of AI solutions to address real-world challenges.

Accelerating the adoption of AI in Singapore 

While the benefits of AI are clear, its implementation is not simple and there are several key challenges limiting the adoption. Hear from Laurence Liew, director of AI Innovation at AI Singapore on how AISG tackles challenges such as talent shortages and resource constraints through its 100 Experiments (100E) and AI Apprenticeship Programme (AIAP).

Data sharing as a virtue for smart city AI 

With the increased use of AI, the role of data has become increasingly important as well. However, data silos limit the abilities of AI and this highlights the importance of data sharing. Hear from Prof. Ng See-Kiong, Professor at National University of Singapore on what more can be done to address data silo problems as he explores the challenges and opportunities of data sharing in building a smart city. 

Data and AI for smart cities 

On the topic of the smart city, Renee Lo, GM of data and AI at Microsoft will be sharing the work its researchers are doing in effort to shape the direction for the next generation of AI following its threefold approach: meaningful innovation, empowering people, and responsible AI.

AI and cross-border data flows 

The Singapore stage will conclude with an engaging panel discussion on the topic of AI and cross-border data flows. Dr. Li Xiaoli from Institute for Infocomm Research, A*STAR, Yang Kan, regional head of data intelligence solutions at Alibaba Cloud, Prof. Ng See-Kiong from National University of Singapore (NUS), and Prof. Zhu Feida, associate professor at Singapore Management University (SMU) will be discussing their experiences partnering with industry, academia, and government. They will also be offering their perspective on open-sourced AI technology. 

Singapore stage agenda

Time	Topic	Speaker
2:00pm – 2:05pm	WAIC Singapore Stage Introduction
2:05pm – 2:20pm	Singapore’s National AI Strategy	Dr. Chng Zhenzhi, Director, National AI Office,  Smart Nation and Digital Government Office
2:20pm – 2:35pm	AI Research Meets Reality	Dr. Li Xiaoli, Head of Machine Intellection, Principal Scientist, Institute for Infocomm Research, A*STAR
2:35pm – 2:50pm	Accelerating the adoption of AI in Singapore	Laurence Liew, Director, AI Innovation, AI Singapore
2:50pm – 3:05pm	Data Sharing as a Virtue for Smart City AI	Prof. Ng See-Kiong, Institute of Data Science and Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, National University of Singapore (NUS)
3.05pm – 3.20pm	Data and AI for Smart Cities	Renee Lo, GM, Data & AI, Microsoft Corporation
3.20pm – 4.00pm	Panel Discussion: AI and Cross-border Data Flows	Dr. Li Xiaoli, Head of Machine Intellection, Principal Scientist， Institute for Infocomm Research, A*STAR Yang Kan, Regional Head of Data Intelligence Solutions, Alibaba Cloud Prof. Ng See-Kiong, Professor, Institute of Data Science and Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, National University of Singapore (NUS) Moderated by: Prof. Zhu Feida, Associate Professor, School of Information Systems, Singapore Management University (SMU)

 

Apart from the Singapore-focused session, this year’s online conference consists of one exhibition platform that will showcase products and services from more than 100 exhibitors, an opening ceremony, two plenary sessions, 10 thematic side stages, many industrial side stages, including both live and recorded content. 

Get your tickets here to watch three days worth of live and recorded content. For more information, visit the official website of WAIC 2020.