SINGAPORE: Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the nation's healthcare and social service sectors, but government leaders and industry experts are drawing a firm line: technology must ease workloads, not remove the human touch.
At the launch of a workforce accelerator programme by NHG Health, Senior Minister of State for Health Tan Kiat How warned against ‘mis-skilling’-where professionals become highly proficient with technology but lose confidence in their own judgment.
‘Our challenge is not simply responsible AI. It is responsible professional development in the age of AI,’ Mr. Tan stated.
Healthcare Services Employees' Union executive secretary Steven Goh noted that automating documentation and scheduling is critical to reducing staff burnout and improving nurse retention.
In the social service sector, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) is allocating S$15 million over three years to deploy emerging technologies. Minister Masagos Zulkifli stressed that AI is not a ‘silver bullet’ but must remain human-centred, prioritizing professional oversight to identify at-risk individuals earlier.
Agencies are already seeing results. Care Corner Singapore has deployed an AI-powered transcription tool that slashed administrative time by at least half, while trialling case management platforms to aid workers handling increasingly complex family cases.
Experts caution that trust remains the priority. Bruce Liew, senior director at AWWA, emphasized that technology must not become the first touch point, as clients may feel less understood. The goal remains to standardize administrative processes so practitioners have more energy to provide empathy.