Using AI to boost cyber defences

The Singapore Government is stepping up investments in artificial intelligence (AI) to better counter cyber threats from hackers who are also increasingly using AI to vary their strategies. As much as $528 million, or 22 per cent, of Singapore's tech budget this year - the most ever - has been set aside for security software and systems, particularly AI-enabled ones. A huge part of the security budget will go to the first Government Security Operations Centre, which will feature AI and the analytics smarts to detect cyber threats. Separately, the National Research Foundation (NRF) launched a programme in May to boost the use of AI in Singapore, to solve nationwide problems in areas such as finance, city management solutions and healthcare. NRF will invest up to $150 million over five years in this new initiative, dubbed AI.SG.