SWITZERLAND, GENEVA – Singapore announced that its work in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance and Ethics has won a top award at the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes1. The winners of the 18 categories2 of the WSIS Prizes were announced today during an award ceremony at the annual WSIS Forum held in Geneva, Switzerland. Singapore won in the "Ethical Dimensions of the Information Society" category, beating four other finalists3 across the globe. Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) Assistant Chief Executive (Data Protection and Innovation) Yeong Zee Kin received the prize at the ceremony in Geneva. Singapore's AI Governance and Ethics initiatives aim to build an ecosystem of trust to support AI adoption. These initiatives advance Singapore's vision to be a leading Digital Economy and Smart Nation through balancing business innovation and consumer trust and confidence in adopting AI.

In order to drive awareness of the benefits and understand the challenges of AI (such as on ethics[1] and legal issues), IMDA is engaging key stakeholders including government, industry, consumers and academia to collaboratively shape the Government's plans for the AI ecosystem. Such discourse will inform the Government's ongoing plans to support Singapore as a hub for AI development and innovation, and help Singapore to effectively respond to global developments. These initiatives complement IMDA's current suite of business and talent programmes to develop a vibrant AI ecosystem and position Singapore as a leading hub for AI. An Advisory Council on the Ethical Use of AI and Data will be appointed by the Minister for Communications and Information to advise and work with IMDA in the areas of responsible development and deployment of AI. The Advisory Council will assist the Government to develop ethics standards and reference governance frameworks and publish advisory guidelines, practical guidance, and/or codes of practice for the voluntary adoption by the industry.