A mixture of cash investments and global standards for LLM testing could help Singapore make a mark in AI.
Singapore is looking to carve out a global footprint in artificial intelligence (AI) with the release of international standards for large language model (LLM) testing and investments in quantum computing and new data center capacity.
Quantum has the potential to unlock new value, where higher processing capabilities can be harnessed in areas such as simulating complex molecules for drug discovery, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat at last week’s Asia Tech x Singapore 2024 summit.
He added that quantum computing can also have synergies with AI, for example, in improving the efficiency of developing and training advanced AI models. This development, in turn, can further drive innovations in deep learning, natural language processing, and computer vision.
However, there still are challenges to resolve in quantum, including requirements for cryogenic cooling and error correction, Heng said. He noted that researchers worldwide were assessing different approaches to achieve scale and enable quantum computing to be commercially viable.
This roadmap focuses on four areas, including initiatives in quantum research, such as quantum communications and security and quantum processors, and a scholarship program to produce 100 PhD and 100 master’s-level graduates over the next five years, he said.
Efforts are underway for Singapore to build capabilities in the design and development of quantum processors. This work will encompass research on qubit technologies, including photonic networks, neutral atoms, and superconducting circuits.
The government in 2022 unveiled a three-year initiative to build a quantum-safe network that it hopes will showcase “crypto-agile connectivity” and facilitate trials with both public and private organizations. The initiative also includes a quantum security lab for vulnerability research.
Singapore last week also launched its green data center roadmap to chart “digital sustainability and chart green growth pathways” for such facilities, supporting AI and computing developments.
The country has over 1.4 gigawatts of data center capacity and is home to more than 70 cloud, enterprise, and co-location data centers.
Singapore is aiming to add at least 300 megawatts of additional data center capacity “in the near term” and another 200 megawatts through green energy deployments, said Janil Puthucheary, senior minister of state for the Ministry of Communications and Information, at the summit.
