SINGAPORE: In her speech on the primary day of the Funds debate on Tuesday (Feb 24) Eileen Chong, a Non-constituency Member of Parliament from the Staff’ Celebration, spoke about Synthetic Intelligence, noting that a good portion of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s Funds speech had centered on AI.
She warned, nonetheless, that primarily based on a present research, adopting AI instruments has not lowered folks’s workload; as a substitute, they persistently intensified it.
The NCMP urged the Authorities to make sure that productiveness positive aspects would translate into actual human positive aspects, reminiscent of shorter hours and extra household time, moderately than simply extra output.
Whereas Ms Chong says she helps harnessing the know-how as a strategic benefit, she talked concerning the actuality of AI fatigue.
“It’s the feeling that regardless of how briskly we be taught, the bottom is all the time shifting beneath us. It’s the fear that instruments meant to make us extra productive, to make our lives simpler, are literally leaving us with extra to do,” she stated, citing findings from an article within the Harvard Enterprise Overview.
Whereas AI precipitated duties to be completed sooner, this made employees extra reliant on the know-how, and ended up giving workers extra work to do. And with AI rising workload expectations, this may result in employee fatigue and burnout.
Subsequently, with the decision to embrace AI at work, Singaporeans are usually not solely in danger for job displacement however job intensification, which Ms Chong in comparison with operating “sooner on the identical treadmill.”
@thehammertok Livability within the Age of AI As Funds 2026 leans closely into AI adoption and world competitiveness, we should ask: How does this translate into a greater life for the common Singaporean? Drawing on a global research relating to the influence of AI on the workforce, NCMP Eileen Chong cautioned that productiveness positive aspects don’t routinely grow to be “human positive aspects.” With out deliberate coverage shifts, the effectivity discovered via AI usually ends in extra duties being added to a employee’s plate, moderately than offering the aid they want. Eileen highlighted three pillars to make sure our nationwide AI technique serves our folks’s well-being: 1️⃣ Time as a Design Purpose: AI mustn’t simply add extra duties to an worker’s plate. It must be return time to Singaporeans to allow them to be current for his or her households and communities. 2️⃣ Capability for Neighborhood: A “We First” society can not exist on burnout. We want a finances that protects the time and vitality required for Singaporeans to really present up for each other and provides them confidence to develop their households. 3️⃣ Area to Develop: Past financial competitiveness, we must always be sure that our system offers the house for Singaporeans to develop, discover and grow to be who they’re meant to be. Our future is about extra than simply securing our competitiveness. It’s about defending our time—time for our kids, our mother and father, and ourselves. As Singapore pushes for larger AI adoption, we should guarantee know-how is used to return time to our folks, moderately than merely demanding extra from them. #wpsg #Parliament #WorkingForSingapore #SGBudget2026
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She stated, “I urge the Authorities and all Singaporeans to assume not nearly how AI could make us extra productive, however about the way it can provide us our time again. Singapore’s common full-time working week stands at practically 44 hours, not together with unpaid extra time hours.
That is among the many highest within the developed world. Sixty-one per cent of Singaporean workers report feeling exhausted. Burnout prices the Singapore financial system an estimated $15.7 billion yearly in misplaced productiveness.”
She additionally warned that productiveness positive aspects don’t routinely profit employees, and with out coverage selections, they have an inclination to stay employer positive aspects.
“If AI can automate routine duties, what comes subsequent mustn’t solely be what extra duties could be added to an worker’s plate at work. Maybe it’s that they go away the workplace on time most days to have dinner with their households, and never solely on quarterly Eat With Your Household Day,” she added.
Her speech could be seen in full right here.
Ms Chong is a former diplomat who served with the Ministry of Overseas Affairs (MFA) for over six years. She joined the WP within the latter a part of 2024, collaborating in home visits in Bedok Reservoir and Kovan.
In final yr’s GE, she was fielded as a part of the WP slate at Tampines. /TISG
Learn additionally: In maiden speech in Parliament, WP NCMP Eileen Chong makes the case for embracing various viewpoints
