ThoughtWorks has signed an agreement to partner with AI Singapore to develop training, research and development expertise in the areas of analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) regarding adoption, deployment and best practices.
AI Singapore is an initiative by the Singapore government and launched by the national research foundation with the aim of cultivating local expertise around AI.
Through this agreement, AI Singapore will leverage the technical expertise of software and consultancy company ThoughtWorks.
A strong advocate of agile software development, ThoughtWorks will help AI Singapore develop in the areas of software design thinking, engineering practices, agile methodologies, and in addition lend advisory services to Singapore’s AI efforts.
“For centuries, machines have boosted our capacity for work," said Jessie Xia, managing director of ThoughtWorks for Southeast Asia. "Intelligent machine learning and narrow Artificial Intelligence already make humans smarter at the work we do.
"As machine learning (ML) and AI mature, humans and machines will focus on their strengths - human experience and intuition, the machines’ ability to process vast quantities of data - and will collaborate together to massively enhance our productivity."
AI has the potential to transform Singapore’s growth potential with a 2017 Accenture study of 33 economies finding that by adopting AI, the nation could increase its growth rate from 3.2 per cent to 5.4 per cent by 2035 that translates into an additional US$215 billion in added gross value.
The would mean with the adoption of AI Singapore would take 13 years for its economy to double in Singapore, while without AI adoption it would take 22 years for this to happen.
Furthermore, it would also raise Singapore’s labour productivity by 41 per cent by 2035, the highest among developed economies.
“It [artificial intelligence] has the ability to unlock new experiences and discoveries in human behaviour, and generate new business opportunities,” said Xia.
“We are thrilled to be on this journey with AI Singapore to cross-share knowledge and resources, and foster greater understanding and development in data analytics and AI."
Under this agreement, AI Singapore will not just leverage Thoughworks’ in-house capabilities but also develop engineering and training resources for the Singapore AI community and contribute to the development of AI Singapore’s programmes such as 100-Experiments, AI apprenticeships, and so on.
“Building partnerships with companies with a strong track record in agile software development such as ThoughtWorks will contribute to the AI ecosystem in Singapore,” said Laurence Liew, director of AI industry innovation, AI Singapore.
“ThoughtWorks’ vast knowledge and technical experience in this field can help enterprises in Singapore interested in developing AI systems for their businesses create concept proofs that are not only feasible but also commercially viable.
"Our mission is to connect Singapore-based research institutions and AI startups and companies. These collaborations will grow the knowledge and capabilities, powering Singapore’s AI efforts forward."
