Singapore and Australia have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reaffirming their commitment to facilitate artificial intelligence (AI) adoption amongst their citizens and businesses, and promote responsible AI development and deployment.

The MOU on Cooperation on AI was signed by Josephine Teo, Singapore’s Minister for Digital Development and Information, and Ed Husic, Australia’s Minister for Industry and Science, during a bilateral meeting on 16 December 2024 held in Singapore, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information of Singapore said in a statement on Monday.

According to the statement, this MOU builds upon the foundation laid by the Singapore-Australia Digital Economy Agreement (SADEA) signed in 2020 and expands the scope of AI collaboration between the two countries.

The MOU also aligns with Singapore and Australia’s broader efforts under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) framework, enhancing their shared vision for a digital economy.

Key objectives for the partnership include encouraging the sharing of best practices between both Al ecosystems across the governmental, industry and research domains; facilitating increased access to Al technologies, markets, and talent; building linkages between research and industry to support the commercialization of Al applications.

They also include promoting Responsible AI including support for the development and adoption of ethical governance frameworks for the trusted, secure, safe, and responsible development and use of Al technologies; and where appropriate, the alignment of governance and regulatory frameworks and tools.

The MOU is a significant step forward in the two countries’ shared journey towards realizing AI for the public good; and it is expected to further strengthen the bilateral ties between Singapore and Australia, said the statement.

“This MOU marks another meaningful milestone between Singapore and Australia,

“It opens new doors for AI collaboration across multiple channels – from research institutes and businesses to government,” Teo said.

“By fostering public trust through the development and deployment of responsible AI, we can fully unlock the transformative potential of AI to deliver tangible benefits for our peoples and businesses, and realize Singapore’s vision of AI for the Public Good for Singapore and the world,” she added.

Meanwhile, Husic said, for the huge benefits of AI to be fully realized it needs to be trusted, with international partnerships an important way to ensure checks and balances are in place globally.

“Together with our closest partners across the region we’re addressing common challenges, including the safe and responsible use of AI,

“Singapore and Australia are global tech leaders, offering a compelling opportunity for our countries’ brightest minds and leading institutions to build skills and learn from each other,” he added.

Beyond the MOU signing, Teo and Husic also discussed domestic and global AI developments, and other ongoing digital and cybersecurity collaborations.

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