PM Wong pledges 'new and better' jobs as AI disrupts industries, transforms economy

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong used Singapore's May Day Rally to warn that artificial intelligence will reshape the economy and disrupt jobs, while promising support to help workers move into new and better roles.

Wong said the government may not be able to protect every job, but it will protect every worker. He said AI is already transforming industries and that Singapore must adapt quickly so people can benefit from the change rather than be left behind.

The speech, delivered on May 1, also set out the tools Singapore will use to manage the transition. Wong pointed to the National AI Council, stronger SkillsFuture support, and worker-support measures, including the Tripartite Jobs Council.

NTUC said the council was created after the success of Company Training Committees, which helped businesses and workers align training with changing job needs. The labour movement and the manpower ministry both backed the message that the shift will require tripartite cooperation.

The point of the rally address was not to downplay the disruption. It was to frame AI as a major economic force and to argue that Singapore can still create better jobs if workers are helped to retrain and move with the economy.

Official PMO, NTUC and Ministry of Manpower statements all confirmed the main themes of the speech, while CNA and The Straits Times reported the same central pledge: AI will change work, but workers should not be left on their own.