Singapore – KPMG has launched a Trusted Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence (AI CoE) in Singapore, alongside a new Trusted AI Assurance offering aimed at helping businesses assess and scale their AI deployments with governance and compliance measures in place.
The launch, supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board, comes as Singapore continues efforts to position itself as a global hub for AI development and deployment. The initiative was unveiled at an event attended by Jasmin Lau, Jermaine Loy, and Lee Sze Yeng.
According to KPMG’s 2025 Global CEO Outlook, more than seven in ten CEOs now rank AI as a top investment priority, although businesses continue to face challenges related to governance, data readiness, and workforce capability.
Lee Sze Yeng, Managing Partner at KPMG in Singapore, said: “Across every sector, we are seeing the same pattern: organisations that moved fast on AI are now asking harder questions — where is the real value, are our people genuinely ready to work alongside AI, and can we stand behind the decisions our systems make? These are not technical questions. They are leadership questions. And for Singapore businesses with ambitions beyond our shores, there is an added dimension: the trust that matters to customers and regulators in the markets you are entering may be defined differently from what is required here. Through the KPMG Singapore Trusted AI Centre of Excellence, we are partnering with businesses to rigorously assess where they stand, close the gaps that matter, and build AI that is trusted not just locally but in the markets most critical to their growth. Trusted AI is not a constraint on ambition. Done well, it is the foundation for it.”
Jermaine Loy, Managing Director, EDB, said: “KPMG’s Trusted AI Centre of Excellence here in Singapore will enable businesses across diverse sectors – including financial services, healthcare, logistics and manufacturing – to scale use of AI with confidence, supported by robust governance frameworks and assurance capabilities. At the same time, this strengthens Singapore’s growing AI ecosystem by building enterprise capabilities and workforce readiness for AI adoption. We welcome KPMG Singapore’s efforts to work with EDB and the relevant agencies in advancing Singapore’s position as a globally trusted hub for AI deployment and innovation.”
KPMG said the Trusted AI Assurance offering is designed as an evidence-based assessment framework tailored to an organisation’s industry, operating environment, and growth ambitions. The framework evaluates organisations across four areas: AI governance, AI systems, regulatory compliance, and AI security.
The company said the framework is aligned with international standards and regulations including the EU AI Act, the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, ISO 42001, and Singapore’s Model AI Governance Framework. KPMG added that the assessment is intended to help businesses identify gaps in areas such as documentation, explainability, risk management, and human oversight before expanding into international markets.
In addition to the assurance framework, the AI CoE will support businesses through KPMG’s “Four Doors” framework, which focuses on value creation, trust, workforce readiness, and data and technology infrastructure.
KPMG said the CoE will be staffed by a Singapore-based team comprising AI and software engineers, solution architects, data analysts, product managers, and designers. The firm added that the hub will initially focus on sectors including financial services, infrastructure, logistics, manufacturing, government, healthcare, and real estate.
The company also said that solutions developed through the AI CoE will undergo testing internally under its “Client Zero” approach before deployment to clients.
During the launch event, KPMG showcased several AI-related initiatives and platforms, including DG GenAI, KPMG Clara Intelligence, Kiara, and KPMG Mystro™, alongside SME-focused programmes developed with DBS Bank and supported by SkillsFuture Singapore.
KPMG also highlighted that it had attained ISO/IEC 42001 certification for AI Management Systems, which it said supports its broader push for responsible AI governance and capability development in Singapore.
