Singapore – The Singapore government and Google have announced an expanded collaboration aimed at accelerating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for public services, research, workforce development, and enterprise innovation.
The new National AI Partnership, announced by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), builds on an earlier agreement signed in 2022 with the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group. The partnership supports Singapore’s efforts to scale AI adoption under its national strategy, with a focus on addressing societal challenges, strengthening research and development, and building a trusted AI ecosystem.
A key component of the collaboration involves advancing research and development, particularly in health and life sciences. Google DeepMind, which has a presence in Singapore, will work with public health clusters to explore AI “co-clinicians” as part of a global research initiative. The initiative studies how AI systems could support doctors by helping analyse clinical information and provide guidance drawn from medical guidelines and scientific literature.
The concept also explores “triadic care”, where AI agents assist patients throughout their care journey while operating under the supervision of healthcare professionals.
In scientific research, Google DeepMind will partner with the National Research Foundation to train local researchers to use agentic AI tools designed for scientific discovery. Among the tools being introduced is Co-Scientist, which has shown potential across biomedical research applications. Workshops will also be organised to help researchers adopt frontier AI tools.
Separately, Google will collaborate with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) to support the translation of laboratory discoveries into commercial innovations across materials science and life sciences. The collaboration will equip researchers with secure AI-enabled tools on Google Cloud, including systems designed to assist with hypothesis generation and data analysis within governed research environments.
The partnership also includes initiatives focused on inclusive innovation. Google DeepMind is developing a running assistant powered by the Gemma AI model designed to help blind and low-vision athletes run independently using spatial reasoning and real-time environmental awareness. The tool will be tested with SG Enable to refine the system based on real-world needs.
Education and workforce development are another focus area. Google has already enabled advanced AI capabilities within Google Workspace for Education for educators from primary schools to junior colleges, providing tools to assist with lesson planning and course material development.
Under the expanded partnership, the Ministry of Education Singapore will work with Google to strengthen AI capabilities in teaching and learning through educator training and upskilling programmes.
The collaboration will also continue existing initiatives under the “Majulah AI” programme aimed at broadening AI adoption across society. These include Skills Ignition SG, which is run with the Infocomm Media Development Authority to support jobseekers, as well as programmes such as Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First and AI Cloud Takeoff for startups, entrepreneurs and developers.
For businesses, Google Cloud’s expanded team of forward-deployed engineers will support companies in Singapore looking to adopt agentic AI technologies and scale enterprise transformation. The initiative builds on existing collaborations with organisations including AI Singapore, the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies, the Government Technology Agency of Singapore, the Home Team Science and Technology Agency, and the National University of Singapore.
The partnership also aims to strengthen AI governance and safety. A joint white paper involving Google, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, GovTech Singapore, and the Infocomm Media Development Authority outlines findings from an AI Agents Sandbox that tested how AI systems can operate in real-world environments. The research examined how “computer-use” agents perform tasks such as software testing and processing social assistance applications, while also identifying best practices for safe deployment.
In addition, Google DeepMind is working with IMDA and MLCommons to develop safety benchmarks for multimodal and multilingual AI systems, with the aim of ensuring that AI technologies are designed to account for diverse languages and cultural contexts.
“This partnership builds on years of close collaboration with Google, and we are pleased to take it to the next level. Bringing frontier AI into our public services and enterprises is central to Singapore’s AI ambitions. This partnership, spanning across multiple agencies, allows us to deploy it at scale,” said Chng Kai Fong, Permanent Secretary (Digital Development and Information).
“As Singapore advances its National AI Strategy the focus now shifts to deploying frontier AI to accelerate real-world impact for the country. Through this expanded partnership with the Singapore Government, we are putting AI into action by combining the best of our technology, R&D expertise, and local talent to accelerate AI for the public good. This also creates a scalable blueprint for responsible AI innovation, built in Singapore for the world,” said Ben King, Country Managing Director, Google Singapore.
