Singapore – Sustainable data governance solutions and technologies firm Straits Interactive has recently announced the introduction of its inaugural initiative aimed at encouraging SME and students to design their own generative AI apps and tools.
The initiative, titled the National AI Prompt Design Challenge, is designed to promote ethical and responsible AI innovation in Singapore, address real-world challenges, and bridge industry gaps. In particular, it targets users who are familiar with ChatGPT or other generative AI tools but are not proficient in coding.
In this competition, participants will either develop AI tools to enhance business productivity or AI tutors to complement learning. This encompasses developing their generative AI apps on Straits Interactive’s platform, Capabara, which supports multiple LLMs such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini Pro.
As the company’s inaugural initiative, It is supported by a network of business and government agencies. These organisations include the AI Verify Foundation, the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME), the Infocomm Media Development Authority, the Singapore Business Federation, and the Singapore Management University/Academy.
ASME will be assisting in coordinating the support from other trade associations for the upcoming Prompt Challenge. The said move marks a significant stride towards supporting the nation’s commitment to advancing AI and aims to enhance digital literacy and contribute to the nation’s digital development.
Commenting about the initiative, Kevin Shepherdson, chief executive officer at Straits Interactive, remarked, “This prompt competition is not targeted at data scientists and coders, but instead at people who hold the domain expertise to guide the Large Language Models (LLM) to create robust AI assistants.”
“Our goal with this competition is to harness the immense potential of Gen AI while ensuring that its development remains grounded in ethical principles and responsible practices. By engaging students, professionals, and innovators from diverse backgrounds, we aim to democratise AI and make its benefits accessible to everyone,” stated Kevin.
Harish Pillay of AI Verify Foundation also said, “AI Verify Foundation (AVF) is pleased to be part of this inaugural competition. Testing of AI solutions for fairness, unbiasness, and transparency is fundamental for widespread adoption of AI for the good of society.”
Meanwhile, Ang Yuit, president at ASME, said, “Through this competition, we aim to raise the profile of skills needed, such as the prompt engineering profession, for tomorrow’s workers and among SMEs.”
“We hope to inspire creativity and innovation among business professionals as they form solutions to solve real-world business problems and also to highlight the importance of using generative AI safely and securely for the workforce of the future,” Ang further explained.
Lee Yee Fung, chief smart technologies officer at Singapore Business Federation, also shared, “The National AI Prompt Design Challenge is a commendable initiative that aligns with SBF’s strategic focus to empower Singaporean businesses and future-proof our workforce through the usage of technology.”
“By encouraging SMEs and students to explore the potential of generative AI and the corresponding risk-mitigating strategies required in deploying the technology, this challenge fosters digital literacy, cultivates innovation, and promotes responsible AI practices,” added Lee.
