AI-enabled modernisation: Prioritising business value, innovation in Singapore’s public sector

At the recent GovInsider Festival of Innovation, leaders from across Singapore’s public sector came together to explore how agencies could take a more strategic approach to modernisation  - one that leveraged artificial intelligence (AI) while keeping business value and impact at the centre.

The panel featured GovTech Singapore’s Director of Strategic Industry Partnership and Engagement, Mui Kim Ang, the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore’s Divisional Director of the Work Pass Division, Shirley Lim, and the Ministry of Education, Singapore’s Division Director of IT and Group CIO, Jason See. The session was moderated by Thoughtworks APAC’s Managing Director, Steven Yurisich.

Building with purpose: A structured approach to modernisation

A shared view across the discussion was that modernisation was not simply a technology refresh. It required a deliberate, organisation-wide effort that aligned with business goals, system architecture, and ways of working.

Modernisation initiatives should increasingly focus on rethinking outdated policies, simplifying complex workflows, and building internal readiness for change instead of just focusing on the technology.

This included reevaluating long-standing processes and removing barriers that no longer serve users or outcomes. The consensus was that agencies were moving away from isolated upgrades and instead moving towards integrated strategies that link transformation efforts across business, tech, and culture.

Technology as an enabler of long-term outcomes

Within the Ministry of Education, modernisation efforts were shifting towards a product-centric approach. This enabled teams to focus more directly on long-term outcomes - such as supporting teachers, scaling access to quality learning aids, and improving educational experience across the board. The focus was on doing more with less.

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AI was being explored as part of this shift, offering new ways to improve productivity and personalise services. These tools were seen not as standalone solutions, but as enablers of broader goals - especially when integrated thoughtfully into day-to-day systems and services.

Simplifying systems to unlock future potential

The Ministry of Manpower’s transformation of the Work Pass system illustrated how modernisation could unlock significant value. By streamlining fragmented workflows into a more cohesive experience, the ministry reduced operational complexity while improving user outcomes - all while maintaining regulatory integrity.

The initiative also created a stronger foundation for future use of AI in targeted areas, such as automation and verification. This phased, pragmatic approach reflected a growing understanding that sustainable transformation often began with simplification.

A multi-dimensional approach to transformation

For GovTech, a multi-dimensional approach to modernisation has been critical — one that transcended technological upgrades to drive transformation across business processes, technical architecture, and organisational culture.

This involved rethinking policies and procedures, adopting flexible and scalable systems, and fostering an environment that empowered employees to embrace change. Central to this approach was a strong focus on user needs — simplifying interactions and designing systems around real-world experiences.

Rather than treating technology as the end goal, agencies were embedding it as part of a broader shift that prioritised outcomes, responsiveness, and long-term public value.

Responsible experimentation in AI

AI experimentation has been gaining momentum across agencies, but there was a strong emphasis on doing so responsibly. Governance, ethics, and real-world applicability were all key considerations - as was the ability to scale what worked and learn from what did not.

Structured, low-risk pilots with clear evaluation criteria were helping agencies test AI use cases in a controlled, value-driven way. There was also a push to build confidence and capability within teams - not just through training, but by encouraging leaders to engage hands-on with the tools themselves.

A broader shift in mindset

Together, these developments reflected a growing shift in how public agencies — in Singapore and globally — were approaching digital transformation. There has been a move away from viewing modernisation as a purely technical challenge, and toward treating it as a long-term capability-building effort that integrates architecture, culture, data, and design.

AI can support this journey in important ways: enabling new service models, automating burdensome tasks, and helping agencies respond more effectively to changing citizen needs. But success depends on how well it was integrated into broader modernisation strategies - and whether those strategies were grounded in a clear purpose and responsiveness to real-world needs.

As agencies continued to evolve their systems and services, the conversation was shifting from “what technology to adopt” to “what outcomes to enable.” 

The panel underscored that the most resilient transformations were not those that chased trends, but those that took a measured, intentional approach — aligning experimentation with business value, and innovation with lasting public impact.

You can watch the FOI panel recording on demand here.