Discover how AI-powered automation can level up your organisation at this upcoming summit

Automating repetitive tasks, streamlining manual processes, and improving workforce productivity and excellence – these are just some of the benefits highlighted by public sector leaders when asked how automation has helped them in their work during interviews with GovInsider. 

The integration of artificial intelligence into automation is set to take things to the next level. It is this intersection that the AI-Powered Automation Summit will explore. Organised by leading enterprise automation software company UiPath, the summit will take place on 27 July from 8 am to 1.30 pm, at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore. 

Rob Enslin, Co-CEO at UiPath, will be present at the summit to talk about the possibilities of automation for public sectors, and how enterprises can go further and faster by pairing AI with automation. 

At the summit, attendees will gain valuable insights from leaders representing various public sector agencies in Singapore. They will shed light on the pivotal role of automation in fostering operational excellence, their ambitions for AI-powered automation, and their experiences in implementing automation to develop more citizen-centric and efficient government services.

Ahead of the event, GovInsider sat down with several leaders who are set to take the stage at the summit to hear their thoughts on the role of AI in automation and give a glimpse of what attendees can expect on 27 July. 

Understanding the potential of AI-powered automation

Abdul Samad Gulam Hussain, Senior Deputy Director at Singapore’s Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB), summed up the organisation’s vision of AI-powered automation: “Our goal is to harness the synergy of AI capability and human maturity—the dynamic duo—to elevate customer service excellence. Augmented AI-powered automation is set to propel the CPF Board into becoming a more trusted and respected social security organisation, committed to enabling Singaporeans.”

According to Dennis Lui, Chief Executive of VITAL, the central agency for corporate shared services in the Singapore Government, the ability of AI to not only analyse and understand complex data but also perform tasks that require cognitive capabilities can empower and complement automation solutions to unlock new opportunities.

VITAL currently processes more than 1.5 million transactions annually across HR, payroll, finance, and procurement functions for over 100 public agencies in Singapore. The integration of diverse AI capabilities like machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics amplifies the potential for enhancing human productivity.

“This allows VITAL to enhance process efficiency … and automate more complex processes that were challenging to do if we use robotic process automation (RPA) only,” Lui explained. 

For instance, in a previous interview with GovInsider, Lui shared that VITAL is using AI to help enhance the talent recruitment process in government agencies. By leveraging AI software to analyse electronic CVs and filter out applications that do not align with the organisation’s requirements, VITAL is able to streamline the process of shortlisting candidates.

Furthermore, technology like generative AI could even allow non-technical employees to independently develop and implement automation workflows in their work, according to Lui. For example,public officers can simply input what they wish to create in natural language, and the program will proceed to create a draft automation workflow for further refinement. 

Samad shared that AI-powered automation is helping officers at CPFB to infuse machine learning models into their personal assistant bots and use in-house natural language processing models like ACKBERT to mine valuable insights from citizen communication. 

The accumulated data forms a robust database of suggested responses using in-house model TESLA, resulting in accurate and responsive engagements that cater to citizens' needs. This seamless integration of AI and human expertise, termed Augmented AI, offers citizens efficient assistance and addresses unspoken needs with each interaction.

Likewise, the healthcare industry is looking towards AI-powered automation to augment clinical workflows, said Chan Wai Ching, Assistant Manager, Artificial Intelligence & Automation Unit, Department of Future Health System and RPA Lead at the Singapore General Hospital.

But while the tool will augment the capabilities of the workforce to meet the industry’s changing needs and demands, it will not replace the human touch offered by our staff which is key in the industry, she added. 

Upcoming at the summit: Success stories, new products, and building an automation community

Summit participants will have the opportunity to hear directly from Lui, Chan, and Samad on their automation journeys, lessons learned from their experiences with implementing automation, as well as success stories on how the integration of AI has taken automation to the next level.

Said Lui of his sharing: “With AI revolutionising the future of shared services and the public sector, what kind of change management and workforce transformation would need to happen now and how will citizen developers play a pivotal role in accelerating digital transformation in an organisation?”

Meanwhile, Samad will elaborate on CPFB’s experience of transforming citizen communications into actionable data to gain customer insights and inform the building of personalised citizen services. 

“We hope our sharing will serve as an inspiration, not only to participants from the healthcare industry, but also those from other sectors.  Through our insights, we aim to motivate them to explore this technology and use it to create a positive impact in their respective areas of work,” Chan added. 

In addition to leaders from the public sector, Mark Geene, Senior Vice President of Product Management at UiPath, will also be sharing new technologies that can empower organisations in their automation journeys – specifically, extended automation capabilities under UiPath’s AI Roadmap, featuring the integration of cutting-edge technologies like Generative AI and specialised AI offerings.

Ultimately, the three speakers GovInsider spoke to also expressed their hopes that this summit will be a platform for shared learnings and collaboration. 

“We look forward to learning from other organisations on how they have incorporated automation into their operations, and how automation technology will continue to evolve, push boundaries, and enable more possibilities at the workplace,” Chan said. 

Hear from CPF, SGH, and VITAL at the AI-Powered Automation Summit Singapore – Public Sector Edition, happening on 27 July, from 8am - 1.30pm at the Melati Ballroom, Level 4, Sands Expo & Convention Centre. Find out more here.