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Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Singapore tops AI readiness among 109 countries; more adults picking up Gen AI skills
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The index, which was released in July, defined AI maturity as readiness for AI innovation. SINGAPORE – Interest in generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) is growing in Singapore's skills scene. A new report measuring global skill levels in business, tech, and data science based on online learning trends by online course provider Coursera, placed Singapore first among 109 countries in terms of AI maturity. The index, which was release d in July, defined AI maturity as readiness for AI innovation. Denmark came in second and Switzerland placed third. Apart from its own enrolment numbers for AI-related courses, Coursera analysed countries' research output by their local institutes of higher learning, and d ata from the International Monetary Fund's AI Preparedness Index which assesses how well countries are prepared to adopt and integrate AI technologies. Professor Simon Chesterman, senior director of AI governance at AI Singapore, a national programme aimed at boosting Singapore's AI capabilities, said that Coursera's report indicates that there is a healthy appetite for learning about Gen AI among Singaporeans. Singapore has done well in the AI space partly due to government strategies like SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and a reasonably educated, well-connected population without any rural communities, he added. There are 107,000 Gen AI course enrolments on Coursera in Singapore to date, with 44,000 new enrolments in 2024. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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An uptick in enrolment in AI courses probably stems from curiosity and worry among adult learners in Singapore, Prof Chesterman said. 'They want to learn more, or they want to preserve their relevance in the workforce.' 'Certainly there are reasons to be optimistic about what's going on in Singapore, but no reason to rest on our laurels,' he said. Citing the set-up of AI Singapore in 2017, Prof Chesterman, who is also vice provost of educational innovation at the National University of Singapore, said: 'We moved early on this... while many countries are onto their first AI strategy, Singapore has had a refresh of our version 2.0.' AI Singapore was launched eight years ago to help businesses and the government use AI in practical ways, and to nurture local AI talent. Under the updated National AI Strategy 2.0 launched in 2023, its focus has expanded to scaling AI talent and using AI for public good both locally and globally. Coursera chief executive Greg Hart said that a study by Google and Access Partnership, a public policy consultancy focused on technology, has projected that there are significant economic benefits to be reaped with gen AI. With the study's forecast showing that AI can add nearly USD$150 billion (S$192 billion) to Singapore's economy by 2030, the workforce needs to upskill in this area, he told The Straits Times. 'For that to happen, Singapore needs to make sure that as many people as possible have the right skills to enable that. And you've got the national AI strategy, which is aiming to triple the number of people with AI skills in the workforce over the next three to five years,' said Mr Hart. Online providers like Coursera can augment university curricula with industry-created AI micro-credentials, he added. Micro-credentials are short, focused courses or certifications that help people learn specific skills quickly. Coursera chief executive Greg Hart said that a study by Google and Access Partnership has projected that there are significant economic benefits to be reaped with gen AI. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Teaming up with SkillsFuture In August 2024, Coursera and Udemy Business were added to the list of SkillsFuture-approved platforms, allowing users to use their SkillsFuture credits for courses on these sites. The number of Singaporeans who have used SkillsFuture Credits for learning for online learning has increased nearly tenfold from 266 in 2023 to 2,655 in 2024, an SSG spokeswoman said. These include courses on three other online learning platforms: GnowbeLearn, NTUC LearningHub Learning eXperience Platform (LHUB LXP) and ZilLearn. As of end June, about 2,450 SkillsFuture Credit claims have been made for subscriptions to Coursera. Mr Hart said that online courses give adult learners more flexibility and access to content on the go. Coursera has found that 39 per cent of its Singapore learners use their mobile phones for learning. The rest use their laptops, computers or other digital devices. 'You want to meet the learner wherever they are,' Mr Hart noted. There are currently 1.3 million registered learners on Coursera in Singapore, the result of 14 per cent year-over-year growth. The Coursera report shows more than double the number of males enrolling for courses on the platform compared to females, but Mr Hart expects women's numbers to catch up. Men tend to dominate tech-related courses, but online learning may be a more comfortable learning option for women, who have also been observed to better engage with AI-driven tutors available on the platform than men. With growth in Gen AI course enrolments for women standing at 253 per cent, women are catching up to men in AI learning, whose growth in enrolment is 168 per cent . 'Online learning is a fantastic way to sort of level the playing field... because it brings access to world-class education to people around the world,' he said. Mr Christoper Tan, 55, has used his SkillsFuture credits to sign up for a Coursera subscription. Since September 2024, the educator who teaches tertiary statistics and mathematics has taken over 30 courses on the platform. One of the first courses he enrolled in was Learning How To Learn by Dr Barbara Oakley, which he was able to spread out in bite-sized portions and complete in two weeks. 'I could learn on the go. That means I could use my mobile phone while in the bus or MRT, to watch the videos and attempt the quizzes,' he said, adding that while at home, he would use his laptop and tablet devices to continue from where he left off. Besides enabling him to learn at his own pace, online learning has helped him gain a variety of skills, be it in tech, writing or soft skills, he said. He also completed a few AI related courses, one of which taught him how to recognise when emotions or AI-generated content might be skewing logic, as well as other courses that were directly useful to his profession, such as effective communication through writing, design and presentation. 'As an educator, it is important for me to be able to prepare and present material well when I'm in a classroom. And I need to be able to talk clearly and well,' said Mr Tan. 'These online courses are taught by actual professors from reputable universities. So that's another thing I like about it.'
San Francisco Chronicle
30-07-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Australian Parliament finally honors Olympians who defied boycott of 1980 Moscow Games
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A wait of 45 years ended when a group of Olympians who defied pressure to boycott the 1980 Moscow Games were recognized in the Australian Parliament on Wednesday for their contribution to sports. Australian Olympic Committee President Ian Chesterman said the recognition acknowledged 'the courage and resilience of the Olympians who faced intense public pressure not to compete, and the enduring hurt and pain many of them still feel.' 'In many ways, this recognition will be the welcome home celebration the athletes never got,' Chesterman said. 'Instead of the celebrations our Olympians normally arrive home to, they endured threats, feelings of shame, public condemnation and arrived home to silence.' In 1980, the government pressured the Australian Olympic federation to join the U.S.-led boycott of the Moscow Olympics following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. But 121 Australians went to Moscow to compete at the games and the team won nine medals, including two gold. Because some of Australia's sports federations abided by the government boycott, at least 62 athletes didn't get the opportunity to compete in Moscow. Of those, 17 never became an Olympian. 'The whole saga was a disastrous and divisive collision of sport and politics, and it put our athletes, sports and officials in the worst possible position,' Chesterman said. 'But they fulfilled their dream in attending the games and, in doing so, maintained Australia's representation at the Olympics. Because of them we are one of only two countries, along with Greece, to have sent athletes to every summer edition.' Swimmer Michelle Ford won the women's 800-meter freestyle, and the men's 4x100-meter medley relay team also won gold. 'We were preparing to represent our country at the Olympic Games, the world's greatest sporting event, but instead of support we were met with hostility and abuse,' Ford said in a statement ahead of the ceremony. 'We were branded traitors, vilified, shamed and ridiculed. I even received a death threat. 'When the time came time to depart, we were forced to sneak out of the country to avoid media and protestors," she added. "The memories of that time remain tainted by the pain and anguish we experienced and have carried with us for 45 years.' Max Metzker, a swimmer who won bronze in Moscow, said the mental toll on the athletes 'has continued to linger for decades.' 'Our hope,' he said, 'is that the recognition today helps heal those mental scars.' Ron McKeon, who competed in swimming at the 1980 Games, attended the ceremony in the national capital, Canberra, along with his daughter Emma McKeon — Australia's most decorated Olympian with 14 medals before she retired last year — and son David McKeon, who swam at the 2012 Olympics in London. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday acknowledged the Olympic participation of the athletes, and also the emotional pain. 'When you choose to wear the green and gold, you should draw strength from knowing that the whole nation is with you,' Albanese told Parliament. "Yet the returning athletes were met only by cold silence or cruel comments.
Winnipeg Free Press
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Australian Parliament finally honors Olympians who defied boycott of 1980 Moscow Games
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A wait of 45 years ended when a group of Olympians who defied pressure to boycott the 1980 Moscow Games were recognized in the Australian Parliament on Wednesday for their contribution to sports. Australian Olympic Committee President Ian Chesterman said the recognition acknowledged 'the courage and resilience of the Olympians who faced intense public pressure not to compete, and the enduring hurt and pain many of them still feel.' 'In many ways, this recognition will be the welcome home celebration the athletes never got,' Chesterman said. 'Instead of the celebrations our Olympians normally arrive home to, they endured threats, feelings of shame, public condemnation and arrived home to silence.' In 1980, the government pressured the Australian Olympic federation to join the U.S.-led boycott of the Moscow Olympics following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. But 121 Australians went to Moscow to compete at the games and the team won nine medals, including two gold. Because some of Australia's sports federations abided by the government boycott, at least 62 athletes didn't get the opportunity to compete in Moscow. Of those, 17 never became an Olympian. 'The whole saga was a disastrous and divisive collision of sport and politics, and it put our athletes, sports and officials in the worst possible position,' Chesterman said. 'But they fulfilled their dream in attending the games and, in doing so, maintained Australia's representation at the Olympics. Because of them we are one of only two countries, along with Greece, to have sent athletes to every summer edition.' Swimmer Michelle Ford won the women's 800-meter freestyle, and the men's 4×100-meter medley relay team also won gold. Ford, who turned 18 during the Moscow Games, has been part of a group long seeking formal acknowledgement from the government. 'We were preparing to represent our country at the Olympic Games, the world's greatest sporting event, but instead of support we were met with hostility and abuse,' Ford said in a statement ahead of the ceremony. 'We were branded traitors, vilified, shamed and ridiculed. I even received a death threat. 'When the time came time to depart, we were forced to sneak out of the country to avoid media and protestors,' she added. 'The memories of that time remain tainted by the pain and anguish we experienced and have carried with us for 45 years.' Max Metzker, a swimmer who won bronze in Moscow, said the mental toll on the athletes 'has continued to linger for decades.' 'Our hope,' he said, 'is that the recognition today helps heal those mental scars.' Ron McKeon, who competed in swimming at the 1980 Games, attended the ceremony in the national capital, Canberra, along with his daughter Emma McKeon — Australia's most decorated Olympian with 14 medals before she retired last year — and son David McKeon, who swam at the 2012 Olympics in London. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday acknowledged the Olympic participation of the athletes, and also the emotional pain. 'When you choose to wear the green and gold, you should draw strength from knowing that the whole nation is with you,' Albanese told Parliament. 'Yet the returning athletes were met only by cold silence or cruel comments. 'Today, we fix that. You have earned your place in the history of the Games and our nation.' ___ AP sports:
Hamilton Spectator
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Australian Parliament finally honors Olympians who defied boycott of 1980 Moscow Games
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A wait of 45 years ended when a group of Olympians who defied pressure to boycott the 1980 Moscow Games were recognized in the Australian Parliament on Wednesday for their contribution to sports. Australian Olympic Committee President Ian Chesterman said the recognition acknowledged 'the courage and resilience of the Olympians who faced intense public pressure not to compete, and the enduring hurt and pain many of them still feel.' 'In many ways, this recognition will be the welcome home celebration the athletes never got,' Chesterman said. 'Instead of the celebrations our Olympians normally arrive home to, they endured threats, feelings of shame, public condemnation and arrived home to silence.' In 1980, the government pressured the Australian Olympic federation to join the U.S.-led boycott of the Moscow Olympics following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. But 121 Australians went to Moscow to compete at the games and the team won nine medals, including two gold. Because some of Australia's sports federations abided by the government boycott, at least 62 athletes didn't get the opportunity to compete in Moscow. Of those, 17 never became an Olympian. 'The whole saga was a disastrous and divisive collision of sport and politics, and it put our athletes, sports and officials in the worst possible position,' Chesterman said. 'But they fulfilled their dream in attending the games and, in doing so, maintained Australia's representation at the Olympics. Because of them we are one of only two countries, along with Greece, to have sent athletes to every summer edition.' Swimmer Michelle Ford won the women's 800-meter freestyle, and the men's 4x100-meter medley relay team also won gold. Ford, who turned 18 during the Moscow Games, has been part of a group long seeking formal acknowledgement from the government. 'We were preparing to represent our country at the Olympic Games, the world's greatest sporting event, but instead of support we were met with hostility and abuse,' Ford said in a statement ahead of the ceremony. 'We were branded traitors, vilified, shamed and ridiculed. I even received a death threat. 'When the time came time to depart, we were forced to sneak out of the country to avoid media and protestors,' she added. 'The memories of that time remain tainted by the pain and anguish we experienced and have carried with us for 45 years.' Max Metzker, a swimmer who won bronze in Moscow, said the mental toll on the athletes 'has continued to linger for decades.' 'Our hope,' he said, 'is that the recognition today helps heal those mental scars.' Ron McKeon, who competed in swimming at the 1980 Games, attended the ceremony in the national capital, Canberra, along with his daughter Emma McKeon — Australia's most decorated Olympian with 14 medals before she retired last year — and son David McKeon, who swam at the 2012 Olympics in London. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday acknowledged the Olympic participation of the athletes, and also the emotional pain. 'When you choose to wear the green and gold, you should draw strength from knowing that the whole nation is with you,' Albanese told Parliament. 'Yet the returning athletes were met only by cold silence or cruel comments. 'Today, we fix that. You have earned your place in the history of the Games and our nation.' ___ AP sports:
Irish Independent
16-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Former psychologist transformed dark one-bed east Cork cottage into a delightful, light-filled three-bedroom home
Take the experience of Christopher Chesterman. When the former psychologist, who comes from London, took early retirement in 2019, he was determined to do something completely different. 'I wanted to get out of the kind of work I'd been doing, as it was all brain work and quite intense,' he says. 'My plan was to work with my hands.' In 2017, he'd bought a tiny, one-bedroom cottage in the east Cork countryside, so he moved there from Somerset in the UK, with the intention of renovating it himself. 'I had some DIY skills. I wanted to see how far they'd go and work on improving them,' he says. Although he was born and raised in London, Chesterman had been coming to the townland of Clonpriest since he was a baby as his mother was from the area. His father's mother was also Irish. He brought his only son, Seán, who is now grown up and living in Somerset. Rose Cottage, a 650sq ft home, had a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom, but it needed work. 'It was just about habitable. You needed to be fairly hardy to live in it. It was a bit like camping, really.' The advertisement for the house had suggested it was built in the early 1900s, but once Chesterman and his cousin, a local builder called Pat Shanahan, started pulling down walls, they discovered 2ft-thick walls with unusual mortar holding large blocks of stone together. 'We realised then that the original core of the cottage must have been very much older,' he says. 'We don't know how old, but local people say it's been here for a couple of hundred years.' ADVERTISEMENT The sitting room was half the size that it is now and had an 8ft ceiling with only north-facing windows, which made it dark and dingy. He and his cousin knocked down the bathroom built by the previous owner, at the back. 'It allowed us to open up the sitting room into a much bigger space,' he says. 'I then decided to open it up to the ceiling, cathedral-roof style, and stick in a couple of Velux windows to let in the light, and it worked very well.' Here, the floor is made of uncalibrated slate tiles, which he laid himself. 'Every tile is a different thickness. They were a nightmare to install, but worth it in the end.' In the fireplace, he installed a wood-burning stove, and he fitted bookshelves into alcoves in the sitting-room wall. Then he built an extension, which houses one of the bedrooms, and reconfigured the kitchen, making it larger and doing away with the fireplace. In recent years, he's also added an office/bedroom space. There were already two bedrooms, but after following an Instagram page about galleried bedrooms, he decided to build one himself. 'The original planning permission was for an attic space above the office, but I decided it was a waste and would be filled with junk, so I turned it into a bedroom instead.' In the office and the bedrooms, the floors are engineered wood, which he also laid himself. He fitted the Victorian-style chequered orange and grey tiles on the floor of the kitchen. They liven up the otherwise dark grey and black of the kitchen walls and units. The wooden roof of the building lifts the house, serving as a contrast against the dark hues. 'I really like an old mellowed pine-wood Irish roof,' he says. 'I've seen it in a lot of the houses around here.' The house has an oil-fired central heating system. 'But the wood-burning stove heats the house sufficiently most of the time,' he says. 'It's very cosy in the winter.' In the south-west facing garden, he cleared the paddock. 'It was completely covered by ash trees and saplings and in between there were briars. It was a rabbit and fox paradise.' It took two weeks of chainsawing to get rid of the trees and then the ground was levelled. Flowerbeds and a polytunnel were added. There's also an 80sq ft steel garage and a shed, which is 20sq ft, as well as an old chicken coop. Rose Cottage is just five minutes' drive from the beach at Pilmore Strand. 'But you're really close to Knockadoon Head, and further along you've got Shanagarry and Garryvoe. It's really a beautiful part of the country. 'Youghal, the nearest town, is also just 10 minutes by car and Midleton is 20 minutes' drive away.' Although he's been coming to this part of Cork for many years, moving there permanently was an adjustment. 'It was surprisingly difficult to begin with,' he says. 'I was known around here and people were very welcoming and friendly in one sense, but it was taken for granted that I was just coming and going as usual. I had to put in an extra effort to become part of the local community, so I did some voluntary work and got involved in social activities.' Despite putting down roots here, he's now moving to France, having bought a house in the Limousin region, and is selling Rose Cottage as a result. The weather is partly to blame. 'It's not the wind and the rain or the cold that affects me, but the lack of light, especially during the winter months,' he says. He will be sad to leave the area given his family's connection. 'But I've moved quite a lot in my life, so I think I've lost that sentimental feeling when you leave a house. 'Having said that, this is the first house I've done so much work to, so I will miss out on seeing the fruit of my labours. You start to feel proud when you make it look good yourself.' Rose Cottage has an asking price of €355,000 with Hegarty Properties.
