Latest news with #SUTD
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The reality of AI's promise to curb older adults' loneliness
Brenda Lam uses an AI chatbot at least once a week. For the 69-year-old retired banker from Singapore, the chatbot brings her peace of mind. 'It motivates me,' says Lam, who communicates with AMI-Go, created by and in partnership with Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Lions Befrienders, a social service organization to support older adults. When Lam speaks with the bot, she usually asks questions to get suggestions and ideas for how to enjoy life. 'What can I do to live life to the fullest?' is one of her latest questions. The chatbot responded with tips, including getting exercise outside and picking up a hobby like gardening, reading, or sewing. 'The responses encourage me,' she says. Though she has family and friends close by, Lam says the chatbot is always reliable. 'I feel it's a bit like a replacement if friends are not available to have time with me,' she says. 'When we have the chatbot, it's always there for us.' Lam's situation is not unique. Many older adults are struggling with loneliness, and one in three feel isolated from others, many of whom live alone, have retired, or don't have the same social connections as they once did. According to the University of Michigan's National Poll on Healthy Aging, 37% of older adults have felt a lack of companionship with others. It's a crisis that the former Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, warned about from the nation's capital with a 2023 advisory on the epidemic of loneliness and the healing effects of social connection and community. Research shows loneliness increases the risk of heart disease, dementia, and early mortality. It's led researchers and public health experts searching for novel solutions in the community—and digitally. So, are AI chatbots, that could function as friends and pals, going to solve the loneliness crisis for older adults? As we face massive demographic shifts—where the number of Baby Boomers is soon to outnumber young adults—Nancy Berlinger, PhD, a bioethicist at The Hastings Center for Bioethics, who studies aging populations, is in no short supply of work. With the number of adults 65 and older set to more than double by 2040, reaching 80 million, she is grappling with how rapid technological changes will affect this cohort. 'If somebody is living alone and maybe their partner has died, and they could go all day with no one to talk to, would they like to talk with a chatbot, especially a voice one that doesn't require the dexterity of typing on a phone?' Berlinger told Fortune at the National Gerontological Association's Annual Meeting in Novemeber. In a pilot program in New York that began in 2022, nearly 1,000 older adults interacted with ElliQ, an AI chatbot. The vast majority of users reported a decline in their loneliness and improved well-being. The participants interacted with ElliQ for an average of 28 minutes a day, five days a week. 'Their social circle is shrinking. People have died. They probably have stopped driving, so their lives are different,' Berlinger says of older adults today. However, Berlinger still worries about technology as a fix-all for loneliness. 'If we say, all we need are the right AI companions for older people, would that mean that we are saying we don't really have to invest in the social pieces of this?' she says, adding that if caregivers retreat because of the chatbot, the technology is not amplifying a person's well-being. Similar to how studies have shown that social media can exacerbate teens' mental health issues and sense of isolation, and that nothing can replace the connectivity of in-person connection, the same can be said of chatbots for older adults. 'It's not going to replace all of that richness of relationships, but it's not nothing.' She adds, 'I wouldn't say it's a solution to the problem of aging. It's something to keep our eye on.' Lam appreciates the chatbot as a way to ease the burden she feels falls on family and friends. 'I feel that in this world, everything's changing, so we ourselves have to keep up with technology because we cannot rely too much on family members or too much on our friends. Sooner or later, they have to live their own life,' she says. Whether that's the right mindset is yet to be seen. Walter Boot, PhD, professor of psychology in medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine and associate director of the Center on Aging and Behavioral Research at Weill Cornell Medicine, says while AI is moving fast, he's not yet convinced that it's a long-term solution for older adults. 'You might see that people feel a little bit better, but whether or not that addresses things like depression and loneliness and perceptions of isolation, I don't think we have really good answers to those questions just yet,' he tells Fortune. 'You feel good because you played with a nice piece of technology, and it was fun and it was engaging for a while, but what happens after three months? The evidence base isn't there yet.' Boot also explains that tech can't replace all of the things humans have done to support older adults. 'There's a danger to thinking that the only problem is that you don't have someone to talk to. When you have people who are visiting your house, they can see your house, they can see your environment, and see that there's something wrong with you. Something might need to be repaired, or maybe the person I'm visiting looks sick, and maybe they need to go to a doctor,' he says. Both Berlinger and Boot want tech to supplement other pieces of in-person interaction and care. Let's say AI can help older adults choose the right health plan or doctor, which Berlinger says can reduce the caregiving burden disproportionately facing daughters. Maybe AI can also help find local activities in the community for older adults to partake in, something Boot is researching with his team. 'If we could reduce the paperwork side of being old and caregiving, and help people to do things they want to do, well, that's great,' Berlinger says, noting that, still, we aren't quite there yet. 'Who's going to be the IT support for that chatbot? I still think it's the family caregiver.' But for Lam, she loves using the chatbot to gather tips and suggestions for how to feel better and more active. And from time to time, she doesn't mind asking it an existential question, too. When asked what burning question Lam has next for her chatbot, she posed one that maybe many of us are considering. 'What can a chatbot do to create a better world for all of us?' Lam says. This article was written with the support of a journalism fellowship from The Gerontological Society of America, The Journalists Network on Generations and The Silver Century Foundation. For more on aging well: Exclusive: Midi Health launches longevity arm to reach the millions of women 'lost to medical care' 3 takeaways from a cardiologist and 'SuperAgers' researcher on how to live longer and healthier Vitamin D supplements may slow down your biological clock, new study finds This story was originally featured on
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The reality of AI's promise to curb older adults' loneliness
Brenda Lam uses an AI chatbot at least once a week. For the 69-year-old retired banker from Singapore, the chatbot brings her peace of mind. 'It motivates me,' says Lam, who communicates with AMI-Go, created by and in partnership with Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Lions Befrienders, a social service organization to support older adults. When Lam speaks with the bot, she usually asks questions to get suggestions and ideas for how to enjoy life. 'What can I do to live life to the fullest?' is one of her latest questions. The chatbot responded with tips, including getting exercise outside and picking up a hobby like gardening, reading, or sewing. 'The responses encourage me,' she says. Though she has family and friends close by, Lam says the chatbot is always reliable. 'I feel it's a bit like a replacement if friends are not available to have time with me,' she says. 'When we have the chatbot, it's always there for us.' Lam's situation is not unique. Many older adults are struggling with loneliness, and one in three feel isolated from others, many of whom live alone, have retired, or don't have the same social connections as they once did. According to the University of Michigan's National Poll on Healthy Aging, 37% of older adults have felt a lack of companionship with others. It's a crisis that the former Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, warned about from the nation's capital with a 2023 advisory on the epidemic of loneliness and the healing effects of social connection and community. Research shows loneliness increases the risk of heart disease, dementia, and early mortality. It's led researchers and public health experts searching for novel solutions in the community—and digitally. So, are AI chatbots, that could function as friends and pals, going to solve the loneliness crisis for older adults? As we face massive demographic shifts—where the number of Baby Boomers is soon to outnumber young adults—Nancy Berlinger, PhD, a bioethicist at The Hastings Center for Bioethics, who studies aging populations, is in no short supply of work. With the number of adults 65 and older set to more than double by 2040, reaching 80 million, she is grappling with how rapid technological changes will affect this cohort. 'If somebody is living alone and maybe their partner has died, and they could go all day with no one to talk to, would they like to talk with a chatbot, especially a voice one that doesn't require the dexterity of typing on a phone?' Berlinger told Fortune at the National Gerontological Association's Annual Meeting in Novemeber. In a pilot program in New York that began in 2022, nearly 1,000 older adults interacted with ElliQ, an AI chatbot. The vast majority of users reported a decline in their loneliness and improved well-being. The participants interacted with ElliQ for an average of 28 minutes a day, five days a week. 'Their social circle is shrinking. People have died. They probably have stopped driving, so their lives are different,' Berlinger says of older adults today. However, Berlinger still worries about technology as a fix-all for loneliness. 'If we say, all we need are the right AI companions for older people, would that mean that we are saying we don't really have to invest in the social pieces of this?' she says, adding that if caregivers retreat because of the chatbot, the technology is not amplifying a person's well-being. Similar to how studies have shown that social media can exacerbate teens' mental health issues and sense of isolation, and that nothing can replace the connectivity of in-person connection, the same can be said of chatbots for older adults. 'It's not going to replace all of that richness of relationships, but it's not nothing.' She adds, 'I wouldn't say it's a solution to the problem of aging. It's something to keep our eye on.' Lam appreciates the chatbot as a way to ease the burden she feels falls on family and friends. 'I feel that in this world, everything's changing, so we ourselves have to keep up with technology because we cannot rely too much on family members or too much on our friends. Sooner or later, they have to live their own life,' she says. Whether that's the right mindset is yet to be seen. Walter Boot, PhD, professor of psychology in medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine and associate director of the Center on Aging and Behavioral Research at Weill Cornell Medicine, says while AI is moving fast, he's not yet convinced that it's a long-term solution for older adults. 'You might see that people feel a little bit better, but whether or not that addresses things like depression and loneliness and perceptions of isolation, I don't think we have really good answers to those questions just yet,' he tells Fortune. 'You feel good because you played with a nice piece of technology, and it was fun and it was engaging for a while, but what happens after three months? The evidence base isn't there yet.' Boot also explains that tech can't replace all of the things humans have done to support older adults. 'There's a danger to thinking that the only problem is that you don't have someone to talk to. When you have people who are visiting your house, they can see your house, they can see your environment, and see that there's something wrong with you. Something might need to be repaired, or maybe the person I'm visiting looks sick, and maybe they need to go to a doctor,' he says. Both Berlinger and Boot want tech to supplement other pieces of in-person interaction and care. Let's say AI can help older adults choose the right health plan or doctor, which Berlinger says can reduce the caregiving burden disproportionately facing daughters. Maybe AI can also help find local activities in the community for older adults to partake in, something Boot is researching with his team. 'If we could reduce the paperwork side of being old and caregiving, and help people to do things they want to do, well, that's great,' Berlinger says, noting that, still, we aren't quite there yet. 'Who's going to be the IT support for that chatbot? I still think it's the family caregiver.' But for Lam, she loves using the chatbot to gather tips and suggestions for how to feel better and more active. And from time to time, she doesn't mind asking it an existential question, too. When asked what burning question Lam has next for her chatbot, she posed one that maybe many of us are considering. 'What can a chatbot do to create a better world for all of us?' Lam says. This article was written with the support of a journalism fellowship from The Gerontological Society of America, The Journalists Network on Generations and The Silver Century Foundation. For more on aging well: Exclusive: Midi Health launches longevity arm to reach the millions of women 'lost to medical care' 3 takeaways from a cardiologist and 'SuperAgers' researcher on how to live longer and healthier Vitamin D supplements may slow down your biological clock, new study finds This story was originally featured on
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
S'pore universities monitoring US visa situation, may advise students to postpone exchange programmes
The institutions are keeping a close eye on the suspension of scheduling appointments for student and foreign visitor visas. PHOTO: REUTERS SINGAPORE - Singapore's autonomous universities are closely monitoring developments in US immigration policy, particularly the pause on new student and exchange visitor visa appointments, which could impact students taking part in exchange programmes. On May 27, a US State Department directive ordered embassies worldwide to suspend scheduling appointments for student and foreign visitor visas. Those that have already been scheduled can continue to proceed, but slots that have yet to be taken up should be pulled down, said the directive , as the State Department prepares to expand social media vetting on such applicants. Four of the six autonomous universities - the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) - have students preparing to spend a stint in the US. In response to queries, a spokesperson for NUS said the institution has been advising and extending support to students who have either applied or are already bound for an exchange programme in the US. This includes placing them in exchange programmes in other countries, as well as rescheduling or deferring their plans where possible. While NUS declined to provide the number of students who fall in this category, the spokesperson said: 'As this is an evolving situation, we are closely monitoring developments.' Over at NTU , more than 140 students are preparing to head to the US in the coming months, all of whom are at various stages of their visa application process. The university is in contact with its American partner institutions to determine the potential impact on upcoming programmes. NTU has so far issued a travel advisory for students' safety, with a spokesperson adding that students can withdraw and 'explore alternative overseas opportunities available'. SMU said it is prepared to assist students depending on their individual circumstances, including redeploying them to partner universities in other countries. Another option is for students to postpone their exchange programme to a later semester, a spokesperson said, reassuring students that it will 'extend every support' to those whose exchange programmes may be affected. SUTD said it has six students slated to travel to the US for its summer and exchange programmes with American institutions. Of the six, two have already received their visas, while the remaining four have yet to apply. 'We are in close contact with all six and will continue to check in regularly on their visa status,' said a SUTD spokesperson, who added that the university also shares International SOS advisories with all students bound for an overseas location. International SOS provides services to safeguard individuals and organisations from health and security threats worldwide. Meanwhile , students from the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) seem to have been spared the uncertainty caused by the changes in US immigration policy. Although there is already a group of SIT students currently in the US, they were not affected by recent developments. The university also does not have any more student exposure programmes there planned for the rest of the year. SUSS does not have any students taking part in an exchange programme in the US currently either, with a spokesman adding that the university does not have further comments at this juncture. Are you affected by the foreign student visa freeze in the US? Get in touch with us at stnewsdesk@ Aqil Hamzah is a journalist covering breaking news at The Straits Times, with interests in crime and technology. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
The Star
28-05-2025
- Science
- The Star
Only breeding pair of peregrine falcons in Singapore hatch two chicks for first time
SINGAPORE: The only pair of breeding peregrine falcons in Singapore in April hatched two chicks that fledged earlier this month, which means they are able to fly and leave the nest. This is the first record of the peregrine falcon – a bird of prey renowned for its speed – having chicks or eyasses in Singapore. In a statement on May 28, the National Parks Board (NParks) said the chicks were successfully hatched on April 6 and April 9. The falcons, native to Singapore, may be the country's rarest breeding birds, it added. The falcons were first observed to have nested at the OCBC Centre in Chulia Street in April 2024. Their latest clutch of eggs was laid between late February and early March this year. The older chick fledged on May 18, but was found on the ground a day later. The younger chick was also found on the ground on May 21. Both chicks were taken to the NParks Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation for health assessments, where X-ray results showed no fracture. The older chick was put back into its nest on May 20, and the other chick followed suit on May 23. Both fledglings closely match each other and their father in size, which suggests both are male, NParks said. Male peregrines, also known as tiercels, are smaller than the females, typically by about a third. The peregrines tried to breed before but previous attempts were not successful, leading to the abandonment of two eggs at their nest site in 2024. To help the falcons in their breeding efforts, the NParks team worked with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) at NUS Faculty of Science, Mandai Wildlife Group and Mandai Nature. OCBC supported the research project through the Garden City Fund, an NParks-registered charity. NParks said the peregrine eggs were retrieved with the help of robotics researchers from SUTD, who opted to use a device consisting of a telescopic pole and a claw controlled by cables on the ground. The device is called Ernest – an acronym for Egg Retrieval and Nesting Enhancement Support Tool. The eggs were sent to LKCNHM, where researchers concluded that the eggs were likely abandoned because of shell damage. To provide a more suitable material for the falcons to nest on, the research team installed a nesting tray with loose gravel at the nesting site on Nov 22, 2024. A CCTV camera system was installed to allow researchers to monitor the progress of the falcons' breeding cycle. A second nesting tray and CCTV system were set up on the opposite side of the building, facing Chinatown, on Jan 11, 2025 after the research team found that the falcons were using the recess on that side. During the installation of the second nesting tray, five older abandoned eggs and two newer eggs were found. The older eggs were donated to LKCNHM, while the newer ones were moved to the nesting tray. While the male falcon was initially observed to incubate the eggs in the nesting tray, the female did not attend to them, and the eggs were eventually abandoned. On Jan 24, the SUTD robotics team was again deployed to retrieve the two abandoned eggs, which were located three times deeper inside the recess area, and higher than the first retrieval site. The eggs were sent to Mandai Wildlife Group for further examination and incubation at the Bird Paradise Breeding and Research Centre. They were removed after eight days – one due to degradation and the other due to a lack of development. Both eggs were found to be infertile. Dr Daniel Calvo Carrasco, assistant vice-president of veterinary healthcare at Mandai Wildlife Group, said: 'Infertile eggs can result from a variety of factors, including lack of or deficient copulation by a young and inexperienced male, as well as potential nutritional or health-related issues.' A second clutch of three eggs was laid in mid-January, but these were later eaten by the female falcon. The research team said possible reasons for this behaviour include a stressful incubation environment due to the hard, concrete surface and food scarcity. Between late February and early March, a third clutch of three eggs was laid on a nesting tray in the recess facing the Singapore River, which researchers felt could be the falcons' last attempt at breeding for the season. Later, both parents were seen incubating the eggs. After the first chick hatched, the new parents quickly became busy with capturing prey and feeding it regularly. It was fed six times on the first day, NParks said. When the second chick hatched, the male falcon was observed on multiple occasions bringing food back and passing it to the female parent to feed the chicks. At other times, the female falcon also hunted to feed the chicks. The third egg did not hatch and was later sent to LKCNHM for further research. On April 30, when the chicks were about three weeks old, they were retrieved from the nesting tray for ringing – a process where small rings are attached to the chicks' legs for future identification. The chicks were also measured and had blood and other samples collected. The measurements will be compared against those taken from other nestlings elsewhere to determine if their development is on track. The samples will allow researchers to assess the chicks' health. The chicks were later returned to their parents in the nesting tray. The research team also placed temperature and humidity sensors in both recesses on the sides of the OCBC Centre to observe if there are preferences in nest site selection based on these factors. They will also be reviewing CCTV footage to find out the types of prey caught by the falcons. Dr Malcolm Soh, principal researcher at the NParks Wildlife Management Research branch, said: 'By studying their breeding patterns and foraging preferences, we can develop more effective conservation strategies to support their successful adaptation to Singapore's urban landscape.' On May 23, the older fledgling was seen with its parents in One Raffles Place and again on May 24 at a higher perch, showing improved flight and elevation. Despite their improving flight ability and confidence, the fledglings may still find themselves on the ground, NParks said. If anyone spots the fledglings on the ground, they can contact the NParks Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Design Cues: Singapore serves up feast of citymaking ideas at Venice biennale
Visitors at the Rasa-Tabula-Singapura exhibition at the Singapore Pavilion at the Arsenale in Venice. The pavilion is part of the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale. PHOTO: GIULIO BOEM Visitors at the Rasa-Tabula-Singapura exhibition at the Singapore Pavilion at the Arsenale in Venice. The pavilion is part of the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale. PHOTO: GIULIO BOEM SINGAPORE – Pull up a chair at the world's most diverse table at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, where the Singapore Pavilion transforms the act of dining into a celebration of citymaking through food, culture and collective design. To mark Singapore's 60th year of independence (SG60), the pavilion invites the world to experience its Table of Superdiversity, defined by the island's distinctive identity, shaped by centuries of movement, exchange and reinvention. In urban planning, superdiversity refers to the multifaceted nature of diversity in societies, particularly in urban areas, as a result of complex migration patterns. It goes beyond ethnic diversity and considers factors such as legal status, socio-economic conditions and individual identities. The Singapore Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 was launched on May 9 and will be open to the public till Nov 23. Called Rasa-Tabula-Singapura, this year's theme combines ancient languages as a play on the architectural term 'tabula rasa', meaning 'blank slate' in Latin. Using local desserts or 'kueh' as a leitmotif, some of Singapore's most distinctive landmarks have been converted into sumptuous desserts, designed as food for thought. Walk around the installation and one will find Housing Board blocks that look like kueh salat ('glutinous rice and custard' in Malay), Golden Mile Complex converted into kueh lapis ('layer cake' in Malay) and the Art Science Museum as huat kueh ('lucky cake' in Hokkien). Housing Board blocks that look like kueh salat ('glutinous rice and custard' in Malay). PHOTOS: DR IMMANUEL KOH, ARTIFICIAL-ARCHITECTURE, SUTD The Venice Architecture Biennale is the world's leading exhibition on architectural ideas and innovation, held every two years in Venice, Italy. The 2025 edition, the exhibition's 19th, features a record 66 national pavilions. The biennale transforms Venice into a living laboratory with exhibitions and installations across the historic Giardini della Biennale, the vast Arsenale and other sites from palaces to public squares. The ArtScience Museum as huat kueh ('lucky cake' in Hokkien). PHOTOS: DR IMMANUEL KOH, ARTIFICIAL-ARCHITECTURE, SUTD The Singapore curatorial team looked at how the idea of 'tabula rasa' is often associated with the tearing down of old buildings. But it is also about expanding, regenerating and recreating. The team reinterpreted it as 'Rasa' ('taste' in Malay), 'Tabula' ('table' in Latin) and 'Singapura', derived from the Sanskrit words 'simha' (lion) and 'pur' (city). The Golden Mile Complex as kek lapis ('layer cake' in Malay). PHOTOS: DR IMMANUEL KOH, ARTIFICIAL-ARCHITECTURE, SUTD The pavilion was commissioned by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and DesignSingapore Council (DSG), and organised by the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). The multidisciplinary team of curators includes Professor Tai Lee Siang, Professor Khoo Peng Beng, Professor Erwin Viray, Dr Jason Lim, Assistant Professor Immanuel Koh and Associate Professor Sam Conrad Joyce. The team has curated a 'menu' of architectural and urban planning projects, with 'main courses' highlighting key developments and districts such as Pinnacle@Duxton, an iconic public housing development in Singapore. 'Side dishes' showcase innovations in design, policy and community-building , which contribute to the nation's strength as a multicultural powerhouse in the region . The Pavilion's tablescape reflects and applies biennale curator Carlo Ratti's overarching theme of 'Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective'. This explores how different forms of intelligence – drawn from nature, technology (such as artificial intelligence or AI) and collective human effort – can help architecture respond to urgent global challenges such as the climate crisis. Co-curator Prof Khoo relates his own experience designing the 50-storey HDB project Pinnacle@Duxton, completed in 2009, which explored vertical living as a framework for superdiversity – where density, design and innovation came together in the sky . Prof Khoo and his wife, architect Belinda Huang, are the founders of home-grown practice Arc Studio Architecture + Urbanism. They collaborated with RSP Architects Planners and Engineers on the project. 'With Pinnacle@Duxton, we moved from single developments to district-scale planning,' says Prof Khoo, who is also head of the SUTD's Architecture and Sustainable Design Pillar. 'Projects like Tengah and Changi Airport demonstrate how Singapore applies the same design sensibility to shaping entire ecosystems of liveability and movement,' he says. 'These ideas continue through our research and teaching at SUTD, where planning for the future means designing for complexity. It's one expression of a city always planning ahead, always becoming.' Another example on display on the dining table is CapitaSpring, a 280m-tall tropical high-rise in the heart of Singapore's Central Business District that illustrates the city's progressive planning. The biophilic spectacle is a showcase of Singapore's Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises (Lush) policy, requiring developers to replace greenery lost on the ground with vertical landscapes. Over 80,000 plants are woven into the tower's fabric, including a soaring four-storey Green Oasis 100m above ground, one of Singapore's highest publicly accessible gardens within a commercial building. CapitaSpring is home to a four-storey Green Oasis garden 100m above ground. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Ms Yap Lay Bee, co-commissioner of the Singapore Pavilion and URA's group director of Architecture and Urban Design, says that through thoughtful urban planning and design, the agency has created environments that inspire and support how Singaporeans live, work, play and connect. 'In land-scarce Singapore, we need to balance density, diversity and design,' she says. Planning policies, cultural values, environmental priorities and community needs are considered and integrated to create and shape spaces that are inclusive, resilient and adaptable. Ms Yap adds: 'Rasa-Tabula-Singapura offers a sensory map of that approach, inviting visitors to experience the thoughtful processes that have shaped our nation's transformation in the last 60 years. 'It is not just a showcase of what we have built, but also a reflection of how we imagine, and continue to reimagine, our future.' Visitors at the Rasa-Tabula-Singapura exhibition at the Singapore Pavilion at the Arsenale in Venice. PHOTO: GIULIO BOEM As a nation by design, Singapore's socio-economic needs, demographics, policies, and spatial negotiations have guided its urban planning, says Ms Dawn Lim, co-commissioner of the Singapore Pavilion and DSG's executive director. 'Such intelligence not only reflects our design-led development for the last 60 years, but will continue to chart the course for our future,' she adds. 'Centring on the concept of superdiversity, this year's Singapore Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale showcases how the convergence of unique multicultural differences, collective histories, design and new technology offers opportunities for more inclusive, adaptive urban futures.' Prof Khoo says the SUTD team of designers envisioned biennale curator Mr Ratti's theme of intelligence as more than just using artificial intelligence to make an installation. They wanted it to also fete Singapore's collective intelligence as a city. The aim was to show how a city's compactness – once regarded as a weakness, due to living in close quarters – has been turned into its strength. 'Our city is likened to latent space in the world of AI,' says Prof Khoo. Latent space in AI is like a summary that helps computers make sense of complicated data, instead of looking at every tiny detail. This makes it easier to find patterns, understand data and create anew. Prof Khoo adds that latent space captures the essence of the layers of information in a compact way, allowing the decoding of new creative combinations. 'Similarly, our compact city creates a latent space where the essence of various layers of information becomes a source of our creativity and innovation,' he points out. 'This has contributed dramatically to our rapid transformation in just 60 years from a resource-starved nation into a nation with one of the highest gross domestic product per capita and longest life expectancy in the world.' Info: Go to Design Cues is a new column that explores ideas at the intersection of design and art. Designer and lifestyle journalist Chantal Sajan writes on design and architecture. 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