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Straits Times
28-05-2025
- Straits Times
Singlish-savvy national AI chatbot can check in on seniors, intercept scam calls
Meralion is available for the public to install for free to adapt for their uses. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO SINGAPORE – A rtificial intelligence agents trained to speak in English, local mother-tongue languages and even Singlish may soon be deployed to call elderly patients or seniors to check in on how them are doing, or in anti-scam centres to intercept suspicious calls. 'I've been told (the chatbot) can also handle non-verbal cues such as the speaker's volume, emotion, tone,' said Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo, unveiling the chatbot on May 28 at the Asia Tech x Singapore conference. Called Meralion (short for Multimodal Empathetic Reasoning and Learning in One Network), the chatbot can understand at least eight regional languages such as English, Mandarin, Tamil, Malay, Thai and Singlish - Singapore's unique take on English which fuses regional languages. Meralion, which is developed by A*Star ( Agency for Science, Technology and Research), is available for the public to install for free to adapt for their uses. Its developers are also in talks with a social service agency to deploy the chatbot, and are refining the program for use in scam detection. For instance, Meralion can help social workers ring seniors to remind them to take their medication. The AI program, which works autonomously, can also check in on the seniors' well-being, analysing their tone and dialogue for signs of sadness or anger that might require closer attention from human staff members. The chatbot will generate a summary of the call, detailing the senior's needs and well-being. Meralion's development is part of a $70 million initiative funded by the National Research Foundation and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), which aims to build large language models tailored for the region. The fund has also backed AI Singapore's Sea-Lion (South-east Asian Languages in One Network) model, which is trained on at least 11 major languages used in the region. The Meralion chatbot fills a gap for locally-attuned language models as most current AI systems are trained largely on Western data, said Dr Lawrence Wee, director of business and ecosystems at IMDA's BizTech Group. As a result, chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Gemini that dominate the fast-growing AI field can often stumble over local dialects, communication styles and nuances, so deploying them here often requires extensive retraining on regional data. Meralion, trained on the national speech corpus, understands when multiple languages are spoken in the same sentence, reflecting how people in the region naturally communicate . Meralion can also detect emotional tone to enable more empathetic interactions with the chatbot, said IMDA and A*Star. They added that Meralion is being trained to understand Chinese dialects in future updates. Mrs Teo, who is Minister-in-Charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity, said that the Meralion chatbot can serve the needs of more than 450 million people in the region who use these languages. In a demonstration on May 26, the media was shown how Meralion can be deployed in eldercare and anti-scam efforts. The social services AI bot asked the caller how he was feeling and understood his Singlish reply, which included a lament on his early start to the day: 'I wake up at 6 and make my kopi-o ' (local black coffee). The bot responded in Singlish: 'Aiyo h , so sayang... Hope your kopi-o helped. Have you eaten? Remember to take care of yourself, okay?' For more severe concerns such as body aches, the bot can give basic advice, such as to rest or ice bruises. Urgent cases can be flagged directly to social workers, depending on how the program is implemented. Dr Wee said Meralion's developers are in talks with a social service agency, which it did not identify, to deploy the AI chatbot for eldercare . In a separate demo nstration , Meralion was used to screen likely scam calls to prevent scammers from reaching victims over the phone. If a call seems suspicious, Meralion answers, identifies itself as an AI assistant and asks the caller to state their purpose. The bot assesses the purpose of the call before deciding whether to let the call through or to block it. Meralion can also block calls made by bots, often used by scammers to target victims en masse. It is yet to be see n how potential clients will implement the technology. Telcos might employ it to screen suspicious calls before they reach users who opt in for the security service, or as an app to filter calls , said Mr Lam Pang Ngean, business development director at Axion IT Solutions, which is working with A*Star bring Meralion to potential clients. An earlier version of Meralion has been downloaded more than 90,000 times by start-ups , research labs and academics, among other users, since it was rolled out as an open-source tool in December 2024. 'Furthermore, (Meralion's latest version) understands sentences containing a mix of languages, which is common in multi-cultural societies,' said Mrs Teo, speaking to several hundred tech policymakers, researchers and industry guests in attendance at Capella in Sentosa. 'It's very unusual for us to complete a whole sentence using just one language,' she said, adding that there were more than 1,200 languages and dialects in South-east Asia. Meralion follows the footsteps of Sea-Lion, another large language model designed to reflect local cultures. The open-source Sea-Lion software has been installed more than 200,000 times, said Mrs Teo, adding that the interest in a regionally attuned model indicated a demand for a new AI program capable of understanding speech, text and other modes of communication. Organised by IMDA, the ATxSG conference is expected to host 3,500 attendees from around the world who will attend panels and discussions on AI governance and innovation in the technology sector between May 27 and 29. Executives from major tech companies like OpenAI, Microsoft and Google are also scheduled to attend panel discussions that address pressing issues in tech. Mrs Teo announced the Meralion Consortium, which launches with 12 member organisations including DBS Bank, the Ministry of Health and ST Engineering, to with Meralion's developers to refine the AI model so that they can be used by member companies and their sectors. The consortium will focus on multilingual customer support, analysing speech and text for emotional cues to support wellbeing and care and to improve AI's decision-making ability by factoring cultural contexts. The members include Microsoft, which is working with A*Star on how Meralion can be woven into its suite of office tools. SPH Media, which runs The Straits Times, is also exploring ways to use Meralion to support AI apps in user experience and customer service tools, said chief operating officer Loh Yuh Yiing. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Singapore chipmakers unfazed by tariff threat, see AI and talent hunt as bigger challenges
Chip firms at the Semicon Southeast Asia 2025 last week were unanimous in their view that the industry will not be immune to a global economic slowdown. PHOTO: SEMI SINGAPORE - Singapore's semiconductor industry will continue to invest and innovate to address the growing demand for more efficient chips, despite threats of new trade barriers that can further disrupt its highly globalised supply chain. The more pressing challenges for chipmakers and companies in related businesses – both multinational and local – are the hunt for talent, and the race to innovate and stay competitive and relevant in the era of artificial intelligence. To be sure, chip firms at the three-day Semicon Southeast Asia 2025 in Singapore during May 20 - May 22 were unanimous in their view that despite its solid growth prospects, the industry will not be immune to a global economic slowdown induced by the current trade policy uncertainty and any new tariffs that would affect consumer demand for electronic goods. While making its supply chains more adaptable to geopolitical demand and supply vulnerabilities remain an uphill task, the industry has so far successfully weathered intensifying trade tensions and technology competition between the world's two largest economies – the United States and China since 2017. In the same period, global chip sales have increased at a record pace and are expected to cross the US$1 trillion (S$1.28 trillion) mark by early 2030s from around US$627 billion in 2024. More recently, chip revenues are getting an additional uplift from the fast-growing cloud capacity, with new data centres popping up worldwide to handle the immense computational and data storage demands of artificial intelligence (AI) applications. The industry, however, sees the AI opportunity as a challenge as well. Referring to AI, Mr Tim Breen, chief executive officer of chipmaker GlobalFoundries, said at the Semicon event: 'There is, of course, optimism across the board, but within that is a question – are we ready? Are we ready for that growth? 'If innovation takes five companies to make it happen, do we really know how to work together in groups globally in a world that is more fragmented?' As a step in deepening its innovation partnerships, GlobalFoundries, which has a chipmaking plant in Singapore, signed a pact on the sidelines of the event with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), the Republic's lead public sector research and development (R&D) agency. The collaboration will give the chipmaker access to A*Star's R&D facilities for development and support for workforce skills enhancement in advanced packaging – the most talked-about technology at the Semicon event. Advanced packaging – which involves combining multiple chips and components into a single package – has become a key priority for the industry. Since AI workloads need more computational speed, data storage capacity and high electricity consumption, the technology delivers processing units that not only excel in performance but are also energy efficient. Mr Breen believes that no company in the world can bring such complex semiconductor devices to market on their own. 'You need a whole host of innovation, you need a whole host of manufacturing partnerships to do that,' he said. Other company executives also echoed Mr Breen's view, saying chipmakers are deepening their collaboration with test and packaging companies, chip designers and equipment makers to address the AI imperative. Mr Andrew Goh, corporate vice-president and general manager for South - east Asia at Lam Research, which makes machines used in chip manufacturing, said his company is also deepening its partnerships with its customers, suppliers and other stakeholders in the ecosystem to help address both the supply chain and technological challenges. 'We are working with the governments, schools and universities to collaborate on the R&D and innovation that we can do locally,' Mr Goh told The Straits Times. The company has a network of plants across Asia, including one in Malaysia and two offices in Singapore , to manage its supply chain and customer support. He said Lam has ongoing engagements with the Republic's Nanyang Technological University and National University of Singapore to also help them maintain a talent pipeline, and develop and retain their workforce. Mr Goh said AI is not only changing the market for companies like Lam, with demand rising for machines for advanced packing and manufacturing of advanced chips, it is also having an impact internally. AI is being increasingly used to boost factory floor efficiency of chipmakers and equipment makers like Lam, which also means increasing demand for talent. 'Maintaining a talent pipeline has become a pressing challenge for the industry, not only in Singapore but in other countries and regions as well,' Mr Goh said. The Semicon event also had a dedicated space for career exploration fair that hosted several career talks. Ms Michelle Phua, director of operations management at chip equipment maker Applied Materials, said the industry has broadened the scope of talent from engineering graduates and diploma holders to professionals in related fields such as software development. Singapore universities and polytechnics offer several programmes focused on areas like integrated circuit design, manufacturing and operations. In recent years, they have also launched short courses for graduates and mid-career professions under the umbrella of the SkillsFuture scheme – a joint initiative of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech). Still, developing a sustainable talent pipeline is seen as a problem not only by large multinational firms such as GlobalFoundries, Lam Research and Applied Materials but also by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Mr Kenneth Lee, CEO of Global Tech Solutions – which provides refurbishment, installations and field service support to chipmakers – said graduates do not see chip manufacturing as less glamorous. 'We put in a lot of effort, like participating in career events and going to educational institutions to introduce ourselves and the industry,' he said. Still, many company executives appreciated the Government's effort to boost talent supply, and recognised the importance of working closely with universities and polytechnics to encourage more of their graduates to join the industry. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
A*Star sets up 2 new semiconductor R&D platforms to help Singapore firms tap growth opportunities
[SINGAPORE] To stay competitive in the growing semiconductor market, Singapore is deepening innovation with two new research and development (R&D) platforms, said Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng on Tuesday (May 20). Set up by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), these are part of efforts to partner the industry to 'prepare for future growth', said Dr Tan at the opening ceremony of Semicon Southeast Asia 2025. The global semiconductor industry is in the eye of a global trade storm, with export restrictions and the threat of upcoming tariffs, noted Dr Tan. Companies are worried about implications for demand and supply disruptions, with some putting investment decisions on hold. Yet the semiconductor industry is resilient, and should be able to adapt and maintain 'long-term prospects for growth', he added. This will be fuelled by megatrends such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) and industrial automation, which boost demand for high performance semiconductors for applications from consumer electronics and electric vehicles (EVs) to 5G connectivity. In Asean alone, noted Dr Tan, the semiconductor market is expected to almost double by 2032. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up New alliances, industry development 'Given this operating context, Singapore will carry on with our work to strengthen existing partnerships and forge new alliances in two key areas,' said Dr Tan. These are deepening integration with like-minded countries, and working with the industry to innovate and develop the workforce. First, with countries that are similarly committed to open and free trade, Singapore will collaborate on areas across the semiconductor value chain. 'These could include providing companies access to new supply chains and end-markets, to help them navigate global developments,' said Dr Tan. Second, the government will work with companies to drive innovation and grow talent. These efforts include A*Star's two R&D platforms. One of the platforms, by A*Star's Institute of Microelectrionics (IME), is an open R&D line for 200mm silicon carbide wafers, used in electric vehicles, radio frequency devices and 5G communication systems. It makes R&D faster by bringing the development and pilot manufacturing of such wafers under one roof, in contrast to the former 'fragmented processes' where researchers and companies had to work with multiple facilities, said A*Star in a separate statement. Said Dr Tan: 'This is the world's first industry-grade line of its kind, and accessible for use by local companies, especially those serving the power electronics end-markets.' Several companies have already benefited from the platform, including local startup WaferLead, he added. The second platform is an extension of A*Star's 'lab-in-fab' initiative: a 200mm R&D and manufacturing line that focuses on piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical systems (piezoMEMS) technology. The project began with the A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics, STMicroelectronics and Japanese vacuum manufacturer ULVAC. In this second phase, the partnership will expand to include the A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering and the National University of Singapore, to further accelerate the development of new piezoelectric materials and devices. These can potentially be used in technology such as ultrasound imaging devices, miniature speakers and smartphone cameras. Separately, Singapore's Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Netherlands' Brabant Development Agency (BOM) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen economic relations. This provides a framework for Singapore and BOM to develop complementary business ecosystems, collaborating in areas such as deeptech – including semiconductors; digital research; climate-neutral energy solutions; medtech and pharmaceuticals; and sustainable food systems. EDB and BOM will work with companies and partners in both locations to facilitate knowledge and policy exchanges, talent development initiatives, and joint research opportunities. Talent development Besides innovation, talent is key to the semiconductor industry's growth, said Dr Tan. 'This is another area that we are heavily invested in, and have worked with our industry partners to develop.' For local talent, Singapore is ramping up its programmes for graduates. For instance, the Institute of Technical Education and A*Star's IME signed MOUs with GlobalFoundries, Micron and STMicroelectronics to offer student internships, staff attachments and to promote joint projects. Singapore is also actively pursuing talent from the region, said Dr Tan. 'Given the global nature of semiconductor companies' operations, it is crucial for employees to learn from a diversity of experiences beyond Singapore.' For instance, the Innovation Talent Exchange programme between Singapore and Vietnam will facilitate the annual exchange of up to 300 workers from each country. They can take up tech and innovation jobs – including semiconductor roles – in the other country, for up to two years. This is the 30th edition of Semicon Southeast Asia, a regional trade exhibition for semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, and the first time that it is being held in Singapore since 2013. The event is happening from May 20 to 22 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre. (*see amendment note) *Amendment note: A previous version of the story said this is the first time Semicon Southeast Asia is being held in Singapore.
Business Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
New A*Star platforms for semicon R&D will help Singapore companies tap growth opportunities
[SINGAPORE] To stay competitive in the growing semiconductor market, Singapore is deepening innovation with two new research and development (R&D) platforms, said Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng on Tuesday (May 20). Set up by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), these are part of efforts to partner the industry to 'prepare for future growth', said Dr Tan at the opening ceremony of Semicon Southeast Asia 2025. The global semiconductor industry is in the eye of a global trade storm, with export restrictions and the threat of upcoming tariffs, noted Dr Tan. Companies are worried about implications for demand and supply disruptions, with some putting investment decisions on hold. Yet the semiconductor industry is resilient, and should be able to adapt and maintain 'long-term prospects for growth', he added. This will be fuelled by megatrends such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) and industrial automation, which boost demand for high performance semiconductors for applications from consumer electronics and electric vehicles (EVs) to 5G connectivity. In Asean alone, noted Dr Tan, the semiconductor market is expected to almost double by 2032. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up New alliances, industry development 'Given this operating context, Singapore will carry on with our work to strengthen existing partnerships and forge new alliances in two key areas,' said Dr Tan. These are deepening integration with like-minded countries, and working with the industry to innovate and develop the workforce. First, with countries that are similarly committed to open and free trade, Singapore will collaborate on areas across the semiconductor value chain. 'These could include providing companies access to new supply chains and end-markets, to help them navigate global developments,' said Dr Tan. Second, the government will work with companies to drive innovation and grow talent. These efforts include A*Star's two R&D platforms. One of the platforms, by A*Star's Institute of Microelectrionics (IME), is an open R&D line for 200mm silicon carbide wafers, used in electric vehicles, radio frequency devices and 5G communication systems. It makes R&D faster by bringing the development and pilot manufacturing of such wafers under one roof, in contrast to the former 'fragmented processes' where researchers and companies had to work with multiple facilities, said A*Star in a separate statement. Said Dr Tan: 'This is the world's first industry-grade line of its kind, and accessible for use by local companies, especially those serving the power electronics end-markets.' Several companies have already benefited from the platform, including local startup WaferLead, he added. The second platform is an extension of A*Star's 'lab-in-fab' initiative: a 200mm R&D and manufacturing line that focuses on piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical systems (piezoMEMS) technology. The project began with the A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics, STMicroelectronics and Japanese vacuum manufacturer ULVAC. In this second phase, the partnership will expand to include the A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering and the National University of Singapore, to further accelerate the development of new piezoelectric materials and devices. These can potentially be used in technology such as ultrasound imaging devices, miniature speakers and smartphone cameras. Separately, Singapore's Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Netherlands' Brabant Development Agency (BOM) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen economic relations. This provides a framework for Singapore and BOM to develop complementary business ecosystems, collaborating in areas such as deeptech – including semiconductors; digital research; climate-neutral energy solutions; medtech and pharmaceuticals; and sustainable food systems. EDB and BOM will work with companies and partners in both locations to facilitate knowledge and policy exchanges, talent development initiatives, and joint research opportunities. Talent development Besides innovation, talent is key to the semiconductor industry's growth, said Dr Tan. 'This is another area that we are heavily invested in, and have worked with our industry partners to develop.' For local talent, Singapore is ramping up its programmes for graduates. For instance, the Institute of Technical Education and A*Star's IME signed MOUs with GlobalFoundries, Micron and STMicroelectronics to offer student internships, staff attachments and to promote joint projects. Singapore is also actively pursuing talent from the region, said Dr Tan. 'Given the global nature of semiconductor companies' operations, it is crucial for employees to learn from a diversity of experiences beyond Singapore.' For instance, the Innovation Talent Exchange programme between Singapore and Vietnam will facilitate the annual exchange of up to 300 workers from each country. They can take up tech and innovation jobs – including semiconductor roles – in the other country, for up to two years. This is the 30th edition of Semicon Southeast Asia, a regional trade exhibition for semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, and the first time that it is being held in Singapore. The event is happening from May 20 to 22 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
