Prime minister expresses concern that the bottom rung of the career ladder may be 'broken' due to AI
Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has cautioned employers against automating learning in workplaces as he expressed concerns that the bottom of the career ladder could be "broken" due to the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).
Wong, during the DBS Asia Future Forward Conference, warned workplaces against over-relying on AI and reducing employees' opportunities to learn at work.
"Because across professions, employers typically hire new people, and the new people most often do routine work. Routine work that is often sometimes mundane, but in fact, there is a lot of tacit learning that comes from it, and we have all gone through that experience," Wong said at the conference.
Wong said these mundane tasks include note-taking, drafting speeches, and even preparing presentations to bosses.
"AI will replace all of that routine work but we should be careful not to automate away the learning that comes from it," the prime minister warned.
'Broken' bottom rung of the career ladder
Wong called for caution as he expressed concerns that the lower part of the career ladder may be broken due to AI adoption.
"We are concerned that there may be that bottom rung of the career ladder that is broken, and young people may not get sufficient training, and we want companies to pay attention to this," he said.
His concerns echo warnings from studies globally. Research from talent management firm Talogy found that 78% of senior HR leaders are concerned about the long-term loss of critical leadership skills as AI takes over tasks that were previously used to train junior staff.
"So, employers will need to be more deliberate in thinking about training and mentoring of their young officers. And that is something we are studying in Singapore, sector by sector," Wong said.
The Singaporean prime minister said the government is working with tripartite partners to address the emerging problem.
"We are looking at whether there is a need for new programmes, new schemes," he said.
"Because we want employers to harness AI fully to get the productivity benefits, but we also want to make sure that employers pay attention to training and continue to nurture the next generation of industry leaders."
