Interest in generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) is on the rise in Singapore.

A new report measuring global skill levels in business, tech, and data science based on online learning trends by online course provider Coursera has ranked Singapore first among 109 countries in terms of AI maturity.

The index, released in July, defined AI maturity as a country’s readiness for AI innovation. Denmark came in second and Switzerland placed third.

Apart from its own enrolment numbers for AI-related courses, Coursera also analysed countries’ research output from local institutes of higher learning and data 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 AI capabilities here, said the Coursera report indicates a healthy appetite for learning about Gen AI among Singaporeans.

Singapore has done well in the AI space partly due to government strategies such as SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and a reasonably educated, well-connected population without any rural communities, he added.

There have been 107,000 Gen AI course enrolments on Coursera in Singapore to date, with 44,000 new enrolments in 2024.

Millennials (those born from 1981 to 2000) make up 62 per cent of Gen AI enrolments, followed by Gen X (those born from 1965 to 1980) at 28 per cent, while learners under 25 account for 6 per cent.

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,” he said. “Certainly there are reasons to be optimistic about what’s going on in Singapore, but no reason to rest on our laurels.”

Prof Chesterman, who is also vice-provost of educational innovation at the National University of Singapore, cited the setup of AI Singapore in 2017 and 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 a study by Google and Access Partnership, a public policy consultancy focused on technology, has projected significant economic benefits from Gen AI.

With the study’s forecast showing that AI can add nearly US$150 billion (S$192 billion) to Singapore’s economy by 2030, the workforce needs to upskill in this area, he said.

“For that to happen, Singapore needs to make sure that as many people as possible have the right skills to enable that,” he added. “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.”

Online providers such as Coursera can augment university curricula with industry-created AI micro-credentials, he said. Micro-credentials are short, focused courses or certifications that help people learn specific skills quickly.

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 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’s Learning eXperience Platform, and ZilLearn.

As at the end of June, about 2,450 SkillsFuture Credit claims had 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 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 said.

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 with 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 been observed to engage better with AI-driven tutors available on the platform than men.

With the growth in Gen AI course enrolments for women standing at 253 per cent, women are catching up with 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,” Mr Hart said.

Mr Christoper Tan, 55, has used his SkillsFuture credits to sign up for a Coursera subscription. The educator, who teaches tertiary statistics and mathematics, has taken more than 30 courses on the platform since September 2024.

One of the first courses he enrolled in was Learning How To Learn by Dr Barbara Oakley, which he spread out in bite-sized portions and completed in two weeks.

“I could learn on the go. That means I could use my mobile phone while on the bus or MRT, to watch the videos and attempt the quizzes,” he said. He added that 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, including in tech, writing, and 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 job, 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,” Mr Tan said.

“These online courses are taught by actual professors from reputable universities. That’s another thing I like about it.”
 

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