Interview Questions for King Wang Poon, Head of the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities at the Singapore University of Technology and Design
In the rapidly evolving landscape of smart cities, Singapore stands as a shining example with its Smart Nation initiative. This ambitious project, operating at the scale and setting of a city-state, aims to transform Singapore for the digital age, improving the lives of its citizens and helping them overcome their "daily difficulties" using smart technologies.
However, cities face challenges in sharing and learning from each other's experiences due to differences in infrastructure, governance structures, and established behaviours. Singapore, with its unique city-state structure and entrenched infrastructure and behaviours, has faced similar challenges.
Enter the MindxAI strategy, a forward-thinking approach that emphasises human-AI collaboration rather than competition. This strategy, while the organization behind it remains unspecified, offers intriguing insights into the future of work and smart cities.
At the heart of the MindxAI strategy is a focus on the impact of AI on jobs and the future of work. Poon, the driving force behind this strategy, aims to make jobs more meaningful and valuable for workers by rethinking and redesigning organizational values. Poon's strategy suggests investing in technologies that increase the value of what workers do, rather than focusing solely on substitution for efficiency.
One practical example of the MindxAI strategy is the redesigning of GPS to provide visual and spatial cues, preserving and protecting drivers' cognitive and spatial sense of the city. This approach encourages human-AI collaboration, ensuring that technology serves as an aid rather than a replacement.
Academia also plays a crucial role in the Smart Nation initiative. The Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC) at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) conducts research to explore practical options for smart city development. The research conducted by LKYCIC focuses on building and rebuilding better lives through policies and technologies.
Poon's concerns are centred on understanding the next steps to navigate the future with confidence and certainty. His strategy aims to track and tackle disruption task-by-task, rather than job-by-job, offering a pragmatic approach to managing the challenges of the digital age.
As people continue to move to cities or choose to stay put due to the belief it offers a better life, reducing barriers to a better life becomes increasingly important. The Smart Nation initiative, with its focus on overcoming "daily difficulties" in the smart city, can help bolster support for current and future initiatives.
In conclusion, the MindxAI strategy offers a compelling vision for the future of smart cities and the role of AI in enhancing, rather than replacing, human capabilities. As cities continue to evolve, strategies like this one will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping our urban landscapes and the lives of those who inhabit them.
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