Main Stage Programme

Day 01

22 May 2026,  Friday

Opening Ceremony & Welcome Speech

Human-Machine Teaming: The New Standard

This keynote introduces human-machine teaming as the emerging global standard, grounded in ISO frameworks and real-world applications. It challenges the outdated narrative of “AI replacing humans”, showing how skilled humans and capable AI systems achieve more together. The session lays the conceptual foundation for the conference, guiding how future systems should be designed, aligned, and collaboratively built.

Gerry Chng – President, SCS AI Ethics & Governance Chapter

The Future of Work: Kickstarting Your Career in the AI-Driven Economy

AI is transforming how we work, creating new roles, reshaping recruitment, and redefining the ‘entry-level job’. This panel brings together HR leaders, recruiters, and AI professionals to unpack the essential skills and mindsets students need to thrive in AI careers today. Students will gain practical insights into what recruiters look for, as well as how to navigate AI career pathways and stand out in an AI-driven hiring landscape.

(Moderator) Puvana Lee – Assistant Director, Talent Development, IMDA

Adeline Tay – Senior Director, Smart Manufactoring & AI, Micron

Kevin Yee – Head, AI and Data Analytics, Singtel

Yean Cheong – Executive Director, SGTech

The Creative Partnership: Humans and AI Making Magic in Arts, Design & Entertainment

Convened by ArtScience Museum, this session examines the evolving landscape of human-AI collaboration in creative practices and the arts, exploring how practitioners are engaging AI as a collaborator in the production of new artistic forms and expressions. Bringing together voices across contemporary art, design and media, the panel discusses how generative systems are reshaping creative workflows and prompting reflection on questions of authorship and ethical responsibility. Through lightning presentations and conversations, the session highlights the capacity of experimental practices to illuminate the broader social and technological implications of intelligent systems, offering insights into how human creativity and machine intelligence might be orchestrated in the design of more imaginative and culturally meaningful futures.

(Moderator) Zhang Bao Xin – Senior Curator, Public Programmes, ArtScience Museum

Debbie Ding – Assistant Professor, Singapore University of Technology and Design

Immanuel Koh – Assistant Professor, Singapore University of Technology and Design

Shavonne Wong – New media artist

Walk, Talk, Act: Embodied AI in Action

Step into the world of embodied intelligence with a live tech demo and expert talk showcasing AI that moves, perceives, and interacts in the physical world. Participants will see cutting-edge robots and autonomous systems in action through various real-world industry use cases, explore the design challenges behind human-AI teaming, and gain a better understanding of Singapore’s robotics innovation ecosystem, including breakthroughs from the National Robotics Programme. Students will gain firsthand experience of how AI can act, sense, and collaborate, opening pathways for research, innovation, and careers in robotics and embodied AI.

(Moderator) Edmund Ooi – Deputy Director, National Robotics Programme

Dr. Andri Ashfahani – Applied R&D Platform Manager, Manufacturing Data Science BE, STMicroelectronics

Victor Fei – Vice President and Lead Robotics Technology Officer, Certis Robotics Singapore

Krittin Kawkeeree – Product Engineering Manager, dConstruct Robotics

Cents & Sensibility: Collaborative Intelligence in Finance, Banking and Fintech

Explore how AI is transforming finance, banking, and fintech, from fraud detection and personalised banking to trading algorithms, credit scoring, and AI risk management guidelines. This panel dives into how professionals collaborate with AI, leveraging machine intelligence while maintaining trust, transparency, and accountability. Speakers will highlight emerging technical and governance skills, and share what students need to thrive in an AI-augmented financial landscape, opening pathways to careers in finance, fintech, and responsible AI innovation.

(Moderator) Guan Wang – Principal Data Scientist, Manulife

Bryan Tay – General Manager, Singapore FinTech Association

Chan Si Ying – Vice President, AI & Data Strategy Lead for Asia Pacific, Mastercard

Day 02

23 May 2026,  Saturday

AI + Entrepreneurship: Startups Shaping the Future

This breakout session explores how entrepreneurs and innovators are leveraging AI to solve real-world challenges, build new business models, and scale impactful solutions. Founders and AI practitioners will share insights on ideation, technical development, funding, product–market fit, and responsible deployment. The discussion will also highlight how Singapore supports the growth of enterprises and startups through various initiatives and ecosystem programmes. Student entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to interact with the panelists through a Q&A session, enabling them to gain practical insights and direct engagement opportunities.

(Moderator) Raymond Loong Ng – President, Singapore Youth AI & Co-Founder, Resumify & Neural Drive

Desmond Low – Assistant Director, Partnerships & Startup Development, ACE.SG

Kelvin Chin – Regional Director, Filigran

Priscilla Looi – Assistant Director, Learning & Alumni Engagement, SGInnovate

Shivang Gupta – CEO, The Generative Beings

Beyond the Hype: Charting the Next Wave of AI Innovation

This panel will explore what lies beyond the current wave of AI hype, focusing on emerging trends, real-world applications, and the evolving role of AI in driving innovation across industries. Panelists will share perspectives on how organisations can move from experimentation to impact, and what it takes to build sustainable, scalable AI solutions. Students will gain insights into the skills, mindsets, and opportunities needed to contribute meaningfully to the next phase of AI development.

(Moderator) Dr Stephen Ho – Group Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director, SkyLab Group

Thia Kai Xin – Vice President, Head of AI & Analytics, Group Tech Office, ST Engineering

Joffrey Thomas – Developer Relations Engineer, Mistral AI

Sim Ee Shan – Senior Director, Head of AI Lab, Workato

Timothy Liu – Solutions Architect, NVIDIA AI Technology Centre (NVAITC)

Beyond Compliance: Digital Trust and Security in the Age of AI

As AI becomes increasingly pervasive, responsible and ethical AI is no longer a choice, but a requirement. This session explores the ethics, safety, and governance of AI systems in real-world contexts, deep-diving into key topics from bias and transparency to human oversight and critical digital threats in Singapore. Experts will share frameworks and strategies for designing trustworthy, responsible AI that operates safely in society. Participants will learn how to navigate the ethical and security challenges of AI while driving innovation in research, industry, and their own careers.

(Moderator) Lim May-Ann – President, Internet Society Singapore Chapter, ISOC SG

Dr. Ridwan Shariffdeen – Principal Research Scientist at SonarSource & CEO & Co-Founder at AutoCodeRover

Mark Pereira – Head of Partnerships, Strategy and Growth, AI Products, AI Singapore

Rajeshpal Singh – Director, Strategic Government Partnerships, AP Mastercard & Advisor, Global Anti Scam Alliance

AI for Science: Inspiring the Next Generation of “Bilingual” Research Trailblazers

As AI drives the next wave of scientific breakthroughs, the future belongs to “bilingual experts” who are fluent in both deep scientific knowledge and AI methodologies. In this fireside chat, leading researchers and innovators explore how Singapore can nurture such hybrid talents to advance discovery and power Singapore’s next phase as a Smart Nation. Students will gain clarity on the skills, mindsets, and opportunities that can launch them into impactful careers at the intersection of AI, research, and real-world application, and be inspired to become tomorrow’s AI-driven scientific leaders.

(Moderator) Professor Antonio H. Castro Neto – Distinguished Professor, Departments of Materials Science Engineering and Physics, National University of Singapore

Ayush Batra – AI Sales Leader, APJ, AMD

Professor Andy Hor – Deputy Chief Executive (Research), Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR)

Ying Shaowei – Chief Scientist, NCS

AI for Good: From Ideas to Impact for a Smarter, Kinder World

In this panel discussion, we explore AI for Good, showcasing how AI can drive measurable social impact and empower public sector agencies, social service organisations, and social enterprises. Through real-world case studies, participants will see how human-centric AI enhances accessibility, scales community initiatives, and transforms public services. The session also highlights career paths where students can apply AI skills to meaningful, purpose-driven work, demonstrating how technology can contribute to a smarter, kinder, and more inclusive world.