New Initiative by AI Singapore to Drive AI Bilingualism Across the Community and Empower More Than 5,000 Youths
The inaugural AI for Good Festival will run from 8–10 July at Republic Polytechnic, followed by a second run at ITE College East in August.
AI Singapore has launched the inaugural AI for Good Festival, a national push to expand AI literacy and responsible AI education at scale. In support of the national Digital for Life movement, and in collaboration with Amazon Web Services and Micron Technology, the initiative aims to bring AI learning opportunities to communities nationwide, including more than 5,000 youths through hands-on activities and interactive workshops over three days at each venue.
As one of the few festivals in the region to uniquely combine youth leadership with AI literacy, the three-day festival brings together government, industry, philanthropy, educators and community partners to democratise access to AI knowledge and skills. The festival kicks off its first edition today at Republic Polytechnic.
The opening ceremony was graced by Guest of Honour, Ms. Jasmin Lau, Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information and Ministry of Education.
The festival aims to unlock AI’s full potential for societal good, enabling more meaningful and impactful applications of the technology across sectors. Participants from diverse backgrounds and educational pathways will find inspiration in student-led showcases that reflect creative, real-world applications of AI built to tackle pressing community challenges.
Cultivating an ‘AI-Bilingual’ Nation
The festival supports Singapore’s updated National AI Strategy, which seeks to develop workers to be AI Bilingual, that is to have deep mastery of their domains and sufficient AI capability to apply AI in their workflows and processes. As AI adoption accelerates across the economy, the country requires both AI specialists and talents who can effectively integrate AI into their respective domains. This initiative reflects AI Singapore’s broader role in strengthening the country’s future-ready, AI-ready talent pipeline.
“To foster an effectively AI-bilingual society, we must meet individuals exactly where they are,” said Koo Sengmeng, Director of Talent & Ecosystem, AI Singapore. “We see AI literacy as just the starting point. What truly matters is how we enable every individual, from our youth to the general public, to move from understanding AI to actively applying it in ways that create real, everyday value. Through this festival, we are already seeing youths step forward with incredible ideas that address real-world needs. By scaling these efforts nationwide, we aim to grow a purposeful, value-driven ecosystem where all Singaporeans can confidently shape our AI-enabled future and champion technology for the greater societal good.”
Making Responsible AI Education Accessible
To make AI life skills accessible to visitors, the festival features five youth-designed, gamified AI learning booths that translate the technology into hands-on, real-world scenarios that mirror everyday civic and digital life. The showcase reflects AI Singapore’s broader commitment to advancing responsible AI by equipping visitors with the tools to confidently evaluate, understand, and navigate the digital landscape responsibly. Key highlights include:
Deepfake Detectives: Created by the festival’s youth committee, this interactive game puts the National Library Board’s S.U.R.E. framework (Source, Understand, Research, Evaluate) to the test. Through real-world scenarios, participants sharpen their ability to spot AI-generated images or synthetic content, building the information literacy skills needed to navigate misinformation and online scams.
AI Mythbusters: Also developed by the youth committee, this movement-based activity gets participants physically sorting AI myths from facts. It provides instant feedback and explanations on how AI systems work and what their limitations are.
AI Decision Zone: This fun, game-based challenge places participants in real-world AI dilemmas, helping them identify key ethical considerations, such as fairness, privacy, safety and responsible use, in everyday AI scenarios, while building critical thinking skills through hands-on play.
Students, Community and Industry — Innovating Together
The festival also showcases how Singapore’s youth are actively co-creating AI solutions alongside industry and community partners to solve pressing social, environmental, and healthcare challenges. By highlighting technology built for the greater good, these projects demonstrate how AI can be leveraged to drive digital inclusion and sustainability. Among the eight public-good projects on display are:
Hear2Go: An AI-powered mobile app built by Republic Polytechnic students in partnership with the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH). Through real-time bus detection, voice announcements, vibration alerts, and accessible navigation features, Hear2Go helps visually-impaired commuters travel more confidently and safely.
VermiMetrics: Waste to Wealth: This solution tackles Singapore’s food waste crisis — where an estimated 2,164 tonnes of food are discarded daily, equivalent to the weight of seven Airbus A380 aircraft. The student-built platform uses smart vermicomposting to convert food waste into compost and support monitored plant growth. Powered by an AI Composting Assistant, computer vision, smart alerts and predictive analysis, it makes the recycling process smarter and more accessible.
Calm Path: Breast Cancer Support: Developed in response to a sobering statistic that 1 in 12 women in Singapore will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, yet many delay screening due to fear, uncertainty and misconceptions. Through its Ask CalmPath AI feature, the app offers a trusted companion for sensitive breast health questions, alongside a Centre Finder, Habit Builder and Community Support tools that guide users through their screening journey to make breast screening feel less intimidating and more approachable.
“Through Hear2Go, we learned that AI is most impactful when it is designed with people in mind. Working closely with SAVH, we took time to understand the needs of visually impaired commuters and explored different technology approaches to help make travel more accessible by translating visual information into accessible formats in real time. The project has strengthened our technical capabilities while also challenging our creative problem-solving skills to ensure the AI-powered app works in real-world traffic conditions. We hope to continue enhancing Hear2Go so it can make a positive difference in the lives of more users in the community,” said Tea Wee Keat, a Year 3 student from the Diploma in Business Information Systems (DBIS), School of Infocomm, Republic Polytechnic.
Industry Expertise, Real-World Application
To ensure Singaporeans are equipped for an AI-accelerated economy, AI Singapore as well as industry partners are hosting interactive showcases and workshops designed specifically for non-technical individuals. Attendees will learn how AI agents can be practically applied to solve real problems and complete everyday tasks.
“Creativity comes alive when students get to tinker, remix ideas, and surprise themselves with technology. And when that happens, they stop asking ‘what’s the right answer?’ and start asking ‘what if?’ That is the spark we want to ignite at the AI for Good Festival: turning AI from something students read about into something they shape with their own hands,” said Elsie Tan, Country Manager, Worldwide Public Sector Singapore, Amazon Web Services.
“Micron is proud to partner with AI Singapore on this meaningful initiative to expand AI literacy and nurture the next generation of talent. We believe that advancing technology innovation starts with empowering people, and that AI should be inclusive and accessible to all, regardless of background. Through this collaboration, we aim to create meaningful pathways for youth, educators and community partners to build practical AI capabilities and contribute to Singapore’s AI future,” said Joshua Lee, corporate vice president and Singapore country manager at Micron Technology.
Looking Ahead
The momentum will continue with the second edition of the AI for Good Festival, running from 18 to 20 August 2026 at ITE College East. By continuously uniting citizens, youth leaders, industry partners, and community organisations, the festival serves as a scalable blueprint for how Singapore can harness AI responsibly, inclusively, and purposefully for the collective good of society.
To learn more about the AI for Good initiative, please visit: https://aiforgood.aisingapore.org/
