Singapore launches AI Verify Foundation to shape the future of international AI standards through collaboration

Building the Foundation for Trustworthy AI

The launch of AI Verify Foundation will support the development and use of AI Verify to address risks of AI. AI Verify is an AI governance testing framework and software toolkit. first developed by IMDA in consultation with companies from different sectors and different scales. The Foundation will help to foster an open-source community to contribute to AI testing frameworks, code base, standards and best practices and create a neutral platform for open collaboration and idea-sharing on testing and governing AI. 

Launched as a minimum viable product for international pilot last year, AI Verify attracted the interest of over 50 local and multinational companies including IBM, Dell, Hitachi and UBS. AI Verify is now available to the open source community and will benefit the global community by providing a testing framework and toolkit that is consistent with internationally recognised AI governance principles, e.g., those from EU, OECD, and Singapore. The AI Verify toolkit provides an integrated interface to generate testing reports that covers different governance principles for an AI system. It enables companies to be more transparent about their AI by sharing these reports with their stakeholders. 

More information on the AI Verify Foundation and AI Verify toolkit is available in Annex A (117.70KB). Collaborators will be able to get information on how they can join the foundation as well as access the open-source code at https://aiverifyfoundation.sg. Read about what our premium members have to say in Annex B (140.34KB).

The need for collective effort to advance AI testing globally

IMDA built AI Verify to help organisations objectively demonstrate responsible AI through standardised tests. However, AI testing technologies albeit growing, are still nascent. There is a need to crowd in the best expertise from across industry and research community to develop this area.

While recognising the potential risks of AI, Minister Teo noted that the government cannot do it alone. “The private sector with their expertise can participate meaningfully to achieve these goals with us,” she added. She also assured that that amidst very real fears and concerns about AI’s development, we will need to actively steer AI towards beneficial uses and away from bad ones. “This is core to how Singapore thinks about AI.”

¹The full list of members is available at https://aiverifyfoundation.sg/foundation-members/

Discussions on a Global Scale

AI experts from around the world will be tackling pertinent issues on generative AI and AI governance. Some highlights include the distinguished panel of Blaise Aguera y Arcas, Vice President, Research, Google Research Int’l, US, Kathy Baxter, Principal Architect, Ethical AI Practice, Salesforce, US, Shuicheng Yan, Visiting Chief Scientist, BAAI, Ben Brooks, Head of Public Policy, Stability AI, Michael Sellitto, Head of Policy, Anthropic, and Michael Zeller, Head of AI Strategy and Solutions, Temasek, who will deep dive into key governance and alignment issues of generative AI that require multidisciplinary effort to solve pressing and long-term problems. The panel will also discuss approaches to close governance and technical gaps, with recommended areas for research and development.

Policymakers are also in for a treat as the panel on AI governance around the world, which features speakers such as Kay Firth-Butterfield, ED, Centre for Trustworthy Technology, WEF, Ansgar Koene, Global AI Ethics and Regulatory Leader, EY, Elham Tabassi, Associate Director for Emerging Technology, Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and technology and Yi Zeng, Professor and Director, International Research Center for AI Ethics and Governance, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, will discuss how policymakers, industry and research communities globally must work together to address AI challenges faced collectively by humanity. They will also dissect different AI governance approaches around the world, taking a critical lens on their relevance in light of generative AI.

Pathways for Policymakers for Generative AI

IMDA and Aicadium have published a discussion paper to share Singapore’s approach to building an ecosystem for trusted and responsible adoption of Generative AI, in a way that spurs innovation and tap on its opportunities. The paper seeks to enhance discourse and invite like-minded partners from around the world to work with Singapore to ensure that Generative AI can be trusted and used in a safe and responsible manner.

The paper identifies six key risks that have emerged from Generative AI as well as a systems approach to enable a trusted and vibrant ecosystem. The approach provides an initial framework for policy makers to (i) strengthen the foundation of AI governance provided by existing frameworks to address the unique characteristic of Generative AI, (ii) address immediate concerns and (iii) invest for longer- term governance outcomes. The specific ideas (e.g. shared responsibility framework, disclosure standards) also seek to foster global interoperability, regardless of whether they are adopted as hard or soft laws. More information on the discussion paper is available in Annex C (222.10KB).

The full Discussion Paper can be downloaded here.

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Annexes

• Annex A (117.70KB)
• Annex B (140.34KB)
• Annex C (222.10KB)