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Singapore: Singapore and UK sign agreement to strengthen global AI safety and governance

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In brief

Singapore and the United Kingdom have signed a new Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to enhance the safety and reliability of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in its development and use. This agreement aims to pave the way for greater public trust in AI advancements. The MoC was signed by Minister for Digital Development and Information, Josephine Teo, and Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Peter Kyle, during Minister Teo’s working visit to the UK.

In more detail

The new MoC builds on the longstanding digital partnership between Singapore and the UK, which was formalized through the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (UKSDEA) that took effect in 2022. Since then, both countries have continued to collaborate on digital and cybersecurity matters, including the signing of five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) under the UKSDEA. These MoUs cover various areas such as Digital Trade Facilitation, Digital Identities, Cyber Security, Data Cooperation and Emerging Technologies.

The latest agreement on AI aligns with the commitments made by Singapore and the UK at the AI Safety Summit held in the UK in November 2023 and the objectives of the international network of AI Safety Institutes to align their work on research, standards, and testing.

The MoC captures the active exchanges between Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the Digital Trust Centre (DTC) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the UK Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation, and the UK AI Safety Institute on research collaboration, international standards development, and safety testing. The MoC affirms the importance of international collaboration to advance the science of AI safety and maps out pathways for deeper cooperation on AI safety, including frameworks around information sharing and intellectual property rights.

As announced by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), the new MoC will strengthen cooperation between the AI Safety Institutes (AISIs) of both countries. Key areas of collaboration include:

  1. AI Safety Research: Enhancing joint efforts to advance the science of AI safety, focusing on developing safer AI systems and risk management.
  2. Global Norms: Collaborating on international AI safety standards and protocols, including through possible cooperation with the Network of AI Safety Institutes, ensuring a global approach to AI risk mitigation.
  3. Information Sharing: Expanding knowledge exchange between the two countries’ AI Safety Institutes to ensure that AI systems are developed and deployed in ways that are trustworthy and safe for global use.
  4. Comprehensive AI Testing: Joint development of safety testing frameworks that provide robust evaluations throughout the AI lifecycle.

For further information, see the MDDI’s press release.

Key takeaways

The new MoC is a significant step towards advancing the safe and reliable use of AI technologies. It underscores the importance of international collaboration in advancing AI safety and governance, and it builds on the strong digital partnership between the Singapore and the UK.

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For further information and to discuss what this development might mean for you, please get in touch with your usual Baker McKenzie contact.

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Andy Leck is the head of the Intellectual Property and Technology (IPTech) Practice Group and a member of the Dispute Resolution Practice Group in Singapore. He is a core member of Baker McKenzie's regional IP practice and also leads the Myanmar IP Practice Group. Andy is recognised by reputable global industry and legal publications as a leader in his field. He was named on "The A-List: Singapore's Top 100 lawyers" by Asia Business Law Journal 2018. In addition, Chambers Asia Pacific notes that Andy is "a well-known IP practitioner who is highlighted for his record of handling major trade mark litigation, as well as commercial exploitation of IP rights in the media and technology sectors. He's been in the industry for a long time and has always been held in high regard. He is known to be very fair and is someone you would like to be in the trenches with you during negotiations." Furthermore, Asian Legal Business acknowledges Andy as a leading practitioner in his field and notes that he “always gives good, quick advice, [is] client-focused and has strong technical knowledge for his areas of practice.” Andy was appointed by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) as an IP Adjudicator to hear disputes at IPOS for a two-year term from April 2021. He has been an appointed member of the Singapore Copyright Tribunal since May 2010 and a mediator with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center. He is also appointed as a Notary Public & Commissioner for Oaths in Singapore. He previously served on the International Trademark Association’s Board of Directors and was a member of the executive committee.

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Ren Jun Lim is a principal with Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow. He represents local and international clients in both contentious and non-contentious intellectual property matters. He also advises on a full range of healthcare, as well as consumer goods-related legal and regulatory issues. Ren Jun co-leads Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow's Healthcare as well as Consumer Goods & Retail industry groups. He sits on the Law Society of Singapore IP Committee and on the Executive Committee of the Association of Information Security Professionals. He is also a member of the Vaccines Working Group, Singapore Association of Pharmaceutical Industries, a member of the International Trademark Association, as well as a member of the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Association. Ren Jun is ranked in the Silver tier for Individuals: Enforcement and Litigation and Individuals: Prosecution and Strategy, and a recommended lawyer for Individuals: Transactions by WTR 1000, 2020. He is also listed in Asia IP's Best 50 IP Expert, 2020, recognised as a Rising Star by Managing IP: IP Stars, 2019 and one of Singapore's 70 most influential lawyers aged 40 and under by Singapore Business Review, 2016. Ren Jun was acknowledged by WTR 1000 as a "trademark connoisseur who boasts supplementary knowledge of regulatory issues in the consumer products industry." He was also commended by clients for being "very responsive to enquiries and with a keen eye for detail, he is extremely hands-on. His meticulous and in-depth approach to strategising is key to the excellent outcomes we enjoy."

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Ken Chia is a member of the Firm’s IP Tech, International Commercial & Trade and Competition Practice Groups. He is regularly ranked as a leading TMT and competition lawyer by top legal directories, including Chambers Asia Pacific and Legal 500 Asia Pacific. Ken is an IAPP Certified International Privacy Professional (FIP, CIPP(A), CIPT, CIPM) and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators.

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Sanil is a local principal in the Intellectual Property & Technology Practice Group in Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow. Sanil is qualified in both Singapore and Australia, and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/A) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Sanil is recognized as a Rising Star by both Legal 500 Asia Pacific in the Intellectual Property: Local Firms category as well as by IP Stars for his advisory work in the IP space. Sanil is also recommended by World Trademark Review 1000 for IP enforcement, litigation, prosecution and strategy.

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Daryl Seetoh is a local principal in the Intellectual Property & Technology (IPTech) practice group at Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow. He is a qualified lawyer in Singapore, and is a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) as a Certified Information Privacy Professional for Asia (CIPP/Asia), an IAPP Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) and a Certified Information Privacy Professional for Europe (CIPP/E). Daryl has previously worked at Baker McKenzie’s San Francisco office and has also been seconded to financial institution and technology multinational clients.

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