Address by MOS Rahayu Mahzam at Cisco Connect 2026

Good morning. Thank you for inviting me to be part of Cisco Connect 2026.

I am delighted to see so many of you - digital industry professionals from across the public and private sectors- gathered in one room. This is exactly the kind of cross-sector energy that Singapore needs as we navigate the most consequential technological shifts of our time.

A year ago, Cisco Connect 2025 already facilitated important conversations on the impact of AI on our industries and workforce. As highlighted earlier, the pace of change since then has only heightened the urgency of those conversations. Agentic AI is here - AI that doesn't just respond, but reasons, plans, and acts. It unlocks new value, boosts productivity, and enables new products and services.

But with accelerating capabilities and automation come new digital and cyber risks. AI agents that act without sufficient oversight can cause real harm - from chatbots giving erroneous legal advice, to automated systems triggering unintended cascading failures.

For example, in 2025, AI-powered voice cloning was used to impersonate CEOs in vishing attacks, tricking employees into authorising fraudulent wire transfers. These are not hypothetical risks. They are happening now, and the pace is only accelerating.

Safeguards must be put in place - but they should not be seen as roadblocks to innovation. Innovation and security are not competing priorities. They are inseparable ones. And what holds them together is people. The most sophisticated technology is only as trustworthy as the people who design, deploy, and govern it.

As we build more capable, autonomous AI systems, maintaining digital trust is not a secondary concern. It is a foundational one. And the answer cannot just be better technology. That's important, but it is also about better-prepared people.

This is why I am especially pleased to be here today to mark a significant step forward in Singapore's efforts on both fronts.

I am happy to announce the signing of a three-year Memorandum of Understanding between the Digital Defence Alliance Singapore - DDAS - and Cisco. This MoU is a commitment to building the capabilities Singapore needs, by investing in the people who will carry us forward.

Under this partnership, DDAS and Cisco will develop joint training programmes in AI and cybersecurity - practical, applied programmes that create local and overseas learning opportunities for youths and working professionals alike.

I am glad that we are already seeing this in action. The youth from the DDAS digital defenders community recently visited Cisco's Seoul office in April 2026 to learn firsthand how Cisco is adapting to the AI era, including how they work with startups to develop and scale AI capabilities.

In October this year, DDAS will bring another 60 polytechnic students on a learning visit to Cisco's Tokyo office to learn about network security in Japan's commercial IT industry.

For our young people who are just starting to find their footing in the digital economy, this partnership opens doors to new opportunities. For the PMEs who are deepening their expertise or pivoting into new areas through AI upskilling, it signals that the support and the opportunities are there.

This is Singapore investing in its people - deliberately, concretely, and with the long term in mind.

Singapore's strength has always been our people, and our willingness to invest in them. As AI continues to evolve from a tool to a collaborator, we must ensure our workforce evolves with it. Workers need to build not just technical skills, but the confidence to deploy AI responsibly and effectively.

The Government is doing its part.

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   For students, we are strengthening AI literacy across all our Institutes of Higher Learning.

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   For Singaporeans in the workforce, those who take up selected SkillsFuture AI training courses can look forward to six months of free access to premium versions of AI tools, enabling them to experiment and apply AI in their day-to-day work. More details will be shared by the relevant agency in due course.

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   We are also expanding IMDA's TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA), which has seen good outcomes in training and placing individuals in tech jobs. TeSA will expand to support non-tech professionals, such as those in the accountancy and legal sector, in developing AI bilingualism.

The question is no longer whether AI will transform the way we work. It already has. The question is whether we are ready to lead that transformation - with skill, with security, and with trust at the centre.

I believe we are. And I hope that by the end of today, you leave feeling the same.

Thank you, and I wish you all a productive Cisco Connect 2026.