Appointment of New Executive Chairman of AI Singapore

The Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and the National Research Foundation, Singapore (NRF) announced today the appointment of Professor Christian Wolfrum as the new Executive Chairman of AI Singapore (AISG), with effect from 1 July 2026. Professor Wolfrum succeeds Professor Ho Teck Hua, who stepped down from the role on 30 June 2026.

AISG is a national initiative driven by MDDI (formerly through the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office), the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), and NRF. AISG brings together Singapore-based research institutions and the broader ecosystem of AI start-ups and companies to support use-inspired research, grow knowledge, create tools, and develop the talent to power Singapore's AI efforts.

MDDI and NRF express our deep appreciation to Professor Ho for his distinguished service and leadership as AISG's founding Executive Chairman since its establishment in 2017. Professor Ho has been instrumental in shaping AISG's strategic direction and advancing Singapore's AI ambitions under the Smart Nation vision and National AI Strategies. He has also strengthened partnerships across academia, industry, and government.

Under Professor Ho's stewardship, AISG has strengthened Singapore's position as a leading global hub for AI research and innovation. AISG has also become a cornerstone of Singapore's national AI ecosystem, advancing impactful programmes in research, capability development, and industry adoption. Professor Ho was instrumental in the expansion of Singapore's AI research and manpower development efforts, including initiatives such as the AISG PhD Fellowship, 100 Experiments (100E), and AI Apprenticeship Programme (AIAP). AISG has delivered over 300 AI projects and trained close to 500 Singaporean AI engineers, significantly enhancing the ability of Singapore's companies to operate at the forefront of AI. He was also a strong advocate for the development of SEA-LION (Southeast Asian Languages in One Network), a family of open-source large language models designed to better understand and represent Southeast Asia's diverse languages, contexts, and cultures.

Professor Wolfrum currently serves as Deputy President and Provost of Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU). He has a deep familiarity with Singapore's research, innovation, and enterprise (RIE) ecosystem, and has been a consistent supporter and advocate for our national initiatives and cross-institutional collaboration. Professor Wolfrum also brings significant experience in shaping AI research ecosystems. As the former Vice President for Research at ETH Zurich, he played a key role in defining the university's strategic research direction and was closely involved in the establishment of major Swiss national AI efforts, including the Swiss National AI Institute and the Swiss AI Initiative.

As the new Executive Chairman of AISG, Professor Wolfrum will work closely with MDDI, NRF, and research ecosystem stakeholders to build on the strong foundations established by Professor Ho, and lead AISG in its next phase of growth. This includes advancing Singapore's priorities under the National AI Strategy 2.0, and strengthening AISG's role in delivering consequential research and innovation outcomes under the National AI Research & Development Plan, in support of Singapore's ambitions to be a leading global hub for trusted and impactful AI.

Mr Chng Kai Fong, Permanent Secretary (Digital Development and Information), said: "I would like to thank Professor Ho for his dedicated service and steadfast leadership of AISG. His contributions have been instrumental in Singapore's AI journey, strengthening our international competitiveness in AI and positioning us well as a leading global hub for AI research and innovation. As we look ahead, I welcome Professor Wolfrum to this role. His experience in building research ecosystems and his commitment to collaboration will be valuable as AISG continues to evolve and deepen its impact across the ecosystem."

Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, Permanent Secretary (National Research and Development), said: "On behalf of NRF, I would like to express our deep appreciation to Professor Ho for his leadership and service as founding Executive Chairman of AISG. Under his stewardship, AISG has anchored important national capabilities in AI, strengthened collaboration across the research, industry, and public-sector communities, and built valuable platforms for talent development, innovation, and industry adoption. We are grateful to Professor Ho for his exceptional contributions to Singapore's AI journey, and we warmly welcome Professor Wolfrum as his successor, as AISG embarks on this next chapter."

Professor Christian Wolfrum, new Executive Chairman of AISG, said: "I am honoured to take on this role as Singapore launches its National AI Strategy 2.0. AISG's unique strength is its position at the interface of academia and industry, and that is exactly where AI champions are built: companies that embed AI into the core of their products and operations, not as an add-on but as a fundamental capability, backed by a workforce that understands AI deeply enough to build with it. Research without industry impact is incomplete, and industry without deep research is short-sighted. Singapore's AI ecosystem can close that gap, and AISG will be the engine to get there."