[SINGAPORE] ST Engineering is pouring S$250 million over the next five years into a programme that will drive physical artificial intelligence (AI) applications such as robotics, with an initial focus on human-machine collaboration.
In collaboration with academic and research partners, ST Engineering aims to improve physical AI – which is able to interact and understand physical space through various sensors – to tackle complex operational challenges.
At its annual InnoTech Conference on Thursday (Sep 4), the group showcased its Manned-Unmanned Teaming Operating System (Mumtos), which combines agentic and physical AI to act as a “brain” in human-machine collaboration.
Mumtos can coordinate robots, drones and autonomous vehicles to deliver actionable insights and enable faster decision-making across operations. ST Engineering also recently added smell sensors to it, allowing it to detect and identify more than 23 gas types in the open.
Its applications include humanitarian missions. Mumtos uses AI to help assess life-risk scoring – which includes oxygen levels, structural stability and the number of people detected – in prioritising rescue efforts.
Noting that the system is “highly adaptable and scalable”, Low Jin Phang, ST Engineering’s president of digital systems, said in his opening address at the conference: “We foresee the application of Mumtos extending from defence into a wide range of industrial and commercial applications, limited only by our imagination.”
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Developing AI skills
As part of the S$250 million programme, ST Engineering will equip its workforce with the necessary AI skills. It aims to upskill 4,000 engineers in training AI modules and deploying AI systems.
Responding to media queries, group chief technology and digital officer Lee Shiang Long said ST Engineering already has close to 2,000 engineers with the needed skills, and it intends to hire more.
He noted that to meet the group’s operational needs, ST Engineering will require engineers from different backgrounds. Beyond those with software and electrical engineering-related experience, the group will look to train employees in other fields, such as mechanical engineering.
In addition to these 4,000 engineers, ST Engineering plans to create 1,000 AI specialist roles. These will be focused on the development of AI modules, cybersecurity for AI, and agentic AI systems.
Some of these specialists may be external hires. The way Lee sees it, ST Engineering must also “embrace outside talent”, as they could have a good understanding of the latest technological developments.
To strengthen and grow its core of 1,000 AI specialists, the group is also looking to government schemes and training opportunities. These include the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s TechSkills Accelerator and Skills Pathway initiatives for cloud and cybersecurity.
“Bilingual” talent
Low noted that this is not ST Engineering’s first foray into the AI space.
Among its 27,000 employees, more than 10,000 are “AI-ready”, he said. This means they have undertaken foundational training in the technology.
Also on Thursday, Low announced the group’s intention to develop a physical AI centre of excellence, but did not provide specific details.
“We will continue to upskill our people to be ‘bilingual’ AI talents in data science, machine learning, cloud infra-engineering, cybersecurity and domain-specific applications,” he said.
Building on this idea of “bilingual” talent, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo – the guest of honour at the conference – noted that there is a need for people to acquire AI-related skills.
This will allow them to work with AI practitioners or specialists to transform their work and improve outcomes, she said.
“We believe these bilingual AI talents and their AI teammates are a formidable team. They will be pathfinders and pacesetters for meaningful AI adoption, not just in ST Engineering, but everywhere.”
Shares of ST Engineering closed Thursday at S$7.95, up S$0.07 or 0.9 per cent.
