AI Tracker
Singapore

The principal data protection regime is the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA). The regime requires organisations to process personal data in compliance with principles of fairness, transparency, purpose limitation, minimisation, accuracy, accountability, storage and security, among others.

• In March 2024, the Personal Data Protection Commission issued Advisory Guidelines on use of Personal Data in AI Recommendation and Decision Systems. The guidelines provide organisations with more clarity on the use of personal data to train or develop AI to support their efforts to implement AI. In particular, they provide guidance on information to be provided to consumers when seeking consent, guidance to third-party developers of bespoke AI Systems who may occupy the role of data intermediaries on their obligations under the PDPA, and guidance on best practices to support businesses in their compliance with the PDPA.
• In July 2025, IMDA released an adoption guide for privacy enhancing technologies and a Singapore Standard for Data Protection.

The National AI Strategy from 2019 and version 2.0 in 2023 included several actions, outlined below, to ensure Singapore's intellectual property regulatory regime supports the development and commercialisation of AI technologies.

Copyright

• During the November 2021 revision of the Singapore Copyright Act, a key change was introduced to provide a permissive exception to copyright infringement for text and data mining that applies to both commercial and non-commercial parties. This amendment facilitates the availability of data for the purposes of AI model development.

Patents

• The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has previously launched initiatives aimed at AI patents, including the Accelerated Initiative for Artificial Intelligence in 2019, which was introduced to speed up the patent application process for AI inventions. This initiative was replaced by a new patent acceleration programme (SG Patents Fast) on 20 May 2025. Separately, IPOS issued Supplemental Guidance for the Examination of AI-related Patent Applications in October 2024, which provides additional guidance on the patentability of AI-related inventions using hypothetical examples. IPOS has also contributed to several reports on AI and IP including:
  • A study on key stakeholders' perceptions of the AI and IP regulatory regime in Singapore which will contribute to Singapore's IP Strategy 2030, commissioned by IPOS and the Info-communications Media Development Authority and published in August 2022 by the Singapore Management University Centre for AI & Data Governance.
  • A February 2024 report by IPOS and the Singapore Management University Centre for AI & Data Governance, providing insights on the global AI landscape and approaches taken in different jurisdictions on AI and IP issues.

Employers must comply with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, which promotes fair and merit-based employment practices.

• If the use of AI tools results in discriminatory employment practices, workers or job applicants can approach the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) - Singapore's fair employment watchdog - for assistance.
• The upcoming Workplace Fairness Legislation provides employees with further protection against workplace discrimination and is intended to come into effect sometime in 2026 or 2027.
• The Ministry of Manpower is also closely monitoring trends in AI adoption, including the use of human resource tools powered by AI – for example, automated employment decision tools for candidate sourcing and screening, onboarding and offboarding, performance reviews, or compensation planning – to regularly assess and ensure that existing guidelines and regulations remain adequate to protect the workforce.

Competition and consumer protection

• The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) - the principal competition and consumer protection authority in Singapore - noted in its 2023/2024 Annual Report that AI is impacting the work of competition regulators globally, including the CCCS. It has been studying and monitoring potential AI issues for some time, and has acknowledged that the use of AI systems and pricing algorithms amongst competitors might increase the risk of collusion between them (for example, through price fixing and allowing for the coordination of pricing strategies through real-time data monitoring).
• The CCCS, according to its Annual Report, has been studying and monitoring potential AI issues for some time and has acknowledged that the use of AI systems and pricing algorithms amongst competitors might increase the risk of collusion between them.

• It has conducted a market study on e-commerce platforms in 2020, where it noted that the use of AI or algorithms to support or facilitate any pre-existing or intended anti-competitive agreement or concerted practices will likely infringe section 34 of the Competition Act 2004.
• The CCCS set up a Data & Digital division in 2023 to monitor regulatory developments in competition and consumer protection within digital markets, including AI. The division recommends necessary follow-up actions to be undertaken by the CCCS, such as digital market investigations and market studies.
• The CCCS has also developed their own AI tools and systems to improve their enforcement capabilities.
• A Bill proposing amendments to the Penal Code, received its second reading in November 2025. The Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill proposes increasing the penalties for the misuse of AI, including criminalising the use of generative AI to produce intimate images without consent and the generation of child abuse materials.

Investment

The Significant Investments Review Act came into force on 28 March 2024.

• This Act, administered by the Office of Significant Investments Review under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, establishes a new investment review regime that includes ownership and control provisions for entities deemed critical to Singapore’s national security interests.
• It complements existing sectoral legislation and authorises the Minister to review ownership or control transactions involving any entity that has acted against Singapore’s national security interests within two years after the transaction.
• Designated entities are also required to notify and obtain approval from the Office of Significant Investments Review before proceeding with any transaction that meets certain thresholds.