Ageing Individuals, the other ‘AI’ bringing wisdom & experience to S’pore’s workforce: Desmond Tan

Two “AIs” will shape Singapore’s future, says NTUC deputy secretary-general Desmond Tan.

Tan said on top of artificial intelligence, which helps generate information at lightning speed, the other "AI", ageing individuals, bring their wisdom, judgement and perspective to the workplace.

He was speaking during the Parliament sitting on the second day of the Budget 2026 debate on Feb. 25.

“Singapore’s success will depend not only on how quickly we find answers, but whether we ask the right questions about our future economy, workforce and jobs,” Tan said.

"AI helps us find answers much faster. But it is experience in AI #2 that helps Singapore ask better questions."

As Singapore becomes a "super-aged society", the goal is to support seniors to age with "dignity, security and peace of mind", he added.

Workforce challenges faced by seniors

Many seniors face barriers in staying meaningfully employed, such as hiring filters or reduced benefits at re-employment, Tan said.

According to NTUC surveys, they take 6.2 months to find jobs, longer than the 4.9 months on average for other, younger workers.

Additionally, 37.5 per cent of seniors surveyed reported narrowing job prospects due to age.

On the employers’ end, Tan shared that some difficulties they have in hiring seniors include mismatched salary expectations, skills gaps, and concerns about higher wages.

Enabling seniors to stay employable

Tan said one priority is to enable seniors to remain employable with “choice, flexibility and inclusion”.

Many seniors want to continue working beyond their retirement age, he noted, citing NTUC’s Senior Employment Survey that showed that more than 70 per cent of senior workers are open to doing so.

More than expecting seniors to simply stay in the workforce longer, we need to give them the “choice and flexibility to continue contributing meaningfully, building on their strengths, experience and skills”, he said.

Employers should continue developing flexible career options, Tan said, adding that the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment (TWG-SE) is exploring ways to expand and broaden these options.

Through the Alliance for Action on Empowering Multi-Stage Careers for Mature Workers (AfA-EMW), companies have also piloted promising models, he noted, citing Mandai Rainforest Resort’s hobby- or interest-based job roles and recruitment prototype.

The Tripartite Workgroup is studying whether additional and more dedicated support can be extended to long-term unemployed seniors seeking to re-enter the workforce, he said.

Using AI to strengthen workers

Moving on to the use of artificial intelligence, Tan said Singapore must ensure that the technology strengthens rather than replaces workers, especially senior workers.

On Feb. 13, NTUC launched the AI-Ready SG initiative as a one-stop platform to train and upskill workers, support firms in transformation, and improve matching for workers to access better jobs.

The organisation has also introduced other AI guidelines for companies to support their workers’ upskilling.

“The future of work is not just about choosing between technology and experience, or between senior or younger workers,” Tan said. “It is about maximising their respective strengths and making them stronger by working together.”

Multi-stage, cross-generational workforce

Tan said building a multi-stage, cross-generational workforce is also another priority.

“The future workforce will not follow a linear, simple path of education, work and retirement,” he said.

Instead, it will be a journey of continuous learning, upskilling, reskilling and contributions, Tan said.

He suggested that senior workers will increasingly play roles as mentors and coaches, while younger workers will bring digital capabilities and new technological know-how

AI can help bridge these generations by amplifying the strengths of both, he said.

Top photos from MDDI/YouTube and Canva