Lorong AI Is Building Singapore's AI Community, One Conversation at a Time
Source: Vulcan Post
Lorong AI, a physical collaborative hub launched by MDDI, has attracted 4,000+ attendees and spawned over 14 collaborations since January 2025, as Singapore doubles down on community-driven AI innovation in a dedicated one-north space.
Singapore's Ministry of Digital Development and Information launched Lorong AI in January 2025 as a physical hub where AI practitioners, researchers, and newcomers can bump into each other — literally. The space, named after the Malay word for alley, aims to recreate the kind of incidental interactions that power innovation in places like Silicon Valley and Dubai's Area 2071.
What started as a pilot at WeWork Cross Street has since expanded to a 140-seat permanent space at Vidacity in one-north, Singapore's tech cluster. In 2025, Lorong AI drew over 4,000 attendees and signed up 260 paying members, roughly two-thirds AI practitioners and the rest researchers and newcomers exploring the field. The team runs a curated weekly lineup — AI Wednesdays, ToolsDays, ThursTalks, and Fri-DIYs — with past speakers from OpenAI, Manus, and Figma.
Fourteen collaborations have already emerged from conversations started at Lorong AI. One group comparing AI models co-authored a research paper on detecting hostile AI agents, bringing together cybersecurity and responsible AI experts. Another member with a limited AI background developed an AI coach for physical fitness after joining the community. The space enforces a knowledge-sharing over product-promotion policy, drawing firm lines to keep interactions collaborative rather than transactional.
Lorong AI complements the upcoming Kampong AI park, announced by DPM Gan Kim Yong in March 2026 as Singapore's first AI park with integrated work and living spaces, expected by 2028. Edmund Zhou, Director-in-Charge of Lorong AI, described the philosophy as increasing "collisions through both engineered interactions via events and incidental interactions through co-working." Tangible touches like member lanyards and a "Who's Around" board make it easy for talent to spot each other and strike up conversations.
Why it matters for Singapore: In a small country where talent density is high but physical spaces for cross-sector collaboration are limited, Lorong AI represents a deliberate government bet on community-driven innovation. The model has already inspired the SG Partnerships Office to launch its own fund. As Singapore races to build both digital and physical AI infrastructure, spaces like Lorong AI could prove just as important as compute clusters and research grants.