NUS AI Institute Head Calls Sovereign AI a National Imperative for Singapore
Source: iTnews Asia
Professor Mohan Kankanhalli of the NUS AI Institute and AI Singapore warned at ATxSummit that reliance on foreign AI models creates a self-reinforcing cycle of dependency, calling sovereign AI capability a national imperative.
Countries that outsource their foundational AI infrastructure risk permanent technological dependence and a form of digital colonisation, warned Professor Mohan Kankanhalli, Director of the NUS AI Institute and Deputy Executive Chairman of AI Singapore, in an interview at the ATxSummit in Singapore.
Speaking with iTnews Asia, Kankanhalli argued that true AI sovereignty means owning and controlling the full AI value chain — from generating and safeguarding data to building, deploying, and continuously improving models — while retaining the economic and societal benefits that flow from them. He warned that reliance on foreign AI models creates a self-reinforcing cycle where domestic users train overseas models with their data, locking local ecosystems out of the foundational AI game permanently.
The interview comes as governments across Asia grapple with how much control they should retain over the AI models powering their economies. While many nations have historically been content to adopt ready-made tech from foreign hyperscalers, Kankanhalli cautioned that this approach carries real risks: if a foreign corporation or government restricts access to its models — as happened when Meta altered its Llama licensing strategy — local enterprises that built their applications on that tech are left stranded with nowhere to turn. He described the phenomenon as creating a state of "digital colonisation" where domestic companies cannot compete because they lack the pre-training data needed to build competitive alternatives.
Why it matters for Singapore: Singapore has positioned itself as a neutral hub for AI research and deployment, housing both global tech giants and homegrown initiatives like AI Singapore and the NUS AI Institute. Kankanhalli's warning cuts to the heart of the city-state's AI strategy: can Singapore build enough indigenous AI capability to avoid dependency on foreign models, while still remaining open to international collaboration? His comments suggest that sovereign AI capability — not just adoption — is becoming a prerequisite for any nation that wants to protect its long-term capacity for innovation and strategic autonomy.