Singapore warns AI is turning technology from tool to 'actor in its own right'

Singapore's Permanent Secretary for Defence Joseph Leong delivered a stark warning at the 4th Digital Defence Symposium on Monday: technology is evolving from a tool wielded by humans into an autonomous actor capable of evaluating, deciding, and executing at machine speed. The shift, driven by advances in agentic AI including frontier models like Anthropic's Mythos and OpenAI's GPT-5, is reshaping the nature of modern military operations and digital warfare.

"What once took months and teams can now be done in minutes by a single individual with access to these models," Leong said. He noted that AI agents are already hunting malware, monitoring network endpoints, and analysing millions of log entries autonomously. The digital domain has transformed from a support function into a strategic theatre where "advantage is built, trust is contested, and decisive actions can be taken before a single shot is fired."

Against this backdrop, Singapore is stepping up its regional leadership role. As the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting chair in 2027, Singapore will work with the bloc's defence establishments on a consensus to collectively implement the 11 UN cyber norms for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. The country will also host the inaugural ASEAN Regional Cyber Exercise alongside the 5th Digital Defence Symposium to advance practical regional cyber cooperation. Over 300 senior defence officials from 35 countries attended this year's symposium, co-hosted by the ACICE and the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Why it matters for Singapore: As a small, highly digitalised nation that depends on open trade routes and stable international norms, Singapore has more to lose from unchecked cyber conflict than most. Leong's framing — that "machines cannot carry responsibility — people and institutions must" — cuts to the core of Singapore's approach to AI governance: proactive, rules-based, and unapologetically human-centric. With information warfare described as "a permanently operating front" and digital weapons growing more powerful amid rising geopolitical contestation, Singapore is positioning itself as both a convenor of regional norms and a test case for how small states can stay resilient in the age of agentic AI.