Synagie Launches Geene 2.0 AI Platform as NTUC Signals Worker-First AI Adoption
Source: The Straits Times
Singapore-headquartered digital commerce firm Synagie has launched Geene 2.0, an AI platform developed with 11 partners including BytePlus, SingData, and FLY Entertainment, as NTUC deputy secretary-general Desmond Tan called on businesses to adopt AI without jobless growth. The platform combines data analysis, strategy recommendations, content generation, workflow automation, and blockchain-based product verification, with commercial availability from early August.
Singapore's conversation around artificial intelligence has increasingly shifted from whether to adopt AI to how to do it responsibly. That tension — between productivity gains and workforce displacement — is playing out in real time as local companies roll out new AI tools while union leaders call for a worker-first approach.
Digital commerce firm Synagie unveiled Geene 2.0 on July 22, an AI platform built with 11 partners including home-grown companies BytePlus, SingData, and FLY Entertainment, as well as Hong Kong-based China Mobile International. The platform offers data analysis, strategy recommendations, content creation, workflow automation, and blockchain-based product verification. Commercial availability is slated for early August.
The launch drew comments from NTUC deputy secretary-general Desmond Tan, who used the platform to reiterate the labour movement's position on AI adoption: businesses should identify real operational pain points before investing in AI, rather than adopting the technology because it is trendy. "Good execution must begin with identifying a real business problem," Tan said, noting that many small and medium-sized enterprises struggle with knowing where to start. He emphasised that AI should be introduced alongside investments in workers through job redesign and skills upgrading — a stance that reflects broader policy direction as Singapore pursues productivity gains without the unemployment spikes seen in other markets.
The showcase included a case study involving Malaysian premium durian brand AGONG Durian, which used Geene 2.0 to analyse daily supply data, competitor pricing, and market signals. The platform generated marketing content, automated customer interactions, and tagged each durian with a blockchain-based QR code for origin verification. Synagie said the same framework can be applied across retail, consumer goods, and luxury products where authenticity and trust are critical. The company also recently became unionised, signing a collective agreement with the Singapore Industrial and Services Employees' Union that opens up NTUC grants for workforce development.
Why it matters for Singapore: The Synagie launch captures a defining characteristic of Singapore's AI adoption story — the push for productivity alongside workforce protection. With NTUC actively shaping the narrative and companies like Synagie building locally-developed AI tools, the city-state is testing a model where unions, businesses, and government collaborate on AI integration rather than leaving it to market forces alone. How well this tripartite approach scales will be a key signal for other economies watching Singapore's experiment.
