Taipei and Singapore Explore New Frontiers in AI Governance: Mayor Wan-An Chiang Meets with Singapore North West District Mayor Alex Yam to Exchange Views on Low Birth Rates and Smart-City Solutions
Publish Date：2026-03-17Last Updated：2026-04-09
During the meeting, Mayor Chiang noted that Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0 closely aligns with Taipei’s vision of an AI-driven smart city. Mayor Yam expressed strong agreement, stating that AI should be positioned as a service that links government and citizens and substantially enhances administrative efficiency. As an example, he noted that the North West District is currently promoting the largest sports group initiative in Singapore. Although the initiative previously required numerous staff members to conduct roll calls, the process can now be completed using AI-based image recognition technology, which requires only a single group photograph. However, Mayor Yam cautioned that although AI can advance national governance, health care, and transportation management, “AI must be governed by humans, not humans by AI.”
In addition to technology, Mayor Chiang shared the outcomes of adapting Singapore’s experiences to local practice. After his visit to Singapore in 2023, where he was inspired by its Silver Zone initiative, he immediately instructed the Department of Transportation to implement a similar program. The pilot program in Taipei has since yielded exemplary results. Mayor Chiang noted that Taipei will continue to participate in the annual World Cities Summit, which is to be held in Singapore in June, and expressed his desire to observe the effects of additional innovative policies during his visit.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Mayor Yam observed that although AI is powerful, the connections between people and the warmth of human care are elements that technology can never replicate, and that these elements constitute the core values of urban governance. Mayor Chiang strongly approved of this view, and both sides agreed to deepen their bilateral friendship and collaborate to create cities that are more intelligent, more livable, and more human-centered.