Speaking at the launch of SG AI Xchange, a new forum for companies to swap notes on their AI adoption journeys, Acting Minister for Manpower and Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Jasmin Lau said on Sep. 17 that the range of concerns about the use of artificial intelligence should not be ignored, devoting part of her opening address to the "groundswell of workers and younger students who are somewhat anti-AI" who fear AI will take away many of their jobs and aspirations and who conflate what AI can do with environmental damage. Lau said these concerns are genuine and shouldn't be dismissed, and that more needs to be done to keep Singapore society united, from employers and business leaders to workers and anxious students. She reminded business leaders that a silent workforce isn't necessarily a content one, saying "Don't take a quiet workforce for an agreeable workforce," and asked for more transparency, even when the news isn't good, with employers telling workers if automation plans are in the pipeline and what retraining might look like. Lau credited GlobalFoundries as a "very strong supporter" of Singapore's Economic Strategy Review work, and said there are now close to 100 AI Centres of Excellence spanning sectors from finance to manufacturing.