Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has sought to reassure workers amid concerns about the AI revolution, vowing that the city state will carve out fresh opportunities even as the new technology renders some jobs obsolete.

In the annual May Day rally on Friday, Wong acknowledged the anxieties but urged workers and firms to build artificial intelligence capabilities and harness its benefits.

Demand would rise for AI-savvy workers, and new doors would open as global companies expanded their presence in the region, Wong said.

“I cannot promise that there will be no disruption. Jobs will change. Some will disappear, and the pace of change will be faster than anything we have seen before,” he added.

“But this, I can promise you: As our economy transforms, we will create new and better jobs. We may not be able to protect every job, but we will protect every worker.”

Wong noted that Singapore served as a hub for AI companies in Asia, and many firms – including Google DeepMind – had invested and set up facilities in the city state.