PA Makes AI More Accessible to Residents

            The People’s Association (PA) today unveiled new artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives to help residents use AI confidently, make its programmes and services more accessible, and streamline process so its grassroots volunteers and staff can focus on engaging residents. The initiatives were announced by PA Deputy Chairman and Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Edwin Tong, at PA’s annual Community Seminar.

2          In his speech to more than 1,000 grassroots leaders, community volunteers and partners at Our Tampines Hub, Minister Tong said that AI is already changing how residents receive information, discover opportunities and connect with one another. He encouraged attendees to harness AI to stay close to residents, understand their needs better and deepen the human connections at the heart of their work.

3           The new initiatives are AI @ Your Neighbourhood, AI Voice Assistant on onePA, the PA Community Robot, and enhancements to its grassroots processes and systems. Together, they build residents’ confidence, improve access to community opportunities and allowing more time for meaningful engagement. 

Helping everyone use AI confidently

4            PA will launch AI @ Your Neighbourhood, a series of bite-sized, affordable and beginner-friendly courses at CCs. Unlike most AI courses commercially available today which are designed for working professionals, AI @ Your Neighbourhood courses cater to residents unfamiliar with AI, including seniors and homemakers, to help them understand AI, build confidence in using AI tools for everyday life, and use it safely and responsibly.

5            PA has curated 25 courses to date with PA training providers, with more courses to be progressively introduced to keep pace with developments in AI and residents’ evolving needs and interests. Starting from November 2026, the courses will be offered at CCs at $10 per course. To encourage participation, PA will offer a 30 per cent discount from November 2026 to October 2027, bringing the fee to $7 per session. Through the programme, PA aims to reach 10,000 residents and make AI learning more accessible to the community. PA is also collaborating with partners including AI Singapore, Micron Technology, NTUC LearningHub, the Singapore University of Social Sciences, Tata Consultancy Services, and Zero Gravity, to bring AI workshops to residents.

Making community programmes and services easier to access

6             PA’s AI Voice Assistant on onePA, the first conversational AI assistant for a Singapore government service, will let residents simply tell onePA what they are looking for in their own words. The AI will recommend suitable programmes and facilities based on their interests and live availability, then guide them seamlessly from discovery to booking and payment, creating an almost hands-free experience from start to finish.

7             The assistant will support English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, so residents can interact in the language they are most comfortable with. AI Voice Assistant is expected to be launched by early 2027.

8               PA will also pilot the PA Community Robot, which brings “Ask. Discover. Connect.” to life, giving residents a simple and intuitive way to get help at the CC. Through voice or touchscreen, residents can discover suitable programmes, navigate the CC and connect with CC staff when further assistance is needed. The Community Robot is expected to be piloted in Q1 2027.

Supporting more meaningful community engagement 

9               PA has been using technology and AI to streamline administrative processes, such as its vendor selection, grassroots procurement and payment systems. For instance, volunteers can describe what they need for a community event and the tool would recommend options to them. Invoices can be automatically read by payment systems and the necessary fields populated. This allows grassroots leaders, volunteers and staff to spend more of their time engaging residents. PA will also provide AI training to grassroots leaders and volunteers, to support their efforts to use AI in their day-to-day community engagement.

10             Minister Tong said: “Our aim is to use AI to take away manual and administrative work, to allow our staff and volunteers to focus on what really matters – nurturing the human connection, empathy and care for our resident.”

11             The initiatives are part of PA's Community 2030 plan, which aims to spark and nurture community participation for a caring and united Singapore.

Annex:

Annex A: About Community Seminar 2026 [PDF, 145.54 KB] ↗ (opens in new tab)