- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
OpenGov Asia held the fifth edition of its Annual Malaysian OGLF on 11 April 2019. Over 300 participants from national and state government ministries, agencies, departments along with healthcare and education sectors to exchange ideas and experiences attended the event.
The forum enabled the delegates to learn from both the speakers and each other.
Gamification
One of the key standout points at any OpenGov event is the introduction of the award-winning `Open Gamification Table’ (OGT), where all registered delegates are assigned to small groups of 10 -12 people per table, circulating among the tables in their respective tracks, thereby getting 30 minutes of quality time to have an in-depth discussion on each topic across the 4 Digital Government tracks.
We integrated gamification with the topic discussions and took the delegate experience to another level.
This format ensures that all the delegates have equal opportunities to participate and contribute their ideas in the presence of their peers and industry.
This year, OpenGov leveraged our relationship with key members of the Malaysian Public, Healthcare, Education sectors to facilitate 9 formal one-to-one meetings and 105 informal meetings for our clients.
One table discussed the strategies and best practices for eGovernment Innovation. Dr Feisul Idzwan Mustapha, Deputy Director, Ministry of Health, Malaysia and Kiyoung Lee, Executive Principal, National Information Society Agency, Korea, led the discussion at this table.
At this table, delegates learned the importance of customer-centred service design and delivery, the future of e-Gov and information society, and success factors.
At another table, the topic of discussion was on how to maximise the potential of Big Data and Advanced Analytics in Government. This table was headed by Inthrani Shammugam, IT Director & Chief Information Officer, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia; Thillai Raj T. Ramanathan, Chief Technology Officer, MIMOS, Malaysia; and, KC Phua, Core Storage & Data Protection Lead, Asia Pacific, Hitachi Vantara.
They educated delegates on the how government agencies can embark on their own data/ digital modernisation strategies to make information access more agile, flexible, secure and cost-optimised and discussed how data analytics can drive the realisation of smart cities.
There were a total of 16 tables led by experts in their fields discussed how to improve Government functioning with technology. Ultimately, the common goal was to enable the delegates to learn about revolutionary technology they could bring to their relative departments/agencies as well as form important new networks with key players.
Polling results and insights
Throughout the Forum sessions, participants shared their opinions, experience and concerns about the interactive peer learning experience in polling sessions. These polling sessions were designed to better understand the agencies’ areas of interests.
The results showed that 79% of the participants have an annual IT budget between US$ 1 to US$ 15 million. 38% claimed that data management technology would be their main area of investment over the next 12 months.
At present, over 36% named data analytics and software development skills as their most important area of focus, followed by creativity, adaptability and learnability (28%), broad digital literacy across the workforce (17%), change management skills (12%) and cybersecurity skills (7%).
51% of the respondents indicated that the biggest cybersecurity risk in their organisations is still employee negligence. In addition, 58% claimed that their organisations are well-prepared for a cyber threat but not sure if the organisation can withstand an infiltration.
Participants indicated that the three main challenges they face are: legacy infrastructure holding back our service delivery (28%), data sharing-cross agencies (27%), and upscaling internal talent (25%).
With regards to their long-term cloud strategy, 63% aim to use a hybrid cloud model.
Most respondents (85%) claim their main concern in adopting the public cloud is concerns on data privacy, security and compliance. Despite this, a majority (36%) claim their organisations are in the process of implementing a cloud strategy.
With regards to AI implementation, most respondents (44%) said they do not use AI in their agencies. A majority (67%) indicate that the lack of knowledge and internal skills set is the major challenge in adopting AI. However, 60% stated that business intelligence is the AI technology that they plan to adopt.
Panel Sessions
In addition to learning from the speakers’ talks, participants were able to learn more about revolutionary ideas and technologies in three panel discussions.
The first panel session was on the topic No-Collar Worker – Journey into AI and Automation. This was moderated by Mohit Sagar, Group Managing Director & Editor in Chief, OpenGov Asia.
The panel consisted of Thillai Raj T Ramanathan, Chief Technology Officer from MIMOS, Adam Grønlykke Mollerup, Head of Department from Danish Ministry for Environment and Food, Agricultural Agency, Adhiraj Saxena, Industry Innovation Manager from AI Singapore and Marie Phillips, Director of Industry and Strategy – Public Sector APAC from Infor.
During this thought-provoking discussion, the panel talked about the introduction of cognitive technologies, automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the public sector. They discussed how the augmentation of government services with the no-collar workforce will take shape. It is projected that this workforce will assume responsibility for repetitive administrative tasks, freeing up human staff to devote themselves to more strategic activities.
The session explored how these technologies had the potential to ramp up productivity gains, cost savings and department-wide efficiencies as they become more commonplace.
The second panel was on The Dawn of Edge Computing – Its Impact on How Government Operates. This panel also moderated by Mohit Sagar, Group Managing Director & Editor in Chief, OpenGov Asia.
The panellists were Dr. Suhazimah Binti Dzazali, Deputy Director General – Information and Communication Technology, Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit, Hizam Ghazali, Head Group Digital Centre, Telekom Malaysia, Ramachandran Narayanan, Deputy Chief Information Officer, National Library Board of Singapore, Arthur Kent Raymond from Sabah Net and Vineet Sarin, Senior Manager-DCIM Systems & Architecture from Schneider Electric.
The panel discussed how edge computing, as it is being rapidly adopted across the board, has the potential to revolutionise how data is collected, distributed, processed and analysed.
The key takeaway from the discussions was that the technology is accessible and cost-effective. Panellists urged the delegates to consider the issues at hand and what the agencies are trying to achieve and then go for it.
The third and final panel session was on the topic of Cyber Resiliency in the Era of Emerging and Disruptive Technologies.
This panel was moderated by Mohit Sagar, Group Managing Director & Editor in Chief, OpenGov Asia. The panellists were Dato’ Dr Haji Amirudin Bin Abdul Wahab, Chief Executive Officer, CyberSecurity Malaysia, Shariffah Rashidah Binti Syed Othman, Director – Cyber Security Policy and International Cooperation Division, National Cyber Security Agency and Oleg Abdurashitov, Head of Public Affairs – Asia Pacific, Kaspersky Lab.
During this panel, experts discussed the establishment of a well-structured ICT framework, implementation of plans, building manpower capabilities and enabling technologies, how emerging and disruptive technologies are changing the landscape and the need for cooperation from different sectors of society and how it is necessary for achieving this common goal.
The key takeaway was that investing in educating citizens should be the number one priority. Additionally, a holistic approach to cybersecurity that manages all the three pillars – People, Process and Technology – is critical.
Overall, delegates left these panel sessions with a better understanding of the roles of AI, the Edge Computing and the need for greater Cyber Resiliency as well as the best methods of implementing the new technological tools.
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), Girish Chandra Murmu, stated that by 2030, artificial intelligence (AI) could add US$ 15.7 trillion to the global economy. However, he has also expressed concerns about maintaining ethical standards in audits and safeguarding privacy in relation to the use of AI.
At a recent event, he explained that democratising AI technology is inevitable and has the potential to lead to socioeconomic growth, and it could be used to benefit citizens and the country through targeted and timely intervention. The CAG added that AI has the potential to solve issues in areas like healthcare, retail, finance, agriculture, food, water resources, environment and pollution, education, special needs, transportation, energy, public safety, disaster, management, and judiciary.
He also addressed concerns related to transparency and fairness. According to the official, these issues include the impact of AI on privacy, bias, and discrimination in AI systems, and an inadequate understanding of AI algorithms by the public. He highlighted the need for responsible AI.
While recognising the importance of sustainability, growth, and the role of emerging technologies, Murmu stated that responsible AI and the blue economy represent new-age opportunities and concerns. He explained the importance of prioritising the blue economy, which is an economic system that includes various policies and operational dimensions focused on conserving marine and freshwater environments while promoting their sustainable use. The blue economy aims to produce food and energy, support livelihoods, and act as a driver for economic advancement and welfare.
With the rapid growth of AI and machine learning (ML), experts predict that most businesses will shift to AI-powered systems, apps, security systems, data analysis, and other applications in the future. AI is expected to add US$ 967 billion to India’s economy by 2035 and US$ 450–500 billion to India’s GDP by 2025, accounting for 10% of the country’s US $5 trillion GDP target.
In December, OpenGov Asia reported that India ranked 32nd among 181 nations in the AI Readiness Index 2022. The government claimed that the world is beginning to see the impact of India’s National AI Strategy, published in 2018. The quality of India’s IT talent pool is a contributing factor.
The country has developed several initiatives aimed at embedding AI use throughout all levels of government and society, as well as ensuring that technological developments reinforce India’s place in the international realm. For example, its draft National Data Governance Framework aims to transform and modernise the government’s data collection and management processes and systems. The government has also set a target to train three million government officials in AI and other emerging technologies.
Recently, the National Institute of Transforming India’s (NITI Aayog) Atal Innovation Mission decided to upskill the education sector by adding IT skills to the formal curriculum. The larger aim is to align the National Education Policy 2020’s (NEP 2020) guidance to increase the pace of tech integration for youth, bridge the future skills gap in the country, and optimise the current infrastructure (including Atal Tinkering Labs) towards making India AI-ready.
The new methodology will enable the shift in teaching pedagogies from traditional to digital with several additional benefits and increased efficiency. Integrating AI with lesson plans and making them part of everyday teaching-learning activities can help enable the students to imbibe the digital-first mindset.
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
Through a partnership between the Swinburne University of Technology, École Spéciale des Travaux Publics (ESTP) in France, and a construction engineering company, engineering students will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience in significant infrastructure projects in Australia.
Qualified students from École Spéciale des Travaux Publics (ESTP) will have the chance to enrol in Swinburne’s Master of Engineering Practice programme and subsequently participate in a paid two-year internship with the construction engineering company to contribute to one of their major infrastructure projects in Australia.
Since 1995, the construction engineering firm has been at the forefront of major infrastructure projects, including the Sydney Airport Link. They have also completed the construction of eight solar farms in Australia and are presently involved in projects such as the Melbourne Metro Tunnel and Sydney’s Westconnex 3A: M4/M5 Link.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement at Swinburne, expressed his delight in establishing the trilateral partnership, noting that it is aimed at fostering educational and industrial links between France and Australia.
He added that the mission of Swinburne University is to unite individuals and technology in order to construct a more prosperous world. This objective will serve to benefit their students, respond to the evolving requirements of their collaborators, and promote research in areas of mutual concern.
Collaborations with established industry leaders present students with a distinctive chance to acquire valuable educational and work-related experiences. As a result of their shared values and dedication to providing students with authentic industry experience, future partnerships may entail engineering students becoming increasingly involved in these projects.
The partnership will have a significant impact by attracting top-tier students from ESTP to Swinburne, resulting in a more diverse and enriched student community. Additionally, it will contribute to the training of the company’s future workforce. Over the long term, this partnership could further improve course curriculums and potentially lead to the development of joint research initiatives.
The Chief Executive Officer of the construction engineering firm has expressed his belief that the programme will enable students to cultivate both technical and critical skills in Australia’s thriving construction industry. He further stated that joining the firm presents a tremendous opportunity for individuals to work in a world-class company that is dedicated to fostering a modern and diverse culture.
The firm is committed to achieving its decarbonisation objectives by 2030 and providing its employees with dynamic career growth opportunities. He looks forward to a shared future with Swinburne and ESTP.
According to market analysis, the global construction market is predicted to increase from US$13.57 trillion in 2021 to US$15.17 trillion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 11.8%.
The rise in the construction industry is primarily attributed to companies restructuring their operations and recuperating from the impact of COVID-19, which resulted in operational difficulties due to social distancing, remote working, and business closures. It is anticipated that the construction market will expand to US$22.87 trillion by 2026 at a CAGR of 10.8%.
The trilateral partnership comes at a time when the global construction market is experiencing significant growth. The collaboration between these institutions will provide engineering students with practical work experience on major infrastructure projects, enabling them to develop their skills and knowledge in real-world scenarios.
The partnership also has the potential to foster joint research projects and contribute to the development of course curriculums. This initiative not only benefits the students but also the construction industry by nurturing a skilled and diverse workforce, leading to greater productivity and innovation in the field.
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
Singapore and Indonesia reaffirmed their strong and long-standing economic ties; and to explore opportunities in the development of Indonesia’s new capital city, Nusantara, both nations welcomed the Letters of Intent submitted by Singapore-based businesses from a variety of sectors, including construction, telecommunication and finance. This collaboration in renewable energy and the digital economy was expanded.
Singapore’s Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean and Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investments Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Renewable Energy Cooperation.
Both countries will facilitate investments in the development of renewable energy manufacturing industries, such as solar photovoltaics (PV) and battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Indonesia, as well as cross-border electricity trading projects between Indonesia and Singapore, under the terms of the MOU.
Recognising the synergies shared by Singapore’s and Indonesia’s tech ecosystems, Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong and Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto also signed the MOU on the Singapore-Indonesia Tech:X Programme.
The MOU will establish the Tech:X Programme, which enables young tech professionals from Singapore and Indonesia to work in each other’s countries, strengthens ties between the two nations’ tech ecosystems, and enables young tech professionals to pursue expanding opportunities in the digital economy.
“Through the Tech:X Program, we hope that young tech talent from both countries will be able to learn from one another, gain exposure, and expand the capabilities of both countries’ tech workforces,” Minister Gan says.
Ministers Gan and Airlangga also witnessed the signing of nine partnership documents between Singapore and Indonesia companies on 15 March 2023, in conjunction with the Leaders’ Retreat. In addition to health tech and ed-tech, the partnerships are in the digital economy.
The annual G2G platform, as well as the Singapore-Indonesia Six Bilateral Economic Working Groups (6WG), facilitate close economic collaboration between Singapore and Indonesia.
The 6WG platform addresses economic collaboration in the following areas: Batam, Bintan, Karimun, and other Special Economic Zones: Investments, Manpower, Agribusiness, Transportation, and Tourism.
Singapore and Indonesia have close commercial and investment ties. With bilateral trade totalling S$76.4 billion in 2022, Indonesia is Singapore’s sixth-largest trading partner. Since 2014, Singapore has been Indonesia’s top source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with Singapore’s investments in Indonesia totalling US$17.5 billion by 2022.
OpenGov Asia earlier reported that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesian President Joko Widodo recently met at the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat. This was the sixth Leaders’ Retreat for Prime Minister Lee and President Joko Widodo and the first to be held in Singapore since the COVID-19 pandemic.
During President Joko Widodo’s two terms in office, the relationship between the two countries had significantly improved, according to both leaders. This laid the groundwork for them to collaborate in new ways that are profound, multifaceted, forward-looking, and beneficial to both countries.
The ratification of all three agreements under the Expanded Framework was celebrated by the Leaders. These included the Agreement on the Realignment of the Boundary between the Jakarta Flight Information Region (FIR) and the Singapore FIR, the Extradition Treaty, and the Defense Cooperation Agreement.
The Leaders anticipated the next step of obtaining International Civil Aviation Organisation approval for the new arrangements under the FIR Agreement so that both countries could implement all three agreements at a mutually agreed upon date. The resolution of these enduring issues demonstrates the maturity and resilience of bilateral relations.
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
An artificial intelligence (AI)-powered traffic management system has been launched in Goa at Merces junction. The system will assist state authorities with security, signal management, and issuing fines and tickets (challan). The technology automatically detects violations and dispatches an e-challan to the violator’s address, as per a government report.
According to the state’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, this is the first signal in Goa that incorporates AI technology. He said that the system will benefit traffic police by enabling them to monitor traffic and enhance security more efficiently.
There will be 16 smart signals aimed at managing traffic in Goa. The technology aims to bring down major accidents in the city. The system can “keep track of the movement of anti-social elements,” the report said. The Chief Minister stated that AI might also be used to make any arrests in the future.
The system has been developed and implemented by a private AI company and deployed at the Merces junction. Goa will expand the scope of implementation on a PPP basis by collaborating with private investment. The signals have been installed at no cost to the state government.
The government does not want people to break rules or take the law into their own hands. The Transport Minister, Mauvin Godingo, noted that although the implementation of the system has begun, the process of issue challenge will be completed by 15 April.
The AI system will reduce human errors and corruption. There will be real-time photographs if someone violates the traffic rules. An official claimed that within the next 15 years, the government will install AI at more locations to monitor roads under the PPP model.
In 2021, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) implemented AI-based technologies to limit road accidents and improve passenger safety in buses. The corporation floated a tender for the implementation of an AI-powered Collision Warning System (CWS) and Driver Drowsiness System (DDS) for 1,044 buses.
In April 2022, under the second phase of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)’s Intelligent Transportation System Endeavor for Indian Cities initiative, an indigenous onboard driver assistance and warning system (ODAWS), a bus signal priority system, and a Common Smart IoT Connectiv (CoSMiC) software were launched.
A few months later, the Bengaluru traffic police rolled out an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS). Similar to the recently-launched system in Goa, AI-enabled cameras detect traffic violations. The ITMS issues fines through text messages on offenders’ phones.
AI and machine learning (ML) technology are used in the ITMS to identify traffic violations automatically, as OpenGov Asia reported. The ITMS has been installed at 30 traffic junctions across the city. The cameras can detect speed limit violations and red light and stop lane breaches, and offences like helmet-less travel, driving without a seatbelt, triple-riding, and the use of mobile phones while driving.
The system has an AI-enabled solution with 250 automatic number plate recognition cameras and 80 red light violation detection cameras installed at 50 junctions. These cameras, which are active round-the-clock, have saved a lot of manpower, which is redeployed for traffic management and regulation. The data collected is stored on a server owned by traffic police. In the future, the police force plans to track vehicles without number plates and stolen vehicles.
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
The quality of Internet service has improved following directives issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC). Globally, Vietnam ranks 39th in terms of fixed Internet.
According to an industry report, the country ranks 52nd globally in mobile Internet speed, a fall of nine places as compared to the month before. The broadband download in February was 42.67 Mbps, while the upload speed was 18.27 Mbps. As for fixed broadband Internet, Vietnam jumped six places to rank 39th, despite issues with submarine fibre optic cables.
It was reported that the average download speed of fixed broadband in Vietnam was 91.6 Mbps, while the upload speed was 93.38 Mbps. The system measuring the Internet access speed in Vietnam (i-SPEED) of the Vietnam Internet Centre (VIC) under MIC has also reported similar results, with average fixed download broadband speed up and mobile broadband down.
The average broadband download speed in Vietnam in February was 89,73 Mpps, up 4.6% over January. Among the centrally run cities, Ho Chi Minh City had the highest fixed broadband download speed (96.55Mbps). The average fixed broadband upload speed of the whole country was 88.71 Mbps (up 4.7%).
As per data from VIC, in terms of mobile Internet, the average download speed of the whole country in February was 36.45 Mbps (down 10.7% over January), while the average upload was 16.19 Mbps (down 6.7%).
The figures from both domestic and international sources indicated that there has been a significant improvement in Vietnam’s fixed Internet speed in February, a considerable achievement considering the several incidents surrounding the submarine fibre optic cables since late 2022. As a solution, MIC has directed telecom carriers to promptly apply measures to fix the problems to ensure smooth international Internet connection.
Under the instructions of the Authority of Telecommunications (AOT), mobile network operators have negotiated to buy more mainland optical fibre capacity and share capacity with each other to overcome the crisis.
MIC has also requested telcos to develop more submarine fibre optic cables to better satisfy users’ demands. Vietnam is using five international submarine fibre optic cables. The government expects the total number of cable routes used in Vietnam to double by 2025. Telcos have noted that the increase in the capacity of international connection on the mainland has helped improve the Internet service quality and the complaints about service quality have decreased.
As a result of better and more easily available Internet connectivity, Vietnam’s digital economy has grown rapidly. Data from MIC showed that the ICT economy’s revenue reached an estimated US$ 148 billion in 2022, representing a year-on-year increase of 8.7%. The contribution of the digital economy to the national GDP in 2022 accounted for about 14.26% of the total, with 7.18% contributed by the ICT digital economy.
As OpenGov Asia reported earlier, IT services have contributed the most to the digital economy, accounting for about 30% of the total value, followed by e-commerce (14.3%) and hardware production (12.83%). The digital content field recorded the strongest growth, up nearly 104% compared to the first quarter of 2022.
MIC developed a strategy for digital technology industry development to 2025 with a vision for 2030. Last year, the ministry announced 35 national digital platforms serving digital transformation and the development of digital government, economy, and society, including 21 developed by domestic digital technology enterprises. These have contributed to facilitating state management and public services.
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aims to establish a bridge for startups between India’s most industrialised state and Western Australia’s flourishing innovation ecosystem. The MoU was signed by iTNT Hub, which is India’s first emerging and deeptech innovation network, and the WA Data Science Innovation Hub based at Curtin University, which is a cluster for data science, artificial intelligence, and information technology innovation in Western Australia.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on the first day of the Umagine conference in Nandambakkam, Tamil Nadu. The event was attended by the IT and Digital Services Minister of the state and the Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy from Western Australia.
Western Australia’s Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy stated that the goal of the Memorandum of Understanding between the WA Data Science Innovation Hub (WADSIH) and iTNT is to establish a defined collaboration that is mutually beneficial for the development of shared objectives between the ecosystems of Tamil Nadu and Western Australia.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of iTNT Hub expressed his delight in receiving the support of senior ministers and heads of state from visiting delegations. The delegations were guided by the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation in Western Australia and the Department of Information Technology and Digital Services in Tamil Nadu.
The iTNT Hub CEO noted that the agreement aims to establish the groundwork for a start-up and innovation bridge between Tamil Nadu and Western Australia. This will facilitate increased collaboration and exchange between the two innovation ecosystems.
The primary goal is to work with entrepreneurs, innovators, and an academic network of over 570 engineering colleges and industries to promote innovation on a large scale. The iTNT Hub’s teams are excited about the potential outcomes of this collaboration with the start-up minds in Western Australia.
The Director of the Curtin-based WA Data Science Innovation Hub stated that through the Memorandum of Understanding, exchange and collaboration opportunities will be provided to innovators, entrepreneurs, and the most talented students in both India and Western Australia.
He noted that artificial intelligence is expected to contribute AU$ 22 trillion to the global economy in the next seven years. Therefore, it is crucial to collaborate with global leaders in data science, applied artificial intelligence, and information technology-based innovation.
He said that the state of Tamil Nadu produces more engineering graduates than any other state in the world. Therefore, the team is excited to collaborate with iTNT to take innovation to the next level.
According to the Program Manager of WA Data Science Innovation Hub, the collaboration between the two entities has the potential to create a significant impact on a global level. The Memorandum of Understanding will enable Western Australia’s flourishing startup community to collaborate with the bright minds from India’s most industrialised state, driving innovation across the Indian Ocean. Through cross-collaboration around innovation, novel solutions can be created to address some of the world’s most pressing issues.
The Government of Tamil Nadu is leading the establishment of India’s first emerging and deeptech innovation network, iTNT Hub. This initiative is supported by the Government of India and various industries to provide a platform for entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, and industry to collaborate and innovate.
The WA Data Science Innovation Hub is an initiative of the Western Australian Government and is supported by Curtin University. Its objective is to maintain Western Australia’s position at the forefront of the digital revolution by promoting the adoption, education, training, and awareness of data science in the state.
- Like
- Digg
- Del
- Tumblr
- VKontakte
- Flattr
- Buffer
- Love This
- Odnoklassniki
- Meneame
- Blogger
- Amazon
- Yahoo Mail
- Gmail
- AOL
- Newsvine
- HackerNews
- Evernote
- MySpace
- Mail.ru
- Viadeo
- Line
- Comments
- Yummly
- SMS
- Viber
- Telegram
- Subscribe
- Skype
- Facebook Messenger
- Kakao
- LiveJournal
- Yammer
- Edgar
- Fintel
- Mix
- Instapaper
- Copy Link
OpenGov Asia has recognised GovTech for the public sector’s evolving digital use. The agency has streamlined government operations and broken new ground with its Virtual Intelligent Chat Assistant (VICA). The project is part of GovTech’s ongoing efforts to develop and deploy chatbots to fill gaps in government services and enhance the lives of citizens.
VICA is the most recent citizen assistant platform from GovTech, utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create more efficient and beneficial chatbots for government agencies to manage and for end users. The ‘Ask Jamie’ Virtual Assistant will eventually be replaced by VICA.
The engine-neutral platform employs cutting-edge tech to enhance performance and precision. VICA utilises natural language processing engines, machine learning and AI to enhance virtual and phone interactions between Singapore government institutions and residents or businesses.
This platform not only learns and interprets conversations but also offers businesses the ability to design and train chatbots, features that Ask Jamie did not provide. The automated processes provided by VICA make it easier for agencies to onboard and “train” their chatbots.
This accomplishment earned GovTech the prestigious OpenGov Asia Recognition of Excellence Award, which will be presented at the 8th Annual Singapore OpenGov Leadership Forum 2023.
Chatbot advancement to improve citizen experience
In addition to providing a simple FAQ, VICA improves transactional services in numerous other ways. Streamlining transactions provides greater convenience and access to government services and information, as well as quicker and more direct responses to user inquiries.
Taxi drivers and hawker stall owners, for instance, can use the IRAS chatbot to request assistance with tax filing. The Municipal Services Office’s OneService Chatbot, Kaki, which allows residents to easily report municipal issues via WhatsApp and Telegram, is also powered by VICA.
VICA-powered chatbots provide the public with timely updates, such as the Gov.sg chatbot, which provides COVID-19 updates and disseminates important government announcements in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil.
Using NLP technology has allowed VICA-powered chatbots to better understand and interpret human language, particularly in the context of Singaporean English, thereby improving overall user experience. It is possible to create more structured conversational flows by defining intents, entities and context management – the building blocks that provide directions to chatbots and allow them to meet the needs of users.
VICA provides detailed analytics and insights into the performance of the chatbot as well as user conversations. With this information, the team can identify areas for improvement to enhance performance and accuracy.
Technology is constantly evolving, and the team is continuously on the lookout for and learning about new AI trends. Hence, VICA has been experimenting with a Generative AI programme that can understand written prompts and respond with helpful assistance in real-time since mid-2022.
VICA’s development involves the gradual integration of cutting-edge technology that meets the requirements of the entire government. These technological upgrades will include a unified chat frontend to ensure consistent branding across all government ministries and agencies – Singpass Integration, Live Chat Escalation, and support for various chat platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
As part of the closed beta programme with internal testers, the VICA team has been utilising these technologies to improve the quality and efficacy of the chatbots with citizens.
Developers also want to reduce the time and effort that their agency partners have to invest in training and maintaining their chatbots. While the team has always been receptive to new technologies, they take a measured approach, through progressive internal testing phases with the selected partner agencies before launching to the public.
The strategy is to determine how technological advancements can benefit not only the agency partners but also citizen users.
VICA intends to surpass FAQ-style chatbots with near-human conversation capabilities in the long run. It intends to combine services and transactional capabilities so that chatbots can assist users with their inquiries and complete transactions.
Given the potential risks and shortcomings associated with the development of intelligent development of platforms, it is vital to have an ethics framework in place. This will allow developers to plan for and be aware of the pitfalls and limitations of AI, which include:
- Accuracy: Models can give false responses that sound convincing
- Bias: Inherent biases may exist in the training dataset, which can be difficult to pre-empt due to the lack of information. This could then manifest in the model’s responses;
- Harmful content: To create a safe and healthy environment for users’ interaction with chat apps, chat moderation is important to monitor and regulate user input messages against inappropriate and offensive content;
- Data governance: When interacting with chatbots, users may inadvertently volunteer personal and confidential data through the chatbot’s prompts.
It is essential to encourage interactions with them and provide feedback to ensure that chatbots are performing as intended and to improve their overall performance.
Despite the functionality and enormous potential of generative AI, VICA has placed a high priority on governing its use to ensure that such technology is employed in an ethical manner benefitting both end users and society.
To mitigate the risk of unintended prejudices and ensure adherence to data governance rules, it is crucial to adopt an intentional strategy for the collection and transformation of raw data into useful and insightful outputs. Such a strategy can help ensure that the data is handled fairly and responsibly and that any potential risks are addressed pre-emptively or proactively. Moreover, this approach ensures that the resulting outputs are accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
About the team
The organisation recognises the importance of aligning team members towards a shared vision and objective, regardless of their diverse backgrounds. With a diverse team, each member can bring their unique perspectives and expertise to the table. Working collaboratively, the team can leverage these diverse perspectives to generate innovative problem-solving strategies.
The VICA team fosters an atmosphere of open communication and encourages feedback, creating a cooperative environment where team members feel heard and valued. This establishes a safe place where everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas.
They frequently organise team-building activities outside of work to foster camaraderie, build stronger relationships and create a more cohesive team dynamic. They believe this approach can lead to more innovative solutions and better decision-making.
Defining clear objectives and goals is crucial for the success of the VICA team. Every team member understands that they are working towards a common objective, providing a sense of purpose and direction.
Clear missions and defined tasks allow the team to stay on track and ensure that their efforts are moving the project forward in the right manner. This approach helps ensure that everyone is aligned and focused on achieving the same goals, which ultimately contributes to the success of the project.
The VICA team has implemented a robust project management framework that outlines the roles and responsibilities of team members at each project stage. They adhere to budget planning procedures to manage costs effectively. This framework helps ensure that everyone is clear on their responsibilities and contributes effectively to the project’s success within the specified budget.
The VICA team has adopted an agile approach that emphasises adaptability, speed and continuous quality improvement. The team uses retrospectives to evaluate what works well and what doesn’t, identifying opportunities for future improvement. This enables the team to quickly make adjustments and continuously improve the project’s quality, resulting in a more successful outcome.
