Bangkok, October 12: Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam warned on Monday that artificial intelligence is already reducing demand for fresh graduates' first jobs, and urged governments to act before a "new divergence" opens up between developing and advanced economies.
Speaking at the flagship "Small AI: More and Better Jobs" event on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, Tharman said the evidence of AI's impact on entry-level employment was unmistakable.
"There is a particular problem that we have to address very soon... and that is that, the first rung in employment, your first job upon graduation, is now seeing less demand," he said, according to Reuters, which reported his remarks.
"The evidence is already very clear, it's clearest in the most AI-exposed sectors."
A warning against a new global divide
Tharman, who co-chairs the World Bank's High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs, said policymakers needed to prepare for how AI reshapes work, warning that countries that fail to adapt risk falling behind in a widening economic split.
The remarks came during his one-day working visit to Thailand on October 12. On Sunday, ahead of the meetings, he held a royal audience with Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida, and took tea with Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, AsiaOne reported.
The comments add a high-profile voice to a growing debate about AI's near-term effect on the labour market. While much of the discussion has focused on long-run productivity gains, Tharman's warning turns the spotlight on graduates entering the workforce now — precisely the cohort whose first jobs are most exposed to automation.
Sources:
- Reuters: Singapore's President warns of AI's risk to employment for fresh graduates
- AsiaOne: President Tharman to meet Thai King, PM Anutin during Thailand visit
Speaking at the flagship "Small AI: More and Better Jobs" event on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, Tharman said the evidence of AI's impact on entry-level employment was unmistakable.
"There is a particular problem that we have to address very soon... and that is that, the first rung in employment, your first job upon graduation, is now seeing less demand," he said, according to Reuters, which reported his remarks.
"The evidence is already very clear, it's clearest in the most AI-exposed sectors."
A warning against a new global divide
Tharman, who co-chairs the World Bank's High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs, said policymakers needed to prepare for how AI reshapes work, warning that countries that fail to adapt risk falling behind in a widening economic split.
The remarks came during his one-day working visit to Thailand on October 12. On Sunday, ahead of the meetings, he held a royal audience with Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida, and took tea with Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, AsiaOne reported.
The comments add a high-profile voice to a growing debate about AI's near-term effect on the labour market. While much of the discussion has focused on long-run productivity gains, Tharman's warning turns the spotlight on graduates entering the workforce now — precisely the cohort whose first jobs are most exposed to automation.
Sources:
- Reuters: Singapore's President warns of AI's risk to employment for fresh graduates
- AsiaOne: President Tharman to meet Thai King, PM Anutin during Thailand visit
