Singapore's Digital Growth: The Role of SMBs and AI

Singapore's digital economy is thriving, with a whopping 17. 7% share of the country's GDP. Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and artificial intelligence (AI) are the powerhouses driving this growth. Last year, the digital economy contributed SG$113 billion ($85. 31 billion) to Singapore's GDP, which is about SG$1 out of every SG$6. This growth is impressive, as it's almost double the nominal GDP growth rate of the total economy. The digital economy in Singapore is made up of two parts: the information and communications sector, which contributes about a third, and non-information and communications sectors, which make up the rest. SMBs have really embraced digital technologies. Around 94. 6% of them have adopted at least one of six key areas, like AI, cybersecurity, cloud computing, or data analytics. The government has been very supportive, offering grants and pre-approved digital solutions. SMBs can even trial generative AI (Gen AI) in a special sandbox environment. This has been a hit, with over 150 SMBs trying it out, and 80% of them continuing to use the AI applications after the trial. Larger enterprises are also getting on board with AI. In 2023, 44% of them had AI applications, up from just 16. 7% in 2018. The technology sector is growing at more than twice the rate of the rest of the economy. This shows how important it is for companies, especially SMBs, to embrace digital technologies. The head of the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said that while there are global economic uncertainties, technology will continue to drive growth. AI has a lot of potential and can transform many sectors. The challenge is for Singapore, as a small country, to invest wisely in this technology to maximize its benefits.