By Kevin Shepherdson, Founder & CEO Straits Interactive
The launch of “The AI Factory – AI Capability Guide for SMEs” on 11/11 at 11am, which I co-authored with Celine Chew and Prof Jay, was one of those rare moments where months of preparation, collaboration, and purpose all came together in a single room. (And in case anyone was wondering about the repeated elevens, the 11am timing was simply the slot suggested by our Guest-of-Honour.)
As I looked around the hall at Holiday Inn Express Novena, filled with SME leaders, partners, educators, course participants, and fellow practitioners, I felt something shift. Not just for our company, but for Singapore’s broader AI journey.
We weren’t just launching a book.
We weren’t just announcing a partnership.
We were signalling a new way forward for how SMEs - and the people who power them - can participate meaningfully in the age of Generative AI.
Announcing a National Collaboration to Help SMEs Move From AI Literacy to AI Capability
The morning opened with our long-planned announcement: a three-way collaboration between ASME, SMU Academy (SMUA), and Straits Interactive to help Singapore’s SMEs move beyond mere AI awareness into hands-on AI capability.
Standing on stage beside Ang Yuit, President of ASME, and Jack Lim, Executive Director of SMU Academy, we shared what this partnership represents:
1. ASME’s nationwide SME network
2. SMU Academy’s academic pathways, including its upcoming Industry Graduate Diploma in GenAI and AI Governance
3. Our Capabara platform, recently recognised in Meta’s Llama Incubator Programme, and hands-on expertise that Straits Interactive brings to the table.
This partnership forms a complete ecosystem - training, technology, and community scale -built specifically to support our SMEs.
As Yuit said on stage, “Our SMEs can no longer compete only on labour quality. Competitiveness now depends on how intelligently and quickly we integrate AI into our business systems.”
That line was important. It captures exactly why this moment matters.
Patrick Tay’s Keynote: An AI Transformation That Leaves No One Behind
We were honoured to have Mr Patrick Tay, Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC and Member of Parliament, as our Guest-of-Honour. When I invited him to launch my book, he said yes immediately. I am blessed to have his support as he was also there to launch my first book, “99 Privacy Breaches to be Aware of”
In his keynote, he spoke about the need to ensure that AI transformation remains fair, progressive, and human-centered.
He introduced his “4 Es”:
Evangelise, Equip, Enhance, Enact — a simple but powerful framework for Singapore’s AI journey.
“AI must be treated not as a replacement challenge, but as an augmentation promise.”
As someone who works closely with both SMEs and workers, I could feel the room shift when he said that. You could sense the relief and the possibility.
Two Panel Discussions That Framed the Future of AI Capability
The event featured two panel discussions that, together, painted a complete picture of where Singapore is heading.
Panel 1: From AI Literacy to AI Capability – Building AI Bilingualists for SMEs
I had the privilege of moderating the first panel with Patrick Tay, Ang Yuit, and Jack Lim.
As the term “AI Bilingualist” was new to everyone in the hall, I shared that it introduced in Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0, inspired by the belief that the future of AI will not be led only by engineers, but by everyday professionals who can bridge their expertise with the power of AI. Championed by Minister Josephine Teo, it captures a simple but empowering idea: you don’t need to be a coder to shape the AI era - you just need to understand your domain deeply and speak the language of AI with confidence. It’s a call for the 80% of our workforce to rise, lead, and co-create the next chapter of Singapore’s digital future.
What moved me most was how relatable and reassuring attendees found the term. Many told me afterward that it finally gave them confidence in the sense that they could play a meaningful role in the AI era without becoming programmers. Others said it empowered them: “This is the first time I feel I’m part of the AI conversation.”
Jack explained SMUA’s new stackable pathways, while Yuit argued for stronger structural support for SMEs. Patrick spoke about how NTUC’s Company Training Committees (CTCs) have already uplifted over 100,000 workers.
It was clear: AI capability is not just a technology journey — it is a people journey. I was particular excited about what Jack shared about how SMU Academy has created a clear, stackable learning pathway to support the development of AI Bilingualists.
The two existing Advanced Certificates in Generative AI - one focused on ethical and responsible AI foundations, and the other on hands-on AI app design and prompt engineering - will soon feed into a new Industry Graduate Diploma (IGD) in Generative AI and AI Governance. Slated for launch in 2026, the IGD will act as a bridge to SMU’s Industry Practice Master’s (IPM), giving working professionals a practical roadmap from AI awareness to applied mastery. Many attendees appreciated how attainable and structured this progression felt, especially for non-technical SME leaders looking to deepen their capability over time.
Panel 2: The AI Factory Model – How Academia and Industry Are Shaping AI Bilingualists
Before the second panel, I was deeply touched by Dr Sumitra Iyer’s introduction of the book.
She began warmly:
“The AI Factory is more than a book — it’s a hands-on toolkit for the future.”
She shared how less than a year ago, she watched Celine and me present these ideas as DBA assignments in class — and now those ideas were a full-fledged publication. Hearing that brought home how far we had come, and how important mentorship and collaboration have been on this journey.
Here is another key point she made:
“This book captures the spirit of today’s AI era — moving from consumption to creation, from confusion to clarity.”
The second panel - featuring Prof Jay Gonzalez, Rohit Sharma (President, Upgrad), Celine Chew, and myself - explored how academia and industry can jointly build the next generation of AI Bilingualists.
Celine, as a learning psychologist, reminded everyone that AI requires a mindset shift:
“It’s about moving from automation to augmentation.”
And Prof Jay described Singapore as “academia in action” — the rare place where industry, government, and education work in sync for national capability. The conversation then turned to the role of academia in shaping the next generation of AI Bilingualists.
Rohit from upGrad shared how the DBA in Generative AI, the first of its kind, has become a platform for working professionals to turn research into real-world impact. Rather than producing traditional academic papers, candidates are encouraged to develop AI playbooks, business frameworks, prototypes and applied solutions that directly support industry needs. Was pleasantly surprised that more than 70 Singaporeans were already enrolled in the DBA.
The programme’s emphasis on practical scholarship, mentorship and industry collaboration enables professionals to bridge theory with execution, making them uniquely positioned to lead AI transformation within their organisations. As Prof Jayu shared, this “pracademia” model is helping Singapore grow a new breed of leaders who are fluent in both business and AI, accelerating the nation’s vision for an AI Bilingualist workforce.
Launching The AI Factory — An AI-Blended Publication With Tools for Every SME
Finally, Patrick launched The AI Factory – AI Capability Guide for SMEs, co-authored by Celine, Prof Jay, and myself. It was a proud moment for us, co-authors.
What makes this book special is that it is an AI-blended publication. It comes with an AI Toolkit, including curated tools and our Capabara Tool Wizard, allowing any SME professional to build their own AI solutions without coding.
Priced at S$32 (after GST), it will be available in bookstores across Singapore and Malaysia, and online starting 2026.
Watching Patrick Tay officially launch the book was an emotional moment for me — the culmination of research, collaboration, and a shared belief that SMEs deserve accessible and responsible AI.
A Moment That Marks a Beginning
As I left the stage, I realised this event wasn’t just about a collaboration or a book.
It was about giving people - especially the 80% who are non-technical - permission to believe they have a place in the AI future.
If yesterday was any indication, Singapore is ready. Our SMEs are ready.
And our people are ready to become AI Bilingualists - capable, confident, and future-ready.
This is only the beginning.
