Singapore's Minister Josephine Teo says AI company safeguards are insufficient and urges multi-layered defenses

On October 2, 2026, Singapore's Minister for Digital Development and Information, Josephine Teo, stated that existing safeguards by AI companies are insufficient to address risks from increasingly capable AI systems. She called for a multi-layered approach including stronger cyber defenses, clear limits on AI actions, human oversight, and better testing. Teo highlighted that malicious users can bypass safeguards using openly available AI models, and that autonomous AI could act unintentionally. She emphasized the need for international cooperation and mentioned Singapore's AI Safety Institute's efforts to evaluate advanced AI systems.