AI Singapore (AISG) has appointed SUTD President Professor Phoon Kok Kwang as its Deputy Executive Chairman (Research) with effect from 1 August 2025. This two-year appointment is part of the AISG national programme launched by the National Research Foundation (NRF) to anchor deep national capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI) aligned with the National AI Strategy 2.0, National AI R&D Plan and the upcoming RIE2030 Plan.

The Deputy Executive Chairman (Research) will supervise and oversee the Research pillar at AISG towards the successful accomplishment of its objectives.

Prof Phoon’s new appointment is not just testament to his academic expertise, but also timely with SUTD’s bold pivot as the world’s first Design·AI university, where we believe Design·AI is the future of innovation. We see a new potential for how humans and AI can work together — combining AI’s capabilities with design’s human-centred focus, and an interdisciplinary mindset to jointly find solutions that human alone cannot find for some of the world’s biggest and most pressing problems.