Translated by ChatGPT
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/forum/views/story20260128-8192044?utm_source=android-share&utm_medium=app
2026-01-28
By Dr. Cai Yanjun
The author is a researcher at the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, Singapore University of Technology and Design. This commentary is based on findings from the research project “Ageing with AI”
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From CPF withdrawals to medical appointments, every essential public service must, over the long term, retain sound non-digital alternatives. This should not be seen as a transitional arrangement, but as a permanent design principle of a digital society. A wise nation understands that sometimes, the smartest technology is a real face and patient communication.
Seventy-six-year-old Mr Chen lives in a rental flat in Outram Park. For decades, he managed his personal affairs independently, buying coffee with cash and paying bills without relying on anyone else. Today, he stands silently in front of a digital self-service machine, holding a QR code he does not understand, afraid to press any button because he has heard of friends who lost their life savings to scams. In a city globally renowned for its “smartness”, the predicament Mr Chen faces is not an isolated case, especially among seniors.
As Singapore continues to advance its Smart Nation strategy and accelerates the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), the country has arrived at a critical point of tension. On one hand, we are building a digital expressway that promises efficiency and convenience; on the other, we may be inadvertently leaving behind the most vulnerable groups—especially seniors aged 70 and above. Our recent survey of 213 residents aged 55 and above in the Outram Park planning area shows that the current digital divide is no longer about whether one owns a smartphone, but about who has the ability and confidence to participate in modern social life. If we cannot move from a Smart Nation to a Wise Nation, we may end up with a society in which seniors are not only ageing, but also gradually becoming invisible in our digital future.
Not Just the Average: The Silent Divide
Singaporeans often derive psychological comfort from national statistics. When we see that internet penetration among those aged 60 and above is as high as 93%, we assume the task is complete. However, an in-depth study of Outram Park, which has one of the highest socio-economic disadvantage indices nationally, reveals a different picture of Singapore’s super-ageing future.
Beneath the shadows of towering buildings, a study by the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities at the Singapore University of Technology and Design found that 12% of surveyed seniors had no digital devices at all. This reality underscores why we must avoid and actively address the drift toward “digital-only” models. The drive for efficiency pushes us to close physical service counters, but the pursuit of equity requires us to keep these physical facilities and services open. From CPF withdrawals to medical appointments, every essential public service must, over the long term, retain sound non-digital alternatives. This should not be seen as a transitional arrangement, but as a permanent design principle of a digital society. Just as cities build different pathways for different types of commuters, we must also continue to build “human pathways” alongside digital ones. A wise nation understands that sometimes, the smartest technology is a real face and patient communication.
Even owning a smartphone does not equate to having meaningful usage capability. National data shows that 78% of seniors use online banking or e-payments, but in the Outram Park study, this figure was only 26%. The 52-percentage-point gap demonstrates that faster 5G or more apps do not automatically bridge this final digital divide. For a large segment of Singapore’s seniors—especially those aged 70 and above, with lower incomes, living alone, and residing in rental flats—society needs to understand and respect that they are a group who learn slowly, forget easily, and need reassurance at every step.
Learning Technology: A Crisis of Confidence
At the core, the issue is not that seniors are unwilling to learn. Our research shows that 71% of respondents have never received any formal digital or AI training, and among these untrained seniors, 40% explicitly expressed a willingness to learn.
The real problem lies in how we teach them, or the language we use.
We often treat digital literacy as a purely technical skill, like learning to fix a leaky tap. Hence, we offer traditional classroom-style courses such as “Cybersecurity 101” or “Introduction to Generative AI”. However, for a senior who worries that “one wrong tap could wipe out everything”, technology feels more like a psychological battleground. If we require them to constantly adapt to frequently changing interfaces without a safety net, we are not empowering them—we are depleting them. This is also why “digital first” has, in the minds of many seniors, become “digital only”. System efficiency may translate into user anxiety.
Here, the values of kampong spirit—community support and neighbourly help—can become the secret weapon of digital inclusion. Technology must be normalised and become part of everyday community conversations. This means investing more resources into highly localised, highly interactive interventions, allowing seniors to learn through repeated practice in a safe, connected, and unhurried environment. The role of “digital ambassadors” should be multiplied within seniors’ community networks, empowering digitally skilled seniors to help their peers. When Mr Chen needs to update an app on his phone, he should be able to walk to the nearest senior activity centre and find a digital ambassador who knows his name and is willing to explain things patiently, repeatedly, and without prejudice.
This would transform digital support into everyday community interaction, significantly reducing anxiety and fear.
A Wise Nation: Leaving No One Behind at the New AI Frontier
The findings from Outram Park serve as a timely reminder that, in advancing digitalisation, we cannot assume everyone is starting from the same line. The technology industry and the government must walk alongside seniors in the design of applications and technologies. We propose implementing an institutionalised “Silver User Acceptance Testing”. Before any public-facing digital service is launched, it should be stress-tested by people aged 70 and above from ageing communities such as Outram Park. If seniors cannot use it smoothly, it means the product is not ready for release. This should also include age-friendly default settings: larger fonts, higher contrast, fewer steps, multilingual options, and built-in error-tolerant designs that allow mistakes to be easily undone. These senior-friendly designs should not be hidden deep within sub-menus.
Singapore’s core narrative has always been that “no one will be left behind”. As global cities—from Barcelona to Shanghai—grapple simultaneously with rapid ageing and AI transformation, Singapore faces an urgent need to re-deliver on this promise.
The seniors of Outram Park remind us that the barrier has never been age, but design and support. They are willing to participate, but they need a system that meets them halfway.
Our research shows that inclusive AI literacy programmes are the necessary next step. But such literacy must be built on human-centred design principles. AI tools cannot simply be parachuted into seniors’ lives; they must also be involved in the design process.
A Smart Nation inspires admiration, but a Wise Nation places dignity, connection, and trust at its core, ensuring that as we move toward the future, seniors like Mr Chen walk alongside us every step of the way.
The author is a researcher at the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, Singapore University of Technology and Design. This commentary is based on findings from the research project “Ageing with AI”.
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