) or https:// as an added precaution.Mr Peter Ho, Chairman, Science Centre Board,
Ms Tham Mun See, Chief Executive, Science Centre Board
Students, Parents, Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. A very good morning to all of you.
2. It is wonderful to see so many students, educators, industry partners, and families gathered here today to explore the fascinating world of robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
3. Many of us in our 40s come to the Science Centre and remember pressing the interactive buttons here when we were young. Many of us may not know what the Science Centre brings today, but I hope that those who are here will go back and share with others how much more exciting the exhibitions and programmes at the Science Centre have become.
4. Just last month at MOE's Committee of Supply Debates, I spoke about how AI is no longer something distant or abstract.
5. Today, many of us don't just hear about AI. We already live with it.
6. Today, at Science Centre Singapore's inaugural RoboFest 2026, we can see and feel how robotics and AI become part of everyday life.
7. The Science Centre has always been a place where learning feels alive. I was speaking with Mr Peter Ho, Chairman of the Science Centre Board, about how many of our young students only get to see robots on social media. Many of them have not gotten the chance to look at, to feel and to interact with real robots in Singapore. This is a great chance for them to do so.
8. Many of us probably remember coming here as children, and experiencing what science and technology looks like.
9. RoboFest continues that spirit and extends the opportunities to our young students.
10. Because sometimes, the best way to understand something complex, like AI and robots, is not through a textbook, but through real-life experiences.
MOE's Approach to AI
12. At the Ministry of Education, our approach to AI is quite simple, even though the topic itself is quite complicated.
13. We want students to learn about AI, learn to use AI, learn with AI. And most importantly, learn beyond AI.
14. For our younger students in primary school, I understand many parents were worried when we first talked about how we want our students in Primary 4 to learn about AI. Do not worry. We are not opening up ChatGPT or Gemini to them at Primary 4.
15. We are first going to teach them what AI is about, get them to learn about the risks and dangers of using AI, as well as the possibilities and opportunities. We then expose them to AI in a very safe student learning space created by the Ministry of Education. To all parents who are worried about AI in our schools, do not worry, we are starting all of them off on the same foot.
16. In secondary schools, we do expect our students to go beyond just learning about AI, to starting to use and experiment with AI. Many of them already do so in Primary 5 and 6, but we hope the secondary school curriculum gives them the right foundation to use AI. So, I hope that all of our students are given the right opportunities and the right foundations to use AI well into their adult years.
17. The festival's theme is, "Meet Tomorrow, Today,".
18. I hope our students who attend Robofest use this chance to think about what kind of person they want to be, in a world full of technology.
19. This is a good time for them to consider:
- Will they use your skills to solve real problems that matter to people?
- Can they work with others who think differently from you?
- Can they tell when something AI produces is false or incorrect?
The Strength of Collaboration
20. We already see some of this in action here today, and that keeps us optimistic. We also see teams from different schools who are here to showcase their projects.
21. At Beatty Secondary, students created a Smart Recycling Bin because they saw a real problem: contamination in recycling.
22. At Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary, students built a robotic arm that could one day help someone with limited mobility carry out daily tasks.
23. These are not just school projects.
24. They are examples of young people using technology with purpose.
Looking Forward
25. As we launch RoboFest 2026 today, we celebrate technological advancement and human potential to drive creativity and creation.
- To our students, be proud of the incredible projects you have showcased today. I encourage you to continue to explore, question, and dream big. Don't just ask "What can technology do?" Ask, "What kind of world do I want to build with it?"
- To our education and industry partners, thank you for your commitment to nurturing young learners to be thoughtful and responsible.
- And to Science Centre Singapore, thank you for this wonderful platform where learning comes alive, and for continuing to spark that sense of wonder.
26. Thank you, and I hope you will have an inspiring experience at RoboFest 2026.