From left to right: Kevin Shepherdson, Ang Yuit, Ms Tin Pei Ling, Rajesh Sreenivasan, Dr Simon See
Recently, in Jan 16, I hosted a panel discussion, 2025 GenAI Trends in the Workplace: Implications for SMEs, at the AI Festival Asia, organised by the Association of Small & Medium Enterprises.
I was joined for a lively discussion on the state of AI for 2025 and its implications for SMEs by Ang Yuit, President of ASME, Ms Tin Pei Ling, Member of Parliament and Chairperson of Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Digital Development and Information, Rajesh Sreenivasan, Partner and Head of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Law Practice at Rajah and Tann Singapore LLP and Dr Simon See, Global Head of Nvidia AI Technology Centre.
I shared about “What” are the future trends to watch out for and framed them as 6Cs:
- Collection of data
- Compute power
- Context window
- Chain of thought
- Customisation
- Control
I introduced the “6 Cs” that described the upcoming impacts of generative AI in the workplace for the year ahead. These are opportunities that SMEs should position themselves to take advantage of if they are aiming to leverage AI adoption for value-creation. At the same time, people in Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) roles would benefit from these learnings to inform AI management programs in their organisations.
Here’s a condensed run-down of the six Cs that I presented.
Collection of data
The price of more contextualised outputs is more proprietary data. As organisations start leveraging internal knowledge repositories to build AI models that reflect their unique expertise, accompanying measures in Data Governance and bias mitigation are to follow. Small Language Models (SLMs) are now a rising alternative to Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) techniques for deriving insights from internal data using AI models, allowing companies to do this with greater computation efficiency and enhanced privacy.
Compute power
Advances in NVIDIA’s Blackwell architecture, Amazon’s Ultracluster Supercomputer and Trainium Chips and cloud-based AI platforms are making cutting-edge AI accessible and scalable, particularly for SMEs. These innovations align with sustainability goals of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) nature, and democratise AI for smaller enterprises to tap on without prohibitive costs.
Context window
The introduction of million-token long context windows in Google’s Gemini 1.5 models spells the start of AI’s ability to remember multi-session conversational histories with an expanded — potentially infinite — memory. This will enhance workplace collaboration by maintaining project continuity between team members and delivering more contextually aware solutions. Advances in multimodal processing also means we can expect better synthesis and summary of complex documents to smooth out info-intensive communication.
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Chain-of-thought reasoning
The emergence of strategic reasoning capabilities in AI through its ability to reason step-by-step is enabling it to tackle complex, multi-step challenges and decision-making with greater transparency and explainability in its outputs. First implemented in OpenAI’s o1 model and now its o3 successor, Chain-of-Thought prompt techniques are projected to be a critical workplace skill that improves trust in AI-generated outputs.
Customisation
From the advent of no-code platforms to autonomous AI agents, businesses are beginning to leverage tailored solutions that cater to specific industries, departments and workflows. We may see more employee-driven innovation of AI tools to automate menial tasks and deliver personalised support. The surfacing of the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) role also signals the growing need for leadership in AI strategy and governance to keep developments in line with organisational objectives.
Control
As AI becomes more autonomous and agentic in nature, there will be a demand for robust governance frameworks and real-time systems monitoring to mitigate risks and maintain ethical AI usage. The CAIO will have to drive interdepartmental collaboration to ensure accountable AI deployment that is in-sync with local and international regulations like the EU AI Act. This is important for maintaining user and stakeholder trust as we navigate new technologies.
Three Cs join the mix: Community, cajoling and collaboration
Expanding upon the foundational 6 Cs, our panelists chimed in with additional Cs that are just as crucial in successful AI adoption for 2025: Community, Cajoling, and Collaboration.
Community
Ms Tin championed the importance of community in cultivating a supportive ecosystem for SMEs. This includes attracting global talent, fostering cross-industry collaboration, and availing shared resources to empower SMEs. Talents come because they see opportunities in projects and real-life problems to solve. “And it’s not just about the people coming together to try to cross-fertilise ideas, but also to pull resources (to support SMEs)”, she pointed out, citing existing initiatives like CTO-as-a-Service that help resource-constrained SMEs get off the ground with digital-readiness.
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Cajoling
For Sreenivasan, Singapore’s approach to governance is one of cajoling rather than controlling. It encourages businesses to experiment while staying ethical and compliant. “Singapore’s regulatory framework is about amplifying, clarifying, and enabling,” he explained. “Instead of legislating AI prematurely, we focus on engaging the community to understand what is going on.”
He also advocates for collaboration with global counterparts and cross-talk between industries, stating, “Something like AI, which will not just impact a country in isolation but globally, requires collaboration. Through understanding the technology and building deep relationships with other parts of the world, we build bridges and systems that allow a degree of harmonisation.”
Collaboration
Ang called for a shift in the competitive mindset among SMEs to thrive in a market squeezed by global disruption. “Singapore, as a local market, is now a red ocean. We face intense competition not just from local players but also from international entrants bringing their own supply chains and software,” he commented.
“It is more important, now than ever, to look beyond Singapore and collaborate.” Collaboration, Ang explained, is not just about working with peers but also about pooling resources across industries and nations. “How do we bring SMEs together to collectively solve challenges, open up new opportunities, and create value together?” he posed.
In the face of disruption, companies need to be adaptable too, says Ang. He advises SMEs to “be prepared to relook your processes and find new ways to serve your business and audience better.” To this end, Dr See encouraged companies to capitalise on agentic AI to improve existing ways of working and client services. Especially when its combination with generative AI offers a more seamless path to crafting bespoke solutions.
My final thoughts
GRC professionals and DPOs play a critical role in aligning generative AI with ethical, regulatory, and data privacy goals. By prioritising robust governance, transparency, and compliance, organisations can ensure generative AI becomes a responsible and transformative force in 2025.
I highly encourage business professionals to attend our joint Generative AI courses with the Singapore Management University Academy to gain deeper insights into these emerging trends. In 2025, we look forward to aligning our Capabara Generative AI platform with the 6 Cs to empower our clients with enhanced generative AI capabilities.
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