Singtel launches RE:AI, an AI Cloud Service offering to democratise AI for enterprises to drive innovation and growth in the region

Features a new AI cloud infrastructure, partnerships with key industry leaders, ecosystem of solutions and services, tech incubation and acceleration programmes, talent development and sustainability initiatives

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Singapore, 10 October 2024 - Singtel today announced the launch of RE:AI, its new Artificial Intelligence Cloud Service (AI Cloud) offering, aimed at democratising AI to make it widely available to organisations. This gives enterprises and public sector customers affordable access to AI technologies that can seamlessly transform their operations without needing to invest or maintain in-house infrastructure and supporting resources. The turnkey AI development and deployment platform will combine state-of-the-art AI compute infrastructure like, graphics processing units (GPUs) and storage, AI workspaces and tools, with diverse networks such as, 5G, fixed or quantum safe networks. These will be delivered through Singtel's patented orchestration platform, Paragon^TM. The offering will enable customers to deploy, manage and scale their AI applications without having to worry about the overheads of complex infrastructure, thereby allowing them to innovate and take their productivity to next level.

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Singtel aims to democratise AI by working with strategic partners in five ways - through the creation of a research and development AI Cloud platform, facilitation of AI adoption for the advanced manufacturing sector, ecosystem development to accelerate the deployment of AI solutions, curation of tech incubation and acceleration programme for promising tech companies and AI skills training to empowering its workforce. Five Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) were signed with these partners in these areas, at the launch of RE:AI, which was officiated by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Gan Kim Yong, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry. More details on these MOUs can be found in Annex 1.

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Mr Bill Chang, CEO of Singtel's Digital InfraCo, said, "Many enterprises and public sector customers have shown keen interest to bring AI into their operations.  However, the high costs and long lead times for GPUs, the need for special environments to host them due to their intense energy utilisation, the complexity of AI technology and the lack of talent are key friction points in their respective journeys."

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"With the launch of RE:AI, we're significantly reducing entry barriers, making AI easily accessible to enterprises, government agencies, research communities and academia - the more people have access to AI, the more innovation is bound to emerge, which in turn fuels growth.  RE:AI will foster a dynamic ecosystem of partners with distinctive capabilities and platforms to accelerate AI adoption to drive innovation and growth in Singapore and the region, sustainably. As we build on this ecosystem, we will attract global AI tech companies here to expand into the region with our market access. This is key to positioning Singapore as a regional AI."

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Democratising AI

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Singtel has been scaling its next-generation digital infrastructure and partnerships to support the growing demand for efficient, scalable and cost-effective AI solutions across industries. RE:AI will provide AI capabilities and tools through cloud-based platforms powered by Paragon. Enterprises can access ready-made solutions at their fingertips to develop customised AI environments and workspaces for any industry within minutes with a few clicks. Enterprises can deploy AI at scale and speed, with models, tools and applications orchestrated and delivered over 5G, fixed or even quantum-safe networks for a multitude of use cases.

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The launch of RE:AI and partnerships are part of Singtel's strategy to accelerate digital transformation for enterprises, starting with digital infrastructure and scalable AI solutions. One of the early initiatives include the development of a new generation of sustainable, hyper-connected AI-ready data centres through its Nxera data centre arm. Nxera is on track to becoming one of the world's largest independent data centre players with advanced liquid cooling capabilities and support for next-generation GPUs. 

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There have also been recent tie ups with global and local ecosystem partnerships such as Hitachi Group in Japan, the establishment of a GPU cloud alliance with Vultr and GMI Cloud in the US and Nscale in Europe as well as collaborations with Bridge Alliance, AIS, Telkom Group and Maxis to bring Singtel's AI Cloud offerings to enterprises in the region.

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ANNEX 1 - SINGTEL'S KEY INITIATIVES

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Singtel will partner with leaders across areas such AI, computing, education, and manufacturing to enhance AI adoption, provide GPU access, and support talent attraction, development, and skills upgrading in Singapore, in support of Singapore's National AI Strategy 2.0 framework.

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1)    AI-powered R&D platform for the Research & Academia communities

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Singtel RE:AI in partnership with the National Supercomputing Centre Singapore will explore making a diversity of high-performance computing technologies available for the research community and collaborate on the Paragon platform to deliver seamless user experiences across different systems. With AI Singapore, RE:AI will develop a purpose-built AI-powered research and development platform and marketplace comprising AI tools, data products and applications, that will provide scalable, optimised solutions for the Singapore research community. It will serve as a repository for researchers to share their developed models, accessible to government and private sector users to accelerate their research outcomes.

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AI Singapore's open-source SEA-LION large language model, with its associated datasets will also be hosted and further developed with advanced GPU cloud computing resources, to be used by researchers and academia globally.

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2)    Promoting AI adoption for the Advanced Manufacturing sector

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RE:AI will collaborate with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF), and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) to support and enable AI-related research and innovation that has the potential to create impactful outcomes for companies. 

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As part of this partnership, RE:AI will provide cloud infrastructure to support AI-related research and innovation. The A*STAR Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (A*STAR ARTC) and A*STAR Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (A*STAR SIMTech) will engage manufacturing companies, providing them support in use case development, AI trials, experimentation and building industry knowledge.

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Over the next three years, 150 companies from SMF's network are expected to be involved in trials with students and academia from SIT with the goal of developing smart AI models and applications for this sector.

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3) Ecosystem to accelerate the deployment of AI solutions and services

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To establish Singapore as a regional AI hub, RE:AI will be partnering with leading AI applications, models and platform providers, AlphaSense, H2O.AI, Hippocratic.AI and Hive AI to launch AI software, applications, tools and models for customers, orchestrated through the Paragon platform and powered by its AI Cloud offering.

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The partners will also leverage RE:AI's GPU services to enhance their application response and improve performance.

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4) Incubation and Acceleration Programme for promising AI tech companies

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Singtel RE:AI and Digital Industry Singapore will launch an AI Accelerator Programme to help AI tech companies to establish, develop and scale up their operations, with the aim of attracting companies with AI capabilities to set up their regional headquarters and build a vibrant AI ecosystem in Singapore.

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This programme is expected to bring in up to 15 technology companies in its first year, and support will be provided for projects that drive AI innovation.

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5) AI Acceleration Academy for Singtel's work force development and upskilling

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Singtel will be collaborating with AI Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and the National University of Singapore to co-develop training programmes that will advance Singtel employees' AI skills. Through online modules and practical workshops, more than 10,000 Singapore-based Singtel and NCS staff members will be trained in AI competencies, based on their job roles and business needs.

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To further ensure a strong pipeline of AI talent, Singtel will also be working with Institutes of Higher Learning and these partners to offer 300 AI-related internships and 300 scholarship opportunities.

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6) Advancing sustainability goals

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In keeping with Singtel's net zero 2045 goals, Digital InfraCo signed an MOU last week with GoNetZero, a global decarbonisation solution provider, to explore the integration of its platform comprising a suite of comprehensive end-to-end digital decarbonisation solutions with RE:AI's offerings so its customers can buy and retire their Environmental Attributes Credits with ease.

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ANNEX 2 - QUOTES FROM SINGTEL'S PARTNERS

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MOU 1 - AI-powered R&D platform for research and academia communities

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AI SINGAPORE

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Prof Mohan Kankanhalli, Deputy Executive Chairman:

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\"AI Singapore is excited to embark on a transformative partnership with RE:AI, combining our expertise in AI Capability Development with pioneering Research & Development. Together, we will co-create innovative training programmes that empower individuals with essential AI skills and promote promising career pathways. Simultaneously, we will explore the development of advanced cloud solutions to boost operational efficiency. This dynamic collaboration aims to accelerate AI innovation, providing scalable, optimized solutions that benefit Singapore's workforce and research community, and beyond. By enhancing the educational landscape and advancing responsible AI practices across sectors, we envision a future where technology and human potential harmoniously align.\"

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NATIONAL SUPERCOMPUTING CENTRE

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Dr Terence Hung, Chief Executive:

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\"The collaboration between the National Supercomputing Centre (NSCC) Singapore and RE:AI is an important step and part of NSCC's strategy to diversify our high performance computing sources to support Singapore's research community, especially in accelerating AI innovations. We will be working with commercial cloud partners like RE:AI to provide our researchers with seamless access to additional GPU and CPU resources across multiple technology vendors, systems and sites.\"

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MOU 2 - Promoting AI adoption for the Advanced Manufacturing sector

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Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC)

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Dr David Low CEO, A*STAR ARTC:

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\"At A*STAR, we are committed to driving innovation in Singapore's manufacturing sector through the adoption of advanced AI technologies. By partnering with industry leaders and leveraging our expertise in remanufacturing and technology development, we aim to help companies enhance their productivity, competitiveness and unlock new growth opportunities. This collaboration will provide businesses with the resources and knowledge needed to experiment with AI solutions, ensuring they are well-equipped to deploy AI for the future of manufacturing.\"

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SINGAPORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

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Professor Chua Kee Chaing, President:

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\"Our partnership with RE:AI, ARTC, SIMTech, and SMF to establish the AI Centre of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing is a collaborative effort to transform the advanced manufacturing industry through AI adoption. Through this partnership, SIT students will gain invaluable hands-on experience in addressing real-world AI applications as well as opportunities to hone their technical skills and build networks, working alongside experts at the Centre and companies. We hope that businesses can also benefit from the fresh perspectives and innovative solutions offered by our students to drive AI-led growth across the manufacturing sector.

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SINGAPORE MANUFACTURING FEDERATION

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Dennis Mark, CEO:

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"This partnership reflects SMF's steadfast commitment to championing manufacturing through innovation. By harnessing the potential of AI, we are equipping our sector with the critical tools needed to remain competitive and thrive in the digital age. SMF's role in connecting 150 companies to this initiative highlights our focus on delivering tangible business outcomes. This collaboration will not only future-proof these companies but also reinforce Singapore's position as a global leader in advanced manufacturing."

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MOU 3 - Ecosystem to accelerate the deployment of AI solutions and services

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H20.AI

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Sri Ambati, Founder and CEO:

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"Every nation needs to be an AI nation. Public servants and ministries worldwide need their sovereign AI agencies to fulfil their missions with great outcomes. To address both local and continental needs, nations must find economical ways to take AI from pilots to production.

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AI will transform the GDP of the world and every nation and community by amplifying and economic output of the population with AI agents. With the right AI infrastructure, nations of any size can leverage AI to create significant growth and transform their economies.

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Public servants and all ministries worldwide need their own GPTs and sovereign AI to fulfill their missions with great outcomes and serve their people and communities.

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Our partnership with RE:AI represents the future of Generative AI - purpose-led, SLMs on protected data, open source, secure, hybrid and ubiquitous on the edge at a fraction of the economic cost for training and inference.

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H2O.ai is home to the world's best AI talent with more Kaggle Grandmasters than any company or continent. With our open source community, partnership ecosystem and unique mindset of co-creation with customers we are transforming large banks, telcos and public sector by leveraging their data, upskilling their people, and building custom GenAI and Predictive AI for solving problems and bettering life of citizens globally."

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HIPPOCRATIC.AI

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Munjal Shah, CEO and Co-founder:

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"Hippocratic.AI is excited to be part of this movement to support the adoption of AI solutions to enable greater business innovation and growth."

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HIVE AI

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Kevin Guo, CEO:

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\"Hive's mission is to enable companies and organizations globally in their adoption of enterprise grade AI models to solve pressing challenges. The Asia Pacific region is an important area of growth for Hive in the coming years, and we're thrilled to be partnering with RE:AI to make it easy for customers in the region to integrate Hive models.\"

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MOU 4 - Incubation and Acceleration Programme for promising AI tech companies

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DIGITAL INDUSTRY SINGAPORE (DISG)

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Philbert Gomez, Executive Director & Head, Digital Industry Singapore:

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"Developing a vibrant AI ecosystem requires collective industry effort. DISG's collaboration with industry players like Singtel will help attract and anchor leading global AI companies' innovation capabilities in Singapore. We look forward to this collaboration which will further contribute to Singapore's goal of becoming a global hub for AI innovation."

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MOU 5 - AI Acceleration Academy for Singtel's work force development and upskilling

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AI SINGAPORE

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Koo Sengmeng, Head of LearnAI:

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"At LearnAI, we are committed to support lifelong learning by co-creating training programmes that not only equip adult learners with the latest AI competencies but also foster inclusive pathways for career advancement. We are excited to partner with RE:AI, as together we can empower individuals and organisations to embrace the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in the workplace."

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NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

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Prof Luke Ong, Vice President (AI & Digital Economy) and Dean, College of Computing and Data Science:

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"As AI affects more facets of our lives, having AI skills will become a prerequisite for a job in the next decade. This collaboration, which leverages NTU's strengths and resources in AI education and research, will help working professionals adapt to changes in their jobs brought about by AI through a variety of short-form courses and stackable learning pathways with industry relevance. The collaboration also aims to attract and engage NTU AI students through initiatives such as internships, book prizes and a management associate programme, contributing to Singapore's goal to triple our pool of AI talent who create AI solutions that better society."

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NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

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Associate Professor Chai Kah Hin, Associate Provost (Masters' Programmes & Lifelong Education):

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"This collaboration with RE:AI underscores NUS' commitment to elevating AI capabilities within Singapore's workforce, particularly among professionals in this sector. Beyond providing training programmes, NUS looks forward to partnering with RE:AI in driving innovation and reinforcing Singapore's leadership in AI. Together, we aim to build a vibrant community of AI professionals, advancing industry expertise in this critical field."

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MOU 6 - Advancing sustainability goals

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GONETZERO

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Soon Sze Meng, CEO, GoNetZero™:

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"GoNetZero™ is delighted to support Singtel in achieving its net-zero goals. By leveraging our expertise in decarbonisation solutions, GoNetZero™ would like to support RE:AI and its customers in actively managing and offsetting their carbon footprint, enabling meaningful progress towards their sustainability targets. This partnership underscores our shared vision to driving innovation in decarbonising the data centre ecosystem and accelerating the transition to net zero."

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