Filtered by: AI
Associate Professor Kan Min-Yen from the Department of Computer Science at NUS Computing was quoted in a Science Magazine, feature examining a new open-source AI system designed to answer complex scientific questions with a high degree of accuracy.
Associate Professor Kan commented on both the promise and risks of using such tools in scientific work, cautioning that researchers must carefully judge how much to trust AI-generated answers, particularly when they are used as substitutes for primary sources.
"If you're using these tools to [substitute] for the primary sources, that can be dangerous because there could be nuances that are lost.," he said. While such tools may be more acceptable in fast-moving fields like AI — where they can help researchers keep pace with rapidly expanding literature — Associate Professor Kan noted that greater caution is required in domains such as psychiatry, where patients' health is at stake.
The article discussed how the open-source system was evaluated against both human experts and leading proprietary AI models, and how it performed strongly on tasks requiring cross-paper reasoning and literature synthesis. Associate Prof Kan noted that while these systems show promise in supporting scientific research, they should be viewed as tools that augment — rather than replace — human expertise and critical judgment.
Professor Anthony Tung from the Department of Computer Science at NUS Computing was featured in a Lianhe Zaobao report examining the growing spread of AI-generated fake videos and their potential impact on public trust and political discourse.
The report highlighted how advances in generative AI have lowered the cost and effort required to produce highly convincing misinformation, including fabricated videos that combine synthetic scripts, voices, and visuals. Such content, often designed to provoke emotional reactions, can spread rapidly on social media platforms and distort public understanding.
Professor Tung noted that heightened attention around recent political developments naturally drives engagement with such content, particularly among audiences with anti-establishment leanings. He added that Singapore’s high educational attainment means most citizens are able to exercise discernment when encountering sensational or implausible claims.
Beyond monetising online traffic, Professor cautioned that some videos may conceal deceptive schemes, using fabricated news narratives to promote products or services in ways that are difficult to guard against. He observed that regulating such content remains challenging, and suggested that one of the most effective responses may be to “counter AI with AI” — drawing parallels to how spam emails are filtered rather than prevented.
The report also noted that Singapore’s relatively high media literacy provides some resilience, but warned that misinformation may also be used to mask scams or malicious links. Overall, the report emphasised the importance of public awareness, media literacy, and the development of tools to help detect AI-generated misinformation, as synthetic media becomes increasingly sophisticated.
On THE (Times Higher Education) Connect podcast, Professor Tulika Mitra, Dean of NUS Computing and Associate Professor Suranga Nanayakkara discussed how SoC is adapting its education and research agenda for an AI-enabled world - while keeping computing fundamentals at the core. They outlined how the refreshed curriculum builds “AI-native” capabilities (including exposure to LLMs, system design and AI safety), with AI ethics as a compulsory component for all computing students, alongside new and upcoming AI-focused programmes.
The conversation also highlighted SoC’s commitment to interdisciplinary, human-centred research through platforms such as the NUS Artificial Intelligence Institute, and partnerships with government and industry to ensure AI innovation remains socially responsible. Both speakers emphasised lifelong learning through stackable, modular pathways, and the School’s goal of developing graduates who pair technical excellence with ethics, empathy and adaptability.
