S1E72: Will AI take our jobs? Jasmin Lau, Goh Hanyan say what they think

Nov 20, 2025

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It has been about six months since Jasmin Lau and Goh Hanyan stepped into politics after careers in the civil and public service.

Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place every Thursday as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests.

Now they are both political office holders across several ministries, taking on new responsibilities and getting used to being in the public eye.

They are also the co-chairs of the Committee on Technology and Innovation – one of five committees that are part of the Economic Strategy Review.

In a nutshell, the review looks at how Singapore can stay economically relevant and competitive amid geopolitical tensions and tech disruptions.

They will be dropping by The Usual Place podcast to chat about what the past couple of months have been like and the biggest adjustments they have had to make.

We’ll also discuss the committee’s plans on how to accelerate artificial intelligence transformation across the economy and encourage enterprises to adopt AI, as well as feedback they have garnered from speaking with business owners.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:43 Reallocating time spent after landing political office positions

4:29 The most challenging portfolio

6:48 Switching between national and municipal issues

12:09 “Never a dull day, even for the family” - how their children are adjusting

20:58 Last-mover advantage in adapting AI - feedback from CEO closed door session

26:36 Don’t panic, the AI wave is not coming tomorrow for your jobs: Jasmin

35:29 How AI cannot replace the human touch

38:11 AI companions are scary

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Filmed by: Studio+65