PM Wong says AI could break the “bottom rung” of the career ladder, as the IMF chief calls it a “slow-moving tsunami” for jobs
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong told the inaugural DBS Asia Future Forward Conference on Monday that the government is concerned AI may break the bottom rung of the career ladder for young workers (CNA, Straits Times). CNA quoted him: “AI will replace all of that routine work, but we should be careful not to automate away the learning that comes from it.” The Straits Times reported his aim for Singapore to be a better society enabled by AI, not an AI-driven one. Tharman Shanmugaratnam said governments must incentivise the private sector to hire fresh graduates amid declining entry roles and that tertiary education should shift towards applied learning with work-study programmes, attachments and internships (Straits Times). IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said AI is already hollowing out demand for human workers by taking over routine tasks, and called it a “slow-moving tsunami” for jobs and taxes (Straits Times, Japan Times). At the same forum, DBS and TikTok chiefs stressed human judgment in using AI, and TikTok’s Chew Shou Zi said there is a “non-zero chance” AI could surpass humans in certain ways (Straits Times).
Routine tasks are how many young people learn a job. If AI does them, firms may hire fewer juniors, and there may be fewer seniors in future. The warning from the head of government and the IMF shows the concern is shared at the top.
If you are a graduate or hire graduates, ask how entry-level learning will be kept when AI does the routine work. For employers, the message is to plan training deliberately, not leave it to chance.
Government and firms can keep learning in the job by redesigning entry-level roles, mentoring and work-study routes (Wong, Tharman).
DailyDrop has not seen a union or employer reply in today’s sources, so the cost side of hiring more juniors is not yet represented.
The concern is clear; the policy is not. Watch for any programme, funding or hiring incentive that follows, and whether firms say how many entry-level roles they will keep.
DailyDrop Singapore edition No. 9 · Morning · TUE., OCT. 13, 2026