Singapore employers must comply with fair employment guidelines, even when using AI in hiring or promotions: Minister Tan

Should certain AI use results in discriminatory employment practices, employees or job applicants would be able to approach TAFEP for assistance, he shared.  

Regardless of the technological tools employers in Singapore use in making employment decisions — such as hiring or promotions, they must comply with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng has affirmed.

Speaking in Parliament on 13 November 2024 (Wednesday), the minister was addressing a parliamentary query on whether the Manpower Ministry will consider introducing guidelines or regulations on employers' use of Automated Employment Decision Tools (AEDT), which are artificial intelligence technologies that substantially aid or replace discretionary decision-making in hiring or promotions, in order to prevent biases; Additionally, including measures such as requiring companies to conduct a bias audit or to make disclosure where such tools are used to rank candidates or assess employees for promotion.

According to Minister Tan, to date, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) has yet to receive complaints of discrimination arising from the use of AI tools. Should certain AI use results in discriminatory employment practices, employees or job applicants are welcome to approach TAFEP for assistance, he shared. 

"TAFEP will work with the employer to address the grievances of the workers or job applicants and ensure that the employer’s recruitment or performance appraisal processes adhere to the principles of fair employment." 

Minister Tan noted that with AI technologies evolving quickly, organisations should refer to the guidelines introduced by the Government to support responsible development and use of AI when deploying AI-powered HR tools.  

"The Government will continue to closely monitor the trends in AI adoption and work with our tripartite partners, the Institute for Human Resource Professionals and broader HR community to regularly assess if existing guidelines and regulations are adequate," he commented.  

READ MORE: To harness AI as a multiplier of human capabilities, we need to organise ourselves better to adopt a whole-society approach: Chan Chun Sing, Singapore's Education Minister 

Photo: Screenshot of 'live' coverage, Parliament Sitting on 13 November 2024, MDDI YouTube