Singapore’s hunt for AI stars risks alienating small players

As the AI race heats up, Singapore is trying to recreate the magic of Block71, the startup hub that gave rise to homegrown tech darlings like Carousell, 99.c0, and Carro.

In March, JTC – the government-linked real estate developer behind Block 71 – unveiled plans to build an AI-focused startup community dubbed “Kampong AI.” The name is an ode to the community spirit of early village settlements of the 1950s.

Slated for 2028, the area will have a living and working block that will house up to 70 companies and 200 residential units. Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development Alvin Tan called it “Singapore’s hub and home for AI” and said the project will let “AI founders and tech professionals live and work together, creating spontaneity.”

However, this premise rests on a leap: that today’s AI startups need the same kind of proximity and chance encounters that fueled consumer tech firms in the 2010s.

And even if that holds, affordable rental costs and well-designed workspaces alone won’t be enough to draw the AI talent Singapore is chasing.

Singapore has committed over US$700 million dollars to AI research, and leading frontier labs like Yann LeCun’s Advanced Machine Intelligence Labs are already here in the island. But the government isn’t stopping there.

Starting in 2027, the Singapore government will also be offering a new AI visa track under the existing One Pass that’s designed to draw AI and tech talent. The visa has more flexible terms than other pass options and doesn’t have to be tied to a job offer. It also takes into account a candidate’s cash as well as share components when assessing if they meet the minimum salary requirements.

Yet, Tech in Asia’s interviews with more than half a dozen founders, corporate leaders, investors, and AI researchers point to a deeper tension: there’s a gulf between what AI operators need and the kind of talent such passes cater to.

While many welcomed the latest push, several questioned whether it targets the industry’s real bottlenecks.

Chasing big tech talent

A local AI research lead, who requested anonymity, says the AI pass is likely to attract those “interested in building organizations similar to OpenAI or Anthropic.” These individuals may have several years of experience at Big Tech firms in the US and are looking to apply their skills elsewhere.

With limited GPU resources compared to countries like the US and China in developing frontier AI models, attracting individuals with the relevant expertise could benefit local AI researchers through knowledge transfer, the research lead adds.

See also: SEA’s AI players target end users as DeepSeek stifles LLMs

Because the new AI visa isn’t tied to a job offer like regular employment passes are, this could, in theory, give talent the flexibility to explore Singapore as a potential base.

For smaller players, talent isn’t cheap

AI builders or just researchers?

Maintaining the spirit of Block71