Singapore has launched artificial intelligence (AI) verify Project Moonshot, described as an easy-to-use testing toolkit designed to address security and safety challenges often associated with the use of large language models (LLMs), the cornerstone of many AI-driven solutions.
LLM evulation tools are crucial in providing standardised benchmarks to measure and improve the performance, reliability and fairness of language models.
The open beta was developed through working with partners such DataRobot, IBM, Singapore Telecommunications Z74 (Singtel), and Temasek.
The project was launched by Singapore’s Minister for Communications and Information, Josephine Teo on the second day of the ATxSummit.
In what the Infocomm Media Development Agency (IMDA) calls “one of the world’s first” open-source tools, Project Moonshot aims to address AI risks through bringing together different AI risk-testing methods such as red-teaming, benchmarking, and baseline testing to a single, easy-to-use platform.
"IBM is pleased to be a design partner and contributor to Project Moonshot. The provision of this new tool is significant as it aims to help developers and data scientists test their LLM applications against a baseline of risks, thereby accelerating the adoption of AI. We look forward to working closely with IMDA to develop appropriate open standards through our Contributions,” says chief technology officer (CTO) data and AI, head client engineering Asia Pacific (APAC), IBM, Anup Kumar.
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Chief customer officer, DataRobot, Jay Schuren, adds: “DataRobot is thrilled to partner with IMDA to make LLM evaluation more accessible. The integration of Project Moonshot into the DataRobot AI Platform allows AI builders to confidently and responsibly scale generative AI within their organisations.”
Importantly, leading AI testing organisations AI Verify Foundation and MLCommons will also come together to form a common safety benchmark suite for the project.
"To further the collaboration, AI Verify Foundation and ML Commons have signed a memorandum of intent (MOI) on May 29, intending to positively impact AI safety by providing model and application developers a globally accepted approach of safety testing for generative AI,” says MLCommons president and co-chair AI safety working group, Peter Mattson.
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Championing women in tech in Southeast Asia
Minister Teo also spoke on a panel at another event, Women and Youth in Tech, where she unveiled findings from a joint report by IMDA and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) titled ‘Closing Tech’s Gender
Gap in Southeast Asia (SEA)’.
The report, which surveyed over 4,000 individuals across the region including Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, indicates that 83% of women in the tech sector find satisfaction with their jobs and 70% believe their company has initiatives to improve the recruitment, retention, and the advancement of women in place.
This comes as an increase from 49% in 2020.
The report also finds that among 40% of women in technology, Singapore remains at the forefront of promoting gender diversity and inclusion in the industry within SEA.
Despite the greater strides made to support women in the sector across the region, Minister Teo reiterates the importance of continuing to encourage and support women in tech, such as with the Singapore 100 Women in Tech list, which identifies and recognises mentors and role models to help women in their leadership journeys, as well as the TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA) programme, which enables professionals to acquire relevant in-demand skills, which includes helping women resume technical roles after a career break.
