AI Replaces Tasks, Not Jobs: Ong Ye Kung at NUS Forum

On Monday, 7 September 2026, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung told about 250 students and academics at the annual Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum that artificial intelligence is mostly removing tasks, not whole jobs. The forum, held at the National University of Singapore's University Cultural Centre, is an annual chance for a Cabinet minister to speak directly to students about the world of work.

For readers new to the topic: generative AI tools like ChatGPT now write, summarise and draft the kind of routine work that used to be handed to fresh graduates. That is exactly why this speech matters to anyone entering the Singapore job market over the next few years.

Mr Ong, who is also Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, said AI is replacing certain tasks rather than entire jobs, so it is not causing mass displacement. The more accurate description, he said, is job redesign. He also warned the change runs deeper than paperwork: "As AI replaces knowledge creation, and even human connection, the impact will be even more profound." The full exchange is in the CNA report.

Mr Ong did not sugar-coat the employment picture. He cited Graduate Employment Survey data showing the share of graduates who found work within six months of graduating fell from 92.9 per cent in 2023 to 88.9 per cent in 2025 (see the CNA explainer of the 2025 survey). That reflects a more competitive market, he told the students.

He listed three compounding factors: more graduates entering the market, employers working harder to tell applicants apart, and higher expectations of new hires. AI sits inside the third factor. In some organisations, he said, AI now automates the routine tasks that used to be handled by new joiners, and that may have raised the baseline of what employers expect a fresh hire to do from day one.

Healthcare offered his most concrete example. Workers there, he said, remain as busy as ever and are hoping AI will take over the tedious parts of their day: automating record-taking during a consultation, planning work rosters, and acting as an extra pair of eyes when reading diagnostic scans.

He shared stories from other professions with the same shape. An interior designer told him AI now improves the renderings shown to clients, but the designer still coordinates contractors, applies for permits and works through ideas with clients. An executive in the MICE industry said AI helps with some artwork, yet the overall experience, themes and partnerships still have to be designed and managed by people.

His conclusion, repeated across professions: "Most of the time, AI is replacing certain tasks, but not entire jobs, at least not yet." He acknowledged AI is a major source of uncertainty, and floated the idea that consumers may keep demanding human professionals such as doctors, teachers, police officers, HR staff and financial advisers. But he was blunt about the one response that does not help: worrying. "How does getting anxious help? It doesn't change the situation," he said.

Three pieces of advice came through clearly. First, build mastery. "A degree may open the door, but mastery of your craft will define you as a professional," he said. In a world where AI handles routine tasks and AI-generated content is everywhere, going deep in one area is the strongest edge a graduate can have.

Second, take the reasonable offer when it comes. "Your first job is a starting point, not a settling point," he told the room, urging students to seriously consider imperfect offers, tap the free AI tools available at some universities, and use career guidance and career fairs. Our Singapore job hunt with AI guide shows how to put all of this into practice.

Third, he turned to employers, saying hiring must not become an ever-escalating arms race of internships, credentials and grades. He encouraged firms to look beyond GPAs at qualities such as resilience, initiative and empathy, and noted the Singapore Business Federation has a big part to play. The message for students: a conventional CV is not the only one that reflects character.

You do not need a career coach to start. These prompts work with any chatbot such as ChatGPT or Gemini. Replace the square brackets with your own details.

💼 Understand which tasks in your field are at risk

I am a final-year [your course] student in Singapore looking for a [role] job. List the routine tasks in that role that AI can already automate, then list the higher-level skills employers will value instead. Suggest three ways I can build those skills before I graduate.

🎯 Turn your degree into a mastery plan

Act as a career coach. I studied [major] and I care about [topic]. Build a 90-day plan for me to go deep in that area, with weekly goals, free resources, and one portfolio project I can show Singapore employers.

🗣️ Mock interview for the AI era

Run a mock interview for an entry-level [role] job in Singapore. Ask typical questions a local hiring manager would ask, including how I would use AI in this job. After each of my answers, tell me how to improve it using the STAR format.

🧰 Workers: audit your current job scope

Here is my current job scope: [paste it here]. Identify which tasks AI could take over, which will grow in value, and the skills I should learn over the next 12 months to stay relevant. Where relevant, suggest SkillsFuture-supported courses.