GovTech and Google DeepMind build on-device AI to detect scams, Singapore minister says

The Government Technology Agency of Singapore is partnering with Google DeepMind to build on-device, real-time detection of AI-enabled scams, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said at Singapore International Cyber Week.

Teo announced the collaboration on Oct 14 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre and framed the project as a way for devices to recognise early signs of manipulation and protect users’ private messages. Teo said the emergence of artificial intelligence has made the fight against scams "harder to win," arguing that better defences are necessary rather than turning away from AI.

She described the threat as multi-vector, with scammers operating across social media, messaging platforms, phone calls and financial institutions, and she called for tighter coordination of responses among organisations.

Under the plan Teo described, on-device detection would operate in real time so that potential victims could be alerted before suffering financial or credential loss, while personal messages would remain on users’ devices.

The minister presented the initiative as protecting both data privacy and financial security by keeping detection local to devices rather than relying solely on external inspection. Teo also outlined a related funding effort aimed at quantum-era threats.

She said Singapore will issue guidance for organisations to pursue quantum-safe migration by 2035 and that a new grant programme will fund pilots intended to protect against quantum threats. The programme is scheduled to run from Nov 1 to Oct 31, 2027, and each funded pilot may last up to six months, she said.

The announcement links work on combating AI-enabled scams with broader resilience efforts against future cryptographic risks. Teo presented the measures at SICW as part of Singapore’s approach to keep digital services and user credentials secure in the face of advancing technologies.

Channel NewsAsia reported Teo’s remarks and the core details of the GovTech–DeepMind collaboration; other outlets published headlines confirming the partnership. The public description from Teo focuses on detection capability, user privacy on devices and a quantum-safe funding timeline rather than technical specifications or deployment schedules for the on-device model.