M3S Explores Human-Centric AI and Smart Cities at ATxEnterprise

On 21 and 22 May 2026, SMART’s Mens, Manus and Machina (M3S) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) participated in the ATxEnterprise (ATxE) event, part of Asia Tech x Singapore (ATxSG), a leading platform for technology innovation and collaboration jointly organised by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) and Informa. The event brought together policymakers, industry leaders and experts to explore topics across 5 key verticals: applied artificial intelligence (AI) & emerging technologies; broadcast & media technology; telecommunications & connectivity; satellite, space & infrastructure; and enterprise technology & digital transformation. 

At this year’s event, Dr Alok Prakash, Senior Scientific Director at SMART M3S, contributed his expertise across two panel sessions, sharing perspectives on AI readiness and the future of smart cities in an increasingly connected world.

Dr Alok Prakash sharing insights during the panel session on “AI Readiness at Scale”

In the panel session on “AI Readiness at Scale”, Dr Prakash spoke alongside experts in AI and bioscience, and a futurologist. He emphasised that the conversation around AI readiness should move beyond tools to focus on human capability. With AI tools rapidly evolving and becoming widely accessible, he shared that the ability to identify and define the problems worth solving and the judgment to responsibly apply AI are becoming critical differentiators.

Dr Prakash noted that AI readiness varies across different stages of life, highlighting the need for a shift towards adopting a problem-creation mindset over tool mastery for tertiary students, alongside a move away from memorisation-based learning in primary and secondary education towards more project-based, problem-solving approaches.

He also underscored the importance of extending AI literacy to seniors, whose lived and professional experience often gives them an intuitive edge in identifying meaningful AI use-cases that would solve real issues and pain points. Lowering the technical barriers for them would allow that deep well of experience to be translated directly into prototypes that push the needle forward in businesses and societies. At the same time, AI is expected to transform the job landscape by redefining certain roles while providing growth opportunities in areas such as AI safety, cybersecurity, and AI governance.

Dr Alok Prakash moderating the panel session on “Building the Cities of Tomorrow Through Enterprise Technology”

Dr Prakash also moderated a panel session on “Building the Cities of Tomorrow Through Enterprise Technology”, with leading experts in organisations from Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand. The discussion centred on how technological advancements, from AI to cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics, must be complemented by human-centric design, governance, and collaboration for successful smart city strategies. 

The panellists discussed the importance of public-sector control of core digital infrastructure and maintaining it as a shared platform that enables open innovation from industry players to ensure long-term interoperability and scalability.

They also highlighted the need to anchor innovation in real human needs, supported by strong collaboration and alignment across government, industry, and society. As cities evolve, panellists also pointed to demographic shifts, particularly ageing populations, as a key design driver in shaping future smart city development. These shifts are influencing priority areas such as mobility, safety, social participation and support for seniors. Cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange were also identified as critical enablers for scaling ideas, fostering shared learning and accelerating progress in smart city development.

Through its participation at ATxE, SMART M3S continues to contribute to conversations on the responsible and human-centric development of AI and urban development, and showcases M3S’ research that bridges technology, society, and the future of work and cities.