• Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled marks 27 years with two initiatives promoting inclusive innovation
• The first, in an MoU with SUTD, aims to develop a new AMI Intelli app that builds on SUTD’s original AMI platform to bring interactive games and an AI-powered social chatbot to seniors with intellectual disabilities
• The second is the “SG60 Art Collection: I See You” initiative, which will raise funds to support the development of other therapy programmes, including AMI Intelli

As it celebrates 27 years of service to older persons with intellectual disabilities (ID), Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled is taking a bold step towards inclusive innovation. The Home has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to co-develop AMI Intelli, a game app powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that combines games and chatbot conversations to enhance the cognitive and emotional well-being of its senior residents.

The new app builds on SUTD’s original Advancing Mental Invigoration (AMI) platform, launched in 2023 as a bilingual dementia-prevention game for seniors. When fully developed, AMI Intelli will mark the first time — in Singapore and globally — that an AI-powered cognitive app is being created specifically for adults with intellectual disabilities, with the potential to benefit not just Bishan Home’s residents but also similar communities and seniors across the nation.

The platform comprises three interrelated components designed to work seamlessly together for holistic engagement and well-being:

• AI-powered predictive model – Uses AI and machine-learning algorithms to estimate each resident’s cognitive and socio-emotional state based on their in-app interactions, gaming behaviours and chatbot conversations;
• Science-driven cognitive games – Drawn from SUTD’s AMI-Able suite, these games stimulate abilities such as receptive and expressive verbal skills through familiar activities like colour matching and object dragging, with a bilingualism module for higher-functioning residents; and
• Personalised conversational agent – An intuitive and engaging AI-powered social chatbot that serves as a virtual companion, offering socio-emotional support and encouraging meaningful dialogue.

Through AMI Intelli, residents will interact with their own digital avatars via touchscreens and iPads, play adaptive games that stimulate memory and mental agility, and converse naturally with the chatbot in a safe, supportive environment. Dialect support will also be included to ensure accessibility for all users.

Mr Lau Wah Ming, Honorary Chairman of Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled, said: “At Bishan Home, we believe that innovation must always have a heart. Our partnership with SUTD shows how AI can be harnessed for a good purpose: to uplift lives, spark inclusion and give dignity to every person we serve. Even as we embrace AI to enable innovation, we must not neglect the human touch — empathy and compassion remain the bridge between the older and younger generations. Our residents’ engagement in both AI therapy and creative art initiatives is testament to that spirit.”

Professor Yow Wei Quin, Professor of Psychology and Head of the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) cluster at SUTD, added: “Services for individuals with intellectual disabilities should evolve with their needs, abilities and life stages. At SUTD, we seek to harness design and AI to enhance human lives, not replace them. With AMI Intelli, we’re developing an empathetic, person-centred platform that supports intellectually disabled older adults through adaptive cognitive games and AI companionship. This reflects our vision of human–AI co-evolution — a future where humans and AI grow, adapt and learn together — and the same philosophy behind our upcoming new �ٱ��������·���� degree programme, which go beyond engineering and computer science to welcome social scientists, designers and innovators who want to build AI that truly serves people.”

To mark its anniversary and commemorate SG60, Bishan Home also launched the “SG60 Art Collection: I See You”. The intergenerational project, initiated by six secondary school students from the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Secondary (Toa Payoh), St Gabriel’s Secondary School and the German European School Singapore, pairs each intellectually disabled artist with a student poet to co-create a painting and poem. The collaboration aims to give residents a voice through art while nurturing empathy and understanding among youth. Through the SG60 art collection, Bishan Home hopes to get sponsorships with the proceeds going towards funding Bishan Home’s therapy programmes, including further development of AMI Intelli.

Chyen Chan Kai Wen, a student leader from CHIJ (Toa Payoh), created a poem titled “Where is the horizon?” for a painting by 64-year-old resident, Mr Leong Kok Peng. The 15-year-old said: “The ‘SG60 Art Collection: I See You’ initiative is more than just an art project. It’s about connection, understanding and giving a voice to those who might not be heard otherwise. By combining art and words, we’ve created something beautiful that shows the value and dignity of every person. The three words, “I see You” represents a personal relationship and friendship between a student and a senior intellectually disabled artist. The student and the intellectually disabled artist are having a conversation to reach out and gain a deeper mutual understanding of each other, to truly “see” the beauty that lies below the surface. My team is also proud to be part of the Home’s effort to help raise funds for programme development such as the AI-powered app — AMI Intelli — which will empower the elderly with intellectual disabilities. It’s a small step towards a more compassionate community, but it’s a start.”

Madam Toh Siew Mui, 49, an intellectually disabled artist and resident at Bishan Home, created a hand-drawn artwork inspired by a Straits Times photograph featuring Singapore’s President, Senior Minister and Prime Minister. Madam Toh, who will be testing AMI Intelli’s AI-powered features, said: “I love to learn to draw, and I like to play on the iPad.”