Shin Min Daily News, ÁùÑ®ÊåÉÏ¿ÎѧAI ÖúÖзçÆÞ·µÖ°³¡

(Translation)

By attending courses organised by the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to learn how to use AI, a man in his 60s not only picked up skills such as basic financial planning, but also found a way to help his wife return to work after suffering a stroke.

Han Haw Juan, 63, was originally a caregiver for his wife after she suffered a stroke and had to ¡°temporarily retire¡± from work. As his wife¡¯s condition gradually improved, he began considering returning to the workforce himself. Unexpectedly, a course opened up a whole new world for him ¡ª while he did not end up returning to work, it became the key to helping his wife adapt to the workplace again.

Last year, Mr Han was invited by the Tsao Foundation, together with SUTD, to take part in a workplace innovation programme called Project Makeover. Through this programme, he was first introduced to generative AI such as ChatGPT and learned how to use it.

Very quickly, Mr Han realised how useful it was. He began using ChatGPT to solve Excel problems, draft emails and translate documents. From the effort required to search for information to the speed of getting answers, efficiency improved dramatically. He became deeply fascinated with ChatGPT and continued exploring other AI tools.

After his wife suffered a stroke in October last year, her left side was affected. Although her recovery has been relatively good, her reaction time and thinking speed are still slower than before. Tasks such as working with Excel or writing emails became particularly challenging.

Mr Han showed his wife how ChatGPT could quickly explain problems and generate step-by-step workflows. After seeing this, his wife was pleasantly surprised and expressed interest in learning more. He then applied to SUTD on her behalf for her to attend a two-hour workshop.

With Mr Han¡¯s help, his wife mastered the basic use of ChatGPT within a short period of time. Using ChatGPT, she learned how to organise job-application documents, calculate figures, and cross-check information for accuracy. This made her journey back into the workplace much less daunting.

Mr Han also uses ChatGPT for simple financial planning. For example, before going on a family trip, he would ask ChatGPT whether such expenses would disrupt his retirement plan.

Now, Mr Han¡¯s exploration goes beyond ChatGPT. He is actively learning about other AI tools such as DeepSeek, Copilot and Gemini. He encourages other seniors to stay open-minded about AI applications: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to take the first step ¡ª it¡¯s never too late to start learning AI.¡±

¡°I Used to Think AI Was Complicated and Hard to Learn¡±

Mr Han admits that he once believed ChatGPT was something as complex as programming, and that older adults would not be able to understand it. However, the courses provided by SUTD changed his mindset.

¡°I realised it¡¯s actually very simple,¡± he said. ¡°As long as you know how to ask ChatGPT questions, you can keep trying and learning.¡±

After his wife suffered a stroke, Han searched online for information about rehabilitation and treatment. ¡°At that time, I had to watch videos and sift through websites carefully, which took a lot of time.¡±

Now, he no longer needs to do that. ¡°I can just ask ChatGPT for rehabilitation suggestions, and I¡¯ve found the advice to be genuinely useful. If I had known how to use AI back then, I wouldn¡¯t have had to struggle through so many websites.¡±

Free AI Career Workshops to Explore New Opportunities

SUTD and Workforce Singapore (WSG) have jointly launched free AI career workshops to help individuals explore new career pathways.

In addition to workplace innovation programmes, SUTD is also working with WSG to roll out a new career-planning initiative that helps Singaporeans explore their next step in career development.

The programme, titled ¡°What¡¯s Next: Reimagining Your Career Using Design AI¡±, is designed to help professionals, managers, executives and technicians reassess their strengths and use AI tools to explore new opportunities.

The initiative is open to Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 50 and above. Participants attend a two-day workshop held at the SUTD campus.

The programme is fully funded by WSG, with each session limited to 30 participants. Interested members of the public can find more details on SUTD¡¯s website.