US technology giant Google will establish a research hub in Singapore and work separately with two of the country's public healthcare groups to explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in areas including clinical care and disease prevention.
At its inaugural Google for Health Summit in Singapore on Thursday (29 October), Google announced plans to deepen its collaboration with Singapore in healthcare and life sciences, bringing cutting-edge AI technology from research into practical use.
The new Google Research Hub will bring together local researchers and software engineers to develop foundational AI models and accelerate scientific breakthroughs.
The hub also plans to work with institutions including the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University to nurture research talent and support related research.
Google will also expand its existing medical research projects in Singapore, including introducing open AI models such as MedGemma into frontline healthcare settings. This will support the development of safe AI solutions that can be customised to practical needs, while preserving sovereignty and control over medical data.
In clinical care, Google's AI company DeepMind is working with the National University Health System to evaluate an AI co-clinician tool.
The tool can rapidly synthesise information from medical guidelines and research literature to help doctors answer clinical questions that arise when diagnosing and treating patients. In the longer term, the research will also explore how AI can take a more active role in patient care under doctors' supervision.
However, these applications must first undergo rigorous evaluation in simulated environments before they can be considered for use in clinical practice.
Separately, Google Cloud is working with NHG Health on a population health initiative that uses AI to analyse and predict health risks among different population groups, including their likelihood of developing chronic diseases.
These predictions will be integrated into NHG Health's HealthBot. An AI health coach powered by Google's Gemini Enterprise platform will provide residents with personalised lifestyle advice and preventive healthcare reminders, helping them take early action to improve their health.
Speaking at the summit, Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information and for Health, said the collaboration would not only explore whether AI can identify health risks early, but also test whether an AI health coach can direct residents to appropriate healthcare services when clinically sensitive or urgent issues arise, ensuring that those in need receive timely professional medical care.
He said this could help the healthcare system detect health problems earlier, intervene promptly and provide ongoing support between patients' visits, preventing their conditions from worsening.
“AI should not only help healthcare become faster. It should help healthcare become earlier.”
NHG Health to pilot AI health coach early next year
In an interview, Ong Jing Fang, the chief operating officer of Population Health at NHG Health, said the AI health coach was expected to begin a pilot with two specific user groups in early 2027.
“We hope to first reach residents who are eligible for health screening but have not attended when due, understand their concerns and help them find ways to take action. The second group is older people, whom we want to support in preventing frailty, including by providing guidance on nutrition and physical activity,” said Ong.
She also said Google would be providing technologies such as Gemini and Maps, as well as spatial and environmental data. These resources would help deliver personalised recommendations, such as finding healthier dining options nearby or suggesting indoor exercise in bad weather.
“Our next priority is to follow up on whether users can act on the recommendations, including attending health screenings and completing frailty-related assessments. The team will also consider adding a feature that proactively sends personalised health tips.”
The Singapore government and Google announced a National AI Partnership at Asia Tech x Singapore in May this year to jointly advance AI adoption in areas including public services, research and businesses.
The newly announced research hub and healthcare collaborations are the latest steps in deepening their partnership.
