Government agencies in Singapore can now leverage Google’s latest artificial intelligence (AI) tools under an expanded collaboration between the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech Singapore) and Google Cloud as the latter strengthens data residency guarantees.
Through GovTech’s Government on Commercial Cloud platform, agencies can use Gemini 2.5 Flash and Vertex AI Search to develop secure, Cloud Confidential Eligible (CCE) applications.
They can also leverage Vertex AI to gain access to a wide range of AI models from Google Cloud and its partners, allowing them to evaluate different models side-by-side and choose the best fit for particular use cases without disruptive changes to existing systems.
GovTech Singapore will also pilot Google’s Agentspace for a select group of public officers. The platform lets staff create custom AI agents, use agentic AI intranet search, and tap on Google-built agents to retrieve information across work applications and automate routine or complex tasks. IT administrators can apply role-based access and identity management controls to ensure the use of these AI agents aligns with government data governance and security policies.
AI agents sandbox
To further support the safe and responsible use of AI agents, Google, GovTech, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) are considering establishing a dedicated AI agents sandbox for public sector use cases.
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Google will provide GovTech Singapore with access to a prototype browser control tool that can reason, plan, and take action on behalf of users. The tool is accessible via the Gemini API and developed under the cloud giant’s Project Mariner initiative.
“The AI agents sandbox is part of Singapore’s continued efforts to learn and grow with AI. From the sandbox, we hope to better understand how to interact with agentic AI and build confidence to capture its value for the public good,” says Josephine Teo, Singapore’s Minister for Digital Development and Information, at Google Cloud’s “AI Asia: Building Beyond Borders” event in Singapore earlier today.
“One of our priorities is to harness the potential of AI while ensuring that our systems and the services citizens and businesses rely on remain secure. Google Cloud has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting the public sector with initiatives that enable the agile and responsible adoption of AI. We look forward to working more closely with Google Cloud to deliver technology for the public good,” says GovTech Singapore’s chief executive Goh Wei Boon.
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Expanded data residency guarantees in Singapore
Earlier today, Google Cloud announced the general availability of Gemini on Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) air-gapped and the preview of Gemini on GDC connected in Asia.
The rollout enables organisations to harness the full power of Gemini models while keeping sensitive data fully under their control, in their own data centres.
GDC is a fully-managed on-premises and edge cloud solution that is offered in both air-gapped and connected configurations. Gemini on GDC complements the integrated technology stack, including Vertex AI, Database as a Service (DBaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and end-to-end security controls.
Alongside GovTech Singapore, the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies (CSIT) and the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) will be the first in Asia to gain access to Gemini on GDC air-gapped. The deployment will allow agencies to accelerate the development and deployment of agentic AI while keeping highly sensitive data within on-premises facilities, fully disconnected from the public Internet.
“GDC’s secure, managed platform is one of the key solutions HTX is leveraging to address evolving challenges in the realm of public safety, without compromising our strict data residency and compliance requirements. This will include fine-tuning Gemini models on GDC for Home Team-specific use cases,” says Ang Chee Wee, HTX’s chief AI officer.
Loh Chee Kin, CSIT’s deputy chief executive, adds that the agency’s pioneering role as a key GDC collaboration partner in shaping the air-gapped roadmap and validating deployment solutions had “helped it grow cutting-edge capabilities and establish a proven blueprint that could benefit other agencies with similar requirements”. “We’re excited about the availability of Gemini on GDC, and we look forward to building on our partnership to develop and deploy agentic AI applications for our national security mission," he says.
Beyond the public sector, the National University of Singapore (NUS) will also benefit from Google Cloud’s expanded data residency guarantees. Its research and innovation centre will use Vertex AI Search for Healthcare and Life Sciences to develop and validate assistive, multimodal AI solutions for analysing genomics data, medical images, and clinical information.
These tools could help NUS researchers uncover new connections between patients’ genetic predispositions and disease progression, ultimately speeding up clinical trial design and paving the way for advances in precision medicine.
“Singapore is the launchpad for AI in Asia, and today we’re making Google’s most capable models and AI tools available here. By bringing Gemini everywhere – in the public cloud with data residency guarantees, in on-premises or disconnected environments, and at the edge – we are unleashing a wave of innovation for both public sector organisations and businesses across industries. With AI, we are providing a potent catalyst for transformation and creating new economic opportunities,” says Thomas Kurian, Google Cloud’s chief executive officer.
