HCLTech to open AI lab in Singapore

Indian IT services provider HCLTech will open an artificial intelligence (AI) lab in Singapore next year to help businesses across various industries deploy AI applications, cementing the city-state’s position as a regional leader in AI innovation.

The facility joins HCLTech’s global network of AI labs in the US, UK, Germany and India to help bridge the gap between current AI technologies and real-world business applications, among other goals.

“We are taking existing technology and making it applicable in a business context,” said Vijay Guntur, global chief technology officer and head of ecosystems at HCLTech, adding that the company is collaborating with customers to develop minimum viable products and scaling successful projects into production, ultimately delivering “industry-focused, repeatable solutions” for clients.

Guntur cited the example of a healthcare AI platform that HCLTech has developed together with a US-based healthcare provider. Initially designed to assist clinicians with diagnosis using curated medical documents and large language models, the platform has undergone several iterations.

Subsequent versions of the platform have capabilities to make healthcare services more accessible in rural areas through a conversational AI agent that leverages AI PCs for local inferencing. This iterative approach enables HCLTech to refine and adapt the platform to different customer needs and expand its use across different healthcare settings.

Beyond healthcare, the AI lab will also address challenges in manufacturing and other sectors, building on previous successes. For instance, the company has developed a predictive AI application for a consumer electronics manufacturer that can identify potential product failures on the production line. This has helped the manufacturer to avoid shipping faulty products, reducing costs and improving customer experience.

At the same time, HCLTech is assisting clients in navigating their AI journeys, addressing challenges such as identifying use cases and demonstrating returns on investment. Guntur acknowledged the difficulty of assigning a value to certain outcomes, such as predicting a heart attack 15 days in advance, but highlighted other areas such as marketing where generative AI can be used to create content and speed up campaign development at scale.

Internally, HCLTech has also embraced AI to enhance its own operations, including modernising legacy systems, change management and IT operations. Guntur detailed how generative AI is transforming software testing at the company, allowing engineers to write test cases in English and automatically generate test scripts. This has improved testing efficiency and enabled engineers to run more test cycles before a product is shipped.

When asked about the potential synergy between HCLTech’s AI labs and HCLSoftware’s product development teams, Guntur said the link is still nascent but noted the growing dialogue between the two teams in areas such as generative AI. “The product management team and the lab teams are already collaborating,” he said, hinting at the potential for lab innovations to be integrated into commercial products.

The new AI lab is also a key component of HCLTech’s broader efforts to build AI talent. In partnerships with Nanyang Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic, the company aims to train and eventually hire 50 first-year students and mid-career professionals over the next few years.

Tan Kiat How, senior minister of state for Singapore’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information and Ministry of National Development, welcomed the partnerships, which will enable students to gain experience and potential employment while HCLTech gains access to a skilled talent pool. He encouraged other multinational companies to consider hiring polytechnic students, recognising their strong technical skills and problem-solving abilities.