Close to 15,000 professionals join national AI capability effort within two months as employers build practical AI workforce capabilities

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 28 August 2026 - Singapore's ambition to build an accountancy profession fluent in artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining strong momentum, with more than 15,000 accountants and finance professionals enrolled in the ISCA AI Fluency Programme just two months after the launch. The strong early participation marks an important milestone in a broader national effort to build practical AI capabilities across the accountancy profession.

ISCA AI Fluency Programme is Singapore's national AI learning initiative for the accountancy profession, aimed at building practical AI capabilities across the profession. It aims to equip 60,000 accountancy and corporate finance professionals over the next three years, representing approximately half of Singapore's accountancy profession. It also develops professionals who combine professional judgement and technical expertise with practical AI capabilities that can be applied effectively and responsibly at work.

From AI awareness to workplace capability

As organisations invest in AI platforms and enterprise solutions, successful AI adoption depends not only on technology, but also on whether people have the skills and confidence to apply AI responsibly and effectively in their daily work.

The programme is designed to bridge this gap by helping professionals become AI fluent as it is built around more than 180 practical accounting and finance AI use cases spanning six professional roles, including audit, finance, tax, internal audit, governance and board reporting. It also contains over 600 practical learning activities, enabling professionals to explore how AI can be applied directly to their everyday work.

Participants learn how AI can be applied to practical workplace tasks, including financial analysis and reporting, preparing board and management materials, supporting audit planning and testing, and accelerating tax research and internal audit planning.

Strong early momentum across the profession

Participants include professionals at different career stages and in different workplace settings: from students preparing to enter the workforce and small firm practitioners to senior business leaders. To date, over 250 learners have earned their AI Fluency digital badge. Almost 80 learners have completed the full 30-hours of structured online learning, equivalent to around 10 days of instructor-led practical workshops and have been recognised as AI Champions. Early learner feedback has also been positive, with the programme receiving an average rating of 4.85 out of 5.

The strong early take-up reflects growing interest in building practical AI capabilities and recognition of their increasing relevance to accountants and finance professionals.

Employers are investing in AI capable workforces

The programme is also seeing encouraging support from employers, as organisations explore how AI learning can translate into practical workplace applications. Professionals from organisations including EY, Deloitte, DBS, SP Group and the Accountant-General's Department (AGD), among others, are also participating in the programme, reflecting the breadth of interest and the growing relevance of AI fluency across the profession as Singapore's workforce adapts to an increasingly AI-enabled economy.

The AGD has enrolled more than 400 officers in the AI Fluency programme, with plans to progressively extend the programme to some 4,000 public sector finance and internal audit officers across the Whole-of-Government.

The programme is also beginning to demonstrate measurable workplace impact. At Accredify, AI workflows have been developed to reduce time spent on selected finance and contract processing activities by an estimated 50 to 80 per cent, demonstrating how practical AI capability can translate into tangible business outcomes.

A profession united by lifelong learning

AI Fluency is bringing together professionals across generations. Among the programme's earliest AI Champions is ISCA Distinguished Lifetime Member Mr Boon Swan Foo, who has completed the full 30-hour programme. His completion demonstrates a commitment to lifelong learning.

Mr Boon said: "Throughout my career, I have seen our profession evolve with every major technological shift. AI is simply the next chapter. What impressed me about the programme is that it is not about replacing professional judgement. It is about strengthening it. Continuous learning has always been the hallmark of a trusted professional and AI Fluency is becoming an essential part of that journey."

Expanding AI capabilities across the region

Building on the encouraging response in Singapore, ISCA is preparing Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese versions of the AI Fluency programme to support wider regional adoption. Discussions are also underway with professional accountancy organisations, accounting firms and corporates across ASEAN, with the ambition of sharing Singapore's AI capability model more broadly across the region.

Within Singapore, ISCA is working towards its goal of upskilling 60,000 accountancy and corporate finance professionals over three years, while deepening adoption across organisations and supporting more learners in completing their AI Fluency journey.

The programme will also continue to evolve with new AI tools, emerging accountancy use cases and industry developments to ensure professionals remain current in an increasingly AI-enabled workplace.

Mr Lee Boon Teck, President of ISCA, said: "AI will not replace professional judgement. Its greatest value will come from professionals who can combine AI capabilities with their expertise and judgement to deliver better outcomes for clients, employers and society. The strong response to AI Fluency programme demonstrates that our profession is ready to embrace this next chapter as we work towards our ambition of building an AI-fluent accountancy profession in Singapore."