SINGAPORE, May 26 (Xinhua) -- A partnership to accelerate the adoption of generative and agentic artificial intelligence (AI) across businesses and the workforce in Singapore was launched on Tuesday by Alibaba Cloud, Singapore's National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and a local data center provider.

The initiative, which involves Alibaba Cloud, ST Telemedia Global Data Centers (STT GDC), and NTUC-affiliated association Tech Talent Assembly, was announced at Alibaba Cloud's first international Qwen Conference held in Singapore.

The partnership will support up to 1,000 enterprises, developers and students by providing access to advanced AI tools, structured training programs and practical implementation support to facilitate real-world deployment, the companies said in separate statements.

STT GDC said the collaboration comes as companies across industries increasingly explore AI to boost productivity, decision-making and competitiveness, but continue to face challenges in translating interest into practical applications.

NTUC said the initiative is designed with workers in mind, particularly those in small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-career roles, who may have limited resources or confidence to adopt AI independently.

The initiative will begin in June.