ISCA invests $1 million into improving AI fluency among non-tech roles

Singapore’s national accountancy body, the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) has unveiled a new AI Fluency Programme aimed at equipping Singapore’s accounting and corporate finance professionals with the foundational skills needed to use artificial intelligence effectively and responsibly. Backed by a S$1 million investment from ISCA, the programme is fully funded and free for all 120,000 accountants in Singapore.

Announced by Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development, at the ISCA Conference 2025, the AI Fluency Programme will roll out in 2026 and is part of the ISCA’s broader AI for AI Initiative. The AI for AI initiative has three pillars, Learn AI, to build knowledge and confidence; Govern AI, to encourage responsible use; and Apply AI, to apply the technology in reality; a three-pronged framework to help accountants understand, adopt, and apply AI in a productive and non-damaging way.

“The profession today faces three challenges: navigating a changing world economic order that is transforming regulation, taxation and governance; harnessing the power of technology, particularly AI, which demands greater responsibility, accountability and productivity; and attracting, developing and retaining talent to sustain long-term growth,” said Teo Ser Luck, President of ISCA. “By equipping them to learn, govern and apply AI responsibly, we are preparing the profession to thrive in an era where human judgement and digital intelligence work hand in hand.”

Developed by ISCA and supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the AI fluency programme is under the Learn AI pillar and meant for non-technical professionals in horizontal roles, starting with accounting and corporate finance. Delivered through online modules, this programme will focus heavily on real-world use cases in auditing, financial reporting, and internal controls. More than half the curriculum is dedicated to hands-on application for accounting, audit, and finance.

Although the full programme has yet to rollout, one can be optimistic that the training will also incorporate aspects of the Govern AI pillar to encourage users to keep due diligence principles front of mind, such as to encourage participants to fact-check AI-generated information and recognise the limits of automated outputs.

The institute is fully funding the programme, making it free for all 120,000 accountants in Singapore. Participants who complete the curriculum will receive Continuing Professional Education hours and an ISCA digital badge recognising their AI readiness. The institute projects 60,000 practicing accountants to benefit directly.

“Building an AI-fluent workforce is central to Singapore’s digital economy ambitions,” said Ng Cher Pong, Chief Executive of IMDA. “IMDA is delighted to partner ISCA to develop AI bilingual talent — accounting and corporate finance professionals who can speak both their domain expertise and the language of AI. This marks the start of our broader TechSkills Accelerator efforts to nurture non-tech professionals to gain AI-fluency across different occupations. We aim to build future-ready professionals who can use AI confidently, create value responsibly, and lead Singapore’s AI adoption.”