If passed, the legislation is expected to come into force in 2026 or 2027.

Besides Mr Tay, two other MPs also expressed concerns about the impact of AI tools on workers.

Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong GRC) was concerned about the intent behind the use of technology.

He said: “It can be difficult to determine intent with AI because AI cannot give evidence, be cross-examined or provide information to the investigation in the same way a human can be questioned.”

Responding, the minister said constant vigilance was needed to ensure workplaces remained fair.

He added that the ministry will work with companies to see whether some AI algorithms have a natural bias towards looking at certain characteristics and therefore favor hiring or promotion based on them.

“Sometimes this may not be an intention. “It may be a function of the data sets the company uses,” he said.

Opposition Leader Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC) said that there is power imbalance in the employer-employee relationship and information asymmetry in favor of the employer.

He asked: “What new approaches would MOM consider to encourage employees to report their concerns to Tafep or other relevant authorities and to MOM?”

The Manpower Minister said the majority of employers are responsible and it is important to maintain the harmonious ecosystem through the tripartite structure, which is the tripartite partnership between the Government, employers and unions.

“But I want to reassure the leader that every complaint, every issue will be dealt with quickly, in a very open and transparent way,” he said.

He added that a complaint database would be created.

“By creating a database that includes the nature of different types of complaints, we can improve our ability to better protect employees and at the same time maintain that balance for employers.”