Professor Henrik Christensen often uses an analogy that feels almost too simple for a technology as powerful as artificial intelligence: electricity. 

Electricity changed the world not because everyone became an electrician to benefit from it, but because it became widely accessible, dependable and easy to use. AI, he believes, should follow the same path. 

It is an idea that sounds intuitive. Yet it runs against how many people experience AI as something they must keep up with or navigate around today. 

“AI should reduce complexity, not add another layer of complexity to an already complex world,” says Professor Christensen, Temasek’s inaugural Fellow.

It is in this spirit that the Temasek Fellowship takes shape, with a focus on translating frontier thinking into practical capability. 

The programme’s inaugural fellow, Professor Christensen, is a distinguished robotics and AI academic based in the United States. He holds the Qualcomm Chancellor’s Chair of Robot Systems at UC San Diego and has served as main editor of the US National Robotics Roadmap across multiple editions since 2009. 

But credentials alone are not the point of a Fellowship. What matters is the ability to bridge the gap between what technology can do and how organisations can use it safely, reliably, and at scale. 

AI adoption rarely stalls because organisations lack motivation. It stalls when ambitions meet real-world friction, including legacy workflows, operational constraints, regulatory standards, workforce readiness, and the challenge of deciding which use case to prioritise first. That is where Professor Christensen’s unique combination of academic research and industry knowledge was most relevant, and where he focused much of his time during his Fellowship. 

From interest to application

A defining feature of the Fellowship is that it is anchored in practical engagement, ensuring that ideas are tested against real-world constraints and organisational realities.  

During his tenure, Professor Christensen engaged a range of partners across the ecosystem, including TPCs, on real operational environments where AI and robotics must work under constraints, and where adoption needs to be thoughtfully sequenced. 

At SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC), Professor Christensen worked with the team on several projects, including pursuing regulatory approval for the use of drones in aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and the development of a Multi-role Robotic Assistant to support aircraft turnaround handling. 

“The Temasek Fellowship partnership has enabled SIAEC to move emerging technologies from concept to operational environment. Although complex and often demanding, the project has been purposeful and impactful. It is another successful milestone in SIAEC’s journey to scale robotics and AI across MRO operations,” says Mr Tan Sim Cheng, Senior Vice President, Corporate Planning & Continuous Improvement, SIAEC. 

At ST Engineering, engagements spanned new robotics capabilities for emerging commercial and public security operations, to developing an updated reference architecture for Physical AI. “We extend our deep appreciation to Professor Christensen for his clear, forward-looking guidance and partnership in helping us explore new frontiers and identify growth opportunities in Physical AI,” says Dr Lee Shiang Long, Group Chief Technology and Digital Officer.

These are not contexts where technology can simply be incrementally added to legacy businesses. They require clear prioritisation, credible pathways, and organisational confidence, not just in the tools, but also in how people, processes and governance come together to support adoption. 

Strengthening the wider ecosystem

The Fellowship is also intended to advance capabilities across Singapore’s ecosystem, supporting shared understanding, readiness, and long-term confidence in navigating emerging change. 

During his Fellowship, Professor Christensen engaged with universities such as the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore Management University (SMU), and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), contributing to the development of local AI and robotics curricula, particularly in the context of continuing education. 

He also engaged organisations across Singapore’s broader ecosystem, including Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), GovTech, and National Robotics Programme (NRP), sharing perspectives on how the latest trends and developments in AI and Robotics may be relevant to Singapore. 

His impact also extended to the social sector, where he engaged with the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) as well as a variety of social service agencies, facilitating conversations on practical adoption to improve service delivery and considerations such as governance and privacy. 

Looking ahead

Reflecting on his Fellowship, Professor Christensen emphasised that progress in emerging technologies is ultimately about building confidence in people, organisations, and systems, so that innovation can be applied thoughtfully and responsibly.  

“Technology becomes transformative when people trust it to work quietly in the background. Like electricity, what matters to most people is not how it is built, but whether it is safe, reliable, accessible and easy to use with confidence,” says Professor Christensen. 

While his Fellowship has concluded, Professor Christensen continues to play an advisory role with Temasek, reflecting the programme’s long-term ambitions to build capabilities across organisations and the wider Singapore ecosystem.

 About Temasek's Community Contributions

Temasek’s journey in building social capital started over 20 years ago, when it adopted a deliberate and structured approach, anchored on the twin pillars of governance and sustainability, to give back to communities. 

 Since 2003, Temasek has been setting aside a portion of its net positive returns above its risk-adjusted cost of capital for community gifts.  

These are approved by the Temasek Board and then donated to partners to achieve Temasek’s community objectives of Connecting People, Uplifting Communities, Protecting the Planet, and Advancing Capabilities.

Temasek Trust (TT) has been the primary beneficiary of Temasek’s gifts. TT disburses grants for programmes to be developed and delivered by Temasek’s non-profit ecosystem, including Temasek Foundation, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Stewardship Asia Centre, and Mandai Nature. 

In addition to Temasek Trust and our non-profit ecosystem, Temasek also works directly with partners from the Public, Private, and People sectors to advance our community objectives, where our philanthropic capital, network, and industry insights can make the most impact.