In a recent interview, Wynthia Goh, the Senior Partner and Global Co-Lead at NEXT, NCS, shared her insights on the importance of robotics technology in addressing long-standing societal problems. Describing her work in five words as “Making tomorrow better with technology,” Goh emphasized the significance of her role as a creative practitioner, focusing on the possibilities of innovation while grounding ideas in the real world.
Goh believes that technology is neither inherently good nor bad; rather, it is the way in which it is directed and applied that determines its impact. At NCS, she works towards developing and implementing applications that benefit the community, emphasizing human-centred values such as freedom, safety, and care.
Contrary to common misconceptions, Goh’s work goes beyond mere technological advancements, aiming to address deeply-rooted issues that have long plagued industries and institutions. For example, in the healthcare sector, NCS collaborated with hospitals to integrate robots for handling repetitive tasks, allowing nurses to focus more on providing critical care to patients.
One of the key focus areas of Goh’s work has been video intelligence, where the implementation of video analytics models has significantly enhanced workplace safety by detecting subtle issues that may be overlooked by the human eye. By leveraging technology, NCS has transformed processes, such as security monitoring, to improve overall efficiency and effectiveness.
Success for Goh is defined by the positive impact of their work on people’s lives, demonstrating the value of technology in addressing real-world problems. She cited the use of Gen AI in emergency assistance at this year’s Milipol as an example of practical application, providing guides to call dispatchers and summarizing calls to connect callers to needed services.
To further advance their overarching goals, Goh highlighted the importance of an established national ethical framework for the use of technology, incorporating ethics from the design stage, as well as organizational transformation that prioritises people and addresses customer and employee needs.
Despite the challenges faced by the world today, Goh finds hope in human creativity and ingenuity. By partnering with educational institutions to explore innovative solutions to urban mobility challenges with Gen AI, she witnessed the remarkable capacity of individuals to creatively address complex societal issues.
In conclusion, Goh’s work at NCS exemplifies the transformative potential of robotics technology in addressing entrenched problems, emphasizing the need to harness the power of innovation for the betterment of society. As she continues to drive forward with her team, Goh remains optimistic about the positive impact technology can have under the guidance of human creativity and ethical consideration.