When Lee Chee Tian enrolled in Singapore Management University’s Master of IT in Business (MITB) programme in August 2021, he stood out not just for being the oldest student in his AI track cohort, but for his bold decision to embark on unfamiliar terrain. With more than 10 years of experience as a professional in the media industry, Chee Tian made an intentional decision to shift into the AI arena, with MITB.
Chee Tian’s transition to AI was not born of curiosity alone but driven by necessity. “To be honest, the shift came about more by push than by pull. During the Covid pandemic, many media production activities were halted or scaled down, and IT seemed to be the industry that was thriving,” shared Chee Tian.
“Out of economic considerations, I decided to make a return to that industry, where I had originally worked in before entering media about a decade ago to. I realised that my earlier IT skills and knowledge had become obsolete after a 10-year hiatus, and I had to go back to school to get requalified,” said Chee Tian.
Among the many IT specialisations available, AI stood out for Chee Tian.
"It caught my imagination," he explained. "Even though I had some programming knowledge, I had to adopt an entirely new mindset to meet the demands of AI. Fortunately, my coding and programming knowledge from my earlier IT career could still come in handy to help me tide through the highly technical demands of the AI curriculum. Even so, I still had to keep an open mind constantly to absorb the new way of computing that is AI.”
Crediting SMU for helping him rebuild his foundation, Chee Tian said: "I started with no background in AI, but the structured modules gave me a broad understanding of the field. The MITB’s rigorous curriculum and practical internship opportunities were pivotal. My time at SMU also provided a testing ground for applying AI knowledge in real-world settings, which eases transition into the workforce.”
Age as an opportunity, not a barrier
Being older than his classmates could have been a hurdle, but Chee Tian found that some of his closest friendships from SMU grew from group projects with these individuals.
"It happened that my mostly much younger classmates and I all shared a common goal coming to this course, that is to pursue knowledge about AI, so everyone was equally humble and eager to learn, and that put us all on the same level,” said Chee Tian.
“I am relieved that my classmates never displayed any ageism toward me,” he continued. “On my part, I also put aside my age seniority and did my best to blend in with the cohort. In the many group projects across various modules, I had the chance to work closely with many different classmates, all younger than me, but age never posed a problem. Everyone exhibited high levels of professionalism and contributed their respective strengths to collectively complete the work at hand. I forged friendships with project mates who shared common interests (board games, karaoke) or life experiences (parenthood), and we still try to make time after graduation to catch up.”
Building bridges between media and technology
Presently, as an AI Architect at Mediacorp, Chee Tian draws on his unique combination of media and tech experience to bridge two worlds. "I work closely with teams across the company to develop AI solutions that meet user needs. With my media industry experience, I help to bridge the AI Products and Solutions Team, where I am a member, with the users from different business units in the company, conveying the users’ needs with my insights to my team, so that we can source for and develop AI solutions to accurately address their work needs," he explained.
Chee Tian has also taken on the task of driving AI adoption and governance, navigating the rapid evolution of AI while ensuring its ethical use. The rapid pace of AI innovation keeps Chee Tian busy, but he approaches the challenge with optimism.
“With the ever-increasing capabilities and availability of AI, I am also working with our IT Adoption Office team to facilitate AI adoption across the company, to enable staff to discover and reap the benefits of AI in their everyday operations,” shared Chee Tian. “AI is evolving so quickly, especially with tools like ChatGPT coming into the picture. Staying informed and adaptable is key.”
For those considering a mid-career switch, his advice is simple: "Find a domain you care about and think about how AI can make a difference there. It’s an incredible opportunity to reinvent yourself and create meaningful impact."
Photo credit: Lee Chee Tian