# Identify consent or an applicable PDPA exception before using personal data in AI

- **Record type**: Obligation
- **Instrument**: PDPC Advisory Guidelines on Use of Personal Data in AI Recommendation and Decision Systems
- **Jurisdiction**: Singapore
- **Category**: privacy_data_protection
- **Binding**: Yes
- **Provision**: Advisory guidelines, sections on consent, business improvement and research exceptions

## In brief

Identify consent or an applicable PDPA exception before using personal data in AI is a legal requirement under the PDPC AI advisory guidelines in Singapore (Advisory guidelines, sections on consent, business improvement and research exceptions). The record carries 1 evidence example and mappings to 1 framework.

## What the duty requires

Personal data used to train or operate AI systems requires consent unless an exception applies, such as the business improvement exception for improving products and services or the research exception for developing models, each subject to conditions.

## What an organisation does about it

Map AI data uses to consent or a specific exception and record the conditions met.

## Controls that meet this duty

- Privacy and data-protection controls for AI (satisfies): https://aipolicytracker.org/controls/privacy-and-data-protection-for-ai
- Data governance and dataset documentation (supports): https://aipolicytracker.org/controls/data-governance-and-dataset-documentation

## Parent instrument

- PDPC Advisory Guidelines on Use of Personal Data in AI Recommendation and Decision Systems
  - Record: https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/singapore-pdpc-ai-advisory-guidelines
  - Context file: https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/singapore-pdpc-ai-advisory-guidelines.md

## Provenance

- **Permanent id**: AIPT-OBL-0058 (https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-OBL-0058; never changes or gets reused)
- **Record page**: https://aipolicytracker.org/obligations/singapore-pdpc-consent-or-exception-for-ai-data
- **Official source**: https://www.pdpc.gov.sg/guidelines-and-consultation/2024/02/advisory-guidelines-on-use-of-personal-data-in-ai-recommendation-and-decision-systems
- **Provision**: Advisory guidelines, sections on consent, business improvement and research exceptions
- **Review status**: verified
- **Confidence**: medium
- **Facts last confirmed**: 2026-09-26
- **Confirmed by**: Bhaskar Bhatt (see https://aipolicytracker.org/reviewers)
- **Retrieved**: 2026-10-27
- **Licence**: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- **Cite as**: AIPolicyTracker (2026). "Identify consent or an applicable PDPA exception before using personal data in AI (PDPC AI advisory guidelines)" [AIPT-OBL-0058, verified 26 September 2026 by Bhaskar Bhatt]. https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-OBL-0058 (accessed 27 October 2026).

> This record is a structured summary with a link to the official text. It is not legal advice. Open the official source before relying on any date or duty. How current each record type must be is published at https://aipolicytracker.org/verification; what a record must carry at all is published at https://aipolicytracker.org/coverage.