Singapore AI News & Daily Briefing

Singapore bank UOB and NUS-ISS share what they actually look for when hiring in the AI age: problem-solving, curiosity, and adaptability beat technical skills. They coin the term "AI bilinguals" — workers who keep their domain expertise (law, accounting, HR) but learn to apply AI to it. UOB's Better U Pivot Programme helps at-risk staff transition to new roles and has achieved an 80 percent success rate. The message: don't panic about AI replacing you, but standing still is the real risk.

Singapore has launched the ASPIRE 2B supercomputer, significantly expanding the country’s national [high-performance computing capacity to support AI, scientific research and advanced simulations](https://www.mddi.gov.sg/newsroom/opening-address-by-minister-josephine-teo-at-national-supercomputing-centre--nscc--s-launch-of-aspire-2b-supercomputer/). The new system, operated by the [National Supercomputing Centre Singapore](https://www.nscc.sg/) (NSCC), is expected to support researchers, public institutions and industry partners working on complex data-intensive projects. Officials say the platform will enable more sophisticated AI models, higher-resolution simulations and new experimentation in areas such as climate science and quantum computing. Speaking at the launch, Minister for Digit

Singapore has launched a national initiative aimed at [preparing university students for AI roles in the financial sector](https://news.smu.edu.sg/news/2026/06/04/smu-supports-new-talent-pipeline-ai-proficient-professionals-singapores-financial). The Young Talent Programme for AI in Finance (YTP-AIF), introduced at Singapore Management University (SMU), combines academic learning with industry projects and internships. The programme seeks to strengthen the transition from higher education to employment while building AI capabilities relevant to financial services, a sector that contributes about 14% of Singapore’s GDP and employs around 200,000 professionals. The initiative was launched by the [Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF)](https://www.ibf.org.sg/) with support from the [Monetary

# Singapore startups double down on AI usage, running multiple platforms: Aspire report - The Business Times [Search](https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/search) [](https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/global?ref=logo "The Business Times")  / Sign up for free [Subscribe](https://subscribe.sph.com.sg/btpe-mthlyprepaid/?utm_campaign=btp99&utm_medium=sph-publication&utm_source=bt&utm_content=subscribebutton-header) # Singapore startups double down on AI usage, running multiple platforms: Aspire report Such companies are also building a distributed workforce, with hiring from outside of the Republic growing [Summaris

Google sued Outsider over AI text phishing scams. Outsider was linked to $1.9 billion in losses. Google has filed a lawsuit against a suspected Chinese cybercrime network accused of using artificial intelligence to support text-message scams targeting Android users in the United States. The complaint, filed on June 12, identifies the group as Outsider Enterprise. […] The post Google sues Chinese network over AI text phishing scams appeared first on TechWire Asia .

This article is adapted by the author with permission from Tech Policy Press . Read the original article . South Africa is not just another developing country struggling to govern artificial intelligence; it is the exception with leverage, and the window to act on it is closing. It holds approximately 88 percent of global platinum-group metal reserves , critical inputs to parts of the semiconductor and data-center supply chains that make AI infrastructure possible. It hosts the largest data-center market on the continent. Its existing hyperscaler relationships give it procurement leverage that most African states will never have . And a major geopolitical contest over AI infrastructure is being fought on its soil right now, between Chinese and American technology companies competing for co

For a quarter century, the Google search box has been one of the most recognizable interfaces in computing: a thin white rectangle, a blinking cursor, a few typed words, and a list of blue links. On Tuesday, Google will formally retire that paradigm. At its annual I/O developer conference , Google announced a sweeping redesign of the search box itself — the literal text field where billions of queries begin every day — transforming it from a simple keyword input into a dynamic, AI-driven conversation starter that can accept text, images, PDFs, videos, and even open Chrome tabs as inputs. The company is also merging its AI Overviews and AI Mode features into a single, seamless search flow, eliminating the friction that previously forced users to choose between a traditional results page and

Hackers have compromised 73 Microsoft code packages with malware that steals login credentials the moment developers open them in AI coding tools like Claude Code, Cursor, and VS Code. The attack, tracked as 'Miasma,' targets cloud credentials from AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, then spreads laterally to infect other machines. If you used these packages, assume your systems are compromised and rotate your credentials now.

# We’re launching the Google DeepMind Accelerator program in Asia Pacific to tackle environmental risks. [The Keyword](https://deepmind.google/) We’re launching the Google DeepMind Accelerator program in Asia Pacific to tackle environmental risks. [Share](https://deepmind.google/blog/were-launching-the-google-deepmind-accelerator-program-in-asia-pacific-to-tackle-environmental-risks/) [x.com](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=We%E2%80%99re%20launching%20the%20Google%20DeepMind%20Accelerator%20program%20in%20Asia%20Pacific%20to%20tackle%20environmental%20risks.%20%40google&url=https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/google-deepmind/accelerator-ai-for-the-planet/)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?caption=We%E2%80%99re%20launching%20the%20Google%20Dee

The US government has restricted Anthropic from exporting its powerful AI models Fable and Mythos to foreign users and non-citizens—marking the first real test of export controls on frontier AI. A TechCrunch analysis traces the history of similar attempts with PGP encryption and spyware, concluding they consistently fail and often backfire by pushing development offshore.

Railway , a San Francisco-based cloud platform that has quietly amassed two million developers without spending a dollar on marketing, announced Thursday that it raised $100 million in a Series B funding round, as surging demand for artificial intelligence applications exposes the limitations of legacy cloud infrastructure. TQ Ventures led the round, with participation from FPV Ventures , Redpoint , and Unusual Ventures . The investment values Railway as one of the most significant infrastructure startups to emerge during the AI boom, capitalizing on developer frustration with the complexity and cost of traditional platforms like Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud . "As AI models get better at writing code, more and more people are asking the age-old question: where, and how, do I run my

Google DeepMind has launched Gemini for Science, a new set of AI tools to accelerate scientific discovery. The tools include Hypothesis Generation (which debates and evaluates research ideas using AI agents), Computational Discovery (running thousands of experiments in parallel to test new modeling approaches), and Literature Insights (synthesizing findings across millions of papers). Early users have discovered potential mechanisms for a rare genetic disease in minutes rather than hours. Partners like BASF are already using these tools to optimize supply chains, while pharmaceutical companies like Daiichi Sankyo use them for drug research.

The artificial intelligence coding revolution comes with a catch: it's expensive. Claude Code , Anthropic's terminal-based AI agent that can write, debug, and deploy code autonomously, has captured the imagination of software developers worldwide. But its pricing — ranging from $20 to $200 per month depending on usage — has sparked a growing rebellion among the very programmers it aims to serve. Now, a free alternative is gaining traction. Goose , an open-source AI agent developed by Block (the financial technology company formerly known as Square), offers nearly identical functionality to Claude Code but runs entirely on a user's local machine. No subscription fees. No cloud dependency. No rate limits that reset every five hours. "Your data stays with you, period," said Parth Sareen, a so

Salesforce on Tuesday launched an entirely rebuilt version of Slackbot , the company's workplace assistant, transforming it from a simple notification tool into what executives describe as a fully powered AI agent capable of searching enterprise data, drafting documents, and taking action on behalf of employees. The new Slackbot, now generally available to Business+ and Enterprise+ customers, is Salesforce's most aggressive move yet to position Slack at the center of the emerging "agentic AI" movement — where software agents work alongside humans to complete complex tasks. The launch comes as Salesforce attempts to convince investors that artificial intelligence will bolster its products rather than render them obsolete. "Slackbot isn't just another copilot or AI assistant," said Parker Ha

Anthropic released Cowork on Monday, a new AI agent capability that extends the power of its wildly successful Claude Code tool to non-technical users — and according to company insiders, the team built the entire feature in approximately a week and a half, largely using Claude Code itself. The launch marks a major inflection point in the race to deliver practical AI agents to mainstream users, positioning Anthropic to compete not just with OpenAI and Google in conversational AI, but with Microsoft's Copilot in the burgeoning market for AI-powered productivity tools. "Cowork lets you complete non-technical tasks much like how developers use Claude Code," the company announced via its official Claude account on X. The feature arrives as a research preview available exclusively to Claude Max

AI systems are hitting a 'memory wall'—their speed is limited by how fast they can read data, not process it. Startup Majestic Labs is building Prometheus, a server with 128 terabytes of memory—60 times more than Nvidia's top AI server. The company claims this could cut customers' power consumption and costs by up to 50 times. The server uses custom memory aggregation chips and ARM/RISC-V processors, shipping in 2027.

OpenAI has launched a Partner Network to help businesses adopt AI at scale, investing $150 million and aiming to certify 300,000 consultants by end of 2026. The program groups partners into tiers (Select, Advanced, Elite) based on their AI deployment success, with specializations in areas like cybersecurity and Codex. It's essentially OpenAI building a global ecosystem of consulting firms and system integrators to overcome the real bottleneck: not AI capability, but getting organizations to actually use it effectively.

The semiconductor industry needs more chip designers as demand for AI and automotive chips grows. A veteran ASIC designer shares insights on moving from academia to industry: academia asks 'what's possible,' while industry demands 'what works reliably at scale.' With chip mask costs hitting tens of millions at advanced nodes, industry prioritizes risk minimization over novelty—requiring a major mindset shift for new entrants.

# Simulate real-world places with Project Genie and Street View [The Keyword](https://deepmind.google/) Simulate real-world places with Project Genie and Street View [Share](https://deepmind.google/blog/simulate-real-world-places-with-project-genie-and-street-view/) [x.com](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Simulate%20real-world%20places%20with%20Project%20Genie%20and%20Street%20View%20%40google&url=https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/google-deepmind/project-genie-expands/)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?caption=Simulate%20real-world%20places%20with%20Project%20Genie%20and%20Street%20View&u=https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/models-and-research/google-deepmind/project-genie-expands/)[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=tru

Nearly 750 million people face hunger today, and food demand will surge 50% by 2050. An IEEE report highlights how smart farming—drones, sensors, AI analytics, digital twins, and robotics—is transforming agriculture into a systems-engineering challenge. Vertical farms using 90% less water and autonomous tomato-harvesting robots are already in development.

Google is expanding tools to help people identify AI-generated content. The post focuses on making it clearer how digital content was created or edited. While full details are limited in the snippet, the initiative addresses growing concerns about synthetic media, deepfakes, and misinformation online. This comes as governments worldwide push for transparency in AI-generated material.

16 min read Gemini Omni Flash is a model that can create anything from any input – starting with video. Last year, [Nano Banana](https://deepmind.google/models/gemini-image/) brought Gemini's intelligence to image generation and editing. Since then, it’s helped millions of people restore old photos, design from sketches and visualize ideas in ways that weren’t possible before. From the start we built Gemini to be natively multimodal from the ground up, and now we’re taking the next step. We’re introducing [Gemini Omni](http://deepmind.google/models/gemini-omni), where Gemini’s ability to reason meets the ability to create. Omni is our new model that can create anything from any input — starting with video. With Omni, you can combine images, audio, video and text as input and generate high-

# Co-Scientist: Accelerating research on cellular aging — Google DeepMind ## Explore our next generation AI systems [Explore models](https://deepmind.google/models/) Gemini [ Gemini Build intelligent agents](https://deepmind.google/models/gemini/)[ Gemini Omni Create anything from anything](https://deepmind.google/models/gemini-omni/)[ Nano Banana Create and edit detailed images](https://deepmind.google/models/gemini-image/)[ Gemini Audio Talk, create and control audio](https://deepmind.google/models/gemini-audio/) Specialized models [ Veo Generate cinematic video with audio](https://deepmind.google/models/veo/)[ Imagen Generate high-quality images from text](https://deepmind.google/models/imagen/)[ Lyria Generate high fidelity music and audio](https://deepmind.google/models/lyria/) World

Wonderful, an Amsterdam-based enterprise AI startup, is opening a Singapore office to help companies in Southeast Asia move from AI pilots to full-scale deployments. The company's new Singapore GM previously sat on GovTech's board. Wonderful is prioritizing hiring Singapore citizens and permanent residents, planning to embed engineering teams directly with clients to integrate systems and set up governance frameworks. The company has raised US$284 million and is valued at US$2 billion.

Singapore's Temasek and GIC have significantly increased their stake in Anthropic (Claude AI creator), now valued at $965 billion with an IPO expected later this year. Early investors could see nearly 2x returns from the latest funding round, and up to 10x since September 2025. The smart money bet on Anthropic because 85% of its revenue comes from enterprise customers paying thousands monthly—far stickier than consumer subscriptions. Claude Code's success as a coding tool has made it the enterprise AI leader, pulling roughly twice OpenAI's revenue despite having far fewer users.

Singapore is building "Kampong AI," a live-work hub for AI startups slated for 2028, modeled on the Block71 startup scene. JTC will house up to 70 AI companies and 200 residential units. The government is also launching a new AI visa track under One Pass from 2027, with flexible terms not tied to a job offer. But founders and researchers say Singapore's $700M+ AI research spend and new visa may not solve the real bottleneck: what AI startups actually need to build and compete.

Malaysia's trade surplus hit a record $32 billion in the first five months of 2026, driven largely by AI-related tech exports. Semiconductor exports for AI infrastructure jumped 61.6 percent. While this is Malaysia's story, it signals growing AI supply chain activity in Southeast Asia, where countries are competing for manufacturing and tech investment.

Sea Limited, the Singapore-based tech giant behind Shopee, has partnered with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT-powered shopping to its platform. Users can discover products through conversational prompts before completing purchases on Shopee. This positions Sea against e-commerce rivals by embedding AI-powered discovery directly into the shopping experience, potentially changing how millions of Southeast Asian consumers find and buy products online.

Pony.ai and Singapore taxi giant ComfortDelGro are launching free driverless robotaxi rides in Punggol, pending regulatory approval. Fixed routes will serve the public housing estate within months. This follows a July 2024 partnership and a successful Guangzhou pilot. Singapore's Ministry of Transport aims to roll out autonomous vehicles across public housing estates by year-end to tackle driver shortages and boost transport links for residents.

Dutch AI company Wonderful is expanding its Singapore operations and appointing Alexander Kleinberg—who has held board positions at GovTech Singapore and IMDA—as General Manager. The $300M-backed company helps enterprises move AI from pilot projects into full-scale deployment, offering forward-deployed engineering teams and enterprise AI platforms for customer operations, employee workflows, and back-office functions. It operates across 35 markets including financial services, government, and telecommunications sectors.

Sea (the Singapore company behind Shopee and Garena) and OpenAI co-hosted a hackathon in Singapore where 144 developers spent a day building AI apps using OpenAI's Codex coding tool. Teams created things like an AI co-host for live shopping streams, a travel planner that builds trips from saved TikTok videos, and a game AI that actually learns as it plays. The winning team walked away with US$30,000 in OpenAI credits. The event signals Singapore's ambition to become a hub for AI builders in Southeast Asia, with similar events planned for Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Malaysia.

Singapore-based healthcare giant Fullerton Health is betting big on AI to cut costs and serve more patients across eight countries. The company uses AI to read X-rays alongside radiologists, write code, and process insurance claims. Its CEO says AI isn't just a tool — it's the engine driving the whole system. The goal is to slash healthcare costs below inflation by eliminating duplicate tests and streamlining patient care through smarter data.

Data management and AI company Databricks is planning to boost its Singapore team by up to 50%, hiring more staff to keep up with surging demand for AI services. The firm currently employs over 250 people in Singapore, which serves as its Asia Pacific and Japan headquarters.

Singapore is placing AI and data at the center of its workforce transformation strategy, recognizing that reskilling workers for an AI-driven economy is critical to national competitiveness. The approach involves integrating AI capabilities into training programs and workforce development initiatives to help Singaporeans adapt to changing job market demands.

A US-based AI startup called Aaru claims it can predict human behavior more accurately than traditional surveys or focus groups — without interviewing anyone. Instead of asking people what they think, it trains AI models on what people actually do: purchases, clicks, votes. The company reached a billion-dollar valuation in just one year. Its approach uses anonymized credit card data, health data, and voter files to generate synthetic populations that simulate real consumer behavior. The company says it took 4.5 minutes to match what took traditional researchers six months.

Optro (formerly AuditBoard), a US-based AI governance and compliance software company, has opened its Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore. The company offers tools that automate up to 87% of controls testing for audit and compliance teams—a big deal as businesses struggle with mounting AI-related regulations. OCBC Bank is already using the platform as part of its audit strategy. Singapore was chosen for its position as a regional financial hub and its leadership in responsible AI development.

Malaysia's digital economy agency MDEC has appointed tech entrepreneur Ganesh Kumar Bangah (founder of online payments giant MOL Global) as its new chairman. His mandate: push Malaysia toward becoming an AI Nation by 2030, with focus on talent, SME digitalization, and government tech adoption. A seasoned builder taking the helm signals stronger public-private collaboration.

Chinese AI stocks surged as Beijing unveiled measures to expand AI adoption in consumer markets and ease listing rules for AI firms. Zhipu and MiniMax jumped over 23 percent in Hong Kong. The contrast: traditional tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent fell for a fifth straight day. Investors are piling into pure AI plays while legacy internet companies struggle with AI investment costs.

Tata Electronics, a major Apple and Tesla supplier and key player in India's iPhone manufacturing push, has suffered a major cybersecurity breach. The ransomware group World Leaks posted over 200,000 files totaling 630 gigabytes on the dark web, including purported Apple circuit board specifications and Tesla trade secrets. Apple is investigating, and Tata received a ransom demand. The breach had no impact on operations, the company said.

China's AI market is booming, growing from US$23 billion in 2024 to a projected US$142 billion by 2030. The Shanghai Stock Exchange's tech-focused Star 50 Index has surged 42% this year. Big chipmakers like Cambricon and Hua Hong Semiconductor saw massive gains, but now investors are rotating into 'second-tier' winners like cloud services, power infrastructure, and data centre suppliers—businesses that benefit as AI spreads across the economy, regardless of which AI platforms win out.

Chinese AI startup Zhipu AI has hit a wall with its popular GLM Coding Plan — it's so overwhelmed by users that it's capping new sign-ups at just 20% of normal levels. The company blames a fivefold traffic surge after launching its latest model. This shows how Chinese AI firms are struggling to scale globally due to limited computing power, potentially creating opportunities for cloud providers in Singapore and Hong Kong to pick up the overflow.

Singapore-based early-stage investor Antler showcased 28 startups from Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia that are moving beyond AI copilots and productivity tools toward autonomous AI systems. Nearly half the companies are building AI agents that can independently handle complex tasks — from AI-powered construction cost estimating to maritime shipping optimization to agricultural robots. The showcase marks Antler's unified Asia platform expansion.

Indonesia is drafting a major government plan to embed AI into key programs, including President Prabowo's $15 billion free meals initiative for schoolchildren. AI would design region-specific menus, monitor kitchen hygiene, predict food demand, and detect irregularities — a bid to fix the troubled program that's been plagued by food poisoning scandals and transparency issues. The government estimates AI could boost Indonesia's GDP by $366 billion by 2030, though experts warn the country lacks the chip infrastructure and skilled workforce to compete as an AI developer.

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Alibaba has restructured its AI divisions into a new unit called Token Foundry, merging Tongyi Lab (its Qwen LLM team) and Future Life Lab (behind video model Happy Horse and open-world model Happy Oyster). CEO Eddie Wu Yongming will lead the push. Alibaba also appointed Zhou Jingren as chief scientist to head the new Alibaba AI Future Research Institute, backed by a planned 380 billion yuan (~$56 billion) investment in AI and cloud infrastructure over three years.

Vietnamese conglomerate Masan is massively expanding its tungsten mining operations, potentially adding 115 million tons of tungsten-polymetallic ore to its reserves. Tungsten is a critical material for semiconductors and AI hardware. The expansion aims to capitalize on growing demand from AI and chip industries while non-China tungsten supply becomes scarcer.

Indonesia to use AI in $15b free meals scheme. The meals program targets 83 million children and pregnant women.

Tencent is opening WeChat — used by 1.34 billion people — to let phone AI assistants from Honor, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo send messages, make calls, and browse its mini-program store of 4 million services. Tencent previously blocked access from ByteDance's Doubao. The move signals a shift toward voice-controlled super-apps, which could change how hundreds of millions interact with WeChat daily.

Ho Chi Minh City signed a deal for a US$2.1 billion AI data center that will pack up to 28,000 GPUs in its first phase, scaling eventually to 100,000 GPUs. Vietnam lifted restrictions on foreign data center ownership in 2024, and firms like G42 are also pouring billions in. The project positions Vietnam as a regional AI computing hub. For everyday users nearby, this could mean faster local cloud services and AI-powered apps.

A new Pew Research survey reveals that 49% of Americans now use AI chatbots (up from 33% in 2024), with ChatGPT the most popular at 44%. But trust is crumbling—40% believe AI will harm society, 71% fear it will make their personal data less secure, and 63% think AI is advancing too quickly. Younger adults (under 30) are the heaviest users but also the most skeptical about AI's future impact. Notably, 20% of young adults now use chatbots for emotional support.

While social media buzzed about AI agents creating religions on Moltbook, real companies quietly deployed autonomous agents negotiating supplier deals. Walmart, Honeywell, and Coupang use Pactum agents that handled a single negotiation worth $530 million. The piece draws a sharp line: production-ready agents stay out of sight, operate under strict governance, and deliver measurable ROI. The enterprise AI story is less flashy but already running.

Getty Images stock surged over 120% after announcing a deal to display its licensed images in ChatGPT. This marks a reversal from Getty's 2023 lawsuit against AI company Stability AI over copyright issues. ChatGPT users will now see Getty images in visual responses, though it's unclear if OpenAI can use them to train AI models. Terms were not disclosed.

Philippine fintech firm Maya, the digital banking arm of telco giant PLDT, is planning a $1 billion IPO — one of the largest ever for a Philippine tech company. The listing would give Maya public market capital to compete against GCash and other regional e-wallets. Maya handles deposits, loans, and payments and is the Philippines' largest digital bank by assets.

SK Group's chairman met Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang to lock in supply of next-generation HBM4 memory chips, which are critical for AI hardware. SK Group is already building a massive AI factory in Korea with over 50,000 Nvidia GPUs. The dominance shift is real: Nvidia will source roughly two-thirds of its HBM4 needs from SK hynix. For consumers, this means AI hardware may stay expensive and tight in supply.

US government restrictions on AI services like Anthropic's Claude are pushing European companies to diversify their AI providers across US, Chinese, and European models. Major firms like Siemens, Renault, and Orange are avoiding single-provider dependence, while also grappling with rising token costs as AI agents become more automated. The trend highlights a broader geopolitical split between open-source (dominated by Chinese models) and proprietary AI services.

Malaysia-based chip design startup GreatAsic has raised $6.9 million in a Pre-Series A round led by Vertex Ventures, with participation from Gobi Partners and Khazanah-backed Dana Impak. GreatAsic is one of three Malaysian companies selected to access Arm Holdings' semiconductor design platforms under Malaysia's $266 million strategic partnership with Arm. The funding will expand GreatAsic's engineering team in Penang and Selangor and accelerate chip design work for data centers, Edge AI, and automotive sectors. The global semiconductor market reached $795.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2030.

Thibault Spirlet Mon, 22 June 2026 at 8:04 am GMT-7 2 min read * Lovable's CEO says Europe's AI problem isn't talent — it's believing it can rival Silicon Valley. * The startup's rapid growth challenges the idea that founders need to move to Silicon Valley to succeed. * He said Europe's next challenge is building the infrastructure to match its AI talent. European AI startups don't have a talent problem. They have a confidence problem. That's the point Anton Osika, the CEO of AI startup Lovable, made in a post on X over the weekend as the debate continues over whether Europe can produce AI companies capable of competing with [Silicon Valley's biggest players](https://www.businessinsider.com/paul-graham-on-stockholm-becoming-next-silicon-valley-hub-2026-5?utm_medium=syndication&utm_source=y

Thailand's largest data center provider, True IDC, is investing US$182 million in a new hyperscale AI-ready facility in Northern Bangkok, set to launch in Q3 2027. The company aims to support growing demand for cloud and AI services in the region, positioning Thailand as a digital hub for ASEAN. AI and GenAI investments in the Asia-Pacific are projected to grow fivefold to 11 trillion baht by 2029.

Samba TV, a data and measurement firm for streaming and TV, has acquired GenAI ads startup Bestever AI. Bestever's founder — a former Apple and Uber engineer — built tech that autonomously researches brands, creates strategies, and generates ad creative based on real performance data. Samba says the future of advertising isn't just automated, it's 'autonomous' — AI agents that can act on first-party data at massive scale to reach audiences faster and more personally across multiple platforms at once.

[](https://bit.ly/3qgqzHg) [](https://bit.ly/3KjTj94) When 32-year-old Phil (not his real name) discovered doctored photos of himself with a former schoolmate, he felt chills run down his spine. The photos depicted them as a couple going on dates and even showed them with a newborn baby. ## ADVERTISEMENT Phil's sister, Ana (not her real name), told _Mothership_ that they first learned about the photos from a friend, who had seen them on the schoolmate's social media accounts. The friend knew that Phil was single and became suspicious after seeing the photos. She alerted Ana, who was shocked when she saw them. ## AI-generated photos Accord

Chinese tech giant Alibaba is letting shoppers use AI to buy everything from milk tea to lipstick via chat on its Taobao platform. The AI agent can suggest products based on open-ended questions like 'What do I need for a camping trip?' But Southeast Asia isn't following yet. Analysts say the region's fragmented ecommerce setup and consumers' preference for trusting human recommendations over AI mean fully autonomous AI shopping is still years away here.

Europe's AI problem isn't talent — it's confidence and infrastructure. That's according to Anton Osika, CEO of Swedish startup Lovable, which just hit $500 million in annual recurring revenue. Osika says millions have used Lovable's vibe-coding platform to build products, and some of the best engineers are now moving back to Europe. Data shows more tech workers are now moving from the US to Europe than vice versa, reversing a long-standing migration pattern.

Marketing teams struggle with customer data scattered across social media, apps, stores, and loyalty programs—each sitting in separate systems. Trozo's CEO explains how AI helps smaller teams analyze this fragmented data, segment customers, and run campaigns without needing large specialist teams. The practical value: AI reduces the manual work between data and execution, letting marketers focus on strategy rather than pulling reports across dozens of platforms.

The Philippines government is teaming up with Google Cloud to bring enterprise AI tools and cybersecurity to public-sector agencies. This expanded partnership will help modernize how the Philippine government uses technology, with Google Cloud providing AI capabilities for digital transformation efforts.

A Google DeepMind engineer shared advice for landing a job at top AI labs: develop 'intent,' 'mathematical maturity,' and 'grit.' He recommends taking difficult proof-based classes, coding aggressively, and using AI tools only for tasks you already understand. The competition for roles at OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind is now fiercer than at Wall Street firms.

AWS's chief marketing officer Julia White says workers and leaders must embrace AI failure to truly master the technology. She describes how early AI adoption boosted productivity by 10-30%, but breakthrough gains of 5x effectiveness came only after completely redesigning workflows. Webpage creation dropped from 3 hours to 30 minutes. White has created an award within her team celebrating failures to encourage experimentation. Her key insight: AI excels at tedious tasks but cannot replace human storytelling and creative judgment.

South Korea's chip exports just hit a record $25.2 billion, surging 161% year-over-year as AI data centers worldwide gulp up memory from Samsung and SK hynix. The knock-on effect: memory prices are exploding — some standard computer modules are up over 2,300% in a year. That could mean pricier laptops and PCs down the line, since about 70% of memory chip production is now流向 AI servers instead of consumer devices. The country logged its largest trade surplus ever at $15.5 billion.

SK hynix, the world's leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI processors, has received strong investor backing for a planned US stock listing that could raise up to $14 billion. The Korean chipmaker controls 53-57% of the HBM market and supplies memory to Nvidia. The listing reflects booming demand for AI memory chips, with SK hynix expecting favorable pricing to continue into next year. A potential supply crunch from 2027 could further tighten the market.

Samsung spent a record US$25.7 billion on R&D in 2025, up 7.8%, to accelerate AI chip development. The spending comes after SK Hynix overtook Samsung in annual operating profit for the first time, fueled by SK Hynix's lead in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI chips. Memory now makes up 650% of a standard data center server's component cost, up from 458% a year ago, and this pressure may push up prices for consumer devices like smartphones.

Global HR and payroll platform Deel has launched AI agents that can handle hiring, HR, payroll, and compliance tasks through simple chat commands — no tech skills needed. The company also rolled out a stablecoin wallet for instant global payments. Deel now supports over 1.5 million workers across 150 countries, signaling a major shift toward consolidating global HR work into a single AI-powered platform.

China wants its AI data centres to run on clean energy — 80% by 2030, up from just 11% today. But it's proving harder than expected. AI servers need constant power (GPUs run flat-out 24/7), making it tough to match with solar and wind output that fluctuates. Grid operators are also reluctant, worried they'll lose revenue if power flows directly to data centres instead of through their networks. The scale is enormous: China's AI data centres could consume an extra 300-500 billion kilowatt-hours by 2030 — the lower end alone equals Britain's total annual power use. This shows the growing tension between AI expansion and climate goals.

TSMC is joining Applied Materials' US$5 billion EPIC Center in Silicon Valley to develop AI chip technology alongside Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron. The collaboration aims to shorten the R&D cycle for next-generation chips by giving chipmakers access to advanced tools inside an equipment supplier's facility. This means faster development of chips used in data centers and edge devices.

_Welcome to The Prompt, your Monday dive into the world of AI that puts Asia front and center. From Big Tech’s power players to the region’s scrappy disruptors, we cover it all. Want full access to all our AI reporting? Subscribe to us [here](https://www.techinasia.com/subscription)._ * * * Hello reader, US-based AI startup [Aaru](https://aaru.com/) has a pitch that sparks instant skepticism. It says it can simulate human behavior better than surveys or focus groups, without interviewing anyone in the process. AI simulation has largely been used to model physical systems with clearer constraints, such as robots and cars. Aaru is trying to model people, which have always been inconsistent. Still, Aaru deserves some attention, not just for the audacity of the claim but for the logic behind i

San Diego-based PSYONIC is working with NVIDIA and ABB Robotics to solve a big problem in robotics: robots can walk and see, but they still fumble when trying to grip real objects. PSYONIC's insight is that the same bionic hand it sells to amputees also captures incredibly detailed data on how human hands actually manipulate objects — grip force, finger position, tactile feedback. That data could be the missing ingredient to teach robots to handle things as well as humans. The company is essentially trying to create an "ImageNet moment" for robotics, where mass data on hand movement unlocks a leap in machine dexterity.

Two bold predictions for 2030: First, Anthropic—which already hit US$47 billion in annualized revenue—will become a major life sciences company, potentially developing its own drugs through wet labs and biotech acquisitions. Second, TSMC and ASML's near-monopolies on AI chips and chipmaking machines will finally be broken by new entrants, reducing the world's reliance on a fragile supply chain concentrated in geopolitically risky areas.

VivaTech, Europe's largest tech conference, marked its 10th anniversary by attracting 200,000 visitors to Paris, with French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance. The event featured themes around AI, cybersecurity, green tech, and space.

The content for this article could not be retrieved—the page contains only a tracking pixel rather than the actual article text. The headline suggests an analysis of potential mechanisms for the Trump administration to acquire stakes in AI companies, but without the full content, a proper assessment cannot be made.

OpenAI has launched 'Patch the Planet,' an initiative using its frontier AI models to find and fix security vulnerabilities in critical open-source software. Working with security firm Trail of Bits and partners HackerOne and Calif, the program has already uncovered hundreds of issues including a 23-year-old flaw in OpenBSD's kernel, multiple Chrome and Safari browser vulnerabilities, and critical bugs in Linux, FreeBSD, dnsmasq, and the HTTP/2 protocol. All findings are validated by human security engineers before being disclosed to maintainers. Initial participants include major projects like cURL, Python, the Go project, and Sigstore.

Google DeepMind is investing approximately $75 million in film studio A24 as part of a long-term research partnership focused on AI filmmaking. The collaboration will explore how AI tools like video generation can be used in movie production, blending Silicon Valley technology with Hollywood creativity.

Hackers broke into Klue, a market intelligence company, and stole data from at least nine of its cybersecurity firm customers, including Gong, HackerOne, Snyk, and Recorded Future. The attackers used a compromised credential to access customer cloud databases like Salesforce, grabbing business contact info. The cybercrime group Icarus is demanding ransom and threatening to leak the data. This is part of a growing trend of hackers targeting middleware providers to steal data from hundreds of companies at once. The breach raises questions about Klue's security after reportedly laying off half its staff last year.

OpenAI has expanded its Daybreak cybersecurity initiative with new tools to help patch software vulnerabilities at scale. The company launched an updated Codex Security plugin that can scan codebases, identify vulnerabilities, generate patches, and automatically prevent new issues from reaching production. It has also released GPT-5.5-Cyber, a specialized model designed for authorized defenders that outperforms previous models on cybersecurity benchmarks like CyberGym (85.6% vs 81.8%). OpenAI has partnered with major security firms including CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, and IBM through its Cyber Partner Program. The company is also working with the US government on pre-deployment testing and has helped defenders identify vulnerabilities in systems like Firefox, Safari, and the Linux kernel.

Getty Images has signed a multi-year deal to license its photo library to OpenAI for use in ChatGPT's search results. This means when you search for images in ChatGPT, you may see licensed Getty photos. It's a significant shift as traditional stock photo companies strike deals with AI firms rather than fight them in court over copyright issues.

Google is aggressively pushing its in-house TPU AI chips to compete directly with Nvidia, which currently dominates over 90% of the AI chip market. Google has committed $85 billion in equity for AI infrastructure, struck a $5 billion deal with Blackstone to build cloud services rivaling Nvidia-aligned providers, and started selling chips directly to customers. Clients like Citadel Securities report running key workloads 30% cheaper and up to four times faster on TPUs. If successful, this could break Nvidia's dominance and reshape AI computing costs for everyone.

Reports suggest Anthropic's reportedly powerful Mythos AI model was able to breach NSA classified systems within hours of testing. If true, this would represent a serious security vulnerability where frontier AI models could potentially access restricted government information. Security researchers and government agencies are concerned about the risks of highly capable AI systems being deployed without adequate safeguards against misuse.

Samsung is rolling out ChatGPT Enterprise and OpenAI's Codex coding tool to all its South Korean employees and its Device eXperience division globally. This comes after Samsung previously banned ChatGPT in 2023 over data leak concerns, then gradually reversed course. The enterprise version offers stronger data privacy protections, making internal AI adoption feasible for the tech giant.

Microsoft is constructing a massive 2-gigawatt data center campus in Pecos, Texas—one of the largest single capacity expansions in its history. To secure stable power without relying on the strained Texas grid, the company is building its own gas power plant on-site. The company is also addressing local backlash over water use and power prices, which have killed dozens of data center projects across the US. This signals a new era where AI companies must invest directly in energy infrastructure to keep up with the explosive demand for computing power.

The Five Eyes intelligence alliance (US, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand) has warned that AI models powerful enough to take down governments and businesses are only months away. These frontier AI systems could fundamentally change how cyberattacks are carried out, making them faster, more automated, and harder to defend against. This is a stark warning about AI-enabled threats becoming reality soon.

Such clients can now get ‘something close to private-banking quality’ from the technology Published Mon, Jun 22, 2026 · 07:00 AM WEALTH managers keen to stay relevant in the age of artificial intelligence may soon find that clients with a mere US$1 million in liquid assets are no longer worth spending human hours on. “The mass-affluent client now gets something close to private-banking quality from AI,” said Debasish Patnaik, senior partner at McKinsey. That not only “strips the value from the adviser whose role was standardised advice”, but it also means “the kind of person [hired into wealth management](https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/stanchart-singapore-hire-more-wealth-bankers-amid-plans-cut-over-7000-jobs-globally) changes fundamentally”, he said in an interview. Th

A slightly longer version of Model Y appears on track for the U.S. market. The Model Y L (long wheelbase) 6-seater will go on sale as soon as Tesla readies U.S. production, as [reported](https://autos.yahoo.com/new-vehicles-and-reviews/articles/tesla-bigger-longer-model-y-170013327.html) here in April. More recent [reports](https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/4326/exclusive-tesla-model-y-l-launching-this-fall-in-north-america) and reviews of the Model Y L are setting the stage for production in the U.S. “China, Australia, and India are supplied by the factory in China, which will not supply vehicles to the U.S.,” Sam Fiorani, VP, Global Vehicle Forecasting, at AutoForecast Solutions, told me at the end of April. “Production of the Model Y L is expected to begin in the U.S. in September, whic

China's AI market is booming, growing from US$23 billion in 2024 to a projected US$142 billion by 2030. The Shanghai Stock Exchange's tech-focused Star 50 Index has surged 42% this year. Big chipmakers like Cambricon and Hua Hong Semiconductor saw massive gains, but now investors are rotating into 'second-tier' winners like cloud services, power infrastructure, and data centre suppliers—businesses that benefit as AI spreads across the economy, regardless of which AI platforms win out.

Two bold predictions for 2030: First, Anthropic—which already hit US$47 billion in annualized revenue—will become a major life sciences company, potentially developing its own drugs through wet labs and biotech acquisitions. Second, TSMC and ASML's near-monopolies on AI chips and chipmaking machines will finally be broken by new entrants, reducing the world's reliance on a fragile supply chain concentrated in geopolitically risky areas.

A US-based AI startup called Aaru claims it can predict human behavior more accurately than traditional surveys or focus groups — without interviewing anyone. Instead of asking people what they think, it trains AI models on what people actually do: purchases, clicks, votes. The company reached a billion-dollar valuation in just one year. Its approach uses anonymized credit card data, health data, and voter files to generate synthetic populations that simulate real consumer behavior. The company says it took 4.5 minutes to match what took traditional researchers six months.

South Korea's chip exports just hit a record $25.2 billion, surging 161% year-over-year as AI data centers worldwide gulp up memory from Samsung and SK hynix. The knock-on effect: memory prices are exploding — some standard computer modules are up over 2,300% in a year. That could mean pricier laptops and PCs down the line, since about 70% of memory chip production is now流向 AI servers instead of consumer devices. The country logged its largest trade surplus ever at $15.5 billion.

_Welcome to The Prompt, your Monday dive into the world of AI that puts Asia front and center. From Big Tech’s power players to the region’s scrappy disruptors, we cover it all. Want full access to all our AI reporting? Subscribe to us [here](https://www.techinasia.com/subscription)._ * * * Hello reader, US-based AI startup [Aaru](https://aaru.com/) has a pitch that sparks instant skepticism. It says it can simulate human behavior better than surveys or focus groups, without interviewing anyone in the process. AI simulation has largely been used to model physical systems with clearer constraints, such as robots and cars. Aaru is trying to model people, which have always been inconsistent. Still, Aaru deserves some attention, not just for the audacity of the claim but for the logic behind i

Singapore is placing AI and data at the center of its workforce transformation strategy, recognizing that reskilling workers for an AI-driven economy is critical to national competitiveness. The approach involves integrating AI capabilities into training programs and workforce development initiatives to help Singaporeans adapt to changing job market demands.

Data management and AI company Databricks is planning to boost its Singapore team by up to 50%, hiring more staff to keep up with surging demand for AI services. The firm currently employs over 250 people in Singapore, which serves as its Asia Pacific and Japan headquarters.

Optro (formerly AuditBoard), a US-based AI governance and compliance software company, has opened its Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore. The company offers tools that automate up to 87% of controls testing for audit and compliance teams—a big deal as businesses struggle with mounting AI-related regulations. OCBC Bank is already using the platform as part of its audit strategy. Singapore was chosen for its position as a regional financial hub and its leadership in responsible AI development.

Chinese AI startup Zhipu AI has hit a wall with its popular GLM Coding Plan — it's so overwhelmed by users that it's capping new sign-ups at just 20% of normal levels. The company blames a fivefold traffic surge after launching its latest model. This shows how Chinese AI firms are struggling to scale globally due to limited computing power, potentially creating opportunities for cloud providers in Singapore and Hong Kong to pick up the overflow.

Chinese tech giant Alibaba is letting shoppers use AI to buy everything from milk tea to lipstick via chat on its Taobao platform. The AI agent can suggest products based on open-ended questions like 'What do I need for a camping trip?' But Southeast Asia isn't following yet. Analysts say the region's fragmented ecommerce setup and consumers' preference for trusting human recommendations over AI mean fully autonomous AI shopping is still years away here.

The Philippines government is teaming up with Google Cloud to bring enterprise AI tools and cybersecurity to public-sector agencies. This expanded partnership will help modernize how the Philippine government uses technology, with Google Cloud providing AI capabilities for digital transformation efforts.

Global HR and payroll platform Deel has launched AI agents that can handle hiring, HR, payroll, and compliance tasks through simple chat commands — no tech skills needed. The company also rolled out a stablecoin wallet for instant global payments. Deel now supports over 1.5 million workers across 150 countries, signaling a major shift toward consolidating global HR work into a single AI-powered platform.

Thailand's largest data center provider, True IDC, is investing US$182 million in a new hyperscale AI-ready facility in Northern Bangkok, set to launch in Q3 2027. The company aims to support growing demand for cloud and AI services in the region, positioning Thailand as a digital hub for ASEAN. AI and GenAI investments in the Asia-Pacific are projected to grow fivefold to 11 trillion baht by 2029.

Samsung spent a record US$25.7 billion on R&D in 2025, up 7.8%, to accelerate AI chip development. The spending comes after SK Hynix overtook Samsung in annual operating profit for the first time, fueled by SK Hynix's lead in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI chips. Memory now makes up 650% of a standard data center server's component cost, up from 458% a year ago, and this pressure may push up prices for consumer devices like smartphones.

TSMC is joining Applied Materials' US$5 billion EPIC Center in Silicon Valley to develop AI chip technology alongside Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron. The collaboration aims to shorten the R&D cycle for next-generation chips by giving chipmakers access to advanced tools inside an equipment supplier's facility. This means faster development of chips used in data centers and edge devices.

Sea Limited, the Singapore-based tech giant behind Shopee, has partnered with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT-powered shopping to its platform. Users can discover products through conversational prompts before completing purchases on Shopee. This positions Sea against e-commerce rivals by embedding AI-powered discovery directly into the shopping experience, potentially changing how millions of Southeast Asian consumers find and buy products online.

Dutch AI company Wonderful is expanding its Singapore operations and appointing Alexander Kleinberg—who has held board positions at GovTech Singapore and IMDA—as General Manager. The $300M-backed company helps enterprises move AI from pilot projects into full-scale deployment, offering forward-deployed engineering teams and enterprise AI platforms for customer operations, employee workflows, and back-office functions. It operates across 35 markets including financial services, government, and telecommunications sectors.

Malaysia-based chip design startup GreatAsic has raised $6.9 million in a Pre-Series A round led by Vertex Ventures, with participation from Gobi Partners and Khazanah-backed Dana Impak. GreatAsic is one of three Malaysian companies selected to access Arm Holdings' semiconductor design platforms under Malaysia's $266 million strategic partnership with Arm. The funding will expand GreatAsic's engineering team in Penang and Selangor and accelerate chip design work for data centers, Edge AI, and automotive sectors. The global semiconductor market reached $795.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2030.

SK hynix, the world's leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI processors, has received strong investor backing for a planned US stock listing that could raise up to $14 billion. The Korean chipmaker controls 53-57% of the HBM market and supplies memory to Nvidia. The listing reflects booming demand for AI memory chips, with SK hynix expecting favorable pricing to continue into next year. A potential supply crunch from 2027 could further tighten the market.

Sea (the Singapore company behind Shopee and Garena) and OpenAI co-hosted a hackathon in Singapore where 144 developers spent a day building AI apps using OpenAI's Codex coding tool. Teams created things like an AI co-host for live shopping streams, a travel planner that builds trips from saved TikTok videos, and a game AI that actually learns as it plays. The winning team walked away with US$30,000 in OpenAI credits. The event signals Singapore's ambition to become a hub for AI builders in Southeast Asia, with similar events planned for Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Malaysia.

Chinese AI stocks surged as Beijing unveiled measures to expand AI adoption in consumer markets and ease listing rules for AI firms. Zhipu and MiniMax jumped over 23 percent in Hong Kong. The contrast: traditional tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent fell for a fifth straight day. Investors are piling into pure AI plays while legacy internet companies struggle with AI investment costs.

Singapore-based early-stage investor Antler showcased 28 startups from Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia that are moving beyond AI copilots and productivity tools toward autonomous AI systems. Nearly half the companies are building AI agents that can independently handle complex tasks — from AI-powered construction cost estimating to maritime shipping optimization to agricultural robots. The showcase marks Antler's unified Asia platform expansion.

China wants its AI data centres to run on clean energy — 80% by 2030, up from just 11% today. But it's proving harder than expected. AI servers need constant power (GPUs run flat-out 24/7), making it tough to match with solar and wind output that fluctuates. Grid operators are also reluctant, worried they'll lose revenue if power flows directly to data centres instead of through their networks. The scale is enormous: China's AI data centres could consume an extra 300-500 billion kilowatt-hours by 2030 — the lower end alone equals Britain's total annual power use. This shows the growing tension between AI expansion and climate goals.

San Diego-based PSYONIC is working with NVIDIA and ABB Robotics to solve a big problem in robotics: robots can walk and see, but they still fumble when trying to grip real objects. PSYONIC's insight is that the same bionic hand it sells to amputees also captures incredibly detailed data on how human hands actually manipulate objects — grip force, finger position, tactile feedback. That data could be the missing ingredient to teach robots to handle things as well as humans. The company is essentially trying to create an "ImageNet moment" for robotics, where mass data on hand movement unlocks a leap in machine dexterity.

VivaTech, Europe's largest tech conference, marked its 10th anniversary by attracting 200,000 visitors to Paris, with French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance. The event featured themes around AI, cybersecurity, green tech, and space.

Singapore's top government tech official is making the case that AI has flipped the old 'buy software vs build it' rulebook. The cost of building internal tools has dropped so dramatically that companies and governments should rethink vendor lock-in risks. The article uses real examples: Klarna dropped Salesforce, 37signals left AWS, and Broadcom jacked up VMware prices by up to 1,500% after acquisitions. The writer, GovTech Singapore's CTO, uses Singpass as a model—where the government owns the identity platform and lets vendors compete on top, rather than being locked into a single supplier.

Reflection AI, an open-source startup backed by Nvidia, has signed a deal with SpaceX to use their Colossus 2 data center for $150 million per month through 2029—that's $6.3 billion total. The agreement gives Reflection access to Nvidia GB300 chips for training advanced AI models. SpaceX has also struck similar deals with Google ($920 million monthly) and Anthropic, showing how AI companies are scrambling to secure computing power.

Enterprise AI spending is under pressure as CFOs start scrutinizing bills. Major vendors like OpenAI, Microsoft, AWS, and Databricks are rolling out cost management tools—dashboards, spend limits, and usage analytics—to help companies track what AI is actually costing them. Some firms are already seeing million-dollar monthly AI bills. Gartner estimates half of AI projects get abandoned after pilot phase due to runaway costs and unclear returns. Now finance teams are pushing AI costs back to individual departments, forcing teams to ask whether AI is actually the cheapest way to do the work.

IBM and Meta have announced the expansion of the AI Alliance to Indonesia, marking its presence in 29 countries with 195 members. The non-profit consortium aims to promote open-source AI innovation and responsible development. Indonesia is seen as a key market, with AI expected to add US$366 billion to its GDP by 2030. A recent IBM CEO Study found that 61% of Indonesian companies actively adopt AI, though only 27% see expected ROI from their AI systems. Challenges include developing skilled talent, digital infrastructure, and ensuring data privacy and trust. The alliance plans to address these issues by fostering open-source AI solutions and collaboration with local organizations. Universitas Ciputra is the first Indonesian member, with others in the process of joining. _🔗 Source: [IBM](ht

[123RF](https://www.123rf.com/), a Malaysia-based stock media platform, has launched a generative AI-powered video comprehension service on Amazon Web Services (AWS) to enhance search accuracy for its global users. The new feature analyzes the visual content of videos and images. Early tests on 5 million videos doubled the accuracy of video descriptors and improved search relevance. 123RF processes over 3 million image uploads monthly and uses AI to automatically detect trademarked logos, categorize licensing, and flag branded content. The AI technology can identify visual details and match similar images. 123RF reported a 92% reduction in content review time, and said customers now find creative assets in 90% less time. The platform used Amazon Bedrock and Nova models for these AI capabil

Workday, a major HR software company, must face a lawsuit claiming its AI-powered job screening tools discriminated against applicants. A federal judge ruled that California anti-discrimination laws apply even when Workday screens people applying to jobs outside the state. The case is significant because it could shape how courts handle AI bias claims in hiring. Over 80% of U.S. employers now use AI screening tools.

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Apple's upcoming iOS 27 has a new AI dictation feature, but most iPhones can't use it. The feature requires 12GB of RAM—only the iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max, and Air have this. Even the regular iPhone 17 is left out. It runs on Apple's 20-billion-parameter AFM 3 model, which is too large for devices with less memory. If you're buying a new iPhone this year and want the latest AI features, you'll need to pay for the priciest models.

Getty Images, once a vocal critic of AI companies for using copyrighted images without permission, is now actively selling its massive photo library to AI companies for training data. The article explores this apparent contradiction and the broader questions it raises about content licensing, creator rights, and the economics of AI development.

One after another the calls came in from hospitals; criminals were infecting computer networks in a mass hack that was putting countless lives at risk. At Bucharest's national cyber-security centre (DNSC) they watched helplessly as the hackers spread across Romania through a popular piece of medical software. Cyber-chief Dan Cimpean had a tough decision to make, but it was the only option they had. The order went out to more than 100 hospitals. Disconnect from the internet, now. The cyber-attack on Romania's hospitals [in February 2024](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-68288150?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D#:~:text=Over%20a%20hundred%20Romanian%20healthcare,going%20offline%20as%20a%20precaution.)is one of the worst to

DeFi is losing momentum as lending yields fall near government bond levels, blockchain activity slows, and security worries rise after a US$285 million theft from [Drift](https://www.drift.trade/). On [Aave,](https://aave.com/)the rate on USDT was about 2.45%, below the US Federal Reserve’s 3.5% to 3.75% benchmark. Drift attributed the hack to a North Korean-linked group. Firms are moving toward blockchain versions of traditional assets,while the around US$97 billion sector faces headwinds. _🔗 Source: [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-16/a-285-million-crypto-hack-and-falling-yields-rock-defi-industry)_ ## 🧠 Food for thought Implications, context, and why it matters. ### Some DeFi models are cooling off, while others beat traditional markets * DeFi lending yields a

[UBTech Robotics](http://ubtrobot.com/?srsltid=AfmBOors8fLCWKcZlRWJrSKRF8zGOj0GdyQy3N0QjYvYyIREjWotVFVk) plans to expand humanoid robot production tenfold next year to about 5,000 units, and then double it to 10,000 in 2027. The company expects production costs to drop by 20 to 30 percent each year, said chief branding officer Michael Tam. UBTech is set to deliver 500 humanoid robots for industrial use by the end of 2025, up from 10 units delivered last year. The firm recently secured over 800 million yuan (US$112 million) in orders for its Walker S2 robots, with customers including data centers and automotive manufacturers. _🔗 Source: [South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3333427/ubtechs-2026-humanoid-robot-output-grow-10-fold-costs-plunge-scale-economics?module=top

Nisha Talagala, Contributor Mon, 22 June 2026 at 4:15 pm GMT-7 6 min read  DeepSeek AI app logo photo illustration, of the Chinese artificial intelligence company that develops open-source large language models LLM in a fraction of the cost of the US based competition. Close up of DeepSeek application thumbnail logo displayed on a smartphone screen next to other AI providers like ChatGPT of OpenAI and Copilot of Microsoft. Amsterdam, the Netherlands on January 28, 2025 (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto vi

Anthony Cuthbertson Mon, 22 June 2026 at 2:26 pm GMT-7 2 min read  The Five Eyes agencies said on Monday, 22 June, that leaders must 'act swiftly' to address AI's imminent threat (Reuters) Advanced [artificial intelligence](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/artificial-intelligence) models are months away from causing catastrophic damage to businesses and governments, the [Five Eyes](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/five-eyes) intelligence agencies have warned. The inte

A Forbes contributor argues that the real test of AI success is not productivity gains but organizational capacity—the ability to make better decisions faster, surface risks earlier, and reduce coordination friction. The article suggests that many companies adopting AI are still struggling with unclear priorities, slow decisions, and siloed functions. The author warns that AI may simply make poorly designed organizations more efficient at creating dysfunction, and that durable competitive advantage comes from building organizations that can convert intelligence into action.

Indonesia is planning to integrate AI into its ambitious $15 billion free meals program targeting 83 million children and pregnant women. The government is also considering establishing a sovereign AI fund to position itself as a regional AI hub. This signals a major government-led AI adoption push in Southeast Asia, with potential ripple effects across the region as other governments observe and potentially replicate this model.

Malaysia's trade surplus hit a record $32 billion in the first five months of 2026, driven largely by AI-related tech exports. Semiconductor exports for AI infrastructure jumped 61.6 percent. While this is Malaysia's story, it signals growing AI supply chain activity in Southeast Asia, where countries are competing for manufacturing and tech investment.

Malaysia's digital economy agency MDEC has appointed tech entrepreneur Ganesh Kumar Bangah (founder of online payments giant MOL Global) as its new chairman. His mandate: push Malaysia toward becoming an AI Nation by 2030, with focus on talent, SME digitalization, and government tech adoption. A seasoned builder taking the helm signals stronger public-private collaboration.

Tata Electronics, a major Apple and Tesla supplier and key player in India's iPhone manufacturing push, has suffered a major cybersecurity breach. The ransomware group World Leaks posted over 200,000 files totaling 630 gigabytes on the dark web, including purported Apple circuit board specifications and Tesla trade secrets. Apple is investigating, and Tata received a ransom demand. The breach had no impact on operations, the company said.

While social media buzzed about AI agents creating religions on Moltbook, real companies quietly deployed autonomous agents negotiating supplier deals. Walmart, Honeywell, and Coupang use Pactum agents that handled a single negotiation worth $530 million. The piece draws a sharp line: production-ready agents stay out of sight, operate under strict governance, and deliver measurable ROI. The enterprise AI story is less flashy but already running.

Samba TV, a data and measurement firm for streaming and TV, has acquired GenAI ads startup Bestever AI. Bestever's founder — a former Apple and Uber engineer — built tech that autonomously researches brands, creates strategies, and generates ad creative based on real performance data. Samba says the future of advertising isn't just automated, it's 'autonomous' — AI agents that can act on first-party data at massive scale to reach audiences faster and more personally across multiple platforms at once.

Marketing teams struggle with customer data scattered across social media, apps, stores, and loyalty programs—each sitting in separate systems. Trozo's CEO explains how AI helps smaller teams analyze this fragmented data, segment customers, and run campaigns without needing large specialist teams. The practical value: AI reduces the manual work between data and execution, letting marketers focus on strategy rather than pulling reports across dozens of platforms.

Singapore's Temasek and GIC have significantly increased their stake in Anthropic (Claude AI creator), now valued at $965 billion with an IPO expected later this year. Early investors could see nearly 2x returns from the latest funding round, and up to 10x since September 2025. The smart money bet on Anthropic because 85% of its revenue comes from enterprise customers paying thousands monthly—far stickier than consumer subscriptions. Claude Code's success as a coding tool has made it the enterprise AI leader, pulling roughly twice OpenAI's revenue despite having far fewer users.

Singapore-based healthcare giant Fullerton Health is betting big on AI to cut costs and serve more patients across eight countries. The company uses AI to read X-rays alongside radiologists, write code, and process insurance claims. Its CEO says AI isn't just a tool — it's the engine driving the whole system. The goal is to slash healthcare costs below inflation by eliminating duplicate tests and streamlining patient care through smarter data.

Indonesia is drafting a major government plan to embed AI into key programs, including President Prabowo's $15 billion free meals initiative for schoolchildren. AI would design region-specific menus, monitor kitchen hygiene, predict food demand, and detect irregularities — a bid to fix the troubled program that's been plagued by food poisoning scandals and transparency issues. The government estimates AI could boost Indonesia's GDP by $366 billion by 2030, though experts warn the country lacks the chip infrastructure and skilled workforce to compete as an AI developer.

Tencent is opening WeChat — used by 1.34 billion people — to let phone AI assistants from Honor, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo send messages, make calls, and browse its mini-program store of 4 million services. Tencent previously blocked access from ByteDance's Doubao. The move signals a shift toward voice-controlled super-apps, which could change how hundreds of millions interact with WeChat daily.

Ho Chi Minh City signed a deal for a US$2.1 billion AI data center that will pack up to 28,000 GPUs in its first phase, scaling eventually to 100,000 GPUs. Vietnam lifted restrictions on foreign data center ownership in 2024, and firms like G42 are also pouring billions in. The project positions Vietnam as a regional AI computing hub. For everyday users nearby, this could mean faster local cloud services and AI-powered apps.

Philippine fintech firm Maya, the digital banking arm of telco giant PLDT, is planning a $1 billion IPO — one of the largest ever for a Philippine tech company. The listing would give Maya public market capital to compete against GCash and other regional e-wallets. Maya handles deposits, loans, and payments and is the Philippines' largest digital bank by assets.

SK Group's chairman met Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang to lock in supply of next-generation HBM4 memory chips, which are critical for AI hardware. SK Group is already building a massive AI factory in Korea with over 50,000 Nvidia GPUs. The dominance shift is real: Nvidia will source roughly two-thirds of its HBM4 needs from SK hynix. For consumers, this means AI hardware may stay expensive and tight in supply.

A Google DeepMind engineer shared advice for landing a job at top AI labs: develop 'intent,' 'mathematical maturity,' and 'grit.' He recommends taking difficult proof-based classes, coding aggressively, and using AI tools only for tasks you already understand. The competition for roles at OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind is now fiercer than at Wall Street firms.

Singapore is building "Kampong AI," a live-work hub for AI startups slated for 2028, modeled on the Block71 startup scene. JTC will house up to 70 AI companies and 200 residential units. The government is also launching a new AI visa track under One Pass from 2027, with flexible terms not tied to a job offer. But founders and researchers say Singapore's $700M+ AI research spend and new visa may not solve the real bottleneck: what AI startups actually need to build and compete.

Pony.ai and Singapore taxi giant ComfortDelGro are launching free driverless robotaxi rides in Punggol, pending regulatory approval. Fixed routes will serve the public housing estate within months. This follows a July 2024 partnership and a successful Guangzhou pilot. Singapore's Ministry of Transport aims to roll out autonomous vehicles across public housing estates by year-end to tackle driver shortages and boost transport links for residents.

Vietnamese conglomerate Masan is massively expanding its tungsten mining operations, potentially adding 115 million tons of tungsten-polymetallic ore to its reserves. Tungsten is a critical material for semiconductors and AI hardware. The expansion aims to capitalize on growing demand from AI and chip industries while non-China tungsten supply becomes scarcer.

Indonesia to use AI in $15b free meals scheme. The meals program targets 83 million children and pregnant women.

Alibaba has restructured its AI divisions into a new unit called Token Foundry, merging Tongyi Lab (its Qwen LLM team) and Future Life Lab (behind video model Happy Horse and open-world model Happy Oyster). CEO Eddie Wu Yongming will lead the push. Alibaba also appointed Zhou Jingren as chief scientist to head the new Alibaba AI Future Research Institute, backed by a planned 380 billion yuan (~$56 billion) investment in AI and cloud infrastructure over three years.

A new Pew Research survey reveals that 49% of Americans now use AI chatbots (up from 33% in 2024), with ChatGPT the most popular at 44%. But trust is crumbling—40% believe AI will harm society, 71% fear it will make their personal data less secure, and 63% think AI is advancing too quickly. Younger adults (under 30) are the heaviest users but also the most skeptical about AI's future impact. Notably, 20% of young adults now use chatbots for emotional support.

US government restrictions on AI services like Anthropic's Claude are pushing European companies to diversify their AI providers across US, Chinese, and European models. Major firms like Siemens, Renault, and Orange are avoiding single-provider dependence, while also grappling with rising token costs as AI agents become more automated. The trend highlights a broader geopolitical split between open-source (dominated by Chinese models) and proprietary AI services.

AWS's chief marketing officer Julia White says workers and leaders must embrace AI failure to truly master the technology. She describes how early AI adoption boosted productivity by 10-30%, but breakthrough gains of 5x effectiveness came only after completely redesigning workflows. Webpage creation dropped from 3 hours to 30 minutes. White has created an award within her team celebrating failures to encourage experimentation. Her key insight: AI excels at tedious tasks but cannot replace human storytelling and creative judgment.

The content for this article could not be retrieved—the page contains only a tracking pixel rather than the actual article text. The headline suggests an analysis of potential mechanisms for the Trump administration to acquire stakes in AI companies, but without the full content, a proper assessment cannot be made.

Getty Images stock surged over 120% after announcing a deal to display its licensed images in ChatGPT. This marks a reversal from Getty's 2023 lawsuit against AI company Stability AI over copyright issues. ChatGPT users will now see Getty images in visual responses, though it's unclear if OpenAI can use them to train AI models. Terms were not disclosed.

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Thibault Spirlet Mon, 22 June 2026 at 8:04 am GMT-7 2 min read * Lovable's CEO says Europe's AI problem isn't talent — it's believing it can rival Silicon Valley. * The startup's rapid growth challenges the idea that founders need to move to Silicon Valley to succeed. * He said Europe's next challenge is building the infrastructure to match its AI talent. European AI startups don't have a talent problem. They have a confidence problem. That's the point Anton Osika, the CEO of AI startup Lovable, made in a post on X over the weekend as the debate continues over whether Europe can produce AI companies capable of competing with [Silicon Valley's biggest players](https://www.businessinsider.com/paul-graham-on-stockholm-becoming-next-silicon-valley-hub-2026-5?utm_medium=syndication&utm_source=y

Europe's AI problem isn't talent — it's confidence and infrastructure. That's according to Anton Osika, CEO of Swedish startup Lovable, which just hit $500 million in annual recurring revenue. Osika says millions have used Lovable's vibe-coding platform to build products, and some of the best engineers are now moving back to Europe. Data shows more tech workers are now moving from the US to Europe than vice versa, reversing a long-standing migration pattern.

A Forbes contributor argues that the real test of AI success is not productivity gains but organizational capacity—the ability to make better decisions faster, surface risks earlier, and reduce coordination friction. The article suggests that many companies adopting AI are still struggling with unclear priorities, slow decisions, and siloed functions. The author warns that AI may simply make poorly designed organizations more efficient at creating dysfunction, and that durable competitive advantage comes from building organizations that can convert intelligence into action.

Reflection AI, an open-source startup backed by Nvidia, has signed a deal with SpaceX to use their Colossus 2 data center for $150 million per month through 2029—that's $6.3 billion total. The agreement gives Reflection access to Nvidia GB300 chips for training advanced AI models. SpaceX has also struck similar deals with Google ($920 million monthly) and Anthropic, showing how AI companies are scrambling to secure computing power.

Enterprise AI spending is under pressure as CFOs start scrutinizing bills. Major vendors like OpenAI, Microsoft, AWS, and Databricks are rolling out cost management tools—dashboards, spend limits, and usage analytics—to help companies track what AI is actually costing them. Some firms are already seeing million-dollar monthly AI bills. Gartner estimates half of AI projects get abandoned after pilot phase due to runaway costs and unclear returns. Now finance teams are pushing AI costs back to individual departments, forcing teams to ask whether AI is actually the cheapest way to do the work.

Apple's upcoming iOS 27 has a new AI dictation feature, but most iPhones can't use it. The feature requires 12GB of RAM—only the iPhone 17 Pro, Pro Max, and Air have this. Even the regular iPhone 17 is left out. It runs on Apple's 20-billion-parameter AFM 3 model, which is too large for devices with less memory. If you're buying a new iPhone this year and want the latest AI features, you'll need to pay for the priciest models.

Indonesia is planning to integrate AI into its ambitious $15 billion free meals program targeting 83 million children and pregnant women. The government is also considering establishing a sovereign AI fund to position itself as a regional AI hub. This signals a major government-led AI adoption push in Southeast Asia, with potential ripple effects across the region as other governments observe and potentially replicate this model.

Getty Images, once a vocal critic of AI companies for using copyrighted images without permission, is now actively selling its massive photo library to AI companies for training data. The article explores this apparent contradiction and the broader questions it raises about content licensing, creator rights, and the economics of AI development.

Workday, a major HR software company, must face a lawsuit claiming its AI-powered job screening tools discriminated against applicants. A federal judge ruled that California anti-discrimination laws apply even when Workday screens people applying to jobs outside the state. The case is significant because it could shape how courts handle AI bias claims in hiring. Over 80% of U.S. employers now use AI screening tools.

Anthony Cuthbertson Mon, 22 June 2026 at 2:26 pm GMT-7 2 min read  The Five Eyes agencies said on Monday, 22 June, that leaders must 'act swiftly' to address AI's imminent threat (Reuters) Advanced [artificial intelligence](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/artificial-intelligence) models are months away from causing catastrophic damage to businesses and governments, the [Five Eyes](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/five-eyes) intelligence agencies have warned. The inte

Singapore's top government tech official is making the case that AI has flipped the old 'buy software vs build it' rulebook. The cost of building internal tools has dropped so dramatically that companies and governments should rethink vendor lock-in risks. The article uses real examples: Klarna dropped Salesforce, 37signals left AWS, and Broadcom jacked up VMware prices by up to 1,500% after acquisitions. The writer, GovTech Singapore's CTO, uses Singpass as a model—where the government owns the identity platform and lets vendors compete on top, rather than being locked into a single supplier.