Digital

An illustration projected on a screen shows a robot hand and a human one moving towards each others during the "AI for Good" Global Summit at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland, 7 June 2017. (Denis Balibouse/File Photo/Reuters)

AI is us, we are AI

Malaysian academic Goh Chun Sheng ponders the weighty issues thrown up by artificial intelligence, seeking a little assistance from none other than OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
A researcher plants a semiconductor on an interface board during a research work to design and develop a semiconductor product at Tsinghua Unigroup research centre in Beijing, China, 29 February 2016. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

Can China's semiconductor industry survive under sanctions and the Chip 4 alliance?

Researcher Ding Ke looks at the US’s Chip 4 alliance initiative and its implications for China’s semiconductor industry. With the US seemingly intent on containing China’s high-tech industries, it will take a lot of effort for China to keep this sector going and growing, especially if the Chip 4 alliance works out.
People walk and ride their bicycles in Jakarta, Indonesia, 20 November 2022. (Willy Kurniawan/Reuters)

'Perfect storm': Indonesia's opportunities in a world in crisis

Taking an overview of global megatrends, including rising inflation, changes to business valuation and the race for technological supremacy, Indonesian business magnate Ang Tjoen Ming (Tahir) sieves out opportunities for Indonesia, and ways forward that could see it becoming one of the world’s seven largest economies in the next ten years.
A QR code for Covid-19 contact tracing was displayed at the entrance of a shopping mall in Shanghai, China, on 29 November 2022. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)

China's growing digital economy does not guarantee a 'digital civilisation'

Amid the frequent refrain of building a digital civilisation in China, Chinese academic Zhang Tiankan warns of the natural progression assumed in digital progress leading to greater civilisation. Innovations such as facial recognition technology or human tracking devices are placed in the hands of man and can be used for good or evil.
A person walks past a sign of Alibaba Group during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, China, 1 September 2022. (Aly Song/Reuters)

Rebirth of China's tech companies possible through regulatory reforms

While it appears that large digital platforms in China have been hit hard by a series of regulatory reforms in the last few years, they are down but not out, says researcher Jia Kai.
Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat (left) with Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, on 22 May 2019, at the start of his week-long visit to China. (Ministry of Communications and Information)

Heng Swee Keat: Singapore and China will build better future for region and the world

Ahead of the 18th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meetings between Singapore and China — the first to be held in person since the outbreak of the pandemic — Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat sets out a few priorities in taking Singapore-China relations to new heights.
Sensing that I'm drawn to such content, Douyin’s algorithm recommended more stories of Chinese families that tug at the heartstrings. (Screenshots provided by Jessie Tan)

Singaporean in China: China's poor no longer beg, they livestream

Former journalist Jessie Tan muses over the phenomenon of those in need transitioning from begging on the streets to selling goods on Douyin. While the poor or disabled have been given a more dignified and effective source of income, this is just one aspect of the good that comes with social media and technology.
Silhouettes of laptop users are seen next to a screen projection of binary code are seen in this picture illustration taken 28 March 2018. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/Reuters)

Web3 with Chinese characteristics: Finding China's solution for regulators, developers and users

Crypto ban notwithstanding, China’s getting firmly in the act of building Web3 infrastructure to its specifications. While China is unlikely to allow global Web3 to play a role in its economy or the lives of its citizens, Chinese developers and entrepreneurs remain fascinated by the promise of global Web3 platforms and cryptocurrencies. This portends the development of two blockchain markets in China: one which caters to those who “jump” the virtual fence to join in the global Web3 movement, and one which uses blockchain in line with Beijing’s vision.
A representation of cryptocurrency Bitcoin is seen in front of a stock graph and US dollar in this illustration taken 24 January 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Why Bitcoin can never be a mainstream currency

Technology expert Yin Ruizhi notes that while Bitcoin is a bold experiment in cryptocurrencies, in its current form it is still too unstable and resource-intensive to take the place of legal currencies as a mainstream global currency.