AI

The benchmark for voice AI is not whether it answers correctly in a controlled demo. It is whether it can survive real conditions: unstable networks, noisy environments, local accents, code-switching, interruptions, and impatient users.

The head of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Monday warned of uncertainties surrounding the sustainability of the global artificial intelligence (AI) investment boom, citing rising computing costs, financing risks and the possibility of technology disruption or regulatory intervention.

Taiwan-based TECO Electric & Machinery will acquire a majority stake in Malaysian engineering firm Dynaciate, in a deal worth MYR200 million ($50.8 million), as part of its expansion into Southeast Asia’s AI data center infrastructure market.

As AI becomes more integrated into the citizen journey, the focus is extending beyond deployment toward accountability, orchestration, and trust. The next phase of digital government will depend on how effectively agencies connect data, content, and service delivery across increasingly autonomous and interconnected systems.

ST Telemedia Global Data Centers (STT GDC) has on Tuesday announced a partnership with Alibaba Cloud and Tech Talent Assembly, an affiliated association under the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) to accelerate the adoption of generative and agentic artificial intelligence (AI) across Singapore’s enterprises and workforce.

Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) have launched the refreshed Retail Industry Digital Plan (IDP) on Tuesday, to guide over 2,000 small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) retailers on their digital transformation efforts.

China’s online and mobile payment platform Alipay  has introduced its full-stack AI payment solution to partners across industries, ranging from AI companies to traditional retailers, and debuted two new services, namely the world’s first AI Wallet and Token Pay, to support the agentic economy’s rapid growth.

Managing insider risk in modern environments is less about adding controls and more about reducing unnecessary access. In cloud-first systems, exposure is constantly shaped by how environments are built and maintained. Organizations that recognize this will be better positioned to contain insider risk before it becomes an incident.

KPMG has launched a Trusted Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence in Singapore, aimed at helping organizations strengthen governance and trust in artificial intelligence systems as adoption accelerates across industries.

Despite growing enthusiasm around autonomous AI agents such as OpenClaw, Asia-focused online travel platform Agoda has no plans to adopt the technology for now, with its chief technology officer citing security risks and a lack of control over the systems.