IBM’s CXO Dialogue | Future Forward: AI & Tech Trends to Watch in 2025

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IBM’s CXO Dialogue | Future Forward: AI & Tech Trends to Watch in 2025

2024 marked a pivotal year for technological advancements, with Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) driving innovation, streamlining operations, and enabling data-driven decisions across industries.

In Malaysia, Budget 2025 allocated RM10 million to the National AI Office ( NAIO ) and US$ 11.2 million ( RM50 million ) to AI education in research universities. Gobind Singh Deo, the country’s online business, is being supported by these methods, which are expected to contribute more than 25.5 percentage to GDP by 2025, according to modern secretary.

These opportunities underscore Malaysia’s devotion to AI authority and expertise growth, major to its ASEAN chairpersonship ambitions.

In this episode, we discussed how advancements such as Generative AI ( Gen AI ) will shape the country’s future, revolutionise decision-making, and redefine success in 2025 and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for AI adoption across various industries.

Keynote by MA Sivanesan, deputy secretary-general ( Digital Development ), Digital Ministry

Following opening remarks by Dickson Woo, managing director and technology leader, IBM Malaysia, Sivanesan shared how Budget 2025 emphasises AI’s strategic importance by allocating US$ 2.2 million ( RM10 million ) to establish the NAIO and US$ 11.2 million ( RM50 million ) for AI-focused research in universities.

The NAIO may work as a central authority, advancing Malaysia’s AI plan by promoting social AI management, coordinating sector-wide work, and developing the Artificial action plan for 2026–2030. The Digital Ministry is also driving skills development through incentives for high-tech education in AI and robotics, while fostering cross-sector collaboration between government, private sectors, and academia to increase innovation and maintain Malaysia’s local competitiveness.

MA Sivanesan, deputy secretary-general (Digital Development), Digital Ministry

The second border of AI culture: Scaling AI for influence

The program began with IBM Malaysia’s Dickson Woo&nbsp, sharing the main focus of AI opportunities in Asia-Pacific organisations, outlining the five proper trends shaping the country’s AI potential.

  • Organizations will adopt a” Strategic AI” approach in 2025, giving priority to projects based on feasibility and business impact, as AI-led revenue generation takes center stage.
  • Smaller specialised open-source models emerge as a powerful alternative for many AI applications: Purpose-built models will be in demand, including those designed for local languages, nuanced regional contexts and simpler computational tasks.
  • Enterprises embrace new tools for visibility, governance and seamless AI integration: Asia-Pacific organisations will increasingly leverage open-source AI models to drive innovation and efficiency.
  • AI agents redefine the future of work: Businesses will increasingly create agentic workflows that can independently carry out tasks, collaborate with human workers, and create value for the business.
  • The next stage of AI is centered on human-centred innovation, despite the adoption of productivity tools as a major focus for the use of AI to enhance human capabilities and experiences.

Dickson Woo, managing director and technology leader, IBM Malaysia

Unlocking the potential of Generative AI: Why should businesses embrace the AI revolution today?

The session continued with Eddy Liew, chief technology officer, IBM Malaysia, discussing how to choose the right Gen AI for an organization. He compared IBM’s Watsonx and the generic Gen AI model’s main differences. He further shared that business leaders face challenges in scaling AI across their enterprise with trust- at least 80 percent of surveyed business leaders see at least one of four ethical issues ( explainability, ethics, bias, trust ) as a major concern.

Eddy Liew, chief technology officer, IBM Malaysia

Fireside chat: AI Unleashed: Transforming Industries and Shaping the Future

A panel of four esteemed industry experts then take to the stage to discuss how AI has taken over Malaysia’s digital landscape.

Panellists:

  • Ellina Roslan, senior director, MyDIGITAL
  • Low Chia Seng, TIME Cloud chief technology officer, TIMEdotCom
  • Dr. Sadesh Manikam, senior vice-president, Enterprise Data Office, Bursa Malaysia
  • Rushdi Abdul Rahim, President and CEO, Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology ( MIGHT)
  • Moderator: Karamjit Singh, CEO, Digital News Asia

Panellists (from left) Ellina Roslan, Low Chia Seng, Dr Sadesh Manikam, Rushdi Abdul Rahim, and moderator Karamjit Singh

Woo wrapped up the discussion by reiterating how AI is fundamentally altering Malaysia’s businesses to a level never before. Businesses are expected to embrace AI by 2025, with a strong emphasis on initiatives that emphasize human-centered innovation and productivity improvement. Utilizing flexible, open-source architecture and effectively managing the seamless integration of AI to achieve measurable outcomes will be part of this.

Participants at the event

” Strong public-private collaboration within the digital ecosystem will be crucial for this transition, ushering in a new era of technological advancement, positioning AI as a true enabler of sustainable growth and a competitive advantage”, he said in closing.

Catch the full discussions in Top In Tech Ep41: IBM’S CXO Dialogue | Future Forward: AI &amp, Tech Trends to Watch in 2025 – HERE

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Sunway, Ministry of Higher Education sign 3-year TVET MoU to produce industry-ready graduates  

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  • Collaboration offers jobs for southeastern Malaysia’s TVET individuals
  • Partnership emphasises training to increase knowledge &amp, market readiness

Senior director of competency at the Department of Polytechnic and Community Colleges, Razak bin Sabtu (left) and Sunway Group’s chief HR Officer, Foo Shiang Wyne post signing.

Sunway Group and the Ministry of Higher Education ( MOHE ) have signed a three-year technical and vocational education and training ( TVET ) memorandum of understanding ( MoU) focused on skills sharing, industrial training programmes, and human capital development.

Sunway stated in a statement that the partnership will provide internship opportunities to TVET students from Malaysia’s southern region in collaboration with Ibrahim Sultan Polytechnic ( PIS ) under MOHE’s Department of Polytechnic and Community Colleges.

Implementation of structured business training programs that aim to advance students ‘ practical skills and prepare them for changing market demands is a key component of this partnership.

More than 200 TVET individuals across the country have benefited from Sunway’s ongoing collaborations with Universiti Teknologi MARA, the National Youth Advanced Skills Training Institute, and different polytechnicnics and community colleges to time. Additionally, the business expanded its commitment to advanceing technical and vocational training by offering internship and skill-sharing opportunities to other common TVET institutions.

Sunway Group key HR official, Foo Shiang Wyne, expressed trust in the relationship. We think that this MoU will help us produce a capable workforce that meets industry requirements. Sunway is dedicated to providing PIS students with top-notch professional training and opportunities for talent development.

Senior director of competency at the Department of Polytechnic and Community Colleges ( JPPKK), Razak bin Sabtu, highlighted the collaboration’s importance. ” This relationship demonstrates JPPKK’s dedication, alongside PIS, to provide graduates with skills that correlate with business demands. Sunway acts as a strategic partner, expanding the scope of our alumni ‘ employment options and facilitating work assignments.

Sunway members, senior representatives from MOHE’s Department of Polytechnic and Community Colleges, and PIS also attended the signing ceremony. This partnership is a major step in bolstering relations between academia and industry to enhance Malaysia’s development of human capital.

The MoU aligns with Sunway’s broader efforts to boost Malaysians through training and coaching across five key industries: kindness, cooking, facilities and equipment upkeep, mechanical, and healthcare. It also supports the Malaysian government’s increased focus on vocational education, reflected in Budget 2025’s allocation rise from US$ 1.5 billion ( RM6.8 billion ) to US$ 1.7 billion ( RM7.5 billion ).

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China business groups campaign against using US chips – Asia Times

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After the US announced new export controls to prohibit the shipment of high-end US cards to China, four Chinese business organizations have asked their members to refrain from purchasing American tradition semiconductors due to” safety” issues. &nbsp,

Individual claims from the Internet Society of China, the China Semiconductor Industry Association, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, and the China Association of Communications Enterprises stated that the most recent US device export controls have shaken Chinese firms ‘ trust and confidence in using British cards.

According to the Internet Society of China, Taiwanese companies should carefully select whether to purchase US cards internally or from abroad. &nbsp,

US cards are no longer safe and trustworthy, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, because Washington’s device export controls against China have hampered American firms ‘ supply chains and raised operating expenses.

The organization did not go into detail about how the change in US export regulations affected the quality of American bits. &nbsp,

Foreign product manufacturers are unsure whether to pursue these organizations ‘ recommendations to cut down on US chips. Some Chinese commentators claimed that the plan will help Chinese device manufacturers long-term increase their market share of lineage chips. &nbsp,

A Hunan-based columnist who uses the pseudonym” Jindou” claims in an article that” the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology ( MIIT ) has stated earlier this year that chips produced in the US will be phased out of China’s telecommunication networks by 2027. ” This is definitely not an empty talk” .&nbsp,

He claims that since 2018, China has tremendously increased its investments in nearby chipmakers and related manufacturers, laying the groundwork for the nation to slowly remove US manufacturers from its supply chain.

He claims that China’s chip exports increased faster than its chip goods, demonstrating that it will not need to buy foreign chips again. He claims that the US will shed its position as the world’s leader once China can take control of the lineage device market.

In the first 10 months of this year, China’s chip exports surged 19.6 % year-on-year to 246 billion units while chip imports increased 15 % to 456 billion units, according to China’s General Administration of Customs. &nbsp,

Beijing’s retribution

Wang Feiyun, a Beijing-based journalist, writes that as the US forbids Taiwanese firms from buying its high-end chips, it’s good that Chinese firms reduce their payments of British legacy cards. &nbsp,

According to Wang,” We stop buying US cards, as well as preventing the US from obtaining China’s natural materials,” Wang says in reference to the recent decision by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce to outsource some of the crucial metals used in semiconductor manufacturing to the US. &nbsp,

The Commerce Ministry said on December 3 that the exports of chromium, germanium, arsenic and” superhard components” such as diamond and cubic boron nitride to the US are now totally banned. Additionally, it added that greater end-user checks may be required for exports of graphene elements to the US. &nbsp,

Because China has previously publicly targeted the US, Wang claims that the most recent round of Chinese reprisals is stronger than the previous ones. ” Besides, American companies ‘ exports of Chinese important metal for legal apply are also banned”.

He says it’s a smart move that Chinese business organizations, instead of the Chinese authorities, called for reducing the payments of US cards. He claims that the US will not be able to come up with a justification for filing a World Trade Organization problem. &nbsp,

” It is true that China produces inferior cards. But really, 14-nanometer cards are good enough for making 90 % of electronic materials”, he says. ” And China has already started producing 28nm chips in large numbers with a 95 % yield.”

He claims that the US’s actions against China will only lead to a microprocessor conflict, which will result in US-based companies like Intel and Qualcomm losing market share.

US sanctions&nbsp,

Following two previous rounds in October 2021 and 2022, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security ( BIS ) released the third package of chip export regulations against China on December 2. &nbsp,

The BIS added 140 Chinese chip manufacturers and suppliers to its” Entity List,” as well as new export restrictions for 24 different types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, three different software tools for creating or producing semiconductors, and high-bandwidth memory ( HBM ) chips. &nbsp,

” This behavior is the pinnacle of the Biden-Harris president’s intended approach, in concert with our allies and partners, to affect the People’s Republic of China’s ability to indigenize the production of advanced technology that pose a threat to our national surveillance”, said US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. &nbsp,

She argued that the Department of Commerce’s continued expansion of US trade controls highlights its main function in carrying out the country’s broader federal protection strategy. &nbsp,

American media have &nbsp, reported&nbsp, on all these fresh controls over the past few decades, but the news was postponed to this month because the US had to discuss them with its allies, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Netherlands. &nbsp,

China has “remaining major protests with the US for updating the semiconductor export controls, sanctioning Chinese companies, and deliberately stifling China’s technological development,” according to Lin Jian, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on December 3.

An article published by King &amp, Wood Mallesons, a Beijing-based law company, said the protection of the latest US device ban is very large as several chip makers ‘ subsidiaries, dozens of state-owned Foreign chip makers and two investment firms were sanctioned. &nbsp,

The chip ban demonstrated that the Biden administration is well-versed in key players in China’s chip industry and that some Chinese chip manufacturers ‘ operations will be impacted in the short run.

Read: China sharpens trade war tools ahead of Trump’s arrival

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Nokia replacing Huawei at Deutsche Telekom sites in Germany – Asia Times

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In a large implementation of so-called Open RAN technologies that will outbid China’s Huawei in the area, Deutsche Telecom has signed a contract with Finland’s Nokia and its Chinese partner Fujitsu to provide 5G network equipment for more than 3, 000 sites in northeastern Germany.

Nokia’s return as a supplier of radio access network (RAN ) equipment to Deutsche Telekom is announced in the contract on November 27 for the first time since 2017.

The implementation in Neubrandenbeug, north of Berlin, began in December 2023 with the inclusion of Nokia’s Open RAN-compliant 5G AirScale baseband option and Fujitsu’s television models into Deutsche TeleKom’s business system.

Claudia Nemat, Deutsche Telekom committee member for technology and innovation, said at the moment, &nbsp,” Open RAN is essential to Deutsche Telekom’s strategy to promote greater dealer diversity and promote customer-oriented development in the radio access network. Our business rollout with Fujitsu and Nokia is a significant step in the development of multi-vendor Open RAN as the preferred network technology in the future.

Tommi Uitto, Nokia’s president of Mobile Networks, said on the news of the new deal that the company’s tech “ensures that multi-supplier O-RAN systems may be deployed without any agreements in terms of performance, energy efficiency or protection”.

He said that Nokia and Deutsche Telekom have “agreed to explore O-RAN technology around Cloud RAN, 3rd party CaaS]Connectivity-as-a-Service], RIC]RAN Intelligent Controller], SMO]Service Management and Orchestration ] and energy efficiency” .&nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp,

Huawei and ZTE from China’s Huawei and ZTE from Germany’s 5G telecom network were not specifically stated in the two companies ‘ public statements, but the telecom trade press concentrated on that.

German telecom network operators, including Telefonica, Vodafone, and Deutsche Telekom, have agreed to remove Chinese equipment from their core networks by the end of 2026 and from their entire networks by the end of 2029, under the pressure of the US and the EU.

In June 2023, Thierry Breton, the EU’s then-commissioner for internal market, referred to Huawei and ZTE as “high-risk suppliers”.

Different businesses can supply various components of a telecom network using open RAN standards. This enables telecom service providers to choose between large suppliers of fully proprietary systems like Huawei, Ericsson, and Nokia as well as from smaller national champions like Samsung in South Korea and NEC and Fujitsu in Japan.

In theory, Open RAN is a multi-vendor system. In practice, it tends toward what cynics call” single-vendor open RAN”, with the primary vendor being Nokia or Ericsson. Fujitsu competes with both of them. In 2023, ATT chose Ericsson, along with Fujitsu and software vendor Mavenir, as its primary Open RAN vendor.

Rakuten Mobile procures equipment and software from many different vendors, but chose Japan’s leading telecom equipment maker, NEC, to make its radio units. Open RAN was developed in conjunction with NTT DoCoMo by NEC. Samsung works with KDDI.

Huawei is shifting its focus to nations outside the US’s sphere of influence as a result of being barred from the European market for 5G and more cutting-edge telecom equipment.

Brazil, which has a population of about 215 million people, compared to 445 million for the EU and 85 million for Germany, has a GDP growth rate of about 3 %, compared to less than 1 % for the EU, and has experienced a slight decline in Germany.

Huawei has been in Brazil for more than two decades, supplying 3G, 4G and now 5G equipment to several mobile network operators, including Vivo, Claro and TIM.

It is also supplying 5G equipment to operators of private networks, including one controlling cameras, forklifts and other autonomous vehicles at Vivo’s distribution center in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In July of this year, Claro, part of Mexico’s America Movil telecom group, successfully completed a test of 5.5G (5G-Advanced ) in Brasilia using Huawei equipment, suggesting that Brazil might be the second country after China to make commercial use of the new technology.

Additionally, Nokia and Ericsson supply private network operators in Brazil with 5G mobile and private network operators, according to an agreement signed in August between Nokia and TIM. Huawei and the two European businesses both run Brazilian factories for telecom equipment.

Only Costa Rica has prohibited the use of Chinese telecom equipment elsewhere in Latin America, according to a study conducted at the Spanish university Universidad de Navarra.

Near the US border, Mexico does not use Chinese telecom equipment. The service provider for Telcel in America Movil has installed Huawei in the south of the nation and Ericsson in the north.

Nokia made new agreements with Indonesia and Saudi Arabia on December 5. Through 2027, Nokia and Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison ( IOH) plan to continue working on the expansion of IOH’s national 4G and 5G mobile network in Indonesia.

This comes after IOH’s 14-month core network consolidation project with Huawei is finished, which was announced at the end of August. In rural areas, average downlink times have since been shortened by up to 15 %, while social media response times have decreased and internet game and video performance has improved.

In Saudi Arabia, Nokia has introduced technology to improve the efficiency, capacity and reliability of Aramco’s fiber optic network. This follows the Saudi Telecom Company (STC )’s commercial launch last month of Huawei’s Superlink high-speed 5G wireless transmission system to serve far-offers of the nation.

As of right now, China has reduced Nokia and Ericsson’s presence to insignificance in retaliation, and the US and its allies continue to award telecom equipment contracts based on quality and price, while China and its allies have eliminated or are currently eliminating 5G equipment made by Huawei and ZTE.

Follow this writer on&nbsp, X: @ScottFo83517667

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Curtin_IoT from Curtin University Malaysia is the national winner of #ShellSelamatSampai Varsity Challenge 2024 

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  • The crew faced off against five other contenders to win.
  • Kids used STEM to come up with solutions to road health problems.

Curtin_IoT with Dr. Nor Fuad Abdul Hamid (4th from left), Siti Sulaiman (5th from left) and their lecturers.

Shell’s road protection program for primary individuals, the# ShellSelamatSampai Varsity Challenge, crowned Team Curtin_IoT from Curtin University Malaysia as its 2024 great success.

Themed Modern! Captivate! The problem, called” Save Lives!,” asked Malaysian university and college kids to use STEM to come up with creative solutions to address road safety concerns.

” Every year, life are painfully lost due to reckless driving, neglect, and lack of awareness. As responsible people, we may join to make a variation”, said Siti Sulaiman, Country Chair of Shell Malaysia and Senior Vice President of Integrated Gas &amp, Upstream Malaysia. Shell says,” We are committed to giving our children the foundation for driving safety values and enabling them to think critically and take initiative to improve the tradition of road safety in their communities.”

The winning group, comprising Wong Zhe Ming, Gigi Hii Shu Qi, and Kho Jia Ann, presented Vision Integrated E-Nose (VIEN): Advanced Vehicular Alcohol Detector and Classifier with IoT-Enabled Surveillance Platform. The program quickly recognizes and classifies drinking, distinguishing between sour beverages and non-toxic alcohol-based products like hand sanitizers. VIEN aims to improve road health and promote responsible travelling by preventing drunk drivers from driving.

Team Curtin_IoT competed against five other finalists from Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation ( APU), Universiti Malaya, Universiti Teknologi MARA ( UiTM) Shah Alam, Multimedia University ( MMU), and UCSI College Kuala Lumpur.

The implementation of our project was facilitated by the Shell# ShellSelamatSampai program, according to Team Curtin_IoT. We hope that our job will increase road safety and reduce road-related accidents.

A recognized judging board, including Ir. Mohd Yusop bin Mohamad, Director of Automotive Engineering, Road Transport Department Malaysia ( JPJ), Dr Ahmad Azad Ab. Rashid, Senior Researcher at the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research ( MIROS), and Harnamdav Singh, High-Risk Transport Road Safety Advisor at Shell Malaysia.

Shell’s devotion to highway safety in Malaysia began in 1957. The# ShellSelamatSampai Varsity Challenge, which was introduced in 2017, aims to motivate students to come up with creative solutions for road safety. Over the years, the problem has fostered creative young minds and urged unconventional ideas to improve street safety conditions across the nation.

For more information about Shell’s STEM and community initiatives, visit https ://www .shell.com/sustainability/communities/education .html

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EdgePoint’s Suresh Sidhu highlights towerco role in ASEAN’s digital revolution

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  • Towerco&nbsp, expands local footprints with 15k&nbsp, locations across ASEAN
  • Region’s youth-driven mobile-first society energy 5G and 4G development

EdgePoint founder and CEO, Suresh Sidhu believes collaboration is key to unlocking efficiencies and driving sustainable growth in the region.

EdgePoint’s Suresh Sidhu highlights towerco role in ASEAN’s digital revolution” ASEAN is very mobile-centric. Even in nations like Malaysia, where broadband penetration is over 50 %, mobile devices account for 30 % of web traffic, according to Suresh Sidhu ( pic ), CEO and founder of EdgePoint Infrastructure Sdn Bhd, in his keynote address at the TowerXchange Meetup Asia 2024 in Kuala Lumpur last week. ” Our fresh, tech-savvy people pulls this. With 25 % of ASEAN’s people under the age of 18, smart is the private wifi of every individual”.

Suresh used these insights to frame the critical role of tower companies ( towercos ) in enabling Southeast Asia’s connectivity revolution. His presentation, Positioning to Win: Towercos Place in Digital ASEAN, outlined the possibilities and difficulties that the business faces as it transitions to 5G and above.

ASEAN’s communication progress through cooperation

He remarked that” shared networks are fundamental to everything that is happening today,” citing collaboration between mobile network operators ( MNOs ) and infrastructure providers. He praised Malaysia’s long history of network discussing, that began in the early 2000s, as a model for different countries in the region.

EdgePoint System has been at the frontline of this move, operating over 15, 000 buildings in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and supporting 25, 000 residents. The business has delivered 500 build-to-suit buildings for Indonesia’s IOH besides running 10, 800 buildings it, and manages 2, 900 places in the Philippines, with 450 fresh requests for build-to-suit and coworking received this year alone.

In its home business of Malaysia, the business operates 1, 500 buildings serving 3, 400 landlords, with potential opportunities planned to tackle urban and suburban communication needs.

Sandy emphasized that sharing shared infrastructure shortens the time to roll out, especially in underserved areas, and reduces duplication. Collaboration is essential to unlocking efficiency and fostering green growth in the area.

4G’s enduring part in a 5G time

While 5G is a key focus for institutions and users, the continued necessity of 4G system cannot be overlooked. ” You can’t manage a great 5G network without wonderful 4G”, Sandy explained. ” In truth, 4G will be the 2G of tomorrow, especially in areas like Indonesia where covering large, complex regions takes moment”.

Strong 4G sites are a necessity because ASEAN relies on portable devices for both personal and professional communication. ” When a man drops from 5G to 4G, the experience must be seamless”, he said, pointing to the position of demographic changes in shaping system desire, noting that young populations across ASEAN are natural adopters of mobile-first technologies.

The opportunities and challenges for Towercos

Suresh outlined the importance of reliability, speed, and innovation in meeting MNO demands. Towercos must focus on providing holistic solutions that are tailored to the needs of the operator rather than just providing infrastructure. ” Scale is necessary, but skill sets you apart”.

He also cited potential opportunities for towercos in nearby industries. ” Adjoining sectors like micro-edge data centres, fibre integration, and IoT offer immense potential”, he said, though this is over the longer term where many more sites will be needed.

” It’s about the expansion of the network and AI to the edge as well as machine and private networks, such as for municipal parking, infra monitoring, etc..”

Towercos managing power for sites is also becoming more popular, which could make things easier for MNOs while lowering costs.

Suresh noted that the demands on networks will increase as data consumption increases and artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in daily life. He contends that towercos must make plans to support the growth of data traffic while maintaining effectiveness.

” You must have indomitable will. Be persistent, consistent, and committed”, he stressed, urging the industry to remain resilient in the face of rapid technological advancements and evolving market conditions.

As AI adoption, data consumption, and 5G rollouts accelerate, towercos like EdgePoint Infrastructure are positioned to play a pivotal role in shaping ASEAN’s digital future. The challenges remain, but the opportunities to drive connectivity and innovation are greater than ever, and EdgePoint intends to be a key player with Sesh’s call to action.

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NTT Data announces land acquisition for new data center in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

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  • For AI requirements, the service will apply liquid cooling and green designs.
  • It will grow to be one of APAC’s largest data centre colleges.

NTT Data announces land acquisition for new data center in Johor Bahru, Malaysia

NTT Data, a global pioneer in business and technology companies, announced its proposed merger of a 68.5-acre area piece in Gelang Patah, Johor Bahru.

The site will be transformed into one of the largest data center schools in the APAC region, with the addition of six distinct houses, each with a 290 megawatt ( MW) total IT load capacity. The second tower, with an original power of 48 MW, is expected to launch in April 2027.

” With APAC emerging as one of the fastest-growing areas for IT and data centres, this corporate property merger in Malaysia underscores our commitment to local development”, said Doug Adams, CEO and President of Global Data Centers, NTT Data. Due to its close proximity to Singapore, Johor Bahru is gaining an increasingly significant financial area.

Yasuo Suzuki, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for Japan and APAC at Global Data Centers, NTT Data, added,” Expanding in Gelang Patah strengthens Malaysia’s modern equipment, supports APAC economic development, fosters innovation, and creates new job opportunities”.

NTT Data now operates six features in Cyberjaya, near Kuala Lumpur, with a combined IT weight capacity of 20 MW. Using NTT Data’s regional partnerships, the new Johor Bahru initiative aims to strengthen Malaysia’s modern facilities.

To meet the growing demand for AI applications, the facility will feature energy-efficient, green designs, according to the company, which includes advanced technologies like direct liquid cooling.

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DNB leads the digital transformation of Malaysian manufacturing with 5G and AI 

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  • Visitors explored 5G’s impact on manufacturing with situation reports &amp, operations
  • DNB, KPJ Healthcare signed an MoU to observe 5G for better care &amp, performance

DNB leads the digital transformation of Malaysian manufacturing with 5G and AI 

Digital Nasional Berhad ( DNB), in collaboration with China Mobile International, ZTE, and Ericsson, and supported by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, hosted the” Connected Industries Day: Transforming Manufacturing with 5G and AI” workshop. This second installment of the series aimed to inspire Johor-based manufacturers in the Southern region to embrace digital products.

Held at the DoubleTree by Hilton, the factory was inaugurated by the chancellor of Digital, Gobind Singh Deo. State and federal government representatives from the production and technology sectors were present at the full-day function.

Through interactive classes and discussions, the occasion provided a crucial forum for business leaders, website experts, and stakeholders to influence the direction of manufacturing. Participants presented case reports of 5G Shop applications and illustrations of 5G answer deployments that increased operational efficiency, demonstrating the transformative potential of 5G in production.

In his handle, Gobind underscored the importance of modernization, technology, AI, and 5G in revolutionising Johor’s manufacturing industry. He remarked,” As a major hub for modernization in the country, with 13 information areas spanning over 1.65 million square feet, Johor is poised to get billions in foreign funding. It is crucial for state-owned businesses to adopt 5G use cases and electronic solutions to fully exploit this possibility.

DNB CEO Azman Ismail highlighted the organisation’s development in deploying a world-class 5G network foundation, which presently covers over 80 % of Malaysia’s filled areas—a full time ahead of schedule. He added,” Our 5G system is recognized by Ookla, the online tests and testing company, as one of the fastest and most consistent world. We have even earned accolades from OpenSignal, Global Telecom Awards, and FutureNet for functionality and creativity, showcasing our network’s eagerness for 5G-Advanced systems”.

He added,” As we transition to a dynamic, dual-network environment, DNB remains committed to supporting the Government’s online mission by driving 5G implementation to stimulate economic growth and change how Malaysians live, learn, function, and play”.

Additionally, DNB and Johor Corporation’s subsidiary KPJ Healthcare Bhd exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding. This collaboration seeks to harness 5G technology to improve healthcare services, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver better patient outcomes.

In addition, DNB conducted research with regional municipal mayors and city councillors to look into potential smart city transformation opportunities. This initiative builds momentum towards the Smart City Expo 2025, scheduled for the end of next year, in conjunction with Malaysia’s Asean Chairmanship.

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Quiet surge: China’s AI innovators doing more with less – Asia Times

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This is not a new trend, but a rise in presentations over the past few months confirms that Chinese models are also reshaping local and international dynamics and bringing about new concepts.

While the West frequently revels in the fruits of significant advances in artificial intelligence, China is also experiencing a rapid development that is both innovation and need.

To get an idea of the pace, this record the announcements from the past few weeks:

Company Model/ Solution Date Announced Important Features Significance
Alibaba Cloud Qwen-72B Quick Nov 2024 72B guidelines- Open-source- Multilingual- Advanced MoE- State-of-the-art logic performance Reinforces Alibaba’s result in the LLM area, offers a strong open-source alternative
Tencent HunYuan Video Nov 28, 2024 13B parameters- Text-to-video generation- Contrastive Video-Language Alignment ( CVLA )- Open-source A major step forward in movie era capabilities, democratizing access through empty source
Baidu iRAG Nov 12, 2024 Text-to-image era- Minimizes hallucinations using research features Increases the precision of AI-generated pictures
DeepSeek DeepSeek-R1-Lite-Preview Nov 20, 2024 Reasoning-focused design-” Chain-of-thought” reasoning- Matches Western concepts ‘ performance Shows a strong emphasis on logic, effectiveness, and keeping up with world standards
Bytedance Doubao Ongoing Doubao-PixelDance and Doubao-Seaweed for video technology- Possible integration with TikTok emphasizes Bytedance’s proficiency in blending LLMs with social media content development
JD.com ChatJD Sept 2024 E-commerce marketing- Interactive assistance- Sector-specific applications drives e-commerce development with LLMs that are focused on customer needs

China’s overlooked creativity path

Foreign types have been in synch with the West for a while, if not right away. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Its development has resulted in numerous groundbreaking contributions that were widely recognized much later and included in the tools of more well-known European modelers. Their strategy to AI has constantly been about finding fresh pathways prioritizing performance, scalability and utility.

Wu Dao 2.0, released in May 2021, is a perfect example of this first administration. It outperformed some European models of the time in terms of multimodal AI, integrating text and image control on a scale of 1.75 trillion parameters.

Beyond Wu Dao, Huawei’s Pangu-α type, introduced in 2021, exemplified China’s focus on developing resource-efficient AI. Pangu-α was among the first to show that large-scale speech models may be optimized for performance, paving the way for comparable global trends. Additionally, Bindu made a significant contribution with its first bidirectional AI models, which incorporated both visible and language capabilities. All of these were well ahead of other related developments in the West.

The latest inventions continue this pattern of pioneering techniques that will likely be replicated, if no emulated, worldwide. For instance, Tencent’s Hunyuan Video model utilizes Contrastive Video-Language Alignment ( CVLA ) to achieve impressive quality in video generation, an area where efficiency is often a key challenge.

However, DeepSeek’s” chain-of-thought” argument capabilities have drastically improved understanding of complex causes, underlining the first implementation and refinement of techniques.

Of training, China has lagged in various fields. In the patentless earth, its model manufacturers have adopted a lot more innovation than those made in the US and abroad. The critical point is that they, too, have innovated, and their inventions need more focus now because of their different focus. &nbsp,

Regulatory considerations: shaping safe and managed technology

Due to China’s special regulatory environment, Chinese developers are forced to find creative ways to meet these requirements. Artificial models are required to control generated glad in regulations, preventing potentially harmful or unwanted outputs.

This requirement has resulted in the development of sophisticated methods like responsive sign dropping, which maximize model effectiveness while successfully managing resource allocation and ensuring that models follow regulatory guidelines.

The incorporation of censorship systems into AI models is another element of regulation compliance. These functions, while provocative, function to align AI result with local rules.

Such systems could be adapted worldwide for email filtering, hazardous material restraint, and cybersecurity. The Chinese’s emphasis on safe operation and controlled outputs might help develop more stable AI systems around the world.

Hardware considerations: evolving amid minimal resources

Foreign developers have had to contend with limited exposure to cutting-edge equipment, such as innovative GPUs. These restrictions have encouraged technology and encouraged businesses to do more with less. This has resulted in improvements in how to use technology effectively and a focus on creating software that makes the most of the available technology.

For instance, Baidu adapted its Ernie concepts to work properly on Kunlun bits, while Alibaba optimized its Qwen designs for Huawei’s Ascend computers. These adjustments demonstrate how carefully combined software and hardware can transcend limitations and deliver high-quality performance.

This emphasis on maximizing output from limited resources is ingenuity and is in line with international concerns about the cost of developing AI in terms of both environmental and economic terms.

Recent advancements in the design of Sparse-Layered Models ( SLMs) and Mixture of Experts ( MoE ) architectures have further improved the capacity of Chinese AI systems to function effectively despite hardware limitations.

Alibaba’s Qwen-72B, for example, utilizes an innovative MoE infrastructure that activates just a set of design parameters during assumption. This approach—supposedly an advancement over MOE work globally—reduces mathematical weight while maintaining high performance.

Also, agentic developments, such as Baichuan AI’s Baixiaoying helper, include features that make interactions more effective by leveraging Sparse-MoE methods. Given that limited technology does not significantly affect the quality of user interactions or mathematical efficiency, these models are designed to be both resource-aware and extremely flexible.

DeepSeek’s decline in key running costs to 1 RMB per million currencies illustrates another feature of this constraint-driven technology. Although more research is required, this strategy points to a convincing trend in cost-effective AI and sets precedents for affordability that could be crucial as AI continues to expand internationally.

Focusing on software: the real-world influence of Chinese AI

Chinese AI improvements have excelled at concentrating on real-world applications that target market needs. Foreign companies have focused on specific areas where AI can have an immediate impact, in contrast to Western trends to grow LLM capabilities for general-purpose employ. This method has led to major mobility, robotics, medical, and e-commerce advances.

BYD is integrating LLMs for sophisticated message assistants and intelligent driving features, making them more user-friendly and customized driving activities. &nbsp, In automation, Foreign LLMs are driving developments in human-robot conversation. These advancements enable more efficient computerized systems that function flawlessly with human users.

Aside from such cobots, businesses like Geek and Hai Robotics apply AI-powered robots for inventory technology. Robots were created by Elephant Robotics to provide old treatment. A host of businesses are using&nbsp, AI-powered drones and drones for tasks like produce blasting, seeding, and field monitoring aside from planting.

For medical applications, Baidu’s iRAG device has shown significant success in improving the reliability of AI in health imaging by reducing hallucinations—an vital step in enhancing medical accuracy.

After the latest NY Times article that demonstrated AI types ‘ incredible diagnostic accuracy compared to skilled doctors, Baidu has been constantly developing ERNIE Bot 4.0 for health consultation. The regulatory obstacles may be lower for China. &nbsp,

The chemical structure of 1.7 billion drug-like molecules in the market has been learned by Huawei’s Pangu drug molecule model. Huawei anticipates the model to act as a virtual chemist, assisting researchers in developing and identifying novel molecules that are likely to interact with drug targets, and lowering R&amp, D costs by over 70 %.

Chinese models are also notable for their emphasis on accessibility. Tools like Baidu’s Miaoda no-code AI application builder make it easier to create AI-powered solutions, enabling smaller businesses without specialized technical teams to harness the power of LLMs. &nbsp,

Tencent is utilizing HunYuan Pro’s AI capabilities to streamline game development processes. The model can assist with tasks like generating game dialogue, creating non-player characters ( NPCs ) with realistic behaviors, and generating game levels and environments.

A different path to global benefit

In all innovation centers, AI models and applications are created globally. Chinese AI innovation demonstrates a different path toward technological advancement, where creativity is fueled by constraints and efficiency is the driving force behind progress.

Chinese AI developers have transformed constraints in their regulatory environment and resources into opportunities rather than just adaptation. Their emphasis on application, efficiency, and adaptability forms a valuable counterbalance to the Western focus on scaling and capability expansion.

Most importantly, there is a remarkable pick-up in the announcements of late. In end-user-affecting changes like TikTok’s latest features, Tencent changing the accessibility in WeChat, or Baidu’s glasses, Chinese innovations are also reaching end-users rapidly.

Even after reading reports from the media and analyst circles, it may seem as though nothing is happening with the Chinese tech companies in the AI space. None of these are likely to be ignored by the markets for very long.

In the future, especially when we discuss Korea, we will come back to the negative effects of the inability to cause excitement, although this is also true for China.

Nilesh Jasani is an LC GenInnov Fund investor based in Singapore.

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Bridge Data Centres, TNB sign MY07 400MW deal and green energy partnership, boosting Malaysia as a digital hub.

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  • Contract signs M’sia’s fastest ESA supply for a cutting-edge data center
  • When completed, MY07 did meet country’s growing digital system needs

Bridge Data Centres, TNB sign MY07 400MW deal and green energy partnership, boosting Malaysia as a digital hub.

Bain Capital-backed Bridge Data Centres ( BDC ), a leading Southeast Asia-based hyperscale data centre solutions platform, has announced the signing of the MY07 Electricity Supply Agreement ( ESA ) with Malaysia’s leading energy solutions provider, Tenaga Nasional Berhad ( TNB).

This arrangement, which was finalized in a quicker period window, represents Malaysia’s quickest ESA delivery, argues TNB, to meet the urgent energy requirements of a cutting-edge data center. The two parties signed a Bilateral Energy Supply Contract ( BESC ) Head of Terms ( HOT ) under the Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme ( CRESS).

The MY07 information center is BDC’s newest ability, currently under construction in Johor Ulu Tiram, Malaysia. When completed, MY07 will be a state-of-the-art hyperscale information center designed to cater to the state’s growing demand for digital system.

Speaking at the event, Megat Jalaluddin Bin Megat Hassan, President and CEO of TNB, emphasised the agency’s responsibility to delivering modern and sustainable energy solutions with a customer-centric method.

” Now marks a major step forward in our collaboration with Bridge Data Centers as we strengthen our shared efforts to accelerate Malaysia’s transition to energy. Through the TNB Green Lane Pathway program, combined with our One-Stop Centre solutions, we are happy to ensure rapid implementation of power solutions within only 12 months”.

He continued,” BDC becomes the first partner under the Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme construction, a step that our wholly owned subsidiary, TNB Renewables Sdn Bhd, helped facilitate. Collectively, we are not only expanding Malaysia’s data center equipment but also advancing technology, conservation, and economic development for future generations”.

Meanwhile, Eric Fan, CEO of Bridge Data Centres, expressed his appreciation for TNB’s dedication and efficiency, stating:” The MY07 Electricity Supply Agreement is important in ensuring dependable power availability, enabling BDC to keep fast delivery timelines for our hyperscale data centre services and meet the powerful demands of our customers.

The Green Energy Partnership establishes a foundation for BDC’s operations to include clean energy, demonstrating TNB and BDC’s commitment to sustainability and coal decline. This partnership supports Malaysia’s efforts to transition to renewable energy and coincides with global trends in natural data center operations.

This partnership strengthens Malaysia’s status as a vibrant hub for data center operations in the area and underlines TNB’s excellence in providing high-quality energy solutions. By incorporating green power through the Green Energy Partnership, BDC is well-positioned to be at the forefront of sustainable development in the modern infrastructure sector.

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