CelcomDigi in AI-driven autonomous network MoU with Ericsson

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  • Optimise system ops to remain delivering exceptional knowledge
  • Integration of AI features to help system integration &amp, reform

CelcomDigi Bhd and Ericsson ( Malaysia ) Sdn Bhd signed a MoU yesterday to collaborate on advancing autonomous network operations. The program aims to employ AI-driven system analytics to optimise CelcomDigi’s system operations, enabling it to continue delivering better networking experience for its customers throughout Malaysia.

With rising 5G implementation, system difficulty continues to grow due to an increasing number of related devices and various use cases. To solve this, CelcomDigi and Ericsson will simultaneously observe the development of sophisticated, intent-driven intelligent systems.

Key elements of the partnership include:

    AI-driven technology – Utilising AI technologies to enhance system performance and optimise performance.

  • 5G service confidence – Ensuring better, distinguished 5G services for businesses and consumers.
  • Enhanced customer experience – Improving service quality and operational efficiency through autonomous solutions.

As part of the collaboration, Ericsson will bring its global expertise and industry-leading AI Intent-Based Operations ( IBO ) to accelerate the pace of developing the autonomous network operations. The integration of AI-driven autonomous capabilities will also support CelcomDigi’s ongoing network integration and modernisation efforts, building the nation’s leading digital network for Malaysian enterprises and consumers.

Idham Nawawi ( pic ), CelcomDigi’s CEO said,” Malaysia’s 5G adoption is accelerating, and thus it is critical that we evolve our network capabilities to manage increasing complexity while delivering a superior customer experience. As an extension of our ongoing partnership with Ericsson, we are taking steps towards intent-based autonomous networks, harnessing AI and automation to transform how networks operate, optimise performance, and improve sustainability”.

David Hägerbro President and CEO of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, said,” We are particularly excited about the potential to leverage AI technologies in autonomous network operations, which will further improve efficiency and customer experience. The MoU aims to drive operational efficiency enhancements, boost service quality, and elevate user experiences. We aim to help CelcomDigi stay at the cutting-edge of digital innovation”.

By pioneering autonomous network operations, CelcomDigi and Ericsson aim to set new benchmarks in network efficiency, service differentiation, and customer satisfaction.

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JCI Inspire Fest 2025 spotlights Malaysia’s young leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers

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  • aims to highlight the success stories of JCI and its younger officials
  • Celecrates embodies conservation, innovation, and leadership.

The JCI Inspire Fest 2025, which was jointly hosted by Radiant and JCI Entrepreneur Metropolitan (JCI E-Metro ), was held at DSpace, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. Through a three-day display of inspiring individuals, thought-provoking ideas, and cooperative community initiatives, this youth-focused festival highlights the power of management, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.

The event, which has the style” Young Hands, Leading Change, Building Tomorrow,” aims to raise awareness of Junior Chamber International (JCI), its vision, and the victory reports of its award-winning fresh officials. The event highlighted the goods, services, and activities spearheaded by renowned JCI consumers like the Ten Excellent Young Malaysians, Creative Young Entrepreneur Award, Ten Excellent Young People of the World, and Sustainable Development Award.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia announced in a press release that Inspire Youth Day will be held at Sunway Velocity Mall on April 19, 2025. Her appearance highlights the significance of enhancing the voices of young people and nurturing the next generation of Malay changemakers.

The JCI Inspire Fest is more than just a festival; it’s a system for exchange, support, and meaningful activity. We want every Malaysian to hear the faces, tales, and accomplishments of our country’s brightest young talents, according to Friday Chua, the organising president of JCI Inspire Fest and a seasoned event expert.

The event features three themed time: 18 to 20 April 2025; it runs from April 18 to April 20.

  • Inspire Entrepreneur Day on April 18th,
  • Inspire Youth Day on April 19 ( officiated by YB Hannah Yeoh )
  • Inspire Environment Day on April 20

Every morning features people forums, solution showcases, ESG Power Talks, and networking opportunities for the consumer. All of these activities are intended to persuade, educate, and mobilize young people in the areas of leadership, innovation, and social impact.

Environmental, Social, and Governance ( ESG) will be a key area of the program this year in addition to youth leadership. The organizers have cited efforts from important ESG-aligned lovers, such as:

  • Legacy Partners: Sateera and the HERSTORY Healthcare Foundation, who continue to support green community development through activities in education, healthcare, and independence.
  • Social Good Partners: Maria International and MUSE Collection, both actively supporting equitable effect initiatives, especially for women and underrepresented populations, are CSR &amp.
  • EAS Academy and Rurutiki, whose educational and environmental initiatives are promoting sustainable practices in Malaysia, are ESG Partners.

These organizations “exercise the mission.” Their contribution to advancing ESG, education, health, and social responsibility is a crucial component of what this festival is all about, Chua continued.

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Google Cloud appoints Hana Raja as country manager for Malaysia

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  • may submit a review to Malaysia and Singapore’s country director Serene Sia
  • brings 16 years of experience to shaping business strategies and benefits.

Hana Raja ( pic ) has been named as the country manager of Google Cloud’s business in Malaysia. She will be in charge of Google Cloud and Google Workspace’s regional go-to-market strategy and operations, as well as working closely with Google’s business transformation team to implement enterprise-grade, AI-powered sky systems.

Hana is in charge of overseeing both the public sector, business business, and enterprise segments under the leadership of Serene Sia, country director, Google Cloud, in Malaysia and Singapore.

Following management positions at Cisco and Bain &amp, Company, Hana joins Google Cloud. She brings over 16 years of experience advising and working with senior executives of well-known companies in the public sector, including those in the financial services, retail, customer packaged goods, care, mechanical, power, and utilities, to develop sustainable development plans and enhance customer experiences.

Hana joins us as we enter a new era of the expansion of Google Cloud in Malaysia, according to Serene Sia. We’re also supporting large-scale initiatives like AI at Work 2.0 with the Ministry of Digital and National AI Office, Teraju AI Selangor with the State Government of Selangor, and the Gamuda AI Academy by supporting large-scale initiatives like a sovereign cloud with Dagang NeXchange Berhad, a Google data center, and a Google Cloud region.

Hana will play an important role in advancing our growth journey in this crucial market with her vision, experience, industry network, and focus on people and culture. We are confident that her leadership will enable more neighborhood organizations to flourish in the up-to-date digital economy, which is estimated to be worth up to US$ 70 billion ( RM311 billion ) by 2030, she continued.

Hana Raja stated that” Google Cloud has established itself as a trusted partner for data- and AI-powered innovation for Malaysian organizations, providing best-in-class infrastructure, platform services, industry solutions, and consultancy expertise to supercharge how they interpret and act on crucial information. I’m excited to work for Google Cloud and carry out this crucial work.

We have ambitious plans for growing in Malaysia, and I’m excited to develop our partner ecosystem and local team. We can expand the scope and breadth of our collaborations with government and businesses by building on the company’s successes to date. She continued,” This will ultimately make Malaysia’s position as a global technology hub stronger by accelerating the delivery of next-generation digital services to better serve Malaysians.”

Organizations in Malaysia have turned to Google Cloud to support their expansion and address pressing business issues. These include startups like Asia Mobiliti, Carsome Group, and Mindvalley, as well as public sector bodies like the Ministry of Digital, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education, the State Government of Selangor, the National AI Office, the National Digital Development Authority, and the Malaysia Productivity Corporation.

Google made a$ 2 billion ( RM9 billion ) investment in a new Google data center and the Malaysian Cloud region in May 2024. Elmina Business Park, Selangor, where construction of these facilities began in October 2024. This investment is a part of Google’s ongoing partnership with the Malaysian government to improve the country’s digital competitiveness and promote AI innovation.

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U Mobile names Edgepoint as preferred 5G IBC infrastructure partner for upcoming 5G rollout 

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  • With smooth protection and user support, partnership will be the driving force behind 5G adoption.
  • Both parties may use 5G IBC solutions to improve performance and customer experience.

From left to right: Wong Heang Tuck, CEO, U Mobile; Woon Ooi Yuen, chief technology officer of U Mobile; Muniff Kamaruddin, CEO, EdgePoint Towers; Suresh Sidhu, CEO of EdgePoint Group.

A leading ASEAN-based separate communications infrastructure firm, EdgePoint Infrastructure Sdn Bhd, and Malaysia’s next-generation 5G network operator, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding. According to the parties in a joint statement, EdgePoint will become one of U Mobile’s preferred 5G in-building ( IBC ) infrastructure partners, helping to expedite the company’s plan to roll out 5G IBC infrastructure across Malaysia.

Both parties will work closely together to implement 5G IBC system as part of the agreement, with an emphasis on creating and implementing custom solutions for each webpage to improve network performance and user experience. They will also work together to make sure a implementation is both affordable and quick. This collaboration aims to facilitate the implementation of 5G technology while ensuring smooth connectivity and coverage across essential locations. It also addresses the changing demands of both consumers and businesses.

Additionally, the collaboration will see U Mobile and EdgePoint collaborate on connectivity enhancement solutions that will enable faster data speeds, ultra-low overhead, and seamless inclusion of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, bright cities, and intelligent systems. Also, both businesses will look into potential 5G IBC solutions growth and innovation.

” U Mobile is pleased to have EdgePoint as one of our chosen IBC system companions for our future nationwide 5G implementation. We are Malaysia’s leading provider of 5G solutions, both indoors and outdoors, particularly in high-traffic places and business centers, and we are dedicated to providing high-quality, trustworthy, and ultra-fast 5G services to consumers and companies. Woon Ooi Yuen, U Mobile’s Chief Technology Officer, stated,” We want all Malay to live in the modern economy.”

By ensuring trusted communication that supports AI-driven technology, IoT-enabled buildings, and more, our relationship with EdgePoint also underscores our responsibility to accelerating 5G implementation and technology, he added.

” Our continuous and productive agreement includes working with U Mobile to promote the 5G deployment in Malaysia as the natural next step. We have regularly collaborated to improve communication across the nation over the years, and this new collaboration allows us to advance that work, said Muniff Kamaruddin, CEO of EdgePoint Towers.

” We are excited to keep strengthening our collaboration with U Mobile and make sure that 5G connectivity is flawless both on the Peninsular and East of Malaysia.” We are committed to improving inside connection and meeting the growing need for high-quality, trustworthy networks in buildings by utilizing our cutting-edge IBC solutions. This collaboration may enable Malaysians to fully experience the transformative potential of 5G, leading to economic growth, boosting productivity, and encouraging creativity in both business and daily existence, he added.

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Taiwan’s new 2nm chip set to power the AI revolution – Asia Times

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On April 1, 2025, the Taiwanese manufacturer TSMC introduced the world’s most advanced microchip: the 2-nanometer ( 2nm ) chip.

Mass production is expected for the second half of the time, and TSMC promises it does represent a major move ahead in performance and efficiency – probably reshaping the industrial environment.

Computers are the basis of modern technologies, found in virtually all electronic gadgets, from electric razors and smartphones to laptops and home appliances. They are made by layering and etching elements like silicon to make micro wires containing trillions of circuits.

These circuits are essentially little switches, managing the flow of energy and allowing pcs to work. In general, the more circuits a microprocessor contains, the faster and more effective it becomes.

The chip industry constantly endeavors to group more transistors into a smaller region, leading to faster, more effective and energy-efficient modern devices.

Compared to the previous most sophisticated device, known as 3nm chips, TSMC’s 2nm technology may deliver significant benefits. These include a 10%-15 % boost in computing speed at the same power level or a 20%-30 % reduction in power usage at the same speed.

Also, transistor density in 2nm cards is increased by about 15 %, over and above the 3nm systems. This should allow devices to work faster, consume less energy, and handle more complex tasks effectively.

Taiwan’s chip market is strongly tied to its protection. It is sometimes referred to as the” golden weapon”, because its common economic value incentivizes the US and friends to defend Taiwan against the possibility of Chinese invasion.

TSMC just struck a US$ 100 billion package to create five new US companies. But, there is confusion over whether the 2nm cards can be manufactured outside Taiwan, as some officials are concerned that may destroy the island’s protection.

Established in 1987, TSMC, which stands for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, manufactures cards for various businesses. Taiwan accounts for 60 % of the global “foundry” market ( the outsourcing of semiconductor manufacturing ) and the vast majority of that comes from TSMC alone.

TSMC’s super-advanced computers are used by different companies in a wide range of products. It manufactures Apple’s A-series processors used in iPhones, iPads, and Macs, it produces NVidia’s graphics processing units ( GPUs ) used for machine learning and AI applications.

It also makes AMD’s Ryzen and EPYC computers used by microprocessors widespread, and it produces Qualcomm’s Android chips, used by Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Google apps.

In 2020, TSMC started a special microchip miniaturisation process, called 5nm FinFET technology, that played a crucial role in smartphone and high-performance computing ( HPC ) development. HPC is the process of getting many processors to work together on complicated computing problems.

Two years later, TSMC launched a 3nm downsizing approach based on even smaller computers. This additional enhanced performance and power performance. Apple’s A-series computer, for instance, is based on this systems.

TSMC
TSMC makes the world’s most innovative computers. Photo: Michael Vi / Shutterstock

Phones, tablets and capsules with 2nm chips may benefit from better efficiency and longer battery life. This may result to smaller, lighter gadgets without sacrificing strength.

The efficiency and speed of 2nm chips have the potential to enhance AI-based applications such as voice assistants, real-time language translation and autonomous computer systems ( those designed to work with minimal to no human input ).

Data centers may encounter reduced energy consumption and improved running capabilities, contributing to economic sustainability goals.

Businesses like autonomous vehicles and technology may benefit from the increased processing speed and reliability of the new bits, making these systems safer and more useful for widespread adoption.

This all sounds really encouraging, but while 2nm cards represent a scientific breakthrough, they also pose difficulties. The first one is related to the developing complexity.

Producing 2nm chips requires cutting-edge techniques like extreme ultraviolet ( EUV) lithography. This complex and expensive procedure increases manufacturing costs and needs incredibly high precision.

Another big problem is warmth. Actually with relatively lower use, as transistors stretch and densities improve, managing heat dissipation becomes a critical issue.

Overheating may effect device performance and durability. In contrast, at such a small size, traditional materials like silicone may approach their performance limitations, requiring the exploration of various materials.

That said, the increased computing power, power performance, and miniaturisation enabled by these chips could be a gate to a new era of consumer and business computing.

Smaller chips could lead to breakthroughs in tomorrow’s technology, creating devices that are not only powerful but also discreet and more environmentally friendly.

Domenico Vicinanza is an associate professor of intelligent systems and data science, Anglia Ruskin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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AI power play: who, how and now of the tech changing everything – Asia Times

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Artificial intelligence ( AI ) has seen rapid growth, transforming industries and daily life. From bots to superior conceptual designs, AI’s skills continue to expand, driven by effective businesses investing heavily in research and development.

” The development of AI is as important as the design of the microcontroller, the individual computer, the Internet, and the smart phone”, wrote Bill Gates in 2023. ” It may change the way people work, learn, travel, get health care, and communicate with each other”.

In 2025, companies such as OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and emerging challengers like DeepSeek have pushed the boundaries of what large language models ( LLMs) can do. Additionally, business solutions from Microsoft and Meta are making AI equipment more accessible to companies and developers alike.

This article explores the latest Artificial designs available to the public, their advantages and drawbacks and how they compare in the dynamic AI environment.

AI designs rely on considerable computational resources, especially large language versions ( LLMs) that require large data and processing power. The leading AI designs undergo difficult education procedures that involve billions of parameters, consuming substantial energy and equipment.

Important AI players invest in cutting-edge technology and marketing strategies to improve effectiveness while maintaining high efficiency. The harmony between computing power, speed, and pricing is a significant factor in differentiating these AI models.

The Dynamic Landscape: Best AI Models

OpenAI’s ChatGPT

ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is one of the most recognized and commonly used AI types in the world. Built with a dialogue-driven style, ChatGPT is designed to reply follow-up questions, challenge incorrect facilities, admit mistakes, and accept improper calls. Its versatility has made it a leading AI tool for both casual and professional use, spanning industries such as customer service, content creation, programming, and research.

ChatGPT is ideal for a wide range of users, including writers, business professionals, educators, developers, and researchers. Its free-tier accessibility makes it an excellent starting point for casual users, while businesses, content creators, and developers can leverage its advanced models for enhanced productivity and automation.

It is also among the most user-friendly AI models available, featuring a clean interface, intuitive responses, and seamless interaction across devices. However, organizations that require custom AI models or stricter data privacy controls may find its closed-source nature restrictive, particularly compared to open-source alternatives like Meta’s LLaMA.

The latest version, GPT-4o, is available for free-tier users and offers a strong balance of speed, reasoning, and text generation capabilities. For users seeking enhanced performance, ChatGPT Plus provides priority access and faster response times at a monthly subscription cost.

For professionals and businesses requiring more robust capabilities, ChatGPT Pro unlocks advanced reasoning features through the o1 pro mode, which includes enhanced voice functionality and improved performance on complex queries.

Developers looking to integrate ChatGPT into applications can access its API, a type of software interface. Pricing starts at approximately$ 0.15 per million input tokens and$ 0.60 per million output tokens for GPT-4o mini, while the more powerful o1 models come at a higher cost. A token is defined as a fundamental unit of data, like a word or subword, that an AI model processes to understand and generate text.

One of ChatGPT’s greatest strengths is its versatility and conversational memory. It can handle a broad range of tasks, from casual conversation and creative writing to technical problem-solving, coding assistance, and business automation. When memory is enabled, ChatGPT can retain context across interactions, allowing for a more personalized user experience.

Another key advantage is its proven user base—with hundreds of millions of users worldwide, ChatGPT has undergone continuous refinement based on real-world feedback, improving its accuracy and usability. Additionally, GPT-4o’s multimodal capabilities allow it to process text, images, audio, and video, making it a comprehensive AI tool for content creation, analysis, and customer engagement.

While a free version exists, the most powerful features require paid subscriptions, which may limit accessibility for smaller businesses, independent developers, and startups. Another drawback is an occasional lag in real-time updates, even though ChatGPT has web-browsing capabilities, it may struggle with the most recent or fast-changing information.

Lastly, its proprietary model means users have limited control over modifications or customization, as they must adhere to OpenAI’s data policies and content restrictions.

Google’s Gemini

Google’s Gemini series is renowned for its multimodal capabilities and its ability to handle extensive context, making it a versatile tool for both personal and enterprise-level applications.

General consumers and productivity users benefit from Gemini’s deep integration with Google Search, Gmail, Docs, and Assistant, making it an excellent tool for research, email drafting, and task automation. Business and enterprise users find value in Gemini’s integration with Google Workspace, enhancing collaboration across Drive, Sheets, and Meet.

Developers and AI researchers can leverage its capabilities through Google Cloud and Vertex AI, making it a strong choice for building AI applications and custom models. Creative professionals can take advantage of its multimodal abilities, working with text, images, and video. Meanwhile, students and educators benefit from Gemini’s ability to summarize, explain concepts, and assist with research, making it a powerful academic tool.

Google Gemini is highly accessible, especially for those already familiar with Google services. Its seamless integration across Google’s ecosystem allows for effortless adoption in both personal and business applications.

Casual users will find it intuitive, with real-time search enhancements and natural interactions that require little to no learning curve. Developers and AI researchers can unlock advanced customization through API access and cloud-based features, though utilizing these tools effectively may require technical expertise.

The current versions, Gemini 1.5 Flash and Pro, cater to different needs, with Flash offering a cost-efficient, distilled option and Pro providing higher performance. Meanwhile, the Gemini 2.0 series, designed primarily for enterprise use, includes experimental models like Gemini 2.0 Flash with enhanced speed and multimodal live APIs, as well as the more powerful Gemini 2.0 Pro.

Basic access to Gemini is often free or available through Google Cloud’s Vertex AI. Still, advanced usage, especially when integrated into enterprise solutions, was introduced at$ 19.99–$ 25 per month per user, with pricing adjusted to reflect added features like a 1-million-token context window.

Gemini’s main advantage over other AIs is that it excels in processing text, images, audio, and video simultaneously, making it a standout in multimodal mastery. It also integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace, Gmail, and Android devices, making it a natural fit for users already in the Google ecosystem. Additionally, it offers competitive pricing for developers and enterprises needing robust capabilities, especially in extended context handling.

However, Gemini’s performance can be inconsistent, particularly with rare languages or specialized queries. Some advanced versions may be limited by safety testing, delaying wider access. Furthermore, its deep integration with Google’s ecosystem can be a barrier for users outside that environment, making adoption more challenging.

Anthropic’s Claude

Anthropic’s Claude is known for its emphasis on safety, natural conversational flow, and long-form contextual understanding. It is particularly well-suited for users who prioritize ethical AI usage and structured collaboration in their workflows.

Researchers and academics who need long-form contextual retention and minimal hallucinations, as well as writers and content creators who benefit from its structured approach and accuracy, will find Claude an essential and beneficial AI assistant.

Business professionals and teams can leverage Claude’s” Projects” feature for task and document management, while educators and students will find its safety guardrails and clear responses ideal for learning support.

Because Claude is highly accessible for those seeking a structured, ethical AI with a strong contextual understanding, it is moderately suitable for creative users who may find its restrictive filters limiting and less ideal for those needing unrestricted, fast brainstorming tools or AI-generated content with minimal moderation.

Claude 3.5 Sonnet, on the other hand, is the flagship model, offering enhanced reasoning, speed, and contextual understanding for both individual and enterprise users. For businesses and teams, the Claude Team and Enterprise Plans start at approximately$ 25 per user per month ( billed annually ), providing advanced collaboration features.

Individual users can access Claude Pro, a premium plan that costs around$ 20 per month, offering expanded capabilities and priority access. A limited free tier is also available, allowing general users to explore basic features and test its functionality.

Unlike most AIs, Claude excels in ethical AI safety, extended conversational memory, and structured project management, making it ideal for users who require reliable and well-moderated AI assistance. Its intuitive interface and organization tools enhance productivity for writers, researchers, educators, and business professionals.

However, there are instances when availability constraints during peak hours can disrupt workflow efficiency. Claude’s strict safety filters, while preventing harmful content, sometimes limit creative flexibility, making it less suitable for highly experimental or unrestricted brainstorming sessions. Additionally, enterprise costs may be high for large-scale teams with extensive AI usage.

DeepSeek AI

DeepSeek, a newcomer from China, has quickly gained attention for its cost efficiency and open-access philosophy. Unlike many established AI models, DeepSeek focuses on providing affordable AI access while maintaining strong reasoning capabilities, making it an appealing option for businesses and individual users alike.

” DeepSeek R1 is one of the most amazing and impressive breakthroughs I’ve ever seen—and as open source, a profound gift to the world”, said Marc Andreessen, former software engineer and co-founder of Netscape.

Being an excellent choice for cost-conscious businesses, independent developers, and researchers who need a powerful yet affordable AI solution, DeepSeek is particularly suitable for startups, academic institutions, and enterprises that require strong reasoning and problem-solving capabilities without high operational costs.

It is highly accessible for individuals due to its free web-based model, and even developers and enterprises benefit from its low-cost API. However, organizations requiring politically neutral AI models or strict privacy assurances may find it less suitable, especially in industries where data security and regulatory compliance are paramount.

The latest model, DeepSeek-R1, is designed for advanced reasoning tasks and is accessible through both an API and a chat interface. An earlier version, DeepSeek-V3, serves as the architectural foundation for the current releases, offering an extended context window of up to 128, 000 tokens while being optimized for efficiency.

DeepSeek is free for individual users through its web interface, making it one of the most accessible AI models available. However, for business applications, API usage comes at a significantly lower cost than US competitors, making it an attractive option for enterprises looking to reduce expenses.

Reports indicate that DeepSeek’s training costs are drastically lower, with estimates suggesting it was trained for approximately$ 6 million, a fraction of the cost compared to competitors, whose training expenses can run into the tens or hundreds of millions.

One of DeepSeek’s biggest strengths is its cost efficiency. It allows businesses and developers to access powerful AI without the financial burden associated with models like OpenAI’s GPT-4 or Anthropic’s Claude. Its open-source approach further enhances its appeal, as it provides model weights and technical documentation under open licenses, encouraging transparency and community-driven improvements.

Additionally, its strong reasoning capabilities have been benchmarked against leading AI models, with DeepSeek-R1 rivaling OpenAI’s top-tier models in specific problem-solving tasks. As Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark wrote in his” Import AI” newsletter,” R1 is significant because it broadly matches OpenAI’s o1 model on a range of reasoning tasks and challenges the notion that Western AI companies hold a significant lead over Chinese ones”.

A notable problem with DeepSeek is that its response latency, especially during periods of high demand, makes it less ideal for real-time applications where speed is crucial. Censorship and bias are also potential concerns. DeepSeek aligns with local content regulations, meaning it may sanitize or avoid politically sensitive topics, which could limit its appeal in global markets.

Additionally, some users have raised privacy concerns due to its Chinese ownership, questioning whether its data policies are as stringent as those of Western AI companies that comply with strict international privacy standards.

Microsoft’s Copilot

Microsoft’s Copilot is a productivity-focused AI assistant designed to enhance workplace efficiency through seamless integration with the Microsoft 365 suite. By embedding AI-powered automation directly into tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, Copilot serves as an intelligent assistant that streamlines workflows, automates repetitive tasks, and enhances document generation.

Ideal for businesses, enterprise teams, and professionals who heavily rely on Microsoft 365 applications for their daily operations, Microsoft’s Copilot is particularly beneficial for corporate professionals, financial analysts, project managers, and administrative staff who need AI-powered assistance to enhance productivity and reduce time spent on routine tasks.

However, organizations that prefer open-source AI models or require flexible, cross-platform compatibility may find Copilot less suitable, especially if they rely on non-Microsoft software ecosystems for their workflows.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is available across Microsoft’s core productivity applications, providing AI-powered assistance for document creation, email drafting, data analysis, and meeting summarization.

The service costs approximately$ 30 per user per month and typically requires an annual subscription. However, pricing can vary based on region and enterprise agreements, with some organizations receiving customized pricing based on their licensing structure.

One of Copilot’s most significant advantages is its deep ecosystem integration within Microsoft 365. For businesses and professionals already using Microsoft Office, Copilot enhances workflows by embedding AI-driven suggestions and automation directly within familiar applications.

Its task automation capabilities are another significant benefit, helping users generate reports, summarize meetings, draft emails, and analyze data more efficiently. Furthermore, Copilot receives continuous updates backed by Microsoft’s substantial investments in AI and cloud computing, ensuring regular improvements in performance, accuracy, and feature expansion.

In contrast, one of the significant drawbacks of Microsoft’s Copilot is its ecosystem lock-in—Copilot is tightly coupled with Microsoft 365, meaning its full potential is only realized by organizations already invested in Microsoft’s software ecosystem. Limited flexibility is another concern, as it lacks extensive third-party integrations found in more open AI platforms, making customization difficult for businesses that rely on a broader range of tools.

Additionally, some users report occasional response inconsistencies, where Copilot may lose context in long sessions or provide overly generic responses, requiring manual refinement.

Meta AI

Meta’s suite of AI tools, built on its open-weight LLaMA models, is a versatile and research-friendly AI suite designed for both general use and specialized applications. Meta’s approach prioritizes open-source development, accessibility, and integration with its social media platforms, making it a unique player in the AI landscape.

It is ideal for developers, researchers, and AI enthusiasts who want free, open-source models that they can customize and fine-tune. It is also well-suited for businesses and brands leveraging Meta’s social platforms, as its AI can enhance customer interactions and content creation within apps like Instagram and WhatsApp.

Meta AI is highly accessible for developers and researchers due to its open-source availability and flexibility. However, businesses and casual users may find it less intuitive compared to AI models with more refined user-facing tools. Additionally, companies needing strong content moderation and regulatory compliance may prefer more tightly controlled AI systems from competitors like Microsoft or Anthropic.

Meta AI operates on a range of LLaMA models, including LLaMA 2 and LLaMA 3, which serve as the foundation for various applications. Specialized versions, such as Code Llama, are tailored for coding tasks, offering developers AI-powered assistance in programming.

One of Meta AI’s standout features is its open-source licensing, which makes many of its tools free for research and commercial use. However, enterprise users may encounter service-level agreements ( SLAs ) or indirect costs, especially when integrating Meta’s AI with proprietary systems or platform partnerships.

Meta AI’s biggest advantage is its open-source and customizable nature, allowing developers to fine-tune models for specific use cases. This fosters greater innovation, flexibility, and transparency compared to closed AI systems.

Additionally, Meta AI is embedded within popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, giving it massive consumer reach and real-time interactive capabilities. Meta also provides specialized AI models, such as Code Llama, for programming and catering to niche technical applications.

Despite its powerful underlying technology, Meta AI’s user interfaces and responsiveness can sometimes feel less polished than those of competitors like OpenAI and Microsoft. Additionally, Meta has faced controversies regarding content moderation and bias, raising concerns about AI-generated misinformation and regulatory scrutiny.

Another challenge is ecosystem fragmentation, with multiple AI models and branding under Meta, navigating the differences between Meta AI, LLaMA and other offerings can be confusing for both developers and general users.

AI’s impact on the future of technology

As AI adoption grows, the energy demand for training and operating these models increases. Companies are developing more efficient AI models while managing infrastructure costs.

Modern AI models, particularly those known as large language models ( LLMs), are powerhouses that demand vast computational resources. Training these models involves running billions of calculations across highly specialized hardware over days, weeks, or even months.

The process is analogous to running an industrial factory non-stop—a feat that requires a tremendous amount of energy. The rise of AI assistants, automation, and multimodal capabilities will further shape industries, from customer support to content creation.

” The worst thing you can do is have machines wasting power by being always on”, said James Coomer, senior vice president for products at DDN, a California-based software development firm, during the 2023 AI conference ai-PULSE.

AI competition will likely drive further advancements, leading to smarter, more accessible, and environmentally conscious AI solutions. However, challenges related to cost, data privacy, and ethical considerations will continue to shape the development of AI.

AI companies are actively addressing concerns about energy consumption and sustainability by optimizing their models to enhance efficiency while minimizing power usage. One key approach is leveraging renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, to supply data centers, which significantly reduces their carbon footprint.

Additionally, advancements in hardware are being developed to support more energy-efficient AI computation, enabling systems to perform complex tasks with lower energy demands. These innovations not only help reduce environmental impact but also contribute to long-term cost savings for AI companies.

Beyond technological improvements, regulatory policies are being introduced to ensure AI growth aligns with environmental sustainability. Governments and industry leaders need to work together to establish guidelines that encourage responsible energy consumption while promoting research into eco-friendly AI solutions. However, the fear of governmental regulation often makes technology leaders hesitant to collaborate.

One voice at the forefront of global AI governance is Amandeep Singh Gill, the United Nations Secretary-General’s envoy on technology, who emphasizes the importance of collaborative governance in AI development —and sustainable development needs to be part of this cooperation and coordination.

” ]W] e have to find ways to engage with those who are in the know”, he said in a September 2024 interview in Time. ” Often, there’s a gap between technology developers and regulators, particularly when the private sector is in the lead.

When it comes to diplomats and civil servants and leaders and ministers, there’s a further gap. How can you involve different stakeholders, the private sector in particular, in a way that influences action? You need to have a shared understanding”.

No matter the level of collaboration between the private and public sectors, companies need to aggressively explore emission-mitigation methods like carbon offset programs and energy-efficient algorithms to further mitigate their environmental impact.

By integrating these strategies, the AI industry is making strides toward a more sustainable future without compromising innovation and progress.

Balancing innovation and responsibility

AI is advancing rapidly, with OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, DeepSeek, CoPilot and MetaAI leading the way. While these models offer groundbreaking capabilities, they also come with costs, limitations, and sustainability concerns.

Businesses, researchers, and policymakers must prioritize responsible AI development while maintaining accessibility and efficiency. The Futurist: The AI ( R ) evolution panel discussion held by the Washington Post brought together industry leaders to explore the multifaceted impact of artificial intelligence ( AI ) on business, governance, and society.

Martin Kon of Cohere explains that his role is securing AI for business with an emphasis on data privacy, which is essential for” critical infrastructure like banking, insurance, health care, government, energy, telco, etc”.

Because there’s no equivalent of Google Search for enterprises, AI, Kon says, is an invaluable tool in searching for needles in haystacks–but it’s complicated:” Every year, those haystacks get bigger, and every year, the needles get more valuable, but every enterprise’s haystacks are different. They’re data sources, and everyone cares about different needles”. He is, however, optimistic on the job front, maintaining that the new technology will create more jobs and greater value than many critics fear.

” Doctors, nurses, radiologists spend three and a half hours a day on admin. If you can get that done in 20 minutes, that’s three hours a day you’ve freed up of health care professionals. You’re not going to fire a third of them. They’re just going to have more time to treat patients, to train, to teach others, to sleep for the brain surgery tomorrow”.

May Habib, CEO of Writer, which builds AI models, is similarly optimistic, describing AI as “democratizing”. ” All of these secret Einsteins in the company that didn’t have access to the tools to build can now build things that can be completely trajectory-changing for the business, and that’s the kind of vision that folks need to hear. And when folks hear that vision, they see a space and a part for themselves in it”.

Sy Choudhury, director of business development for AI Partnerships at Meta, sees a vital role for AI on the public sector side. ” ]I ] t can be everything very mundane from logistics all the way to cybersecurity, all the way to your billing and making sure that you can talk to your state school when you’re applying for federal student–or student loans, that kind of thing”.

Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA ), who led the House AI Task Force in 2024, acknowledges the need for” an institute to set standards for AI and to create testing and evaluation methodologies for AI” but emphasizes that” those standards should be non-compulsory …” And while agreeing that AI is” a very powerful tool”, he says that it’s still” just a tool”, adding that “if you concentrate on outcomes, you don’t have to worry as much about the tools …”

But some of those outcomes, he admits, can be adverse. ” ]O ] ne example that I use a lot is the potential malicious use of AI for cyber fraud and cyber theft”, he says. ” ]I ] n the pantheon of malicious uses of AI, that’s one of the ones that we at the task force worried the most about because we say bad actors are going to bad, and they’re going to bad more productively with AI than without AI because it’s such a powerful tool for enhancing productivity”.

Consumers can also do their part by managing AI usage wisely—turning off unused applications, optimizing workflows, and advocating for sustainable AI practices. AI’s future depends on balancing innovation with responsibility. The challenge is not just about creating smarter AI but also ensuring that its growth benefits society while minimizing its environmental impact.

Sharon Kumar is a technology editor at The Observatory, where he provides analysis and critical perspectives on the rapidly evolving tech landscape. As a seasoned MAANG tech professional with over a decade of experience in program management, strategic planning, and technology-driven business solutions, including AI and system performance optimization, Kumar has a deep understanding of emerging trends, digital infrastructure, and software development.

This article was produced by The Observatory, a project of the Independent Media Institute, and is republished with permission.

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2025 will be the year of ‘Industrial AI’

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  • Automation, aircraft &amp, energy shift create excellent setting for AI
  • Trifecta of 5G, sky &nbsp, AI is turning idea of freedom into commercial real

The excitement about synthetic intelligence is evident – turn on your phone now and it won’t be long before you are fed the next great AI-related history. In just a couple of years we have grown accustomed to AI helping us full simple daily tasks – from getting cafe advice to editing selfies.

But these capabilities sit at the very idea of the AI iceberg, only scratching the surface of what this paradigm-shifting technologies may achieve. Dig deeper and AI is set to change economy on a worldwide level. It is going to alter the way full industries operate and reinvent the nature of function within these sectors.

If the past few years have been about AI penetrating daily living, 2025 is going to be the year of AI for industries – and we will see a radical motion of the trip to professional autonomy as a result.

The AI opportunity across three compelling megatrends

The difference between industrial automation ( where we are today ) and autonomy ( where we are going ) is key to understanding this opportunity. While automation involves machines following pre-programmed instructions, autonomy leverages AI to enable systems to adapt and make decisions in dynamic conditions.

The path to full autonomy may be an incremental one for most industries, but many are already rapidly accelerating AI investments in pursuit of it. AI has immense transformative potential in almost all business areas, and companies are placing big bets to enable new ways of working, drive new business models and unlock new routes to growth.

We view global industry through the lens of three compelling megatrends – automation, the future of aviation, and the energy transition. Across all three megatrends, there is already a large installed base of highly connected technology and vast amounts of data that – with the right tools in place – create the perfect environment for AI to thrive.

AI can move us closer to energy security by dynamically controlling an increasingly complex and diverse energy mix and identifying inefficiencies across industrial operations in real-time.

In aviation, AI is a critical enabler of connected aircraft and, in the future, of autonomous flight that is central to a rapidly scaling advanced air mobility sector.

AI is also powering the operator copilots and predictive maintenance systems needed to maximize the safety and operational stability of complex, automated industrial plants.

These outcomes are becoming increasingly important to bridge the demand-supply gap of technologically skilled workers available to support industrial growth. The problem is getting worse, either as skilled workers retire with fewer fully skilled workers available to replace them or as economies scale rapidly without a skilled industrial talent pool that can keep pace.

AI-enabled autonomous industrial operations can directly address the skills shortage. Not by eliminating workers but by providing AI-powered tools that can train and upskill them, helping even inexperienced workers perform like seasoned experts and loosening one of the binding constraints to growth.

AI will change the nature of industrial roles to make them more strategic, while allowing tomorrow’s workforce to jump quickly into jobs that they’ll find more challenging and rewarding, enabled by the power of new technologies at their fingertips. It is imperative that workers are equipped with the tools and the learning opportunities to embrace AI in their jobs and be prepared to explore its potential to avoid being left behind.

The’ technology trifecta’

Another driver is that, until recently, the huge volume of industrial data that has been growing exponentially over the past decade has largely been locked within local machine loops.

Put simply- the technologies to free it from its silos, aggregate and analyze it in one single place have not existed. Industrial datasets can be vast and lack the connectivity to transfer them, large repositories to store them, and powerful data processing capabilities to convert them into actions.

This is what we call the’ technology trifecta’ of 5G, cloud and AI, and it is turning the theory of autonomy into an industrial reality. By bringing these elements together, industrial companies are now finally able to leverage the full extent of their operational data to make every day their best day of production.

Their success will be determined by the ability to connect their Operational Technology ( OT ) – the patchwork of physical sensors, systems and controllers within a typical industrial operation– with the Information Technology ( IT ) infrastructure at a large scale. And, by connecting their OT in this way, they will also need to make the right cybersecurity investments to ensure their entire OT and IT infrastructure is secured from increasingly sophisticated threats.

The right partnerships for AI-led transformation&nbsp,

These technical hurdles can be solved today through cross-industry partnership on AI. That is why we are already working closely with some of the world’s leading firms in the areas of connectivity, cloud and AI to bring the right solutions to market.

For example, Honeywell Forge, our IOT platform, transforms data into insights across virtually any industrial operation. To help achieve this, the platform can harness the power of Microsoft Azure’s cutting-edge cloud and AI capabilities to help operational workers identify opportunities across digitalization, energy optimization, asset reliability, OT cybersecurity, and building efficiency. &nbsp,

In another example, we recently announced a collaboration with Google to bring its Gemini Large Language Model and Vertex, Google Cloud’s AI platform, together with enterprise-wide industrial data from Honeywell Forge. This convergence of tools and data supports the rapid upskilling of a remote workforce and enables predictive maintenance – which reduces downtime and increases productivity.

We are also expanding partnerships across semiconductors and technology architecture – working with leaders including NXP and Qualcomm to ensure AI can be enabled at the edge across a wide range of applications from refineries to warehouses and even aircraft cockpits.

To complete the ecosystem we are adding the advanced capabilities of telecommunications providers like Verizon, to leverage their 5G capabilities for the transfer of large datasets from edge-to-cloud.

Such partnerships are important because they combine deep domain and data expertise across industries with the very latest technologies across the’ trifecta’ to finally make industrial AI accessible.

Industrial businesses around the world are now poised to turbocharge the path to autonomy, and in 2025 we will see bold bets made in industrial AI technologies that are going to radically increase productivity, improve efficiency and unlock much-needed growth.

Anant Maheshwari is President and CEO Global Regions, Honeywell

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Malaysia strengthens tech ties at LEAP 2025 in Saudi Arabia

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  • MDEC leads online growth in Riyadh
  • Malaysian Professional Council – Riyadh launched to improve relations

Attendees at the Feb 10 Malaysian-Saudi networking dinner jointly organised by MDEC and the Malaysian Professional Council – Riyadh.

The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation ( MDEC ) successfully spearheaded Malaysia’s presence at LEAP 2025, a global technology conference held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from Feb 9 to 12. This proposal reinforced Malaysia’s part in Saudi Arabia’s modern transition and opened new avenues for cross-border partnerships and digital business investments.

Over the course of four days, the Malay group, comprising technology firms and business leaders, engaged in extensive firm matching sessions, discussions, and studied relationship opportunities within Saudi Arabia’s expanding technology ecosystem. With a focus on AI, big data analytics ( BDA ), smart cities, fintech, cybersecurity, and semiconductor solutions, Malaysian companies garnered significant interest from Saudi industry leaders keen to explore collaborative opportunities.

The Indonesian group consisted of:

  • Vulsan X
  • Pimato Group
  • Consurv Technic
  • TellUS Report
  • Airupthere Technologies
  • GITP Asia

Each brought cutting-edge options, contributing to meaningful discussions on the future of AI, automation, and online network within Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 model.

A spotlight of the vision was a networking breakfast held. Jointly organized by MDEC and the newly minted Malaysian Professional Council – Riyadh ( MPCR ), the event provided an invaluable platform for fostering relationships between Malaysian and Saudi tech leaders. The breakfast facilitated discussions on investment opportunities, business development methods, and joint ventures aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties in the modern economy.

Strengthening diplomatic technical assistance

The invitation-only meal, attended by Indonesian executives and Royal organization leaders, underscored Malaysia’s devotion to deepening its modern footprint in the Middle East. Indonesian visitors included:

  • Ahmad Zakri, Chief Executive Officer, Edgenta Arabia Limited
  • Ahmad Fazril Fauzi, Chief Financial Officer, UEM Edgenta Bhd
  • Eddie Razak, TellUS Report
  • Raffles Chan, Founder, GITP Asia
  • Haekal Talib, An-Nahdah Capital Partners

The night served as an opening for MPCR, an program designed to integrate and support Indonesian professionals in Saudi Arabia. With MPCR acting as a bridge for knowledge exchange and business development, the council hopes to play a pivotal role in facilitating cross-border trade and investment in the digital and tech sectors.

 

Local partnerships and market accessibility

Haekal, who has successfully established partnerships with two Saudi nationals, highlighting the ease of collaboration and the favorable environment for foreign businesses looking to enter the market.

” The Saudi business landscape is incredibly welcoming to foreign partners where Saudi funding is aplenty, especially those bringing innovative ideas and solutions. Within a short period, I was able to connect with two Saudi partners who share my vision for growth and expansion. The regulatory framework and government initiatives make it easier than ever to establish partnerships and go to market with the right ideas”, said Haekal.

He emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s push for digital transformation aligns well with Malaysia’s expertise, and the synergies between the two Muslim nations provide a solid foundation for future collaborations. ” It’s an exciting time for businesses looking to enter this market. The demand for technology-driven solutions is immense, and Malaysia is well-positioned to contribute”.

MoU to enhance Malaysia-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia tech collaboration

MDEC and the Federation of Saudi Chambers ( FSC ) signed an MoU with MDEC represented by Nizam Rosli, Global Alliance, Digital Exports, with Abdulghani Al Rumaih, Chairman, Saudi Regional Council for South East Asia, representing FSC. The MoU is seen as a commitment to foster business expansion, digital trade and investment between tech companies in both nations.

The MoU paves the way for structured business matching, networking, ecosystem development, and joint promotional efforts to accelerate digital growth across both nations.

Nizam outlined the key expectations and objectives. ” MDEC and the Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commerce ( FSCC ) will undertake a range of collaborative activities with the goal of uplifting trade and investment opportunities for tech companies in both markets. This includes fostering innovation pipelines through public and private ecosystem builders, providing platforms for knowledge exchange, and facilitating participation in business events such as networking sessions, dialogues, conferences, exhibitions, and workshops”.
Arabic Generative AI by MOZN.ai on display at LEAP 2025.

Immersing in the MENA tech ecosystem

Beyond formal business engagements, the Malaysian delegation actively participated in LEAP Nights, exclusive networking receptions that connected global tech leaders with Saudi stakeholders. Notably, attendees experienced the vibrant energy of Riyadh’s evolving tech landscape at events hosted by 500 MENA, KAUST Innovation, and Endeavor Saudi Arabia, further strengthening ties with regional venture capitalists, ecosystem builders, and tech innovators during Riyadh’s cold winter nights.

With the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to grow into a global tech player, Malaysia’s proactive engagement at LEAP 2025 underscores its readiness to contribute to and benefit from the region’s digital transformation. The collaborations forged during this mission mark the beginning of an exciting chapter for Malaysia’s digital economy expansion in the Middle East.

As MDEC and Malaysian tech companies continue their efforts in Saudi Arabia, the prospects of enhanced digital trade, investment, and knowledge exchange signal a promising future for both nations in the global digital economy.

Malaysia-Saudi trade overview

In 2023, total trade between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia was valued at approximately US$ 11.54 billion ( RM51.27 billion ). Key sectors contributing include:

    Oil &amp, Gas: Saudi Arabia exported US$ 7.24 billion worth of crude petroleum and US$ 1.22 billion in refined petroleum to Malaysia.

  • Plastics and Chemicals: Ethylene polymers and other chemical products accounted for US$ 252 million.
  • Agriculture: Malaysia exported US$ 494 million worth of palm oil to Saudi Arabia.
  • Digital and Electronics: Electrical and electronic products were key contributors to Malaysia’s exports.
  • Hospitality and Services: Tourism, particularly related to Hajj and Umrah, plays a role in bilateral trade, though specific service trade figures are limited.

]RM1 = US$ 0.225 ]

Muhammad Adrian Wong is a Contributing Editor to Digital News Asia. He attended LEAP 2025 on his own diem.

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Carsome Group consolidates cloud infrastructure, shifts data and AI-driven innovation into high gear with Google Cloud and Searce

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  • Together with Searce, Carsome may work to integrate its cloud infrastructure.
  • Walk to Google Cloud: Better insights, &nbsp, and personalized wedding

From left: Kjetil Rohde Jakobsen, group chief technology officer, Carsome Group, Serene Sia, country director, Malaysia and Singapore, Google Cloud and Yash Thakker, director, Solutions Consulting, Asia Pacific, Searce

Google Cloud, Searce, and Carsome Group Inc. have announced a multi-year partnership to help propel Carsome’s growth across its markets. The association will make use of Google Cloud’s cutting-edge system, security, data analytics, and conceptual AI to enhance the practice for consumers and used car dealers when used, strengthening Carsome’s position as Southeast Asia’s leading included car e-commerce platform.

Kjetil Rohde Jakobsen, Carsome Group’s party chief technology officer, stated:” Carsome has been digitizing the used vehicle market using advanced technology since 2015. As our company grows, we saw an opportunity to improve our modern foundation to support expanding operations and increase efficiency.

” Consolidating our fog facilities with Google Cloud provides safe, full-stack abilities in data analysis and AI, as well as cost savings through better price-performance.” From car finding and funding to after-sales assistance, he continued,” This makes us create more dynamic and distinguished options for Carsome customers and partners.”

In 2024, Carsome claimed it surpassed 500, 000 cars sold since founding, with 150, 000 profits in 2023 only. In order to help its growth, the business can leverage Searce’s knowledge to transition to a unified fog model, moving core applications and databases to Google Cloud’s workload-optimized facilities for deeper integration and ongoing software improvements.

Moving to a cutting-edge cloud infrastructure will make it easier for Carsome to offer new services through its digital platforms ( such as the Carsome consumer app, Carsome CARagent, and Carsome CARdealer ), as well as through repair facilities and inspection centers. Carsome is likewise implementing Google Cloud’s built-in information settings and Security Command Center for sophisticated threat recognition to increase security and compliance.

Searce’s director, options consulting, Asia Pacific, Yash Thakker, stated:” We’re happy to assist Carsome’s sky combination, optimizing its sky spend by up to 30 %. These benefits can be reinvested in new ideas, such as AI-based customer support options that make it easier to handle queries while allowing support teams to focus on more challenging issues.

Searce said,” With a team of qualified in-house experts, Searce is well-positioned to help full-scale system movement to Google Cloud and the application of cutting-edge Artificial solutions.”

Moving to Google Cloud will enable granular insights for better decision-making and personalized customer engagement, in addition to cost savings and quicker software development cycles. The company’s first-party data will be incorporated with Looker for business intelligence and Google Marketing Platform and stored on Google Cloud’s BigQuery.

Carsome can process and stream structured and unstructured data using Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform and BigQuery’s native integration to enhance its AI applications, including:

  • A proprietary pricing system that determines a car’s optimal value based on model, age, mileage, and other variables to offer the best deals to both buyers and sellers.
  • A photo analysis tool that streamlines vehicle inspections while automatically masking car plate numbers to protect customer privacy.
  • A generative AI-powered contact center solution that evaluates customer interactions and makes recommendations to enhance agent performance.

Semantic search capabilities are being incorporated into Carsome’s internal tools through the use of BigQuery and Vertex AI Agent Builder. Employees can now intuitively extract pertinent information from the expanding enterprise knowledge base, reducing the amount of research needed, and enabling teams to come up with more efficient solutions for car buyers and sellers.

” Carsome can confidently expand its operations, scale its pre-owned vehicle inventory, and streamline vehicle movements between inspection centers, refurbishment facilities, and customers,” said Serene Sia, country director, Malaysia and Singapore, Google Cloud.

We look forward to completing Carsome’s cloud consolidation and advancing its innovation roadmap together, according to Searce. This includes utilizing generative and agentic AI to improve the user experience for car ownership and transaction, as well as generating new growth opportunities,” she continued.

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By being like Silicon Valley used to be, East Asia challenges it – Asia Times

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Silicon Valley has for centuries been a widely recognized technology image. Governments around the world have tried to develop their own variations by investing strongly in tech hubs in recognition of its popularity.

These initiatives, including Silicon Beach in Los Angeles, Silicon Island in Malaysia, and Silicon Roundabout in the UK, have not always succeeded. However, some regions, especially south Asian regions, have experienced the growth of their own Silicon Valleys.

With a number of businesses and cutting-edge technology to issue Silicon Valley, China has the second-largest venture capital market in the world. Additionally, Japan and Korea have developed into some of the world’s most effective business venture capitalists.

These contender ecosystems also possess some of the characteristics of Silicon Valley in its early years, more in some ways than Silicon Valley itself does today.

Silicon Valley’s size is still, at least for the time being, unmatched. The state’s market capitalization ( the value of publicly traded company stocks ) totaled US$ 14.3 trillion in 2024. This is comparable to China’s complete GDP, the second-largest economy in the world.

Silicon Valley is no longer a multicultural society of businesses built in cars, where little, destructive businesses create world-changing products at a price point. It has changed into a David-like property, not a land of Behemoths.

Some people have switched from instant noodles to aça bowls, and work all-nighters with wellness workshops and modern detox retreats. Silicon Valley technical employees have become “lazy and entitled,” according to Sequoia’s Mike Moritz, according to Skullwart owners.

However, other tech personnel ‘ work ethic and focus have improved. Chinese technology’s working days were referred to as “996” for around ten years, working six times a week from 9am to 9pm. People now go by the name “007,” which means working from midnight to evening, seven days a week.

Great painters steal, fine artists copy, and so on.

Wikimedia Commons Silicon Valley image

The story of Silicon Valley’s history is one of eager rivals destroying the big, dull incumbents. Apple used the exposure to Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center to draw inspiration from the company’s ideas for a computer with a graphical user interface after raising equity from Xerox, a top print production company. Eventually, Apple made the program for the Macintosh more sophisticated, giving it a distinct edge.

Work once reportedly said in 1996,” Good musicians copy, great performers steal,” and we have never been shameless in stealing great ideas.

The Goliaths in Silicon Valley today have significant intellectual property portfolio to protect. And they are angry when their technology is stolen. The US government has yet asked OpenAI, the British company that created ChatGPT, to label Chinese AI firm DeepSeek” state managed” and forbid its use there. Related names have been made to Huawei and Bytedance’s TikTok in the past.

The impact of DeepSeek’s disruption of the AI scenery on Silicon Valley has been the subject of much of Eastern media’s attention. However, less attention has been paid to how it has created moment rivals in China.

Alibaba, a Chinese tech company, announced that its AI model was better times after Deepseek’s launch. Additionally, China just introduced Manus, a completely automatic AI agent that completely replaces rather than repairs people.

On March 5, 2025, Butterfly Impact co-founder Xiao Hong explains Manus. Photo: Manus. am

Japanese business Kai-fu Lee refers to “gladiatorial entrepreneurship,” or China’s” smartphone.” Because they are aware that their product will be copied and reverse engineered as soon as it is released, they continually innovate in this tradition. The entire system gains from the fierce competition, just like Silicon Valley did in its rise.

The kids have acted as the instructors.

Silicon Valley is renowned for its antiquated tradition and expansive understanding of how technology can change the world. This is exemplified by Masayoshi Son, a former Silicon Valley student from East Asia who is the founder and CEO of the Chinese company SoftBank.

He immediately adapted to the Silicon Valley way of doing business once he arrived in the early 1980s. When he returned to Japan, Son founded his personal company, based on what he learned during his brief time living in California. With this, Softbank became a technology seller.

Masayoshi Son ( Left ) speaking at a 2011 luncheon to promote a brand-new iPhone app. Danny Choo of Wikimedia Commons and Flickr

With over US$ 100 billion in cash, SoftBank’s Vision Fund is the largest venture capital fund in the world right now.

Silicon Valley has experienced a change thanks to Son’s enormous finance and anxious investing strategy.

Soaring valuations and the use of exploding word sheets ( expense offers that expire in a few days ) are becoming more commonplace.

Child is portrayed as a traditional stranger. Lionel Barber’s most recent book, Gambbling Man, details Son’s ethnic Asian background and how he has much touted this opponent narrative.

Child is now one of the biggest buyers in Silicon Valley and is aggressive and aggressive. He has a big idea about how artificial intelligence and other solutions may alter the planet. He is the author of that great vision and a proponent of risk-taking in Silicon Valley that is” traditional.”

China’s AI warriors continually innovate in an effort to beat the once-hungry American goliaths who are now forced to call on the condition to help them maintain their position. The opposing trajectories raise questions about who needs to change to become more like whom if they want to dominate the world’s technological civilization.

Robyn Klingler-Vidra is King’s College London’s evil professor for global commitment and associate professor of political economy and innovation.

The Conversation has republished this essay under a Creative Commons license. Read the text of the content.

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