Prudential launches global AI Lab in Singapore
- Lab may make Artificial solutions to improve customer experience, generate business impact
- Since August, more than 100 AI use instances have been submitted to the test by Prudential staff.
Prudential limited has launched the Prudential AI Lab in Singapore, with the aim of accelerating the implementation of AI, conceptual AI, and system teaching organisation-wide.
In a statement, the business said its AI Lab will hatch AI-powered remedies designed to deliver a better user experience and important business influence, while integrating AI capabilities into its operations, services, and products. Following its delicate start in August 2024, more than 100 Artificial use instances have been submitted to the Lab by people across Prudential’s 24 industry in Asia and Africa, it added.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, the Economic Development Board of Singapore, and other organizations have all contributed to the creation of the Prudential AI Lab. It was developed in partnership with Google Cloud, which gives Prudential people access to cutting-edge AI answers and end-to-end technical assistance.
The Lab may prioritize solutions that improve Prudential’s functional excellence and improve patient access to high-quality care. With enhanced consulting capabilities, AI will also help economic representatives provide better, faster customer service. A dedicated staff of Singapore-based AI engineers and data scientists may work in the laboratory.
Anil Wadhwani, CEO of Prudential corporation, said,” Data, advanced analysis, and AI are critical to the distribution of our corporate objectives. The AI Lab will electrify the development of interesting applications such as predicted analytics, hyper-personalised customer relationship, and real-time advice for agents”.
” I think the enormous potential and significance of this technology are only beginning to be explored.” The Prudential AI Lab will substantially improve our ability to offer our clients, agents, and economic representatives in all areas, he added.
Wadhwani said in a statement about the partnership with the Singapore authorities that” Prudential’s global AI Lab is located in Singapore because of its powerful system and friendly atmosphere for AI development, noted by its National AI Strategy. Our relationship with EDB and MAS allows us to click into Singapore’s rich community of tools and skills from academia, business, and state. This partnership will significantly advance our ability to create novel solutions that improve business and customer experiences while enhancing AI capabilities.
Meanwhile, Gillian Tan, assistant managing director ( Development and International ) and chief sustainability officer of the Monetary Authority of Singapore ( MAS ), said,” Prudential’s AI Lab is aligned with Singapore’s Smart Nation 2.0 goal to encourage businesses to utilise AI and technology to raise productivity, transform, and serve customers better. Financial institutions will continue to benefit from AI as they develop capabilities and use it to increase their client and consulting services, detect fraud, and generate danger insights.
fostering an effective ecology to support AI inventors
According to Prudential, the Lab will collaborate closely with ecosystem partners, such as institutes of higher learning ( IHLs ), research centres, government agencies, and technology partners.
It has already entered into contracts with some IHLs, including Singapore Management University School of Computing and Information Systems, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic, and the National University of Singapore Asian Institute of Digital Finance. By providing hands-on experiences and nurturing information sharing and innovation, The Lab will join students from these neighborhood schools in order to prepare the next generation of AI specialists.
Students on jobs with Prudential and those whose final-year projects are selected will work alongside the Lab, its mate ecology, and Prudential’s company units to develop proofs-of-concept for selected use cases.
Jail for nurse aide who cheated elderly colleagues of about S$10,000 to pay off debts
SINGAPORE: A nurse aide was on Thursday ( Nov 21 ) sentenced to two years in jail for cheating his colleagues of almost S$ 10, 000 ( US$ 7, 500 ) to pay off debts.
Yari Rawi, 50, a former inmate who recently cheated on other people by using a similar tactic to target old acquaintances, is a repeat criminal.
His current crimes occurred while he was still under research and soon after his release from prison for a previous offense.
Because he was being chased by improper lenders and had a lot of debt, Yari claimed in court that he should have reoffended so quickly.
He claimed that his businesses fired him whenever they learned of his criminal history and that repeated attempts to hold onto a task had failed.
Yari claimed that this was because of the media coverage of his previous faith, and he contacted Principal District Judge Toh Han Li to ask him to stop the media from citing this information.
” Sorry, I ca n’t control the issue of publication because these are open court proceedings”, the judge told him.
Yari pleaded guilty to two charges of cheating, with a second taken into consideration for punishment.
He met one of his subjects, a 68-year-old social employer, while both were working at New Horizon Centre.
Yari contacted her to ask for money to pay for funeral costs and an attention function for family members between October 2020 and February 2021.
She lent him S$ 3, 800 in full, but when she asked him to transfer the amount, he made mistakes. Later, he admitted using the money to pay off his debts and that the justifications were false.
Another target was a 64-year-old caretaker whom Yari met while working at another company.
He informed the caretaker that he could purchase branded luggage at a discount from a friend in Japan.
The man lent him more than S$ 4, 400 to get four Maison Goyard carriers. By the end of the month, Yari predicted the bags may appear on January 5, 2021, after the funds had been transferred.
Eventually, he informed the man that he had returned the luggage because they had been delivered incorrectly. He avoided following names from the caretaker.
The older gentleman reported to the police after constantly failing to return his money.
By claiming he could arrange for them to book flights and accommodations in Jakarta, Yari’s next accusation involved cheating on two people for more than S$ 1,500.
Additionally, Yari has been found guilty of fraud and judicial breach of trust.
He was in his last two weeks of a medical assignment to obtain his nursing license, but he informed Judge Toh that he had made an effort to change.
Danny Nah, a defense attorney, claimed that Yari had done nicely and won awards while taking his medical training at the Institute of Technical Education, and that he was determined to change everything.
Santhra Aiyasamy, the deputy public prosecutor, requested three years, three months, and five months in jail, while he requested 22 months ‘ imprisonment.
Judge Toh took issue with the proportion of the attorney’s proposed word, noting that Yari received five times ‘ prison for a similar charge in 2020, but she was today” jumping” to a prison term of more than a year per cost.
The judge noted in his decision that Yari made full restitution to the victims but that he should receive a heavier sentence because his previous sentence did not dissuade him.
The court was then informed that Mr. Nah needed more time to inform the ministry of his conviction because Yari was a member of the Ministry of Health. In order for his client to accomplish this, he requested that the jail sentence be commuted.
Yari’s sentence was set to begin in January 2014, but Judge Toh did not require a$ 15,000 increase in his bail.
Cheating is punishable by a fine and a sentence in prison lasting up to 10 years.
Laos methanol poisoning: Australian teen the fourth tourist to die
Bianca Jones, an American teenager, is the third tourist to pass away in Laos from a rumored mass poisoning.
The 19-year-old’s home confirmed her death to the internet on Thursday. An National person died in the tourist town of Vang Vieng, according to the US State Department earlier in a 24-hour update.
Two Danish people, aged 19 and 20, likewise died last week in Laos, Danish government confirmed, declining to reveal more due to security issues.
Although the deaths are still being investigated by the police, various travelers ‘ online testimony and news accounts suggest they perhaps have consumed alcohol laced with methanol, a fatal substance that can be found in bootleg liquor.
Jones’s companion Holly Bowles is in hospital on existence help, while a British woman is also reportedly in hospital. How many more people have died from the alleged poison remain a mystery.
The department of foreign affairs confirmed Jones ‘ death, according to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
On Thursday evening, Albanese stated,” Her family and friends are grieving a horrible and cruel loss. Our thoughts are with her.”
Every parent has the worst nightmares and nightmares that no one should experience.
He said he hoped Ms Bowles, who is already at Bangkok Hospital, would recover also.
The US State Department stated that it was” strongly monitoring” the victim’s condition in terms of the American target and that local authorities were in charge of determining the cause of suicide.
Australian and UK authorities have each warned their citizens to be careful of methanol poisoning when consuming alcohol in Laos.
Nana Backpacker Hostel, where the two American ladies stayed in Vang Vieng, told the BBC that it was closed for police research.
The two girls were among more than 100 visitors who received completely Lao vodka shots, according to the hostel’s manager, according to the hostel’s manager. He claimed the piece left the next day and headed home, noting that no other friends had reported health issues.
The hostel’s director claimed he hoped the analysis had eventually remove the name, but that they have since stopped providing free pictures.
In a speech to Australian news the Herald Sun, Jones’s community expressed their “deepest thanks for the enormous support, passion, and prayer we’ve received from across Australia”.
As we move past our pain and begin to heal,” We politely ask for protection,” the statement read.
Unli e eth a drinks, alcohol is toxic to humans. Bootleg wine producers often add it to their drinks, but, as a cheap way to increase liquor articles.
Earlier this year, at least 57 people in India died after consuming methanol-laced liquor. Similar cases of mass poisoning have also been reported across the world, from the Philippines to Peru.
A little river area in central Laos and a tourist destination for Southeast Asians, Vang Vieng is a gateway.
Commvault expands APAC leadership to drive innovation and regional growth
- Craig Bastow will serve as ANZ’s place vice president.
- appoints Alice Macmurchy as APAC’s key client officer.
With the recent session of Jill Macmurchy as APAC’s general consumer officer, Commvault, a leading provider of computer endurance and data protection solutions for hybrid sky organizations, has expanded its APAC leadership team. Craig Bastow assumed the position of area vice president for Australia and New Zealand ( ANZ ) earlier this year. Together, these visits underscore Commvault’s commitment to addressing consumer needs with tenacious, tailored data safety, protection, and recovery solutions.
Based in ANZ, Macmurchy will support APAC’s customers and development objectives while assisting organizations in achieving modernization objectives. She has extensive management experience from top positions at Confluent and New Relic, as well as strong technical expertise in solutions architectural and pre-sales.
” I’m excited to collaborate with our customers to give tenacity a competitive edge. Beyond just protecting information, our goal is to empower businesses in APAC to return and prosper quickly, according to Macmurchy.
Craig Bastow, a veteran of Commvault with more than a decade of practice at the company, took over the position of neighborhood vice president for ANZ earlier this year. Bastow has helped to improve local operations and user engagement with his breadth of knowledge in the ANZ technologies sector, including IT industry and the public sector.
” It has been an outstanding season leading Commvault’s work in ANZ. Commvault is determined to face these issues head-on and is faced with an ever more sophisticated risk profile in our area. With our group’s dedication and innovative answers, we’re poised to set new standards in cyber resilience across ANZ”, Bastow said.
These appointments come at a crucial moment as organisations across ANZ explore an extremely difficult business landscape, characterised by rising cyber threats, strict regulatory requirements, and a growing need for resilient, robust data protection solutions.
” Commvault’s growth across APAC reflects our global reputation as a leader in cyber resilience. These new strategic positions strengthen our commitment to our customers and advance our mission. Our customers provide the insights necessary for us to navigate the changing landscape of data security and recovery. And together, we’re ensuring that Commvault remains at the forefront of providing robust and scalable data security solutions”, Martin Creighan, vice president of Asia Pacific at Commvault said.
Fourth tourist dies after mass alcohol poisoning incident in Laos
The death toll for the Laos town of Vang Vieng, according to the prime minister’s statement on Thursday ( Nov. 21 ), brings the total to four in the incident. Bianca Jones, 19, passed away after being evacuated from Laos for care in a Thai doctor, according to Australian PrimeContinue Reading
BlackBerry welcomes Canada’s support to enhance cyber resilience in SEA via Malaysian Cybersecurity Center of Excellence
- In partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada will engage$ 3.9M CAD
- To arrange local incident response and address digital threats from a single location.
At the APEC Leaders ‘ Summit last week, NYSE-listed BlackBerry Ltd, expressed its gratitude for the Government of Canada’s announcement to invest Canadian$ 3.9 million ( RM12.48 million ) in Malaysia. The money will go toward strengthening Southeast Asia’s capacity-building and threat intelligence initiatives.  ,
Canada’s support will be delivered by BlackBerry in partnership with the Toronto Metropolitan University’s ( TMU’s ) Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, with a goal to train 3, 500 cyber-defenders from Malaysia and other ASEAN members. Aligned with Canada’s Indo-Pacific approach, the program establishes Malaysia as a gateway of local security superiority in Southeast Asia, said BlackBerry in a speech.
The government of Canada will help with the creation, development, and delivery of a comprehensive security education, including programs for women, while expanding the offerings from the world-class Malaysia Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (CCoE ), which was co-founded in Cyberjaya and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The goal is to promote the CCoE as a regional hub for learning and intelligence-sharing, enabling government and industry to greater stop, hinder, and organize responses to incidents that may influence operational resilience and national security, and to help more men and women take advantage of the region’s most in-demand cybersecurity roles.
Role-based learning and professional tracks as well as certifications in security and women in security management courses may be offered at the Malaysia CCoE. In line with Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, which aims to promote and attach people, funding from the government will also help Malay and local participants gain bursaries and bursaries to take courses at the CCoE and obtain security certifications from respected business bodies.  ,
The Cyber Security Center of Excellence has the potential to become a global destination for emerging cyber threats, according to Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who inaugurated the facility on March 26 in Cyberjaya. To share knowledge, threat intelligence, and collaborate on developing methods and strategies to strengthen national and regional cyber-resilience, Malaysian and Canadian universities, research institutions, and skilled practitioners.
Justin Trudeau ( pic ), Prime Minister of Canada said, “Cybersecurity is a pillar of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. With our government’s investment in Malaysia’s Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in collaboration with BlackBerry, Canada will share cyber-expertise, train the cyber workforce across ASEAN countries, increase public-private sector collaboration, and strengthen our collective capacity to counter, deter and respond to cyber threats”.
BlackBerry CEO, John Giamatteo, added,” BlackBerry is honored to partner with the Governments of Malaysia, Canada, and Toronto Metropolitan University’s Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst to establish the Malaysia Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. This top-notch facility also serves as a global hub for coordinating regional incident response and training and upskilling Malaysian and regional cyber workforces. No matter how advanced your cybersecurity arsenal is, countries need a well-trained cyber-workforce to support their front lines of defense in a growing digital economy.
The collaboration between Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst at Toronto Metropolitan University and BlackBerry will help to provide cybersecurity skills training in this crucial region for international security, which now more than ever needs technology security, according to Dr. Mohamed Lachemi, President and Vice Chancellor of Toronto Metropolitan University.
The announcement comes one and a half months after BlackBerry and the Malaysian government made a long-term software and services agreement to advance regional digital workforces through training in advanced cybersecurity technology and training at a specialized facility.  ,
Visit this link for the CCoE’s current course information.
BMA ‘sorry’ for cycle lane chaos
After closing Soi Sukhumvit 39 for a bicycle lane, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ( BMA ) apologized and reopened the lane.
In the cmos and adjacent areas, the closing caused significant traffic congestion.
The controversial vehicle street was removed from the soi in the Watthana district yesterday, according to Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt.
He claimed that the BMA’s initiative, which was launched in cooperation with international experts and embassies, aimed to encourage walking and cycling in the town.
As part of the site’s pilot phase, a “lane wall” reserved for cyclists was set up in Soi Sukhumvit 39 using foldable customers posts. Nevertheless, narrowing the two-lane cmos to one caused significant traffic gridlock on Tuesday, sparking some complaints from the government.
It even led to chaos on 17 major streets outside, including Phetchaburi Road, Thong Lor and Ekkamai.
Much lines, according to drivers, reached Phatthanakan Road and Victory Monument. Observers noted that shipping riders and motorcycles were the main users of the bike lane rather than cyclists.
The BMA decided to remove the street barriers in response to the reaction while maintaining a shared commuter and cycling route.
Mr. Chadchart thanked everyone for the pain and stressed the value of experimenting with industrial development despite flaws.
” I would like to apologise to the government if this has caused any trouble. If there are errors, we did improve and make them better”, he said.
MP seeks middle path in referendum majority row
As the House-Senate committee on referendums thrash out its differences regarding the size of the majority needed to pass a charter referendum, a United Thai Nation ( UTN) list-MP yesterday advocated for a middle ground.
Witthaya Kaewparadai, a fellow member of the mutual board, said he concurred that at least quarter of eligible voters must first conduct a referendum in order for it to be regarded as a vote.
” A referendum is important and the number of participants must be large enough, which by international standards, is ]at least ] half]the eligible voters ]. For instance, if there are 42 million eligible citizens, 21 million may participate, and the majority of citizens must support the candidate who wins.
” If the number of participants is small, for example if there are 60 million people and only five million take part in a referendum, I do n’t think that’s a referendum, “he said.
Mr Witthaya appeared to honour a” one and a half “majority law proposed by Chartthaipattana part Nikorn Chamnong, the director of the House-Senate election commission, to break the deadlock.
The “one and a half” lot concept may require that, regardless of the number of votes cast, the majority of the voters may help it for a referendum to be passed.
The Referendum Act, which specifies two circumstances before a referendum result may be deemed bound, should be preserved by the Senate.
These are that second, more than 50 % of eligible voters may attend, and second, at least 50 % those who cast votes may approve it. If half of the electorate votes in favor of a simple lot, the House supports it. Additionally, some Members favored eliminating the requirement that at least 50 % of eligible voters cast ballots in the election.
If members ca n’t agree on the size of the majority, according to Mr. Witthaya, the joint committee will likely vote to determine the outcome.
Grenade blasts injure 3 at worker camp
A 9-year-old lady was injured yesterday in the Thepha area of this southwestern province when two exploding grenades were fired into the construction site of a big Guanyin statue.
On a roads near the camp, two more bombs happened later in the morning.
Around 6 o’clock in the morning, about 6 o’clock, the monument’s building blog in Ban Pak Bang Sakom of tambon Sakom was attacked.
Somporn Namkheow, 45, from Chaiyaphum state, suffered debris scars all over his figure, while Don Kaewloy, 46, from Kalasin, suffered wounds to her left leg.
The young lady, Manthita Withawet, from Kalasin, had sores to her head and neck.
All were taken to Thepha Hospital.
A pickup truck was destroyed in the staff ‘ station as a result of the explosions.
A college close to the site is evacuated by security forces. ( Photos: Songkhla Province Public Relations, TPI Polene ( Public ) Co., Ltd. )
Police arrived on the scene and discovered flyers in Thai and Myanmaric that threatened the life of those who dared to work there and in other southern border regions.
According to the police, a fifth bomb detonated at 10.30 am and another at 10.46 am on a roads near the camp. There were no accidents. The entry road had already been blocked by security officials.
The bombs had just settled into a two-day hunter station at Pang Yang Resort, which was about 500 meters away, and the Demonstration School’s instructors, Yala Rajabhat University’s students and instructors. They soon decamped, returning to Yala.
Security has been stepped up in Thepha, Chana, Na Thawi and Saba Yoi towns of Songkhla. Explosive experts were looking for more incendiary devices as they searched the area where the blasts took place.
Muslims gathered in Thepha area in 2022 to protest peacefully the construction of the Guanyin monument.
TPI Polene Power Plc owns the 65-rai beachside community in Thepha. The business is building a 136-metre-high Guanyin statue, which will be the world’s tallest when completed.
Now, the tallest Guanyin monument stands 108 feet high and is on Hainan beach in China.
The monument in the Thepha area will serve as a stance tower and a novel regional tourism landmark. The project began two years ago, and it will be finished in 2026.
In Foreign Buddhism, Guanyin is adult, the goddess of eternal compassion and mercy.
North Korea: Putin gifts Pyongyang zoo with lion, brown bears
In yet another example of the burgeoning ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, Russian President Vladimir Putin has presented more than 70 animals to the country’s major park, including a bear and two brown bears.
Putin’s culture minister, Alexander Kozlov, brought the pets to the North Vietnamese funds on board a cargo aircraft, Kozlov’s department said on its established Telegram channel on Wednesday.
According to Kozlov’s company, the delivery of creatures from Moscow even contained mandarin ducks, five macaws, and dozens of pheasants.
The gift comes weeks after the US and South Korea revealed that North Korea had sent thousands of troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine.
The Russian culture secretary even paid Kim a sincere visit while she was in Pyongyang.
Russia has recently sent creatures to North Korea, which is not the first time it has happened.
Earlier this year, Putin reportedly gave North Korean leader Kim Jong Un 24 pure-bred animals as a reward for North Korea’s supply of artillery shells.
Given that both Russia and Kim are currently facing West restrictions, Putin and Kim have recently strengthened their partnership.