GE2025: PSP calls for GST rollback to 7%, ⁠⁠MP asset declarations in new manifesto

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After the previous election, the group concluded that it needed to focus its work, said Mr Leong at a press event at the group’s offices in Bukit Timah Shopping Centre.

Contesting in an election is a “very complicated affair”, and the amount of money needed is “actually less of a issue” compared to labor troubles and communication methods, he said. &nbsp,

” Learning from the last encounter, we thought this round, we have to target. And that’s the explanation why this square, we probably will be fielding fewer prospects”.

Here’s a look at PSP’s important propositions in its new statement:

Value OF LIVING&nbsp,

To ease the cost of living, the group recommended 11 policies – reducing the GST up to 7 per share and reiterating its call to free important items like grain, water and milk formula from the tax.
  
Income support and power rebates for lower- and middle-income Singaporeans can be funded by more progressive taxes such as land work or a money tax and not by GST, it said. &nbsp,

The group also called for recommendations on monthly rent rises for commercial qualities, as it originally proposed in November 2023. It also reiterated its force to phase out politically conscious organization hawker centres and for the administration of all hawker centres to become centralised under one federal agency.

Hawker stall rentals should be set at S$ 500 or 3 per cent of gross revenue, instead of the highest bid by tender. Some Singaporeans should also get more government-funded food discounts at all hawker centres, PSP said. &nbsp,

On healthcare, PSP wants the government to cover premiums for basic MediShield Life and CareShield Life and to lower healthcare costs by centralising drug procurement for public and private health facilities.

New mothers should receive a cash gift to offset confinement expenses, it said.

HOUSING 

PSP suggested four measures to address high housing costs, including its previously proposed Affordable Homes Scheme – where buyers do not pay for the cost of the land when they purchase a flat, but only when the flat is sold on the resale market.

This scheme has been criticised by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah as a raid on Singapore’s reserves. &nbsp,

In its manifesto, PSP said the scheme would not deplete financial assets previously accumulated in the reserves, but would slow the increase of the Net Investment Returns Contribution and to the past reserves.

The party also repeated its proposal to allow singles to buy flats at age 28 and its Millennial Apartments Scheme, which would provide apartments in the central business district or in mature estates for young Singaporeans to rent for two to five years.

Other housing proposals include building more flats ahead of demand to shorten wait times and ensure sufficient supply.

GOVERNANCE 

The party proposed 15 measures to improve governance, citing insufficient” checks and balances” on the government such as the Elections Department reporting to the Prime Minister.

” Costly mistakes” such as TraceTogether data being used for police investigations and the unmasking of National Registration Identity Card ( NRIC ) numbers have also raised concerns over policy execution, PSP said.

It called for a reform of ministerial salaries, for all MPs to publicly declare their assets and the introduction of closed-door hearings for Temasek and GIC with MPs to improve accountability.

A Freedom of Information Act should be enacted and all documents older than 25 years automatically declassified, it added.

PSP said Singapore’s media needs to be reformed to foster diversity, balance and healthy competition, and repeated its proposal to reform the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act ( POFMA ).

The party also renewed its call to abolish the Group Representation Constituency ( GRC ) scheme, pointing to some MPs riding “on the coattails” of others and to vacancies left unfilled in GRCs after MPs resigned.

It proposed an NCMP scheme for minorities or a hybrid electoral system to ensure multi-racial representation in parliament instead.

PSP also called for changes to how electoral boundaries are decided, a depoliticisation of the People’s Association, and for the voting age to be lowered to 18, among other proposals. &nbsp,

JOBS AND WAGES&nbsp,

The party said that while Singapore needs foreign talent to complement local workers and it would never argue for a closed Singapore, policies have to be recalibrated. &nbsp,

Singaporeans need quality jobs with better work-life balance, PSP said, proposing 15 ideas in its manifesto. &nbsp,

It repeated its proposals for a minimum living wage of S$ 2, 250 ( US$ 1, 680 ) for all resident Singaporean workers, a company quota for EP holders, an EP levy of S$ 1, 200 per month and to increase the EP qualifying salary to S$ 10, 000.

The party recommended that the Fair Consideration Framework be strengthened beyond current protections, so that Singaporean workers are given priority for job positions open to Employment Pass holders.

To “minimise the risk of discriminatory practices”, PSP suggested that the government ensure companies do not have too many work pass holders from the same foreign country.

Other proposals included changes for retrenched workers and several measures to address work-life balance and support families.

For example, the party said minimum paid annual leave should be increased to 14 days per year, Singapore should designate more public holidays and implement a “right to disconnect” policy.

SOCIAL SAFETY NET&nbsp,

The party proposed eight changes related to social safety nets, such as consolidating and simplifying the existing network of over 60 support schemes. &nbsp,

The current system is confusing and challenging to navigate for Singaporeans who are less proficient in English or do not have the time or energy to apply for them, PSP said. &nbsp,

It also proposed government-paid allowances for full-time caregivers of Singaporean children below seven years old. Households that claim this allowance would no longer be eligible for government subsidies for full-day childcare and infant care programmes, the party suggested. &nbsp,

The party suggested widening the use of MediSave, including expanding the range of outpatient treatments that are covered, and strengthening mental health services. &nbsp,

It also called on the government to allow maternity and child-bearing medical fees to be fully claimable from MediSave without limit, and to allow women to use it for elective egg freezing. &nbsp,

The government should also provide more financial support for couples facing fertility issues, and provide all couples up to 75 per cent in co-funding for assisted conception procedures as long as one spouse is a Singapore citizen. &nbsp,

For older Singaporeans, PSP suggested doubling the Silver Support Scheme payouts and ensuring that the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation Funds are fully utilised. &nbsp,

The party also called on the government to set up the Central Provision Fund ( CPF ) Lifetime Retirement Investment scheme, which would allow Singaporeans to invest some of their savings in life cycle investment products selected and managed by the CPF Board. &nbsp,

EDUCATION

PSP proposed eight changes in the education segment of its manifesto, including repeating its call for the government to pilot a 10-year through-train programme where the Primary School Leaving Examination ( PSLE ) is optional. &nbsp,

The party also asked the government to “fundamentally rethink and overhaul” the role of assessments in the education system. It said Singapore needs to reduce its reliance on summative examinations and should instead employ alternative assessment methods. &nbsp,

The party also called for more non-academic and vocation-based pathways to university admission, adding that the current Workforce Skills Qualification programme does not go far enough. &nbsp,

As Singapore’s total fertility rate falls, smaller class sizes could introduce opportunities for diversity and differentiated learning, PSP said in its manifesto. &nbsp,

The party also addressed the merging and closing of smaller schools, adding that smaller schools could have other benefits. For example, they could offer non-PSLE routes or cater to children whose needs “go unaddressed” in bigger classes. &nbsp,

To manage student and teacher well-being, it proposed regular mental health monitoring and feedback mechanisms. &nbsp,

Tuition grants and scholarships available to foreign students should be reduced, PSP said. But this does not mean it advocates for “zero” international students at Singapore’s autonomous universities. &nbsp,

No Singaporean student should “be displaced from” an institute of higher learning because of an international student, and autonomous universities should always have enough places to cater to demand from Singaporean students, its manifesto read. &nbsp,

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China’s tariffs as a Mike Tyson knockout punch to America – Asia Times

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Yo, Canibus, your primary objective out these

Is to do nothing but take, take, take, take Clusters

For breakfast, breakfast, dining, that’s your plan, baby

Your objective to take them

Their whole living, they didn’t exist in your existence

The Canibus is here to rule long, Mike Tyson, on the trap

– Canibus with Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson’s most dangerous pairing was a right hook to his team’s kept liver followed by a bounce left to the neck. Properly executed, the right connect to the brain immediately stuns the opposition causing him to twice over, exposing the chin to the left follow-up.

China just went large, implementing a 34 % across-the-board tariff on goods from the US, import restrictions on a range of rare earth materials and sanctions on 11 American firms. Mike Tyson has really delivered a right connect to the body.

China even went second. A festival of economy, Vietnam most officially, has been making calling to the White House to discuss away terrible tariffs. The mendacious approach would have been to procrastinate and see.

If China’s plan were to rescue as much industry as possible, a wait-and-see strategy may be ideal. The whole world had become jockeying for advantage as everyone takes cues from everyone else and winds up with similarly horrible deals, especially large reductions in tariffs and/or commitments to purchase huge quantities of British goods.

By going out great with a hostile price, China signaled that it is not trying to meet President Donald Trump way. Mike Tyson wants to battle and is going for a knock.

Only China ( maybe the EU, but come on, who’re we kidding? ) you get big. If China had waited, some smaller economies would include capitulated, forcing China to either meet or bend in the wind – retribution at that point may be meaningless and self-isolating.

By going out first and going out strong, China just improved everyone’s negotiating position. Now, smaller economies ( and the EU, e. g. Airbus ) know China will not undercut them in negotiations. Going out early provides cover for other economies to drive a harder bargain, magnifying the impact of China’s retaliatory body blow.

Previously, Han Feizi lamented the tragic political economy that prevented America from reindustrializing, writing:

Reversing globalization would involve a massive derating of US asset prices as sales to foreign buyers are artificially restricted. Effects on GDP could theoretically be contained, but the wealthy would have to become poorer in hopes of bringing low-income folks back into the middle class as investment bankers become process engineers and Uber drivers become factory workers.

For a political economy that couldn’t figure out a mechanism to pay them off as globalization created immense riches, how likely is it that the immensely rich will stomach becoming significantly poorer?

Evidently, Han Feizi underestimated President Trump’s stomach for chaos. On many levels, we should all applaud Trump. He has blown a hole right through America’s tragic political economy and threw rich people under the bus – something no president, Democrat nor Republican, has had the cajones to do.

Unfortunately, these tariffs are a confused muck-up and will leave the US a much reduced economic power. It is unclear what the Trump administration is trying to accomplish. Is he trying to raise revenue, reindustrialize America or strong-arm trade partners?

The entire rollout, from the Mickey Mouse tariff formula to slapping tariffs on penguin-inhabited islands, was an embarrassment. We will not belabor what a dumpster fire this ill-conceived expression of Trump’s 1980s” Japan is eating our lunch” mind rot this all is and instead focus on what China and the rest of the world can do in response. &nbsp, &nbsp,

The US ran a US$ 1.2 trillion trade deficit in 2024 on$ 4.1 trillion in imports. Han Feizi is of the belief that there is no such thing as unbalanced trade – by definition. That’s why it is called” trade” and not “robbery” or” theft”.

The world sold more goods to the US than it purchased. The world didn’t supply these excess goods out of the kindness of their hearts. Nor did they get bamboozled into accepting worthless paper from the printing presses of the US Federal Reserve.

The world made up the difference by accepting American assets in lieu of goods. Paper currency and US government debt are just claims on American assets. And foreigners have been claiming American assets. About 40 % of the market cap of US stocks is now held by foreigners– up from less than 5 % in 1965.

The greatest event in economic history was the opening of the North American continent for capitalist exploitation. The US has always traded assets for labor, whether through settler colonialism, pioneers, slavery, immigration or trade.

The political economy of America’s asset and labor allocation has made trade “deficits” all but unavoidable. What should have been avoided was concentrating the spoils of this assets-for-goods business model in so few hands.

Trump has just implemented import tariffs which rends asunder this assets-for-goods business model. Unfortunately, America is short$ 1.2 trillion per annum of goods production and conjuring up much capacity domestically is highly unlikely in the short term.

The rest of the world, however, is presented with a different but altogether more favorable conundrum. Goods, formerly exchanged for American assets, will now have to be exchanged for other goods, the productive capacity of which already exists.

China, to nobody’s surprise, is a major manufacturer of bass boats. The non-American market for bass boats is essentially zero. It should be far less costly to convert bass boat production to other products (scooters, jet skis, flying cars, who knows? ) than to build the capacity from scratch in the US — the factories, engineers, machinists and technicians already exist in China.

Reshaping the market so that existing productive capacity finds buyers should be a lesser hurdle than creating this capacity where none exist. This is the “increase domestic consumption” strategy.

The more ambitious strategy would be to create a new set of assets to replace American ones. The new asset class of the world’s ultimate fantasy is surely Global South infrastructure. This is the holy grail of rational economic development and the theoretical basis for President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Well before Trump’s tariff temper tantrum, Chinese policymakers have long understood that capital flowing from less-developed Asia to fund consumption in more developed America — the Lucas Paradox — was highly problematic.

The BRI project was devised to correct this unnatural development model for the Global South, where capital from a richer China flows to less developed economies to fund infrastructure construction. In this case, our bass boat factory can be retooled to make excavators or cement mixers to build power plants in Nairobi or Ashgabat.

There are, of course, obstacles to this model on top of retooling bass boat factories. To date, the BRI project has shelled out$ 1.2 trillion, with a significant slowdown in recent years.

The Covid recession has damaged China’s BRI portfolio, forcing outstanding loans to be restructured, often extending tenures or taking haircuts which, given China’s surging exports and growing economic integration with the Global South, may be justified.

For the BRI to significantly offset a diminished US market, the Global South will need to demonstrate more consistent creditworthiness.

These two strategies – increase domestic consumption and reaccelerate BRI – can be the uppercut follow-up. China has been loath to fund direct consumption stimulus beyond modest car and appliance rebate programs.

The government has leaned heavily on investment, the benefits of which flow to consumers as better infrastructure, lower prices and more innovative products.

Over the long term ( 10-40 years ), this investment strategy has increased China’s household consumption more than any other economy – all 194 of them and twice as fast as second place South Korea. &nbsp,

This time, however, China may just need to lean into stimulating domestic consumption. China ( and Hong Kong ) exported$ 477 billion of goods to the US in 2024 with another$ 100-200 billion in transshipments through third countries like Vietnam and Mexico with the goods skewed towards consumer products. Stimulating another round of investment will soak up steel and cement capacity but not electronics, furniture and appliances.

Announcing a consumption stimulus takes the heat off of global markets, which have been bracing for a flood of Chinese goods redirected to their shores, preventing tariffs from cascading across the world.

Not only would it backstop the deflation induced by the Trump tariffs but exacerbate American inflation, putting the Federal Reserve in a stagflation bind.

But can China make up for lost American demand? Does China have the financial firepower? While not the path favored by the Chinese Communist Party’s conservative style, the fact that the government has not been profligate suggests that there is ample financial firepower.

Various agencies have pegged China’s debt-to-GDP ratio at a high 300 % &nbsp, – above that of the US which, in recent years, has been inflated down to 275 %.

This is far off the mark. Like in many other calculations, consensus Western economists are using the wrong denominator. China has been reporting GDP on a completely different basis for decades ( see here ) and as such, its debt-to-GDP ratio is closer to 150 % or even lower. &nbsp, &nbsp, &nbsp,

Simplistically, there are 500 million Chinese consuming at developed world levels – these are the people who make China the world’s largest market for cars and luxury goods.

And 900 million who are consuming at Southeast Asian levels – these are the people who will be moving into developed world consumption patterns in the next 20 years. So yes, there are plenty of people who can pick up the slack.

If China successfully pulls off the one-two Mike Tyson combo, it could be a knockout blow to the relevance of America in the global economy. China would have created a global trading system that not only does it lead but also leaves the US isolated.

If China plays its cards correctly, the Trump tariffs could go down in history as a far greater debacle than Brexit. Donald Trump has committed an unforced error and presented China with an opportunity that will not be seen in centuries.

While the modern Communist Party has generally been a conservative steward of national interests, it has been known to take wild swings. Zhu Ronji laid off 30 million SOE employees in the late 1990s. Hu Jintao unleashed an epic investment stimulus after the 2008-9 Global Financial Crisis.

Mike Tyson just delivered the first punch with the matching 34 % tariff. Will he follow up with the massive consumption stimulus uppercut?

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SAO probe panel needs more time

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PUBLISHED: 6 Apr 2025 at 04: 38

Excavators are deployed at the collapse site of the new State Audit Office in Chatuchak district, Bangkok, on Saturday. Nutthawat Wichieanbut
Tractors are deployed at the decline page of the new State Audit Office in Chatuchak city, Bangkok, on Saturday. Nutthawat Wichieanbut

The committee looking into the State Audit Office ( SAO ) building collapse will explore multiple factors, including subpar materials and building design, says Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

Mr Anutin, who is also the chairman of the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Command, just met the committee to assess progress of the research.

He said on March 30 that the council would take seven times to come up with initial results.

Following the recent conference, Mr Anutin said that while the one-week timeframe allowed for the primary cause to be identified, continued treatment and recovery operations at the page had hampered the whole entry needed for collecting material samples.

He said the initial research pointed to problems related to the house’s style, which will presently undergo deeper research.

Mr Anutin said houses in Thailand must meet higher seismic and sound requirements incorporated in their architectural design, so they can resist earthquakes such as those originating from Myanmar.

A detailed engineering analysis is underway and may take months to complete, he said.

Drawing on the panel’s work, the minister also raised concerns about the SAO building’s lift shaft, which was located at the rear rather than the centre of the construction site.

He said the location may have caused torsion forces. Whether the safety factor used in the design was adequate will need to be reviewed, he said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy responded to public concerns over the involvement of China Railway No 10 ( Thailand ), a contractor in the SAO building’s construction.

Some critics suspect sub-standard materials may have been used in the work.

The embassy, while affirming its support for a thorough and fair probe into the firm, rejects “blanket, false accusations against Chinese companies operating in Thailand”.

Deputy government spokesman Karom Phonphonklang said 59 provinces were affected by the recent earthquake, with 179 businesses feeling some impact.

He said the collapse has so far left 15 people dead and nine others injured, with 79 others still missing.

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Talk of early warnings returns after the fact

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The new State Audit Office collapsed during construction on March 28 when Myanmar suffered a 7.7-magnitude earthquake. Pattarapong Chatpattarasill
The fresh State Audit Office collapsed during building on March 28 when Myanmar suffered a 7.7-magnitude disaster. Pattarapong Chatpattarasill

Thailand’s natural hazard early alert and alert program faces big challenges after experts blamed weak coordination for a delayed response to the earthquake in Myanmar that saw solid tremors sweep across Thailand on March 28.

Seree Supratid, director of the Climate Change and Disaster Centre at Rangsit University, says he was appointed by the Interior Minister as an expert adviser at the National Disaster Warning Centre ( NDWC ) after the earthquake.

In an interview with the Bangkok Post, Mr Seree said he had even worked at the heart in 2005 when it was just founded.

Bureaucratic gaps

” Upon my return, I have now noticed lots of gaps, especially in the work we do with partner companies.

” Up we operate like a line circuit]in which all components are connected end-to-end to form a single route for current flow]… Data is passed from one company to another as occasion slowly accrues, “he said.

He suggested that it would be better if, like modern computer wires, the firms may work in parallel without having to rush for each other.

” In specific, the NDWC does not delay for information from various companies. In the event of flooding, it should not wait for information from the Meteorological Department or does other natural phenomena cause chaos, it should not wait for the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation ( DDPM).

” The NDWS may even look for information on its own and compare it with other firms before issuing emails”, Mr Seree said.

” During the disaster on March 28, text information warning people about the quake took far too long to find sent”, he said.

Seree: Returned to find' gaps '

Seree: Returned to find’ gaps ‘

Passakorn Boonyalak, director-general of the DDPM, previously said the department had released the first batch of messages to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission ( NBTC ) for dissemination at 2.42pm after the quake struck at 1.20pm on March 28.

The message informed consumers that it was safe to return to properties to obtain their items.

Trairat Wiriyasirikul, acting secretary-general of the NBTC, said the information was broadcast at 2.44pm to some 10 million mobile phone numbers, in quantities of 200, 000 at a time, across Bangkok and three surrounding regions.

The same information was eventually hate to beneficiaries in all 76 regions, he added.

But Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said at a conference on March 29 that it took far too long to get the message out, and told both the DDPM and NBTC to find a way to beat the 200, 000 per take control as movements get afoot to improve the method.

She urged them to boost this capacity to 1 million recipients per broadcast while awaiting the full implementation of the NBTC’s cell broadcast technology.

Mr Seree said that it is now the NDWC’s legal responsibility to be first to issue official natural disaster warnings.

If another earthquake occurs, the Meteorological Department will notify the NDWC and the NDWC will use this information to issue alerts and provide information on what actions people should take next and where to go for safety.

During the period, the Meteorological Department still needs time to analyse further details regarding the severity of the earthquake and which area will be affected before sending this additional information to the NDWC, he said.

Cell broadcast service system

” Once the cell broadcast service]CBS ] system is implemented, it will allow the NDWC to send alerts to people in affected areas via cell phone towers”, he said, adding that the CBS system is expected to be fully implemented on Aug 1.

The CBS system allows emergency weather and natural disaster warnings to be disseminated via mobile phone messages.

He also said the media may receive initial information about where an earthquake occurs and its magnitude from the Meteorological Department.

However, it takes some time to calculate and analyse the extent of the impacts and the NDWC will then issue alerts via the CBS system and continue to provide regular updates until the situation eases, he said.

He also stressed the need to improve the existing disaster warning system to ensure a quicker response in a crisis.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission ( NBTC ) will coordinate with television channels and radio stations to broadcast alerts using the TV Pool, he said, adding that no warning was broadcast during on March 28.

Free inspections

Amorn Pimanmas, president of the Thailand Structural Engineers Association, said owners and residents at high-rise buildings in Bangkok should ask engineers to inspect their buildings after the earthquake to ease their safety concerns.

Currently, there are more than 1, 000 buildings higher than 23 metres or eight storeys in Bangkok. After the March 28 earthquake, many people have been concerned about the safety of the buildings, he said.

They can seek help via Traffy Fondue, a complaints system run by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ( BMA ), and engineers who volunteer to conduct post-earthquake inspections will visit and give advice on how to ensure buildings are earthquake-resistant free of charge.

There are about 1, 000 engineers ready to offer help free of charge, though they cannot issue any certificates for the safety inspection.

” If the property owners want certificates, they may have to hire private companies to inspect their buildings”, Mr Amorn said.

He added that a group of Thai researchers have devised tools to measure building vibrations. One is now installed at the Thani Nopparat Building at City Hall in Din Daeng district and the other at a hospital in the North.

Mr Amorn said that it remains impossible to predict exactly where and when an earthquake will occur in advance, while it is also difficult to issue timely warnings about shallow earthquakes like the one that occurred in Myanmar on March 28, at a depth of just 10km.

According to scientists, shallow quakes travel fast and their impact tends to be more damaging than deeper quakes. Seismic waves from deeper underground take longer to reach the surface, losing energy along the way.

” Bangkok is about 1, 000 kilometres away from the epicentre in Myanmar. But the tremors were felt in Thailand. It was difficult to issue timely warnings as we needed time to process the information first”, Mr Amorn said.

Amorn: Free inspections for home owners

Amorn: Free inspections for home owners

Itthaboon Onwongsa, deputy secretary-general of Thailand Consumers ‘ Council (TCC), said the TCC has called for implementation of the CBS system since the October 2023 shooting at Siam Paragon– an incident in which a mentally disturbed 14-year-old student killed three people and injured several others.

There should be no further delay in installing the system, he said, adding the system should be designed to accommodate the needs of blind and deaf people.

” The government should not leave people to struggle for survival on their own when natural disasters strike. It is duty-bound to provide its citizens with information and timely advice”, he said.

Itthaboon: Don't forget those with special needs

Itthaboon: Don’t forget those with special needs

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Vivian Balakrishnan, Shanmugam sound alarm on Trump’s tariffs as Singapore braces for impact

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SINGAPORE: Two Cabinet ministers sounded the alarm over United States President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Saturday ( Apr 5 ), calling it” a profound setback” to the global system and” a shadow ( that ) is forming across the world”. &nbsp,

Echoing Friday’s speech by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on the broad tariffs, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan cautioned that the degradation of interdependence and joint agreements may provide higher inflation and slower growth. &nbsp,

He said that in the past 80 decades, there has usually been liberal economic integration, progress of global supply chains, and foreign firms expanding and investing around the world. &nbsp,

The “organising process” was about economic productivity and competitive benefits, he added. &nbsp,

” And if you think about Singapore for the last 60 years, we realise our policies – economic, social, education – have actually been finely tuned to take maximum advantage of a world that operates on this basis” .&nbsp,

In a YouTube video posted on Friday, Mr Wong said the taxes marked a” geological shift” in the international order, one where rules-based globalisation and free trade are around, to move into one that is “more random, protectionist, and dangerous”.

Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who is also the trade and industry minister, even warned of the significant effect of the taxes, prompting Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh to rear Mr Wong’s call for unification on Saturday night. &nbsp,

At his district event in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Dr Balakrishnan said:” This is a big time. This is a turning point, a serious setback to the way the universe has operated for the last 80 times”, said Dr Balakrishnan, who is also Member of Parliament for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. &nbsp,

He was present at the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council’s five-year expert program function with fellow MPs Christopher de Souza, Sim Ann, Edward Chia from Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and Liang Eng Hwa from Bukit Panjang SMC. &nbsp,

In a separate occasion at Nee Quickly GRC, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam called the previously imposed taxes” a very serious condition” and described it as akin to” a darkness that is forming across the world”. &nbsp,

” With the tariffs that are being imposed across almost every country in the world, it’s going to have a serious impact on economies around the world” .&nbsp,

Dr Balakrishnan and Mr Shanmugam were asked to weigh in on the tariffs, which have triggered a wave of retaliatory measures from affected nations like China, following Trump’s announcement on Wednesday. &nbsp,

Singapore, the only Southeast Asian country &nbsp, with a trade surplus with the US, will face a baseline 10 per cent tariff. &nbsp,

In contrast, other Southeast Asian nations such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Myanmar will see tariffs ranging from 18 to 49 per cent.

While Mr Gan expressed disappointment with the tariffs, &nbsp, he said on Thursday Singapore would not be taking retaliatory measures against them even though it could have chosen to do so. &nbsp,

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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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No, Tariff Man, that’s not what a trade deficit means – Asia Times

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On April 2, United States President Donald Trump unveiled a sweeping new “reciprocal tariff” regime he says will level the playing field in global trade – by treating other countries the way ( he claims ) they treat the US.

First, Trump’s strategy may impose a “baseline” 10 % tax on almost all products imported into the US, effective April 5. Therefore, from April 9, 57 states will experience higher “reciprocal taxes”.

These vary by state, according to a method based on individual business imbalances.

On face value, the new tax plan may sound like a easy answer for fairness. If a certain nation was taxing American imports with a 50 % price, it might seem good for the US to tax their goods at 50 % as well.

But appearances are deceiving.

These innovative “reciprocal” taxes apparently aim to eliminate the US trade deficit by making exports more expensive so that Americans buy less from abroad until goods similar exports.

But the Trump administration hasn’t instantly matched certain unusual taxes. Instead, they’ve opted for a simplistic method based on bilateral trade imbalances between the US and each particular state. Those aren’t the same items.

Trade imbalances aren’t taxes

A nation has a business gap when the full price of everything it imports from somewhere else exceeds the value of what it exports it. A business deficit is the same.

Trade imbalances and surplus – the balance of trade – may be calculated between certain countries, but also between one state and the rest of the world.

Taxes are unique things entirely – income a land charges on imports when they cross the border, paid by the buyer.

Trump’s fresh mutual taxes have been calculated by taking the US trade deficit with each nation, dividing it by full US exports from that country, therefore halving the resulting amount and converting it into a portion.

For example, in 2024, the US imported approximately US$ 605.8 billion from the European Union, but exported only$ 370.2 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of$ 235.6 billion.

Dividing the deficit by total imports from the EU gives a ratio of 39 %. The White House interpreted this figure as the EU’s trade “advantage” and subsequently imposed a “discounted” 20 % tariff on EU products – roughly half of 39 %.

This same calculation led to a 34 % tariff on China, 26 % on India, 24 % on Japan and 25 % on South Korea. More export-dependent developing countries, including many in Southeast Asia, face some eye-wateringly high reciprocal tariffs.

Trade experts swiftly criticised the methodology behind the tariffs. James Surowiecki, a financial journalist, labelled it “extraordinary nonsense”.

While the use of economic formulas in the corresponding US Trade Representative document might give it an appearance of being grounded in economic theory, it is detached from the rigours of trade economics.

The formula assumes every trade deficit is a result of other countries ‘ unfair trade practices, but that is simply not the case. To see why, we need to understand why Trump’s obsession with trade deficits is wrong.

A government isn’t a household

Why does Trump detest trade deficits? He appears to think of the national balance of trade like a business or household’s finances.

Under Trump’s logic, if more money is leaving the “account” than coming in, that’s bad business. A$ 200 million trade deficit would mean the US is “losing” – with money and jobs being siphoned away.

Trump argues other countries have been taking advantage of America by running up big trade surpluses and “hollowing out” US industry. He has long argued that America’s massive deficits indicate unfair trade deals, foreign protectionism, and even a threat to national security.

Few economists share Trump’s view

The trade gap is not money simply being drained overseas by allegedly rapacious foreigners. Rather, it represents the exchange of value.

American consumer behaviour is a significant driver of the US trade deficit. As a consumption powerhouse, the United States sees its residents and businesses spending vast sums on imported products ranging from iPhones and TVs to clothing and toys.

Many of these are actually produced by US companies but made overseas. Moreover, those US companies license foreign factories to produce these goods, and the intellectual property revenues earned make up a huge US surplus in services trade.

But services trade does not feature in the formula. This shows the singular obsession with tangible things, or goods trade. Yet, in most supply chains, it is the services components that yield the most value.

Back on the goods side, when the US economy is robust and people have disposable income, imports naturally increase. Ultimately, while trade deficits indicate economic dynamics, they are not inherently negative nor do they signify economic weakness.

Rather, they often reflect a nation’s economic structure and consumer preference for diverse global products. After all, Australia has run trade deficits for decades, including with the US, and is one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

Four King Penguins walking in the snow
The uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands, home to a large population of penguins, were hit with tariffs in this week’s announcement. Image: VW Pics/Getty via The Conversation

The real reason for the deficit

The formula used to calculate the reciprocal tariffs is highly misleading. Responsible policy makers would take account of many other factors in their calculations.

Among other variables, the US Trade Representative formula fails to consider strong US consumer demand for imports. It also overlooks the US government’s gigantic fiscal deficit. This requires it to borrow money from overseas, pushing up the value of the US dollar. This strong dollar supports US purchases of imports.

In other words, the US runs large trade deficits not primarily because other nations have high trade barriers but largely because Americans need to fund their debts and want to buy lots of imported goods. The misleading formula places the blame entirely on an ill-conceived notion, and we are all going to pay the price.

Peter Draper is professor and executive director, Institute for International Trade and Jean Monnet Chair of Trade and Environment, University of Adelaide and Vutha Hing is lecturer in international trade, University of Adelaide

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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Commentary: China will decide TikTok’s fate in America

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But President Xi Jinping probably didn’t see a reasonable concession on taxes as a win.

TikTok doesn’t actually work in China, so&nbsp, Xi isn’t under any stress to choose American consumers. And state-backed advertising have been clear that China sights this as a precedent-setting story that could keep other businesses available to US “plunder”.

TRUMP HAS DELEGITIMISED NATIONAL SECURITY Problems

Earlier, the key question was:” What will it take for Beijing to let TikTok go” ?&nbsp, Now, we also need to worry about what it will take for Trump to let it go.

And by obfuscating the national safety issues to expand his tax plan, he has delegitimised them. &nbsp,

While all the last-minute purchaser drama spurred intrigue, it’s for questioning if any of this may fulfil the goal of keeping British social media users secure.

A situation where ByteDance maintains control over the engine does alleviate some data set and spying concerns, but seems to bring us back to where we started over fears of engine invasion. And punting the date more doesn’t solve those concerns, either. &nbsp,

While ByteDance has been mum on the TikTok crisis, its Chinese girl software, Douyin, has been in the media at home after regional regulators forced the company to offer the open much more precision on how the game recommends and moderates articles. In a recently launched site, Douyin says that it does not spy on people and offered&nbsp, more clarity into how its algorithm lines behaviour to provide information. &nbsp,

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