WHAT’S BUZZING
Consumers trust content created by generative AI
Capgemini Research Institute’s latest report reveals that consumers are using generative artificial intelligence (AI) platforms for personal and day-to-day activities.
They trust generative AI to assist with financial planning (53%), deliver medical diagnoses and advice (67%), and advise on personal relationships and life and career plans (66%).
Besides that, 43% of consumers are keen for organisations to implement generative AI throughout customer interactions. Half of them are also excited by the highly immersive and interactive experiences that the technology can enable.
The report also reveals low consumer awareness around the ethical concerns and misuse of generative AI. Nearly half of the respondents are unconcerned by the prospect of generative AI being used to create fake news stories. Also, just 33% are worried about copyright issues and even fewer (27%) are worried about the use of generative AI algorithms to copy competitors’ product designs or formulae.
See also: Younger consumers in Singapore more receptive towards AI agents
“The awareness of generative AI among consumers globally is remarkable, and the rate of adoption has been massive. Yet, the understanding of how this technology works and the associated risks is still very low,” says Niraj Parihar, CEO of the insights & data global business line and member of the group executive committee at Capgemini.
He adds: “While regulation is critical, business and technology partners also have an important role to play in providing education and enforcing the safeguards that address concerns around the ethics and misuse of generative AI. Generative AI is not ‘intelligent’ in itself. The intelligence stems from the human experts who these tools will assist and support. The key to success, therefore, as with any AI, is the safeguards that humans build around them to guarantee the quality of its output.”
Nearly half of Singapore IT leaders doubt digital infrastructure readiness for AI
See also: Nearly four in five Apac retailers will increase their tech investment in 2025
Forty-four per cent of IT leaders in Singapore believe their existing IT infrastructure is not fully prepared for the demands of AI, according to the Equinix 2023 Global Tech Trends Survey.
This finding is worrying as most (91%) of the respondents already use or plan to use AI across multiple key functions. They are most likely using AI in cybersecurity (91%), IT operations (90%), and customer experience (83%).
“We foresee the most successful AI models to be those capable of analysing data at speed and scale, supported by secure, reliable, and high-speed, connectivity. This is powered by digital infrastructure providers such as Equinix, whose green data centres in key metros are facilitating interconnections across more than 10,000 organisations globally. This enables Asia Pacific businesses and economies to capitalise on exponentially growing data sustainably,” says Yee May Leong, Equinix’s managing director for South Asia.
Healthcare technology company harrison.ai is one company that has enhanced its digital infrastructure to support the use of AI. Its CEO and co-founder Aengus Tran explains: “Secure hosting of our compute and data storage platforms is our highest technical priority as we build AI solutions for clinicians across the world. We rely on an extremely fast and direct connection to enable hybrid cloud models as required to move remarkably large data sets on which we train and develop our AI solutions.
“This digital infrastructure enables us to tackle bigger healthcare problems — from medical imaging solutions to new AI healthcare solutions requiring more data and processing — helping to improve the standard of global healthcare and achieve our vision to impact one million lives per day.”
DIGITAL LIFE
To encourage the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), Hyundai Motor Company and its partners are working to increase the ease, convenience and accessibility around EV charging, which is one of the top concerns of drivers adopting EVs in Singapore. Here are some of the efforts:
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To support home charging of electric vehicles (EV) at private estates, Hyundai and Schneider Electric will provide integrated hardware and installation at the homes of Hyundai drivers.
Called EVLink Home, the 7.4kW charger will come with free standard installation and a charging device with a 36-month warranty for the EV charger (exclusively for Hyundai drivers) and a 12-month warranty for installation work.
Hyundai’s partnership with mobile charging provider P.UP will provide power on demand to Hyundai EV drivers. Reservations can be made just two hours in advance, covering Singapore and Sentosa. This partnership provides 12 months’ charging, with up to six charges a month.
Charge+ has implemented about 1,000 EV charging points in Singapore, of which the majority are in HDBs, condos and shopping malls. Hyundai customers can enjoy free charging at Charge+’s charging network for 18 months with monthly credits at 220kWh. There is also the option of a 12-month free charging period with 330kWh monthly credits to meet the lifestyle needs of higher-mileage users.