In today’s newsletter, we look at:
- Why SEA startups worry AI industry is moving too fast for clients
- How OpenAI’s recent announcements are targeting Google
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Hi there,
After almost two years, I’m still sitting on the AI-generated fence.
On one hand, I’m an active user. Almost everyone I’ve interviewed over the past two years has seen an AI agent pop up into our Zoom calls, recording everything we say, transcribing it, and then analyzing it.
Ask any journalist: transcribing is one of the most boring parts of our job. So when I found an AI-powered app that can (usually) understand those often mumbled words, regional accents, and ubiquitous business jargon, I threw my cash at it. The recap and highlights the tool provides are also helpful in pinpointing the information I need from those longer interviews.
On the other hand, I’ve used AI for editing stories, and I’ve learned not to trust it. I often shout at the screen when it changes the meaning of sentences or cuts whole paragraphs. Anyone who doesn’t check the output created by genAI is asking for trouble, and checking takes time, nullifying the very reason I use these tools.
A similar balancing act is going on with Southeast Asia’s AI startups. Today’s Big Story focuses on the struggles many of them face in finding new clients and private funding. If they want to chase international clients, who are often willing to pay a premium for AI tools, the startups have to be able to stand out in a very competitive market.
Their other option is focusing on local markets, but potential clients in Southeast Asia seem to have lost some of their enthusiasm for AI. Like me, customers in the region have become a little wary of the technology, but they’re also concerned that the market is moving so fast that any software they invest in could be obsolete in less than a year.
Also in this newsletter, I’ll be looking at two major developments from OpenAI, both of which are likely to intensify its competition with Google. But first, our Big Story.
– Scott
BIG STORY
Global or local? SEA AI firms mull strategies amid client caution
Image credit: Timmy Loen
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