Community, innovation, and the future of AI at SYNC 2024

“I’m going to start with the understatement of the year – AI is changing the way that we live, work, and learn. It’s not only changing how we do things, it’s changing how we even think about doing things,” said Maria Li, COO of Tech in Asia, in her opening address at this year’s SYNC AI summit held on October 8 at Capella Singapore.

“Innovation in this space has been happening at a breakneck pace – with AI, you don’t think in years or even months, you think in weeks and days,” she added.

The opening address at SYNC 2024 / Photo credit: Tech in Asia

SYNC is Tech in Asia’s exclusive, invite-only summit, pulling together a curated group of business leaders to create and seize opportunities for advancing technology in the region.

Li’s remarks captured the rapid development surrounding AI in the tech community today. AI has the potential to be revolutionary and transformative, but there are also many questions surrounding how it can be used safely, ethically, and holistically.

Singapore, in particular, is an interesting market to explore this opportunity within. The city-state aims to be a hub for AI development and growth, and it recently launched its National AI Strategy 2.0 (NAIS 2.0) to facilitate its efforts in the sector.

Against this backdrop, Tech in Asia sought to help chart the path ahead at the 2024 edition of SYNC, organized in partnership with the Singapore Economic Development Board, a government agency responsible for attracting foreign investments from sectors including tech and AI. The event saw founders, CXOs, investors, and corporate leaders coming together to explore opportunities in AI and how to best implement the tech through community and conversation.

SYNC observes the Chatham House Rule, so much of what was shared and discussed will remain under wraps. However, here’s a peek at what went down at the summit.

Navigating the AI landscape

SYNC 2024 kicked off with a series of stage sessions that featured notable leaders in the AI space.

Attendees first heard from He Ruimin, Singapore’s chief AI officer, from the Ministry of Digital Development and Information. He outlined the country’s roadmap for NAIS 2.0, highlighting the key initiatives the government has rolled out to support innovation and growth in the sector, as well as the role that the nation wants to play in the global AI landscape.

The speakers of SYNC 2024 – He Ruimin, Oliver Jay, and Min-Liang Tan / Photo credit: Tech in Asia

Next, Li sat down with Oliver Jay, managing director of OpenAI International. OpenAI recently announced its plans to set up an office in Singapore as part of its expansion into Asia Pacific. Jay, who will be leading the company’s efforts in the region, spoke about his personal journey with AI. He also discussed the opportunity OpenAI sees for the AI sector on the road ahead and how the company aims to stay ahead of the game.

The last session of the morning featured Min-Liang Tan, founder and CEO of Razer. In conversation with Andrea Phua, senior director of the National AI Group, Tan shared his perspectives on the role of AI in gaming and how Razer is integrating the tech into its operations.

After a networking lunch, attendees split up to engage in focused roundtable discussions. These roundtables covered a range of topics, from sector-specific conversations around AI in areas like climate and finance, to broader discussions exploring AI investing, building an AI startup, and how to AI-proof a company.

Roundtables in progress / Photo credit: Tech in Asia

SYNC 2024 also featured a Startup Spotlight segment, where promising AI companies had the opportunity to showcase their solutions and engage directly with potential investors and partners. Running the gamut of industries from climate tech to fintech to manufacturing, the segment highlighted the many ways startups are using AI to address real problems.

There was a palpable excitement at the event surrounding the potential of AI and how it could transform industries and create new experiences and opportunities.

Startups in the spotlight / Photo credit: Tech in Asia

“It’s really exciting to engage with other folks in the industry, have conversations around technology, [and also connect with] the different parts of the ecosystem,” said Damian Kim, managing director of Meta Singapore.

“We have startups here [at SYNC], we have large tech companies here, we have companies that actually aren’t necessarily technology companies at their core, but are thinking about technology and how the technology will transform [their industry]. They’re looking to embrace that technology to deliver a better experience for their customers,” he added.

The evening ended with a cocktail reception and dinner. Opportunities for more connections, conversations, and networking played out against the backdrop of the setting sun.

SYNC to the future

Through SYNC 2024, attendees got an in-depth look at what lies ahead for the AI sector in Singapore and in Southeast Asia at large.

Community and collaboration will play a key role in driving things forward, especially as companies move past the experimentation stage and start adopting AI in their everyday processes.

“[Events like SYNC] are important because the development of AI will rely a lot on the community,” said Ofir Shalev, group chief data officer at GoTo. “At an event like this, we see venture capitalists, we see the companies that develop AI, and we see the end users sitting together, discussing the problem statement and potentially coming up with solutions.”

“These events get the community together. We’re able to discuss with the community what the upcoming trends are and what’s going to be on the roadmap,” remarked Razer’s Tan. “It’s important for us to be able to do this.”

SYNC is Tech in Asia’s annual, exclusive summit that brings together key decision makers from across Asia to create and seize opportunities for advancing technology in the region.

Missed out on this year’s edition of SYNC? Make sure you’re in the loop for 2025 by registering your interest early on the SYNC website today.

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This content was produced by Tech in Asia Studios, which connects brands with Asia’s tech community. Learn more about partnering with Tech in Asia Studios.