The human part of learning is important

Welcome to Tech in Asia’s Sunday newsletter, your weekend brief on the biggest moves in Asia’s tech and startup world. Not on the mailing list? Register here. Got a story tip? Send it to editors@techinasia.com.

In focus

• Thu Huong Le on why hard work matters more than ever in the age of AI
• This list could reveal the next Manus.
• Here are the most influential people in the Southeast Asian genAI scene.

Hello reader,

“Life is a journey, not a destination,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Yet what many may not realize is how much AI is beginning to take away some portion of the journey itself.

I recently came across a post by The Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson highlighting a quote from math genius Terence Tao:

“AI tools are like taking a helicopter to drop you off at the site. You miss all the benefits of the journey itself. You just get right to the destination, which actually was only just a part of the value of solving these problems.”

Image credit: Made by Tech in Asia using AI

While I’ve never ridden a helicopter, the metaphor makes a lot of sense. In fitness, some people use steroids to gain muscle or pills to lose weight. The result may come faster, but it rarely lasts because the underlying effort and strain were never truly experienced.

At Tech in Asia, we also refuse to skip the hard work. Journalism done by humans is still at the heart of what we do in the fight against the AI slop filling up the internet. My top picks this week demonstrate why: Several of these stories are the result of weeks of meticulous reporting and data analysis.

Duc Tran scouted a lot of data to explore whether the next Manus might be on this list, allowing investors to stay ahead of the curve and spot under-the-radar stars. Melissa Goh has updated her power list of genAI builders in Southeast Asia, months after the first version of the article went viral. She also broke the news that DBS is hitting fintech firms with large fee hikes for its custodian service.

As always, enjoy reading. Also, take the weekend to do human things, like eating, walking, and – for my fellow millennials – breaking away from having existential crises.

Thu Huong Le, managing editor

Editor’s picks

1️⃣ The next Manus might be on this list

Short cuts

Quote of the week

Weekend deep dive