The risks of letting AI run free

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In focus

• ​​The next big cybersecurity gap is protecting AI agents
• ​​Singapore could be an early winner in the robotaxi race
• The list of 50 most funded AI startups in Asia

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Hello reader,

Concerns about AI potentially wiping out humanity have long been around, driven by predictions that the tech could become increasingly intelligent and eventually surpass human capabilities.

It’s frightening to imagine. But given how quickly AI is advancing, the risks may be closer to reality than we think.

Cybersecurity offers one example. The recent discovery of critical vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language used by much of the internet, shows how AI can help researchers uncover flaws that went undetected for years.

But once vulnerabilities are identified, AI could also help attackers exploit them faster, leaving companies with less time to respond.

So while AI can strengthen digital security, it can also be a double-edged sword.

In today’s first Top Story, Llama Ventures principal Kyle Qi examines how the PHP incident exposes a broader question: Who is responsible for keeping AI agents in check?

Companies are increasingly exploring ways to give AI agents the autonomy to identify and fix bugs. But letting these agents modify systems with little human oversight raises its own security risks, particularly when their actions go beyond what they are meant to do.

Meanwhile, Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous driving company, plans to launch a driverless ride-hailing service in Singapore by 2028. The move will test the economics of autonomous vehicles (AV).

In an interview with The Business Times’ Derryn Wong, Waymo co-founder Sebastian Thrun said AV tech had reached a point where economics, rather than safety concerns, had become the main factor determining its adoption.

Read more in the second Top Story below.

Jofie Yordan, journalist

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Top Stories

1️⃣ PHP’s AI-found flaws expose a bigger gap: Who guards AI agents?

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