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
- Melissa Goh on the spectacle of robots doing kung fu
- A prominent Chinese founder’s take on why the future of AI lies in cars
- Agentic AI shopping may be coming to Shopee
Hello reader,
I’m not sure watching robots doing martial arts on TV was the kind of entertainment I was looking for in between the celebratory feasting and conversation this Lunar New Year, but here we are.
After manufacturers displayed their robots throwing punches, doing backflips, and jumping off walls at the Spring Festival Gala, they saw a surge in interest. Some of these companies witnessed thousands of units being added to shopping carts.
The performance was meant to be a show of the country’s tech prowess, and dazzle it did. Some industry watchers have been quick to point out, though, that stage performance doesn’t equate to industrial robustness.
This week, my colleague Gilang Kharisma summarizes an insightful interview by Yin Qi, a prominent figure in China in the field of computer vision.
At a time when much of the furor is over humanoid robots, Yin’s take that cars are the best entry-point for physical AI – more so than other everyday devices like smartphones – is refreshing.
The interview is part of our series TL;DL that summarizes takeaways from the top thinkers and doers in tech, and you can access all of them here.
Melissa Goh, senior editor
Editor’s pick
Will cars drive the future of AI? This Chinese company thinks so
Yin Qi, chairman of Chengli Technology and StepFun / Photo credit: Xiaojun Podcast
“If the AI system needs a specific machine to work correctly, then the company must build that exact hardware.”
Yin Qi, co-founder and former CEO of computer vision firm Megvii, believes that intelligence shouldn’t be confined to the screens of existing devices. Instead, Qi, who is now the chairman of AI company StepFun, says devices should be designed from scratch to match the AI systems.
Short cuts
Weekend deep dive
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