AI Apex Asia Forum Charts New Course for AI Innovation and Investment

The AI Apex Asia Capital Connect Forum, held on September 25, 2024, in Singapore, has emerged as a pivotal event for the artificial intelligence industry in Asia. Drawing over 160 distinguished guests from across the region, the forum highlighted Asia’s growing influence in AI development and investment while addressing critical challenges facing the industry.

Visionary Perspectives on AI’s Future

Xinhua Liu, a Founding Member of AI Apex Asia and Venture Partner of Gaorong Capital, set an ambitious tone: “The future of AI in Asia isn’t about replacing human intelligence, but augmenting it. By fostering collaboration between man and machine, our diverse Asian community can achieve unimaginable heights of innovation and progress.”

Prof. Inderjit Singh echoed this sentiment in his keynote speech: “The global AI race is not just about who can develop the most advanced technology the fastest. It’s about who can harness that technology to create the most value for humanity. With our diversity, our dynamism, and our determination, Asia is uniquely positioned to do just that.”

Rethinking Investment and Valuation Strategies

Peter Chen of Tikehau Capital posed a fundamental challenge: “AI valuation can be speculative. How can companies effectively communicate the long-term value proposition to investors, especially when the technology might be several years from commercialization?”

Joyce NG, General Partner of iGlobe Partners, introduced a novel concept: “We’ve seen the consequences of inflated valuations and rushed investments. It’s crucial that VCs embrace the joy of missing out (JOMO) on deals that don’t align with sound business fundamentals.”

Matthew Ma of Gaorong Capital addressed the evolving investment climate: “We’re seeing a shift towards more realistic valuations. For deep tech companies, valuations are now driven by the rarity of talent and technology rather than hype. Investors are looking for clear paths to commercialization and sustainable business models.”

Emerging Opportunities and Challenges in Asia

Ian Leong, CEO of Tiger Brokers Singapore, highlighted Southeast Asia’s potential: “Southeast Asia is a promising market whereby AI companies can take a look at… When it comes to the population, it’s younger… When it comes to penetration, it’s actually much higher.” 

Jerry Chua, CEO of Evolve Capital, emphasized Singapore’s unique position: “Singapore is positioning itself as an attractive venue for tech listings, offering a unique value proposition for companies looking to tap into Asian markets.”

Yang Jingwei, Director of Ant Digital Technologies, stressed the importance of robust technical solutions: “For data security, I have three suggestions: build very strong data governance with strict policies, be very careful with cross-border data transfers, and be transparent about data usage. For IP rights, consult with IP experts, seek patent protections, and have clear contracts for IP ownership.”

New Frontiers in AI Technology

Alex Ren of Fellows Fund introduced the concept of “Agentic AI”: “We’re witnessing a paradigm shift from generative AI to what we call ‘Agentic AI.’ This technology enables autonomous decision-making and task execution, opening up incredible opportunities for startups to create transformative enterprise solutions.” 

Prof. Liu Yang from NTU, a co-founder of AgentLayer, highlighted emerging security challenges: “When you are using any AI solutions, you need to understand potential new attacks. For example, we’ve seen recent breakthroughs in AI model jailbreaking, which can bypass defensive mechanisms with 100% success for current models.”

Balancing Innovation and Pragmatism 

Shou Dong, CEO of ADVANCE.AI, emphasized practical applications: “As a fintech company powered by technology, we view large language models as tools to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. We’re exploring applications in customer service, collections, and even telemarketing, always with a focus on measurable improvements in performance and efficiency.”

Jianfeng Lu, Founder & Chairman of Wiz.AI, stressed the importance of real-world use cases: “The first priority should be the user scenario and customer use case. What kind of data can we accumulate to build effective AI models?”

AI and Sustainability

Eddie Chen, Managing Director from Fullerton Fund Management, highlighted the intersection of AI and sustainability: “By 2030, the annual investment in AI applications related to achieving net-zero targets is estimated to be between 500 billion to one trillion US dollars annually. This presents an enormous opportunity for AI innovators and investors in Asia to collaborate and lead in sustainable technology solutions.” 

Looking Ahead 

Leo Jiang, Founder of AI Business Asia, emphasized the importance of real-world impact: “The key takeaway for founders is to solve tangible problems in proven markets. Whether you’re leveraging AI, blockchain, or any other technology, focus on addressing clear market needs with demonstrable potential for unicorn-level growth.”

James Liu, Director at Alibaba Cloud International, concluded: “The key takeaway is that pre- and post-IPO, communication with investors, the general public, and regulators is crucial. Because technology often moves faster than regulation, self-regulation and frameworks are important.”

Xinhua Liu, reflecting on AI Apex Asia’s vision and purpose, stated: “AI Apex Asia is committed to fostering an ecosystem where innovation thrives, ethical considerations are paramount, and the benefits of AI are accessible to all. Our goal is to position Asia not just as a consumer of AI technologies, but as a leading force in shaping the global AI landscape. Through events like this forum, we aim to catalyze collaborations that will drive responsible AI development and deployment across diverse sectors in Asia.”

As global attention increasingly turns to Asia’s role in AI development, the AI Apex Asia Capital Connect Forum has set a tone that may well define the next phase of AI evolution. With its blend of technological optimism and pragmatic caution, the forum has highlighted Asia’s potential to lead in AI innovation while addressing critical challenges in security, regulation, and sustainable development.

The event underscores AI Apex Asia’s commitment to fostering a collaborative, innovative, and ethically-minded AI ecosystem in the region. As the AI landscape continues to evolve rapidly, forums like this will play a crucial role in shaping the narrative and direction of the industry, ensuring that Asia remains at the forefront of global AI advancements.

About AI Apex Asia

AI Apex Asia is a leading artificial intelligence community dedicated to advancing AI technologies and applications across Asian markets. With a focus on innovation, regional expertise, and responsible AI development, AI Apex Asia is committed to driving the adoption of AI solutions that address unique challenges and opportunities in diverse Asian industries.