What I Learned at Fortune Brainstorm AI Singapore 2025

I spent last week in Singapore at Fortune Brainstorm AI Singapore, our second time hosting this event in the thriving city-state. Here are some key thoughts and impressions from the conference:

The Pace of AI Adoption Is Equally Fast Everywhere

Unlike previous technology waves where Asia lagged behind the U.S., Europe, and China, AI adoption is moving at an equally ambitious pace across regions.

Everyone Wants AI Agents, But Few Are Using Them Yet

AI agents from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and others are here, but adoption lags behind the hype. AI agents are inherently higher risk and often unreliable. Making them more dependable—such as using multiple agents with task-specific roles and cross-checking—is expensive. Vivek Luthra, Accenture’s Asia-Pacific data and AI lead, noted that most businesses currently use AI to assist human workers or as decision-support advisors, rather than automating entire workflows. However, he predicts by 2028 that one-third of large companies will deploy AI agents, automating about 15% of daily workflows due to falling costs and improved model reliability. Accenture is a sponsor of Brainstorm AI.

AI’s Impact on the Job Market Is Not Clear Yet

Pei Ying Chua, LinkedIn’s APAC head economist, shared that despite anecdotal reports of young graduates struggling to find work, LinkedIn’s data on open roles does not yet show significant evidence. However, coders are facing more competition, with an increase in applications needed per job. Madhu Kurup (Indeed) and Sun Sun Lim (Singapore Management University) emphasized the growing importance of AI skills—such as prompting models and building AI agents—alongside human soft skills like flexibility, resilience, and critical thinking. Jess O’Reilly from Workday predicted AI will drive companies toward more dynamic, project-based organizational structures, resembling an "internal gig economy," requiring flatter and more flexible reporting lines.

Infrastructure Is Destiny

Access to AI infrastructure is critical, even for countries not building their own models. Running AI models (“inference”) demands significant AI chip capacity. Rangu Salgame, CEO of Princeton Digital Group, explained that near-term data center expansions in Asia will likely rely on fossil fuels like natural gas, posing climate challenges. However, AI data centers could drive medium-term growth in renewable energy infrastructure such as solar and offshore wind. More on this here.

Sovereign AI Matters, But Delivering It Is Challenging

Governments want sovereign AI to avoid overdependence on U.S. and Chinese solutions. Open-source models offer options, but challenges remain:

• High costs of data center capacity and power infrastructure
• Training models to understand local languages and cultural nuances requires extensive, curated datasets
Kasima Tharnpipitchai, head of AI strategy at SCB 10X, highlighted the "brute force" effort needed to build localized AI models. Read more here.

Embodied AI Is China’s Big Strength

While AI model capabilities seem evenly matched between the U.S. and China, China leads in embodied AI—AI integrated into physical devices like robotaxis and humanoid robots. Rui Ma, founder of Tech Buzz China, noted China’s dominance of the robotics supply chain and rapid progress in affordable, practical robots for factories and general use. The humanoid robot "Terri," combining Hong Kong software and Chinese hardware, impressed conference attendees. Panel details here.

Singapore’s Middle Path Between the U.S. and China

Singapore consistently seeks a balanced approach. Digital Minister Josephine Teo shared that Singapore is acting as a bridge between the U.S. and China, exemplified by hosting a meeting of AI safety researchers that produced the "Singapore Consensus"—an agreement on reliable, secure, and human-aligned AI systems. More here.

---

AI in the News Highlights

• China calls for global AI governance and an international organization to coordinate AI development and safety standards, emphasizing open-source models and state-led deployment. The Guardian coverage.
• U.S. suspends AI hardware export controls amid trade talks with China, including Nvidia’s H20 AI chip, raising national security concerns. Financial Times report.
• Meta hires Shengjia Zhao as chief scientist for its Superintelligence unit, sparking questions about Yann LeCun’s evolving role. TechCrunch and Business Insider.
• Anthropic raises $5 billion at a $170 billion valuation amid copyright lawsuit risks. Financial Times and Fortune analysis.

Eye on AI Research

There is debate on whether AI accelerates or slows scientific progress. While AI tools like DeepMind’s AlphaFold have expanded discovery, skeptics argue AI’s flood of research papers and predictive models without causal theories may hinder understanding. AI Snake Oil essay.

---

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

AI Adoption and Agents

Q: How quickly is AI being adopted across different regions? A: The adoption of AI is progressing at an ambitious pace globally, with regions like Asia demonstrating a pace comparable to the U.S., Europe, and China, unlike previous technological waves. Q: What is the current state of AI agent adoption? A: While AI agents from major providers are available, their adoption is currently lagging behind the initial excitement. This is due to their inherent higher risk and reliability concerns, with solutions like using multiple agents or cross-checking proving to be expensive. Q: How are businesses currently using AI? A: Most businesses are currently employing AI to assist human workers or as decision-support tools, rather than for full workflow automation. Q: What is the future prediction for AI agent deployment? A: It is predicted that by 2028, one-third of large companies will implement AI agents, automating approximately 15% of their daily workflows as costs decrease and model reliability improves.

AI and the Job Market

Q: Is AI significantly impacting the job market for recent graduates? A: Despite anecdotal reports, LinkedIn data does not yet show a significant impact on the overall number of open roles for graduates. However, competition for coding roles has increased, with more applications per job opening. Q: What skills are becoming more important due to AI? A: Skills such as prompt engineering and building AI agents are gaining importance, alongside essential human soft skills like flexibility, resilience, and critical thinking. Q: How might AI change organizational structures? A: AI is expected to drive companies towards more dynamic, project-based structures, similar to an "internal gig economy," necessitating flatter and more flexible reporting lines.

AI Infrastructure and Sovereign AI

Q: Why is AI infrastructure considered critical? A: Access to AI infrastructure, including AI chip capacity, is essential for running AI models (inference), even for entities not developing their own models. Q: What are the climate implications of AI data centers? A: Near-term data center expansions in Asia may rely on fossil fuels, posing climate challenges. However, AI data centers could also stimulate growth in renewable energy infrastructure in the medium term. Q: What are the challenges in developing sovereign AI? A: Creating sovereign AI is challenging due to the high costs of data center and power infrastructure, and the need for extensive, curated datasets to train models for local languages and cultural nuances.

Global AI Landscape

Q: Where does China lead in the AI sector? A: China has a significant strength in embodied AI, which involves integrating AI into physical devices like robotaxis and humanoid robots, capitalizing on its robotics supply chain dominance. Q: How is Singapore positioning itself in the global AI landscape? A: Singapore aims for a balanced approach, acting as a bridge between the U.S. and China, and has facilitated initiatives like the "Singapore Consensus" on AI safety.

Crypto Market AI's Take

The insights from Fortune Brainstorm AI Singapore 2025 highlight a dynamic and rapidly evolving AI landscape, which directly parallels the advancements and opportunities within the cryptocurrency market. The emphasis on AI adoption across regions and the growing demand for AI agents resonate strongly with our mission at Crypto Market AI to leverage artificial intelligence for revolutionizing finance. Our platform, powered by a team of leading business and crypto industry experts, software developers, and IT professionals, is at the forefront of integrating AI into trading and market intelligence. We recognize the potential of AI agents to automate workflows and provide sophisticated analysis, as discussed in the article. Our focus on human-centric AI, as championed by our CEO, Sam Sammane, ensures that these advanced tools amplify human capabilities in the financial sector. For those interested in the practical applications of AI in trading and investment, our AI Agents section offers detailed insights into how these technologies are being implemented, including AI-powered trading bots and AI analysts designed for market predictions.

More to Read:

• Fortune Brainstorm AI Singapore 2025 Insights
• AI-Driven Crypto Trading Tools Reshape Market Strategies in 2025
• The AI Gig Economy Is Here and It Pays in Crypto
• Understanding AI Agents: Capabilities, Risks, and Growing Role

---

Source: Fortune - What I learned at Fortune Brainstorm AI Singapore 2025