You may think that artificial intelligence (AI) will make doctors obsolete soon but that day is still far off. In fact, computers are not that intelligent just yet.Most of the computer solutions emerging in healthcare rely on algorithms written to analyse data and recommend treatments. They do not rely on computers thinking independently.

According to the World Bank, Asia supports the food demands of 60 percent of the global population by using just 23 percent of the world’s agricultural land. Due to an increasing population and decreasing land mass, the role of technology in agriculture is key.This is where the booming start-up scene in Southeast Asia could come in handy for farmers.

As we enter the Fourth Industrial Revolution and practically everything is moving online, the importance of e-commerce is heightened now more than ever before. E-commerce, in fact, is quickly becoming the primary mode of business and trade around the world - ASEAN included. When speaking of trade in and around ASEAN, there is little doubt that China and its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) comes to mind.

Malaysia’s tech start-up community now has a home to call its own with the launch of the HLX on Thursday, an integrated innovation centre for start-ups to collaborate with corporates to get access, coaching, funding and mentoring in one space.Housed within Menara HLA, an office tower in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the 250,000 square foot HLX is backed by Malaysian conglomerate Hong Leong Group and is a private-public partnership (PPP) with the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).&

Scapegoating in most cultures is considered the norm. Myanmar scapegoats the Rohingya, China scapegoats the West and the United States (US) scapegoats its minorities.Malaysia is no exception to this behaviour.

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore have been hailed as the driving force behind the island nation’s economy. The government there has pointed out that SMEs make up 99 percent of all enterprises in the country and employ as many as 65 percent of Singapore’s workforce.

Better regulations and wider acceptance from the general public are key to the growth of commercial drone use across the region. Drones are playing an increasingly important role in optimising processes in various industries – providing efficiency and effectiveness while prioritising safety and savings.

When blockchain and cryptocurrency first made headlines, many saw them as disruptors to the current financial order. This is because transactions that involve cryptocurrencies remove the need for an intermediary – a role banks and other financial institutions have traditionally filled.Unlike banks and the current financial system, cryptocurrencies are backed by a system called blockchain. Blockchain is essentially a decentralised ledger, where every transaction is recorded.

Although everyone in Southeast Asia can fly these days due to the proliferation of low-cost airlines, the experience is not necessarily pleasant with long queues and constantly having to present travel documents to different parties.Airports are struggling to cope with growing passenger numbers who are also becoming more demanding. This makes them good testbeds for smart technology.In Southeast Asia, Singapore’s Changi Airport is leading the charge in innovation.

Agriculture is still one of the pillars of Indonesia’s economy, contributing 13.1 percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017. Although its share of the GDP is contracting, the sector remains the second biggest employer for Indonesia, especially in rural areas.