Cookie Consent

We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, serve personalised ads or content, and analyse our traffic. Learn more

AI in ASIA
Monday, 2 March 2026

3Before9

3 must-know AI stories before your 9am coffee

Who should pay attention

Businesses in Vietnam | AI developers | Regulators in Southeast Asia

What changes next

Enforcement of Vietnam's AI Act will be the immediate focus.

1

Vietnam Becomes Southeast Asia's First Country With a Live AI Law

Vietnam's AI Act came into force yesterday, making it the first country in Southeast Asia with a comprehensive, enforceable AI regulatory framework. Modelled closely on the EU AI Act, it requires human oversight of generative AI systems, mandatory labelling of deepfakes and synthetic content, and commits the government to building national AI computing infrastructure and Vietnamese-language LLMs. The legislation was passed in December and had a March 1 effective date, meaning businesses operating in Vietnam are now in compliance territory whether they're ready or not.

Why it matters for Asia

Every brand, agency and tech company running campaigns or deploying AI tools in Vietnam just moved from "best practice" to "legal obligation" overnight. The immediate watch is enforcement. Analysts describe it as a "decisive starting point, not the final word." More significantly for the region, this is the template other ASEAN governments will reference as they build their own frameworks. Singapore watches. Thailand watches. The dominos are lined up.^

Read more
2

India's AI Summit Closed With 88 Countries, $100 Billion in Data Centre Pledges and the Biggest Tech CEO Gathering of the

Year The India AI Impact Summit wrapped last week with 88 countries, including the US, China, and Russia, signing the New Delhi AI Declaration and committing to develop AI for social and economic good. Adani announced a $100 billion commitment to build renewable-powered AI data centres across India by 2035, with a projected $150 billion downstream in server manufacturing and sovereign cloud. India separately earmarked $1.1 billion for a new state AI venture fund. Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, Sundar Pichai, Demis Hassabis, Mukesh Ambani, and Narendra Modi all shared the stage alongside Emmanuel Macron. India also formally joined the Pax Silica group, aligning with the US, UK, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, UAE, and Australia on AI infrastructure supply chains.

Why it matters for Asia

This was the most significant AI diplomacy event of 2026 so far, and it happened in Delhi, not San Francisco or Brussels. If India's data centre ambitions are even half-realised, the region's AI compute map shifts fundamentally. The Pax Silica alignment also means Southeast Asia's most strategic hub is now formally embedded in the West's AI supply chain coalition.^

Read more
3

Singapore Ranks Third in the World in the Global AI Brain Race, Above Every Country Except the US and

China A new Global AI Brain Race Report ranking 100+ nations on R&D output, infrastructure, talent readiness, governance, and economic integration has placed Singapore third globally, with the US first (82/100) and China second (59/100). India placed sixth, strong on talent but flagged as weak on infrastructure and governance. The ranking covers AI universities, funding environments, responsible AI practices, and academic strength across more than 100 countries.

Why it matters for Asia

Third in the world is a remarkable result for a city-state of 5.5 million competing against nations with 100x the population. It validates Singapore's sustained investment in AI governance and its bet on quality over scale. For businesses deciding where to anchor regional AI operations, this ranking provides institutional cover for the decision most were already making. For India's policymakers, it is a clear and uncomfortable benchmark.^

Read more

That's today's 3-Before-9.

Explore more at AIinASIA.com or share signals with us.

Get 3-Before-9 in your inbox

Three signals, every weekday, before 9am

Free forever. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam.

Recent Editions

View all

Friday

27 February 2026

  • 1.Anthropic has refused the Pentagon's ultimatum to remove AI safeguards, citing concerns over autonomous weapons and mass surveillance.
  • 2.The Pentagon threatens to use the Defense Production Act or blacklist Anthropic, while xAI has agreed to the government's terms.
  • 3.Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S26, promoted as the first agentic AI smartphone, integrating three AI engines for autonomous multi-step task execution.
Read edition

Thursday

26 February 2026

  • 1.Nvidia reported Q4 FY2026 revenue of $68.1 billion, a 73% year-on-year increase, driven largely by its Data Centre division.
  • 2.ByteDance's new AI video model, Seedance 2.0, is generating hyper-realistic celebrity videos, causing intellectual property disputes with Hollywood studios.
  • 3.Google and Sea Ltd are collaborating to build an agentic AI shopping prototype for Shopee, aiming to automate product discovery and transactions.
Read edition

Wednesday

25 February 2026

  • 1.Nvidia reports Q4 earnings today with high anticipation around Blackwell chip demand, China sales, and the next-gen Rubin architecture amidst significant AI infrastructure spending.
  • 2.ByteDance's new AI video model, Seedance 2.0, is generating hyper-realistic celebrity clips, causing anxiety in Hollywood regarding China's rapid AI advancements in creative fields.
  • 3.Google and Sea are partnering to develop an agentic AI shopping prototype for Shopee, aiming to automate product discovery and transactions across their platforms in Southeast Asia.
Read edition

Tuesday

24 February 2026

  • 1.A Chinese AI startup reportedly trained its advanced model on Nvidia's most powerful chips, potentially breaching US export controls.
  • 2.Anthropic stated that three Chinese AI companies utilised its Claude model outputs to enhance their own AI systems through millions of interactions.
  • 3.Asian stock markets anticipate early declines due to fresh investor anxiety regarding AI's impact on corporate profitability.
Read edition

Monday

23 February 2026

  • 1.Taiwan forecasts 7.7 per cent economic growth for 2026, primarily driven by robust demand for technology and AI-related products.
  • 2.India is hosting a significant international AI summit in New Delhi to establish itself as a leader in global AI governance and attract investment.
  • 3.A report indicates that Southeast Asian youth and institutions are eager to adopt AI but lack clear policy guidance and governance frameworks.
Read edition

Friday

20 February 2026

  • 1.Global and Indian companies are investing tens of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure in India.
  • 2.Google and Sea Ltd are expanding their partnership to develop AI tools for e-commerce, gaming, and digital services in Southeast Asia.
  • 3.An Asia-based survey reveals that most business leaders view AI as a significant disruptor and growth driver, with concerns regarding workforce impact and governance.
Read edition