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Singapore’s AI Ambition: Expanding Semiconductor Capacity to Ride the Tech Wave
Singapore is expanding its semiconductor industry to attract tech giants and ride the AI wave, with top firms investing billions and innovative tactics driving growth.
Published
8 months agoon
By
AIinAsia
TL;DR:
- Singapore is expanding its semiconductor manufacturing capacity by 11% to attract more AI and tech giants.
- The semiconductor sector employs 35,000 people and contributes 20% to Singapore’s manufacturing output.
- GlobalFoundries and other top firms are investing billions in Singapore’s wafer fabrication parks.
- The industry is set to grow from US$600 billion to US$1 trillion, driving demand for chips.
Imagine scrolling through this article on your phone or computer. Did you know that a tiny chip powers these devices and millions of others? Many of these chips are made in Singapore, and the country is now gearing up to expand its chip-making capacity. Let’s dive into Singapore’s ambitious plans to ride the AI wave by boosting its semiconductor industry.
Singapore’s Semiconductor Industry: A Powerhouse
Singapore’s semiconductor sector is a massive contributor to its economy. It employs about 35,000 people and makes up almost 20% of the country’s manufacturing output. With manufacturing being Singapore’s largest industry, the semiconductor sector plays a pivotal role in its gross domestic product (GDP).
Currently, nine out of the top 15 semiconductor firms have operations in Singapore. These include giants like American chipmaker Micron and German wafer manufacturer Siltronic. These companies are clustered in four wafer fabrication parks that span an impressive 374 hectares—that’s more than 500 football fields!
Expanding Capacity to Attract Tech Giants
To attract more top semiconductor giants and ride the artificial intelligence wave, Singapore is preparing 11% more land in its wafer fabrication parks. This new plot, part of which is in the eastern region of Singapore, will be ready by the end of 2024. Companies setting up there will enjoy customised roads and new water piping, making the deal even sweeter.
Chipmaking is a delicate process that requires stable power and water supply for constant cooling. These plants cannot be near MRT stations or other heavy industries due to mini vibrations that could affect production. Singapore’s strategic planning ensures these conditions are met, making it an ideal location for semiconductor firms.
GlobalFoundries: A Success Story
GlobalFoundries, the world’s third-largest contract chipmaker, has been in Singapore since 2010. It runs one of the largest wafer plants and can produce about 1.5 million 300mm wafers annually. Last year, the firm added 23,000 sqm—equivalent to about four football fields—of space to boost capacity amid a boom in demand.
Tan Yew Kong, senior vice president of GlobalFoundries, highlighted the crucial role of JTC, Singapore’s government industrial planner, in building their US$4 billion expanded fabrication plant. He emphasised Singapore’s 55-year history in the semiconductor industry and its ability to provide a robust network for materials and infrastructure.
“We are definitely here to stay, and looking at the market sentiment of regionalisation, friendshoring, all these approaches – definitely, having a location like Singapore to support the global footprint is a very necessary thing.”
- Tan Yew Kong, Senior Vice President, GlobalFoundries
Friendshoring refers to manufacturing and sourcing from countries with similar geopolitical stances. With the industry set to almost double from US$600 billion to US$1 trillion, building a factory in advance is crucial.
Innovative Tactics to Stay Competitive
As competition within the region heats up, Singapore is adopting innovative tactics to attract business. The Jurong Innovation District, which houses advanced manufacturing, urban solutions, and engineering startups, is a prime example. This district offers complimentary services like F&B, retail, and even childcare services to create vibrant estates where businesses and people can grow.
“We hope by doing so, we create vibrant estates in which our businesses and people can grow, and that is very important to help grow future industries.”
- Wong Wei Loong, Group Director, JTC
The Future of Singapore’s Semiconductor Industry
Singapore’s strategic expansion of its semiconductor capacity is a testament to its commitment to staying at the forefront of the AI and tech wave. With top firms investing billions and the industry poised for significant growth, Singapore is positioning itself as a global hub for semiconductor manufacturing.
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- To learn more about Singapore’s semiconductor industry, tap here.
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OpenAI’s New ChatGPT Image Policy: Is AI Moderation Becoming Too Lax?
ChatGPT now generates previously banned images of public figures and symbols. Is this freedom overdue or dangerously permissive?
Published
5 days agoon
March 30, 2025By
AIinAsia
TL;DR – What You Need to Know in 30 Seconds
- ChatGPT can now generate images of public figures, previously disallowed.
- Requests related to physical and racial traits are now accepted.
- Controversial symbols are permitted in strictly educational contexts.
- OpenAI argues for nuanced moderation rather than blanket censorship.
- Move aligns with industry trends towards relaxed content moderation policies.
Is AI Moderation Becoming Too Lax?
ChatGPT just got a visual upgrade—generating whimsical Studio Ghibli-style images that quickly became an internet sensation. But look beyond these charming animations, and you’ll see something far more controversial: OpenAI has significantly eased its moderation policies, allowing users to generate images previously considered taboo. So, is this a timely move towards creative freedom or a risky step into a moderation minefield?
ChatGPT’s new visual prowess
OpenAI’s latest model, GPT-4o, introduces impressive image-generation capabilities directly inside ChatGPT. With advanced photo editing, sharper text rendering, and improved spatial representation, ChatGPT now rivals specialised image AI tools.
But the buzz isn’t just about cartoonish visuals; it’s about OpenAI’s major shift on sensitive content moderation.
Moving beyond blanket bans
Previously, if you asked ChatGPT to generate an image featuring public figures—say Donald Trump or Elon Musk—it would simply refuse. Similarly, requests for hateful symbols or modifications highlighting racial characteristics (like “make this person’s eyes look more Asian”) were strictly off-limits.
No longer. Joanne Jang, OpenAI’s model behaviour lead, explained the shift clearly:
“We’re shifting from blanket refusals in sensitive areas to a more precise approach focused on preventing real-world harm. The goal is to embrace humility—recognising how much we don’t know, and positioning ourselves to adapt as we learn.”
In short, fewer instant rejections, more nuanced responses.
Exactly what’s allowed now?
With this update, ChatGPT can now depict public figures upon request, moving away from selectively policing celebrity imagery. OpenAI will allow individuals to opt-out if they don’t want AI-generated images of themselves—shifting control back to users.
Controversially, ChatGPT also now accepts previously prohibited requests related to sensitive physical traits, like ethnicity or body shape adjustments, sparking fresh debate around ethical AI usage.
Handling the hottest topics
OpenAI is cautiously permitting requests involving controversial symbols—like swastikas—but only in neutral or educational contexts, never endorsing harmful ideologies. GPT-4o also continues to enforce stringent protections, especially around images involving children, setting even tighter standards than its predecessor, DALL-E 3.
Yet, loosening moderation around sensitive imagery has inevitably reignited fierce debates over censorship, freedom of speech, and AI’s ethical responsibilities.
A strategic shift or political move?
OpenAI maintains these changes are non-political, emphasising instead their longstanding commitment to user autonomy. But the timing is provocative, coinciding with increasing regulatory pressure and scrutiny from politicians like Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, who recently challenged tech companies about perceived biases in AI moderation.
This relaxation of restrictions echoes similar moves by other tech giants—Meta and X have also dialled back content moderation after facing similar criticisms. AI image moderation, however, poses unique risks due to its potential for widespread misinformation and cultural distortion, as Google’s recent controversy over historically inaccurate Gemini images has demonstrated.
What’s next for AI moderation?
ChatGPT’s new creative freedom has delighted users, but the wider implications remain uncertain. While memes featuring beloved animation styles flood social media, this same freedom could enable the rapid spread of less harmless imagery. OpenAI’s balancing act could quickly draw regulatory attention—particularly under the Trump administration’s more critical stance towards tech censorship.
The big question now: Where exactly do we draw the line between creative freedom and responsible moderation?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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News
Tencent Joins China’s AI Race with New T1 Reasoning Model Launch
Tencent launches its powerful new T1 reasoning model amid growing AI competition in China, while startup Manus gains major regulatory and media support.
Published
1 week agoon
March 27, 2025By
AIinAsia
TL;DR – What You Need to Know in 30 Seconds
- Tencent has launched its upgraded T1 reasoning model
- Competition heats up in China’s AI market
- Beijing spotlights Manus
- Manus partners with Alibaba’s Qwen AI team
The Tencent T1 Reasoning Model Has Launched
Tencent has officially launched the upgraded version of its T1 reasoning model, intensifying competition within China’s already bustling artificial intelligence sector. Announced on Friday (21 March), the T1 reasoning model promises significant enhancements over its preview edition, including faster responses and improved processing of lengthy texts.
In a WeChat announcement, Tencent highlighted T1’s strengths, noting it “keeps the content logic clear and the text neat,” while maintaining an “extremely low hallucination rate,” referring to the AI’s tendency to generate accurate, reliable outputs without inventing false information.
The Turbo S Advantage
The T1 model is built on Tencent’s own Turbo S foundational language technology, introduced last month. According to Tencent, Turbo S notably outpaces competitor DeepSeek’s R1 model when processing queries, a claim backed up by benchmarks Tencent shared in its announcement. These tests showed T1 leading in several key knowledge and reasoning categories.
Tencent’s latest launch comes amid heightened rivalry sparked largely by DeepSeek, a Chinese startup whose powerful yet affordable AI models recently stunned global tech markets. DeepSeek’s success has spurred local companies like Tencent into accelerating their own AI investments.
Beijing Spotlights Rising AI Star Manus
The race isn’t limited to tech giants. Manus, a homegrown AI startup, also received a major boost from Chinese authorities this week. On Thursday, state broadcaster CCTV featured Manus for the first time, comparing its advanced AI agent technology favourably against more traditional chatbot models.
Manus became a sensation globally after unveiling what it claims to be the world’s first truly general-purpose AI agent, capable of independently making decisions and executing tasks with minimal prompting. This autonomy differentiates it sharply from existing chatbots such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek.
Crucially, Manus has now cleared significant regulatory hurdles. Beijing’s municipal authorities confirmed that a China-specific version of Manus’ AI assistant, Monica, is fully registered and compliant with the country’s strict generative AI guidelines, a necessary step before public release.
Further strengthening its domestic foothold, Manus recently announced a strategic partnership with Alibaba’s Qwen AI team, a collaboration likely to accelerate the rollout of Manus’ agent technology across China. Currently, Manus’ agent is accessible only via invite codes, with an eager waiting list already surpassing two million.
The Race Has Only Just Begun
With Tencent’s T1 now officially in play and Manus gaining momentum, China’s AI competition is clearly heating up, promising exciting innovations ahead. As tech giants and ambitious startups alike push boundaries, China’s AI landscape is becoming increasingly dynamic—leaving tech enthusiasts and investors eagerly watching to see who’ll take the lead next.
What do YOU think?
Could China’s AI startups like Manus soon disrupt Silicon Valley’s dominance, or will giants like Tencent keep the competition at bay?
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Tencent Takes on DeepSeek: Meet the Lightning-Fast Hunyuan Turbo S
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Learn more by tapping here to visit the Tencent website.
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Google’s Gemini AI is Coming to Your Chrome Browser — Here’s the Inside Scoop
Google is integrating Gemini AI into Chrome browser through a new experimental feature called Gemini Live in Chrome (GLIC). Here’s everything you need to know.
Published
1 week agoon
March 25, 2025By
AIinAsia
TL;DR – What You Need to Know in 30 Seconds
- Google is integrating Gemini AI into its Chrome browser via an experimental feature called Gemini Live in Chrome (GLIC).
- GLIC adds a clickable Gemini icon next to Chrome’s window controls, opening a floating AI assistant modal.
- Currently being tested in Chrome Canary, the feature aims to streamline AI interactions without leaving the browser.
Welcoming Google’s Gemini AI to Your Chrome Browser
If there’s one thing tech giants love more than AI right now, it’s finding new ways to shove that AI into everything we use. And Google—never one to be left behind—is apparently stepping up their game by sliding their Gemini AI directly into your beloved Chrome browser. Yep, that’s the buzz on the digital street!
This latest AI adventure popped up thanks to eagle-eyed folks at Windows Latest, who spotted intriguing code snippets hidden in Google’s Chrome Canary version. Canary, if you haven’t played with it before, is Google’s playground version of Chrome. It’s the spot where they test all their wild and wonderful experimental features, and it looks like Gemini’s next up on stage.
Say Hello to GLIC: Gemini Live in Chrome
They’re calling this new integration “GLIC,” which stands for “Gemini Live in Chrome.” (Yes, tech companies never resist a snappy acronym, do they?) According to the early glimpses from Canary, GLIC isn’t quite ready for primetime yet—no shock there—but the outlines are pretty clear.
Once activated, GLIC introduces a nifty Gemini icon neatly tucked up beside your usual minimise, maximise, and close window buttons. Click it, and a floating Gemini assistant modal pops open, ready and waiting for your prompts, questions, or random curiosities.
Prefer a less conspicuous spot? Google’s thought of that too—GLIC can also nestle comfortably in your system tray, offering quick access to Gemini without cluttering your browser interface.

Why Gemini in Chrome Actually Makes Sense
Having Gemini hanging out front and centre in Chrome feels like a smart move—especially when you’re knee-deep in tabs and need quick answers or creative inspiration on the fly. No more toggling between browser tabs or separate apps; your AI assistant is literally at your fingertips.
But let’s keep expectations realistic here—this is still Canary we’re talking about. Features here often need plenty of polish and tweaking before making it to the stable Chrome we all rely on. But the potential? Definitely exciting.
What’s Next?
For now, we’ll keep a close eye on GLIC’s developments. Will Gemini revolutionise how we interact with Chrome, or will it end up another quirky experiment? Either way, Google’s bet on AI is clearly ramping up, and we’re here for it. Don’t forget to sign up to our occasional newsletter to stay informed about this and other happenings around AI in Asia and beyond.
Stay tuned—we’ll share updates as soon as Google lifts the curtains a bit further.
You may also like:
- Revolutionising Search: Google’s New AI Features in Chrome
- Google Gemini: How To Maximise Its Potential
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- Try Google Carnary by tapping here — be warned, it can be unstable!
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