“One thing I can add is the awakening, the shaking up, the shaping up of the rest of the global auto industry from the Chinese is in full swing. The Chinese are coming. And if the Western automakers are prepared, they're going to have a much tougher moment than when they confronted the Japanese or the Koreans. The Japanese [and] Koreans, they're very successful. Let's say in the U.S., but this is a whole different issue - the geopolitical aspect. But you know, they're coming.” - Lei Xing 

Fresh out of the studio, Lei Xing, founder of AutoXing & co-host of China EVs & More, shared his insights into the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) market and its implications for the global EV market. Lei discussed his career journey and the inspiration behind covering the China EVs market through his podcast. He broke down the competitive dynamics between Tesla and BYD based on their current strategies for global market expansion and technological challenges. He shared his perspectives on whether Chinese EV makers can rinse and repeat the solar panel strategy against the rest of the automotive companies in the world. Last but not least, he shared the groundbreaking innovations at CES 2024 and emphasized the challenges and opportunities ahead for Chinese manufacturers and their vision for long-term success in the EV industry globally. 

Episode Highlights: 
[0:50] Quote of the Day #QOTD by Lei Xing. 
[1:21] Introduction: Lei Xing from China EVs &amp; More. 
[8:60] China EVs and more podcast and their coverage. 
[10:17] Lessons learnt from Lei Xing’s career journey. 
[11:40] Overview of the global EV landscape &amp; China’s market share in EVs. 
[15:27] The China smart EV makers after BYD. 
[20:15] The competitive advantage of Chinese EV makers. 
[23:26] How Tesla Invigorates the EV Competition in China. 
[24:36] The one thing that Lei Xing knows about China EV makers that very few do. 
[27:00] How Chinese EV makers are competing in the global market. 
[30:57] Can Chinese EV makers rinse and repeat the solar panel strategy to win the EV market? [32:50] How BYD emerged in the US since 2011. 
[37:21] Tesla vs BYD in AI, autonomous driving and robotics. 
[41:43] How Tesla is competing in China and other parts of the world. 
[46:40] Breakthroughs in EVs and self-driving cars at CES 2024. 
[51:14] The bet on hydrogen fuel cars by Japanese automotive makers. 
[53:14] Outlook for Chinese EVs in the 5-10 years. 
[56:33] Will China EVs go upstream to the hypercars against Ferrari? 
[58:03] What does success mean for Chinese EV companies in the next 5-10 years? 
[59:43] Closing. 

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. Proper credits for the intro and end music: "Energetic Sports Drive" and the episode is mixed &amp; edited in both video and audio format by G. Thomas Craig.

BYD vs Tesla: The New EV Empire with Lei Xing

Fresh out of the studio, Adam Elman, Head of Sustainability for EMEA at Google, shares the key initiatives of the company in Europe. We begin with Adam discussing his career journey, explaining how he came to lead key sustainability initiatives at Google and the innovative measures taken to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. He highlights the Environmental Insights Explorer, the challenges of achieving 100% renewable energy, and the role of AI in sustainability. Adam offers valuable advice for companies starting their sustainability journeys and emphasizes the importance of engagement, transparency, and accountability. Last but not least, he describes what great would look like for Google in its sustainability efforts.

"We have these very ambitious goals and we've spoken about a few, but there are many others in Europe. In particular, the E.U. and countries like the U.K. have very ambitious climate goals. For Google, we want to be part of the solution. So, good for me is, we make progress on our goals in our own operations, but we really want to help others. And we actually have this as a global goal rather than a regional goal, an ambition to help others save a "gigaton" worth of emissions every year from 2030 onwards. A "gigaton" is the emissions of Japan, just to put that in perspective. So, I want a big slug of that to come from the work we are doing in helping companies and other organizations and individuals within my region to help them make more sustainable choices." - Adam Elman

Audio Episode Highlights:
[0:45] Quote of the Day by Adam Elman #QOTD
[2:21] Introduction: Adam Elman, Head of Sustainability for Google: Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA).
[5:12] Lessons from Adam’s career journey
[6:32] Overview of Google’s sustainability initiatives globally
[8:13] Google’s sustainability initiatives in EMEA
[10:19] What constitutes carbon free energy?
[11:41] How Google uses AI for energy efficiency in data centres.
[13:01] Other applications of Google AI in sustainability.
[15:15] The One Thing Adam Elman knows about sustainability that very few do.
[18:30] Environmental Insights Explorer by Google
[20:08] Google Maps and how it helps the city of Dublin to increase cycling by 20%.
[26:20] Advice to companies which are beginning on their sustainability journey.
[28:33] What does great look like for Google on sustainability?
[29:51] Closing

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. Proper credits for the intro and end music: "Energetic Sports Drive" and the episode is mixed & edited in both video and audio format by G. Thomas Craig

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Analyse Asia Podcast

Google & Sustainability in Europe with Adam Elman

Fresh out of the studio, Minyoung Kim, Netflix’s VP of Content for the Asia Pacific (excluding India), shared her perspectives on how Netflix work with content creators across the Asia Pacific region and brings them to a global audience. In the same conversation, Minyoung discussed the importance of cultural adaptation and localization and provided behind-the-scenes insights into how the Squid Game became a global phenomenon starting from their focus on the Korean audience. Minyoung also addressed challenges faced by Asian content creators, offered her advice for aspiring filmmakers who want to collaborate with Netflix, and shared her thoughts on what great would look like for Netflix in the Asia Pacific. 

"The most important lesson that I have learned is to really know your audience. You need to really understand your audience, and what they want because oftentimes the content executives make a mistake of programming for themselves rather than the audience. And I actually went through the exact same mistake when I first started, because I believed what I like is what audience like. So I think that's like the number one rule, really trying to understand the audience. That is number one. And as an individual, for me. I don't think it's only in Asia. I think globally building a relationship is really important. But trying to develop a relationship for the sake of a relationship never lands well. You can never, utilize the relationship. You build a relationship through great work and you build a relationship not only to get what you need but also to be able to say 'no' when necessary." - Minyoung Kim

Audio Episode Highlights: 
[0:45] Quote of the Day by Minyoung Kim from Netflix #QOTD
[1:41] Introduction: Minyoung Kim, Netflix’s VP of Content, APAC excluding India
[5:34] Minyoung Kim’s lessons from her career journey.
[7:15] Overview of Netflix, its global vision and mission.
[10:28] The footprint of Netflix in the Asia Pacific.
[13:41] How Netflix brings Asian content from a local audience to a global one.
[15:02] The decision behind Squid Game and how it resonates with the Korean audience.
[16:59] The ingredients of a local show that might become a global success on Netflix.
[19:02] Challenges for Asian content creators.
[21:31] The importance of cultural adaptation and localization for the Asia Pacific.
[23:03] Netflix has conditioned the audience to watch in the original version rather than dubbing.
[25:55] Green light rigour at Netflix.
[27:28] Future of Asian content and Netflix’s role in shaping the landscape.
[29:41] Advice to aspiring creators and filmmakers in Asia who want to collaborate with Netflix.
[31:18] Trends in the Asian content market.
[33:12] What does great look like for Netflix in the Asia Pacific region.
[34:24] Closing.

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. Proper credits for the intro and end music: "Energetic Sports Drive" and the episode is mixed & edited in both video and audio format by G. Thomas Craig

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#netflix #contentcreator #squidgame #mediaproduction

How Netflix brought Asian Content to the Global Audience with Minyoung Kim

"Temu was launched in the US, their first market in September 2022. That is when Shein just started to gain a lot of traction. There's a lot of attention being paid to Shein. In the beginning, many people thought that Temu was a copycat of Shein because they both sold goods from China using this direct-from-China shipping model. However, I think the competition has evolved quite differently now, and Temu has done business and operational innovation that has made others, including Shein, have to catch up." - Jing Yang 

Fresh out of the studio, Jing Yang, the Asia Bureau Chief from The Information shares the ongoing e-commerce war between Amazon and the upstarts: Shein and Temu across the global landscape. Starting from the origins of Shein and Temu, she explained how both companies first expanded to the US enabled by Amazon. Jing Yang breaks down how Temu gains total control over its suppliers and sellers and subsequently threatens Amazon's e-commerce dominance in the US market. Last but not least, she examined the fallout from the potential US ban on Shein and Temu from US lawmakers and the possibility of Shein's IPO in the US. 

Episode Highlights: [0:46] QOTD [1:27] Introduction: Jing Yang, Asia Bureau Chief from The Information [2:34] The surprise of Open AI not allowing ChatGPT to be in Hong Kong and China. [5:29] You need a China mobile number to access Chinese LLMs. [6:48] Introduction to Shein and Temu, the global e-commerce upstarts originating from China. [9:59] The elusive people behind Shein and Temu. [13:29] Shein’s current performance against H&amp;M, Zara, and Uniqlo. [18:12] How Authentic Brands (owner of Forever 21) made a partnership &amp; investment deal with Shein in the US. [23:09] How Temu maintains control over the supply chain in China. [31:23] Comparisons between Temu and Amazon from the seller to business models. [34:51] How Amazon enabled Shein and Temu to expand into the US. [35:38] Amazon’s realization of Temu’s threat and response. [36:58] Amazon’s response to Shein and Temu’s threats in the US market. [38:56] Temu is copying Amazon in the US with a local warehouse strategy and vice versa. [42:08] How Amazon vs Temu &amp; Shein shaped the global e-commerce landscape. [43:54] How reliant is Amazon on Chinese sellers and suppliers globally? [45:30] Why the US lawmakers are thinking about a ban on Temu. 


Podcast Information:&nbsp;Bernard Leong&nbsp;hosts and produces the show. Proper credits for the intro and end music: "Energetic Sports Drive" and the episode is mixed &amp; edited in both video and audio format by&nbsp;G. Thomas Craig. 

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Disrupting E-Commerce: How Shein and Temu are Challenging Amazon's Reign with Jing Yang

"Well, I think AI makes us, makes me more human in terms of understanding that nirvana or the ultimate achievement is not to be perfect. The ultimate achievement is to be authentic, present, and yourself. I guess it exists in this human dimension. One of the things you realize is that when something is too perfect, whether it's your selfie or something you've written, people start to distrust it. Right now, if I generate or design something, or if I write something and it sounds too fluent and flawless—without accent, pauses, or mistakes—people might suspect that it's not Siok, but actually the digital twin of Siok. One question that people ask me and ask themselves is: how has AI made me more aware of what it means to be human?" - Tan Siok Siok Fresh out of the studio, our host, Bernard Leong sat down with Tan Siok Siok, author of AI for Humanity, for an insightful discussion on the evolving role of AI in our lives. During the conversation, Siok Siok explored how AI makes us more human by emphasizing the importance of authenticity over perfection. They discussed the creative process, with Siok Siok viewing AI as a tool to enhance rather than replace human creativity. The interview also touched on the broader implications of AI, including job displacement and the geopolitical nuances of AI development. Tan Siok Siok shared her thoughts on the need for humans to guide and nurture AI responsibly, dismissing the notion of a doomsday scenario driven by AI. The conversation offered a nuanced perspective on how AI can be a partner in human progress, rather than a threat, encouraging listeners to engage actively with AI’s potential. Audio Episode Highlights: [0:45] Quote of the Day by Tan Siok Siok, co-author of "AI for Humanity" [1:45] Introduction: Tan Siok Siok [5:21] Siok Siok's Sharing of Life Lessons from the Past Decade [7:06] AI and Creative Process [9:51] Origins and Intentions behind the Book "AI for Humanity" [13:34] Explaining AI to a Non-Technical Audience by our host Bernard [15:01] AI's Role in Enhancing Human Abilities [17:10] Different Definitions of AI and AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) [18:45] AI in the Creative Arts and Job Displacement [24:17] Geopolitics and AI [30:21] AI's Role in Upskilling and Global Market Implications [32:01] Doomsday Scenarios and AI Responsibility [37:31] AI as a Tool for Self-Improvement [39:34] Final Reflections on AI's Impact on Humanity [43:44] Closing You can find Siok Siok's new book "AI For Humanity" co-authored with Andeed Ma and James Ong here: https://www.amazon.com/AI-Humanity-Building-Sustainable-Future/dp/1394180306 and follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sioksiok/ Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. Proper credits for the intro and end music: "Energetic Sports Drive" and the episode is mixed &amp; edited in both video and audio format by G. Thomas Craig Analyse Asia Main Site: https://analyse.asia Analyse Asia Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kkRwzRZa4JCICr2vm0vGl Analyse Asia Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/analyse-asia-with-bernard-leong/id914868245 Analyse Asia YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnalyseAsia Analyse Asia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/analyse-asia/ Analyse Asia X (formerly known as Twitter): https://twitter.com/analyseasia Analyse Asia Threads: https://www.threads.net/@analyseasia Sign Up for Our This Week in Asia Newsletter: https://www.analyse.asia/#/portal/signup

AI, Creativity and the Human Element with Tan Siok Siok

"The humans are going to be empowered to become superheroes like Tony Stark, and because you have your loyal A.I. assistant, Jarvis, doing all this stuff in the background, that's the example I always use when I give lectures on this topic. What ends up happening is that you need to make sure you can use A.I. correctly. If you offload too much, offload inappropriately, or become too dependent on AI for tasks where you shouldn't be dependent, then suddenly, you're no longer Tony Stark. You're one of those fat human descendants in Wall-E. The ones who can't even get back in their own chairs because they've forgotten how to walk, they've forgotten how to think, they're being fed a steady diet of soda pop from AI." - Joon Nak Choi 

Fresh out of the studio, Bernard Leong sits down with Joon Nak Choi, an Adjunct Associate Professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and founder of Learnovate, to dive deep into the future of education and AI. JC shares his career journey and the back story of why he started Learnovate focusing on AI-assisted grading and what it is meant to solve for the users. Last but not least, JC shares his perspectives on how the future of education will evolve with generative AI and explains what success will look like in the next few years. 

Audio Episode Highlights [0:46] Quote of the Day by Joon Nak Choi aka JC #QOTD [1:53] Introduction to Joon Nak Choi, founder of Learnovate and Associate Professor, HKUST [4:41] JC's Background and Career Path [6:55] Key Lessons from JC's career experience [9:32] Transformative Potential of Generative AI in Education [16:17] AI's Role in Personalized Education [18:42] Integrating AI into the Classroom [20:31] The Importance of Feedback for Student Assignments and How AI transforms this [26:47] Addressing Bias and Ethical Concerns in AI-driven Education Tools [30:57] The Future of Work and AI [34:45] The Need for Human Oversight in AI [38:15] Insights from Student Engagement with AI-driven Education Tools [43:25] Challenges in AI Essay Grading [47:55] AI's Role in Enhancing Educational Outcomes [52:01] Closing Thoughts and Inspirations 

You can find Joon Nak Choi via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnchoi123/ and HKUST: https://mgmt.hkust.edu.hk/faculty-and-staff/directory/jnchoi 

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. Proper credits for the intro and end music: "Energetic Sports Drive" and the episode is mixed &amp; edited in both video and audio format by G. Thomas Craig 

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Learnovate, AI and EduTech with Joon Nak Choi

"So that's why if you have 1 billion to invest, we're not expecting the same return as if you invest 10 million. At that time, when all this money flowed to Southeast Asia, people there thought, "Oh, we made it. Now the world is looking at us. We're finally a good ecosystem.' Everyone was ready to invest in us, but that was just the tide, right? And when the tide recedes, the first place the money will leave is Southeast Asia because it's not offering the best returns. So, the money is going out, and I don't think it's coming back anytime soon. People shouldn't expect investors to be as aggressive as they were. Lastly, great companies will always raise capital. The top ones will always find their way, so there's no issue for them. The challenge is for the ones just below them. It will be very difficult for those companies. Some will have to become much more capital-efficient, for sure." 

Fresh out of the studio, Arnaud Bonzom, founder of Black Mangroves and angel investor, engages in a lively discussion with our host about the entrepreneurial and venture capital landscape in Southeast Asia for 2024. Arnaud shares his insights on the evolution of late-stage funding and the resetting of expectations in the region’s venture capital scene. He also offers valuable advice to founders on how to navigate the challenging fundraising climate and what success could look like for the region in the coming years. 

Audio Episode Highlights: 
[0:44] Quote of the Day by Arnaud Bonzom #QOTD [2:09] Arnaud’s Reflections on Southeast Asia Since 2018 [5:28] Southeast Asia’s Economic Challenges [6:15] New Outlook for the Region’s Startup Ecosystem [10:37] Lessons from India’s B2B Market [14:31] How Venture Capital Works in Southeast Asia [16:52] Over-Optimism in Southeast Asia’s VC Landscape [24:27] Challenges in Attracting Foreign Investments [27:38] The U.S. as the Biggest Accessible Market [30:29] Market Segmentation in Asia Pacific [35:44] IPO Slowdown and M&amp;A Challenges [37:59] Zombie Companies in Southeast Asia [39:14] The One Thing Arnaud knows about the SEA ecosystem that very few do [41:28] Explaining DPI (Distributions to Paid-In Capital) [47:48] Timing in Venture Capital Investments [51:48] Advice for Founders in 2023-2024 [53:33] Bottlenecks in Southeast Asia’s Startup Ecosystem [56:40] What does great look like for the Southeast Asia ecosystem? [58:45] Crypto Companies in Southeast Asia [60:44] Final Thoughts and Future of Southeast Asia’s Startup Ecosystem [61:10] Closing 

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. Proper credits for the intro and end music: "Energetic Sports Drive" and the episode is mixed &amp; edited in both video and audio format by G. Thomas Craig 

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Resetting Expectations on Southeast Asia with Arnaud Bonzom

Fresh out of the studio, Jay Park, Chief Development Officer of Digital Edge, explores the rapidly transforming landscape of data centres in the Asia-Pacific region. Kicking off with the story of Jay’s remarkable career in building cutting-edge data centres, we dive into the explosive growth fueled by AI and the innovative cooling and energy solutions Digital Edge is pioneering to address environmental challenges. Jay also examines the impact of advanced AI chips on next-generation data centre engineering and shares his vision of what great would look like to design efficient and sustainable infrastructure in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.

"So if you look at this, according to this recent structural research report, the data centre industry will spend 100 billion dollars, and about 50 per cent of that growth will be happening in APAC. So, this is massive growth. If you look at the data centres, they have to be built where people are to better support them. But we have a new kid on the block. It's called AI servers, and it's something I have never experienced before in any industry, and this is massive. It'll do a lot of things, but it has to do data processing. So you cannot have all these data centres in, let's say, North America, have people in the APAC area grab that data, send it back to the U.S. or North America, do all the processing, and then send it out to APAC. I just don't see that happening. So, they're building the data centres closer to the users, where people are. And then you do all the processing there. The growth is going to be gigantic, and that's what we are seeing today." - Jay Park

You can find Jay Park on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-park-b5b579335/ and on Digital Edge: https://www.digitaledgedc.com/about 

Episode Highlights: 
[00:00] - Quote of the Day by Jay Park #QOTD 
[01:07] - Jay Park’s Background 
[02:38] - Becoming Chief Development Officer at Digital Edge 
[03:22] - Data Center Evolution and Power Density Growth 
[05:24] - Digital Edge’s Mission and Approach 
[07:30] - Supply Chain Challenges and Skid-Mount Equipment 
[09:25] - Scaling Data Centers for Increased Power Needs 
[12:19] - Cooling Systems and AI Server Requirements 
[15:39] - Modular Data Center Design: Pros and Cons 
[18:57] - Balancing Efficiency, Scalability, and Cost 
[22:08] - Challenges in Data Center Engineering in APAC 
[27:25] - AI Chips and Their Impact on Data Centers 
[31:29] - Principles for Designing Efficient Data Centers 
[34:04] - Water Usage and Environmental Impact 
[37:39] - Exciting Advancements in Data Center Technology 
[42:54] - Advice on Innovation in Data Center Engineering 
[43:36] - Digital Edge’s Vision for the Future 
[44:42] - Personal Inspirations and Emerging Technologies 
[46:26] - Closing 

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. Proper credits for the intro and end music: "Energetic Sports Drive" and the episode is mixed &amp; edited in both video and audio format by G. Thomas Craig Analyse Asia 

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Data Centres in the Era of AI with Jay Park

" Now, the beauty about the real estate industry, if you look outside and you look at the commercial buildings, you have a lot of data generated on a daily basis. The challenge is, what do you do with this data? How do you mine this data in a smart way to give you better investment decisions going forward [or] better decisions on how you run the building? Where are the opportunities to reduce your expenses? On the climate side, how do you reduce your operational carbon? How do you make those buildings better? I think that here, Gen AI, can help big time, because any solution that will mine this data smartly and will create a result, an output, that end users and owners can use to their advantage.” - Ariel Shtarkman 

Fresh out of the studio, Ariel Shtarkman, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Undivided Ventures, joins us to share the mission and vision of Undivided Ventures and how the fund is driving innovation at the intersection of sustainability, PropTech, and construction technology. Beginning with her origin story, Ariel reflected on her journey from real estate private equity in New York to becoming a venture capitalist championing sustainable technologies in Asia. She elaborated on Undivided Ventures’ investment thesis, focusing on scaling sustainability-driven innovations in the built environment and shared key portfolio highlights, including successful investments like Structure Pal. Ariel also explored the transformative potential of generative AI, robotics, and data centers in addressing challenges in real estate and construction. Last but not least, she offered her insights on navigating fundraising in a challenging venture capital landscape and painted a compelling vision of what great looks like for Undivided Ventures. 

Audio Episode Highlights: [00:46] Quote of the Day: Ariel Shtarkman on data and AI in real estate. [01:40] Introduction: Ariel Shtarkman, Managing Partner at Undivided Ventures. [04:23] How she co-founded Undivided Ventures with Alex. [06:08] Lessons from her career journey. [08:06] Overview of Undivided Ventures and its investment thesis. [10:33] Recent highlights of the fund’s portfolio. [12:46] Unique insights into Undivided Ventures’ investment approach. [14:59] Lessons learned from fundraising in challenging times. [17:28] Generative AI’s impact on PropTech and sustainability. [21:00] Case study: Structure Pal’s innovative approach in PropTech. [23:35] Traits of founders that attract investment. [27:19] Red flags in startups and founders. [29:24] Approach to valuation and avoiding overblown valuations. [31:19] Insights on data centers and how to think about data center technologies globally. [37:09] Robotics and their evolving role in construction. [39:12] The one question that Ariel wishes people would ask her more about Undivided Ventures. [41:18] What does great look like for Undivided Ventures over the next few years. [42:32] Closing. 

Profile: Ariel Shtarkman, co-founder and managing partner, Undivided Ventures: https://www.undivided.vc/about and LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariel-s-2850322/ 

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. The proper credits for the intro and end music are "Energetic Sports Drive." G. Thomas Craig mixed and edited the episode in both video and audio format. Here are the links to watch or listen to our podcast. 

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Undivided Ventures: AI, Sustainability & Data Centre Technologies with Ariel Shtarkman

"What's the point if it's a fast platform, but I still have to go somewhere else? And the last thing is speed. Right now, especially in our region, it's a land grab. When we think about some of the fastest-growing economies in the world—Indonesia, for example, Vietnam, the Philippines—you have hundreds of millions of people here. What we see in every customer I speak to is interest in how they use our platform to move faster, to deploy AI. They don't want to have to build a foundation level of AI, integrating all those elements themselves. They want to deploy it faster. When you think about our history, we have 250 petabytes of data being accessed by 150,000 customers every single day. When you take that set, we had to get this right. We had to because we have thousands of engineers focused on building these platforms so our customers don't have to—so they can deploy innovation and create truly unique and differentiated customer journeys." - Sujith Abraham 

Fresh out of the studio, Sujith Abraham, Senior Vice President and General Manager, ASEAN at Salesforce, joins us to explore how AgentForce 2.0 is transforming enterprise AI. He shares his journey from automotive engineering to tech leadership, reflecting on the rise of AI agents that move beyond chatbots to take real-world actions. Sujith explains how AgentForce 2.0 integrates across Salesforce products like Slack and Tableau, helping businesses automate sales, customer service, and marketing. He highlights how banks, airlines, and telcos in Southeast Asia are leveraging AI for growth, alongside Salesforce’s shift to a pay-as-you-go model for easier adoption. Addressing AI trust and governance, he underscores data privacy and enterprise-grade AI security. Closing the conversation, Sujith shares his vision for AI-driven customer engagement and what great looks like for Salesforce &amp; AgentForce 2.0 in ASEAN. 

Profile: Sujith Abraham, Senior Vice President and General Manager, ASEAN for Salesforce, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sujithabraham/ Audio 

Episode Highlights: [00:46] Quote of the day by Sujith Abraham [01:44] Introduction: Sujith Abraham, Senior Vice President and General Manager, ASEAN for Salesforce [02:22] Sujith’s Career Journey [03:51] Career Lessons from Sujith [05:26] What is Salesforce &amp; Its Mission? [08:27] Definition of Generative AI &amp; AI Agents in the context of enterprises [11:22] Introduction to AgentForce 2.0 [15:37] AI Across Salesforce Products [20:22] Enterprise AI Adoption &amp; Challenges [22:51] The Business Model of AgentForce [24:07] Industry Use Cases in Southeast Asia [25:47] AI Governance &amp; Trust at Salesforce [27:54] Choosing the Right Large Language Model (LLM) [28:55] Advice for Business Leaders on AI Adoption [30:60] The One Thing Sujith Knows About Salesforce &amp; AgentForce in ASEAN That Very Few Do [32:48] The One Question Sujith Wants More People to Ask: Why Salesforce? [34:45] What Does Great Look Like for Salesforce? [37:05] Closing 

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. The proper credits for the intro and end music are "Energetic Sports Drive." G. Thomas Craig mixed and edited the episode in both video and audio format. 

Here are the links to watch or listen to our podcast. 
Analyse Asia Main Site: https://analyse.asia 
Analyse Asia Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kkRwzRZa4JCICr2vm0vGl 
Analyse Asia Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/analyse-asia-with-bernard-leong/id914868245 
Analyse Asia YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnalyseAsia 
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How Agentforce is Transforming Businesses in ASEAN with Sujith Abraham

"Now, some people are only ever going to want to use WhatsApp to message the people in their life, and they should be able to carry on doing that and have an incredibly simple experience in doing so. But we're increasingly seeing that users want to use WhatsApp for more than messaging close friends and family. It's why we're doing things like business messaging. It's why we built new features like channels and status and updates tab separate from your personal chats. We think that if we carry on getting the core of private messaging right, it also gives us the opportunity to build more of these features that users want." - Alice Newton-Rex 

Fresh out of the studio, Alice Newton-Rex, Vice President and Head of Product at WhatsApp, joins us to explore how the messaging platform balances innovation with privacy for over 3 billion users worldwide. In the conversation, Alice explained WhatsApp's three guiding principles: simple, reliable, and private. She emphasized that the features they say "no" to are often more important than those they approve, highlighting how WhatsApp has evolved beyond personal messaging to include business services that serve over 200 million businesses globally and balancing innovation with trust on how Meta AI is integrated into the platform. Last but not least, Alice describes what great would look like for WhatsApp continuing to be the most private way for people to communicate while maintaining simplicity and reliability at global scale. 

Episode Highlights: [00:00] Quote of the Day by Alice Newton-Rex, VP &amp; Head of Product, WhatsApp [01:34] Alice's Career Journey from Classics to WhatsApp. [04:32] WhatsApp's three core principles: simple, reliable, and private. [06:43] Best product decisions: knowing when to say "no". [09:43] Mobile-first strategy shapes WhatsApp's business model. [11:21] Small businesses use WhatsApp extensively in emerging economies. [13:58] WhatsApp Business ecosystem reaches 200 million users globally. [16:02] End-to-end encryption forms foundation of WhatsApp's privacy commitment. [18:38] Features keep core experience simple while adding optional functionalities. [21:18] User trust prioritized over speed of iteration. [24:32] Messaging will be how most people interact with AI. [26:40] AI features: optional, visually distinct, with clear user control. [32:53] Privacy enables authenticity in everyday communication. [34:13] Future WhatsApp: keeping simple, reliable, private communication for billions. [35:35] Closing. 

Profile: Alice Newton-Rex, Vice President &amp; Head of Product, WhatsApp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-newton-rex-4713191a/ 

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. The proper credits for the intro and end music are "Energetic Sports Drive." G. Thomas Craig mixed and edited the episode in both video and audio format. 

Here are the links to watch or listen to our podcast. 
Analyse Asia Main Site: https://analyse.asia Analyse Asia Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kkRwzRZa4JCICr2vm0vGl 
Analyse Asia Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/analyse-asia-with-bernard-leong/id914868245 
Analyse Asia YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnalyseAsia 
Analyse Asia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/analyse-asia/ 
Analyse Asia X (formerly known as Twitter): https://twitter.com/analyseasia 
Analyse Asia Threads: https://www.threads.net/@analyseasia 
Sign Up for Our This Week in Asia Newsletter: https://www.analyse.asia/#/portal/signup 
Subscribe Newsletter on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7149559878934540288

Building WhatsApp for 3 Billion Users with Alice Newton-Rex

A weekly podcast dissecting the pulse of business, technology & media in Asia. Hear our host interviewing leading journalists, senior executives, respectable authors & thinkers, entrepreneurs & thought leaders to discuss the most important issues that move and shake the business landscape in the Asia Pacific. The show is originally created and hosted by Bernard Leong.