Embracing Singularity

What do a Stanford professor, a world traveller, and a future-tech dreamer have in common?When I sat down with Professor James Landay, I wasn’t expecting a crash course in the future of AI, culture, and kitchen appliances, but that’s exactly what I got. James is not your usual academic. He’s spent years helping shape how we use technology, from sketching interfaces with a pen to imagining homes where devices talk to each other.He’s also lived in Beijing, collaborates globally, and believes AI should help humanity, not just chase clicks. We talked about cultural differences, job fears, open-source models, and what makes good design in a world run by AI.This one made me rethink everything - from my phone to my fridge!IN THIS EPISODE(01:18) Can AI Ever Think Like a Human?(02:20) The Three Unwritten Rules of Smart AI(06:01) Why AI Hits Different Around the World(08:57) Asia Loves AI.. Here’s What the West Missed(12:49) Your Job or the Bot’s? Let’s Talk.13:50 | How China’s AI Leapfrogged the West(19:26) Remember Facebook's Feed? Blame the Bots.(21:41) Are Politicians Too Old for AI?(23:33) Forget Screens.. The Future Is You(25:44) Talk Is Cheap.. Tech Needs Hands Too(29:14) One Brain, All Devices. Almost There(32:26) The Next Big Shift? It’s Already Here.(33:44) Startups vs. Tech Giants: Who'll Win AI's Next Round?(37:36) Why Coders Can’t Save the World Alone(41:13) Stuck on Ideas? Go Live a Little.James LandayJames Landay is a Professor of Computer Science and the Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan Professor in the School of Engineering at Stanford University. He specializes in human-computer interaction. Landay is the co-founder and Co-Director of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI). Prior to joining Stanford, Landay was a Professor of Information Science at Cornell Tech in New York City for one year and a Professor of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington for 10 years. Wei Qing JenWei Qing Jen is an investor, entrepreneur, and host of Embracing Singularity. With a background in venture capital and deep tech, she’s passionate about exploring how AI intersects with business, society, and humanity. Her conversations cut through hype to uncover practical insights from global thought leaders. When she’s not behind the mic, she’s out building and backing what’s next. —-About the Embracing Singularity PodcastWhat happens when technology rewrites the rules of work, wealth, and meaning?In this series, investor Peng T. Ong and tech founder Wei Qing Jen sit down with technology trailblazers to explore the future we’re hurtling toward—one shaped by AI, zero marginal cost, and radical shifts in how society functions. Get ready for bold ideas, deep insights, and the urgent questions we all need to ask before the future arrives!

What happens when your job, and maybe your whole economy, gets eaten by AI?I sat down with my long-time friend Mike Halsall, a former construction guy turned tech thinker, to unpack some pretty wild (and slightly scary) ideas. From AI building cities to the collapse of labour value, Mike doesn't hold back.We talk about why makers never get depressed, whether democracy is broken, and what it really takes to stop ourselves from… well, destroying ourselves.This one made me think hard. I think it will for you too.IN THIS EPISODE(00:30) What if we’re building the tech that ends us?(03:18) What's a construction guy doing at Singularity?(05:47) One mistake, one week, mind blown open forever.(12:23) He bet on the UK. Then quietly gave up.(19:36)  What if labour dies, and no one needs to work?(22:24) Would you still work if money didn’t matter anymore?(25:03) Is Sam Altman building the future—or owning it?(32:11) Why do smart people refuse to run the world?(37:21) If we know what’s wrong… why aren’t we fixing it?(41:27) The real fix might be collaboration, not code.Mike HalsallGlobal strategic consultant with over 35 years’ experience in real estate, construction, software development, government, academia and geopolitics, including considerable experience in UK and overseas real estate investment and development, founding and exiting businesses, development and sales of emerging technologies, enhancing entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs by developing their skill-sets and running innovation programmes.I’m an advocate of life-long learning, and to putting considerable effort back into the community. My powerful and extensive problem solving abilities have been obtained by working on a team basis.I have worked with AXA, Amadeus Capital Partners, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey Milan, NASA, Singularity University, University College London, UK Government, Crown Estate, Ministry of Defence.Our HostPeng is venture building defensible AI-powered companies that will change how we live. He is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of VC firm Monk’s Hill Ventures, operating out of Southeast Asia. Prior to Monk’s Hill Ventures, he was a Venture Partner at GSR Ventures in China.As an entrepreneur, Peng co-founded a series of successful companies including Match.com, Interwoven and Encentuate, whose products even today combined generate over USD$1 billion in revenues annually.https://sg.linkedin.com/in/pengtong —-About the Embracing Singularity PodcastWhat happens when technology rewrites the rules of work, wealth, and meaning?In this series, investor Peng T. Ong and tech founder Wei Qing Jen sit down with technology trailblazers to explore the future we’re hurtling toward—one shaped by AI, zero marginal cost, and radical shifts in how society functions. Get ready for bold ideas, deep insights, and the urgent questions we all need to ask before the future arrives!

Robby Ratan, an Associate Professor at Michigan State University, explores groundbreaking ideas on education in the age of AI. He challenges the notion of traditional schools, discussing whether AI could render them optional. Ratan shares his innovative projects, like teaching in virtual reality and his Avatar Summer School. Conversations touch on the balance of tech for kids, the future of critical thinking, and the potential of AI to address educational inequalities. With personal stories and thoughtful insights, he highlights what learning could look like in the next decade.

Albert Wenger, a German-American businessman and managing partner at Union Square Ventures, discusses the transformative potential of zero marginal cost and AI. He explores how everything could be free and the implications for capitalism and work. Wenger argues that universal basic income might be essential to address the diminishing value of labor. He shares insights from a UBI pilot he’s funding, emphasizing the impact of $500 a month on individuals. The conversation navigates the need for government action in an AI-driven future and the importance of user empowerment.

How can we build smarter AI without burning the planet? In this episode, we dive into the energy crisis at the heart of today’s AI with Subutai Ahmad, CTO of Numenta. While current AI models guzzle power like data-hungry beasts, the human brain runs on just 20 watts—about the energy of a light bulb. Why are we still using outdated 1950s neuron models when neuroscience has uncovered so much more? Subutai makes the case for breaking free from brute-force GPUs, embracing brain-inspired designs, and rethinking both our algorithms and hardware from the ground up. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on how biology might hold the key to unlocking radically efficient, trustworthy AI for everyone.

In this episode, Peng and Wei Qing explore the idea that (a) in the age of AI, proprietary relationships can be scalable, (b) businesses should rethink how they're built given that they can build proprietary relationships at almost zero cost, (c) trust with the customer may become the only moat that businesses will have, and (d) hence how this may become good for humanity. Please join them as they explore this thought provoking conversation!

We had the pleasure of welcoming Professor Fei-Fei Li to Singapore last week - and what better way to celebrate than to invite her on a bus with 40 Stanford alums! In this unique and intimate podcast, Fei Fei shares with us her personal journey (from supporting her family to finding her North Star), her vision of human-centered AI, and her recent entrepreneurial turn as the co-founder of World Labs, a spatial intelligence AI company. We also ask what she thinks about Embracing Singularity. Please tune in to partake in this exclusive journey.

In Episode 3, Prashanth Prakash, founding partner of Accel India (one of India's leading venture capital funds) joins Peng to discuss the impact of AI on business. Join two well known investors (who are also founders and old friends) as they --Examine how AI will likely commoditize various sectors, including outsourcing, while also creating new opportunities.Touch upon the potential of AI in education and healthcare to democratize access and improve outcomes. Consider the skills future generations will need in an AI-driven world, emphasizing the enduring importance of leadership and human connection. Ponder the future of innovation, entrepreneurship, and the transformative power of AI across industries.

In this episode of Embracing Singularity, Wei Qing and Peng discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and its implications. They explore the commoditization of intelligence, the accelerating shift from "AI doing efficiency" to "AI doing AI," and the impending economic and technological singularities. With a mix of deep insight and candid conversation, they discuss how AI is reshaping industries, redefining labor, and challenging our fundamental understanding of value, creativity, and purpose. As entrepreneurs and investors, they also ponder what it takes to build defensible businesses in a world where intelligence itself is becoming a utility.Here’s what we talked about: Intelligence becoming a commodity.AI shifting from efficiency to self-improvement.AI acceleration outpacing human understanding.Automation reshaping labor and economic value.Traditional capitalism may struggle to adapt.AI-driven automation transforming industries.Robotics will redefine work, public spaces, and homes.AI challenges our notions of creativity and genius.The rise of AI forces deep existential questions.Entrepreneurs must rethink defensibility in an AI world.

We believe that humanity is at an inflection point and AI will commoditise intelligence. How do we build businesses that will thrive in this age of AI? In Episode 1, Peng and Wei Qing, share more about their backgrounds as investors and entrepreneurs in the US, China and SEA, and explain why they are starting this podcast.