Category

Asia

Fintech News Malaysia AI 12 Aug 2026

AI Broadens Credit Access for Southeast Asia's Unbanked

Fintech News Malaysia reports that more than 70% of Southeast Asian adults are unbanked or underbanked, representing a large untapped credit market. The article argues many of these consumers are invisible to traditional underwriting models rather than inherently high credit risks.

IEEE Spectrum 12 Aug 2026

IEEE summit backs Bhutan’s engineering-led digital transformation

IEEE and Bhutan’s government held an Engineering Education, Research, and Innovation Summit on 9–10 June in Paro to discuss workforce-ready curricula, AI in higher education, research infrastructure, and values-driven innovation tied to Gross National Happiness. IEEE offered a six-month trial of its Electronic Library and eLearning Library to Bhutanese universities, government institutions, and industries to support research and teaching development.

IEEE Spectrum 21 Jul 2026

IEEE’s WiSE Program Trains Rural Indian Girls in Hands‑On STEM

IEEE’s Women in Science, Engineering (WiSE) ran a three‑year, five‑day program at IIT‑Bombay for 160–200 rural and tribal girls each year, combining hands‑on projects and talks by female role models. Organizers say the initiative included parent engagement and take‑home build kits, and alumni reported increased confidence and continued schooling.

MIT Technology Review 21 Jul 2026

Trump AI Advisers Clash with US AI Firms Over China Models

Several current and former advisers to President Trump publicly attacked leading US AI companies over their comments about Chinese AI models. The row, reported by MIT Technology Review, suggests tension between the administration’s AI advisers and industry players.

SCMP Artificial Intelligence 18 Jul 2026

China bets on language data as a strategic AI advantage

Beijing is accelerating creation of a national ecosystem of Chinese-language data, covering text corpora, training datasets, standards and governance. The government views language resources as a new strategic frontier in the AI race, beyond chips and models.

TechCrunch AI 18 Jul 2026

AI-driven memory crunch jolts India smartphone market

India’s smartphone market is slowing as demand and pricing shift under pressure from AI-centric features that require more memory and processing. Manufacturers and carriers are adjusting product strategies and inventories in response to changing consumer preferences and cost structures.

MIT Technology Review 17 Jul 2026

Perimenopause misinformation and China’s new AI advance

The newsletter highlights rising hype and misinformation around perimenopause, cautioning readers against simplistic or commercialized claims. It also reports on a significant AI development from China, suggesting notable progress in the country’s capabilities.