The human part of learning is important

AI can speed up progress, but is reaching the destination without the journey worth it?

Read from your browser Sunday Newsletter Welcome to Tech in Asia's Sunday newsletter, your weekend brief on the biggest moves in Asia's tech and startup world. Subscribe to this newsletter or send story tips to editors@techinasia.com. Ensure our articles appear in your Google searches: IN FOCUS Thu Huong Le on why hard work matters more than ever in the age of AI This list could reveal the next Manus. Here are the most influential people in the Southeast Asian genAI scene. Hello Betamax, "Life is a journey, not a destination," said Ralph Waldo Emerson. Yet what many may not realize is how much AI is beginning to take away some portion of the journey itself. I recently came across a post by The Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson highlighting a quote from math genius Terence Tao: "AI tools are like taking a helicopter to drop you off at the site. You miss all the benefits of the journey itself. You just get right to the destination, which actually was only just a part of the value of solving these problems." While I've never ridden a helicopter, the metaphor makes a lot of sense. In fitness, some people use steroids to gain muscle or pills to lose weight. The result may come faster, but it rarely lasts because the underlying effort and strain were never truly experienced. At Tech in Asia, we also refuse to skip the hard work. Journalism done by humans is still at the heart of what we do in the fight against the AI slop filling up the internet. My top picks this week demonstrate why: Several of these stories are the result of weeks of meticulous reporting and data analysis. Duc Tran scouted a lot of data to explore whether the next Manus might be on this list, allowing investors to stay ahead of the curve and spot under-the-radar stars. Melissa Goh has updated her power list of genAI builders in Southeast Asia, months after the first version of the article went viral. She also broke the news that DBS is hitting fintech firms with large fee hikes for its custodian service. As always, enjoy reading. Also, take the weekend to do human things, like eating, walking, and - for my fellow millennials - breaking away from having existential crises. Thu Huong Le, managing editor EDITOR'S PICKS 1️⃣ The next Manus might be on this list Last December, Meta acquired Manus at a valuation of up to US$3 billion. The deal shocked the tech community, especially in Southeast Asia, given that Manus was registered in Singapore. While some regional investors may lament the missed opportunity to back Manus early, the next stars might be right under their noses. This list aims to help them find those players. A point worth noting is that these founders share a common thread: most built their credentials at China's top tech firms before branching out. 2️⃣ Movers and shakers in Southeast Asia's genAI space (Update) One clear pattern stands out: many founders are based in the US but maintain teams in the region. It's also no surprise that more than 64% of the 93 founders we included chose to incorporate in Singapore, where the government has made clear its intent to attract AI-driven companies and innovation. 3️⃣ DBS hits fintech firms with large fee hikes for custodian service Banks and fintech firms have always had a bit of a love-hate dynamic - sometimes partners, sometimes competitors, often both. DBS said the move is part of efforts to better manage risks associated with virtual accounts. However, some say this could make it harder for local and foreign fintech firms looking to scale in Singapore, a market that positions itself as a global financial hub. SHORT CUTS 1️⃣ 4,000 human staffers out at Jack Dorsey's company This is one of the most brutal job cuts I've seen in recent months. Adding to the sting, the company, Block, said the business is going strong. The layoffs hit a nerve among white-collar workers but appeared to please investors, with Block's shares soaring up to 24%, according to CNN. 2️⃣ $110m AI IPO fund targets Asia's next public tech firms The partnership between Granite Asia and DBS brings encouraging news for AI firms in Asia, particularly in Southeast Asia, especially as some regional investors feel they missed the chance to back companies like Manus before it was swept up by a tech giant. The question remains: which Asian AI firms are truly ready to list and whether going public should even be the goal at all. 3️⃣ Grab 2.0 is all about profitability Grab aims to triple its EBITDA to US$1.5 billion by 2028 from last year's level, president and COO Alex Hungate told Reuters. This signals a shift away from a pure growth narrative toward disciplined profitability. The company is positioning fintech - not ride-hailing - as its main long-term value driver through data-led lending and financial services. Following its recent investment in US wealth platform Stash, it will be interesting to see how this strategy unfolds. QUOTE OF THE WEEK "I don't care if Claude beat GPT or Grok beat Gemini or some new model called Higgs or Flux or whatever Silicon Valley nonsense dropped this week." Varun Agarwal, an Indian entrepreneur, filmmaker, and author, said in one of his Instagram posts. WEEKEND DEEP DIVE AI is unlocking a new way of doing math In this interview with The Atlantic, Terence Tao, widely considered one of the world's greatest mathematicians, shared several notable insights. He acknowledged that AI has rapidly advanced to the level of a junior human co-author of math papers. However, he believes human-AI collaboration should be embraced to drive further breakthroughs, rather than leaving difficult problems entirely to autonomous systems. It's clear that Tao is aiming for a middle ground - neither dismissing AI's progress nor buying into the hype around it. ADVERTISE | SUBSCRIBE | HIRE | FIND JOBS P.S. Don't miss out on the biggest tech news and analysis. Add newsletter@techinasia.com to your address book, contacts, or safe sender list. Or simply move us into your inbox. Tech in Asia thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Too many emails? Switch to a different frequency or get new content through our preference center, or unsubscribe. You can also remove yourself from all Tech in Asia emails over here. Copyright © 2026 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. Tech in Asia (Podium Level 3), 1000 Toa Payoh North, News Centre, Singapore 318994 A member of The Business Times.