Showing 1 - 10 of 23
AI has great potential for social good
News, Sutapa Amornvivat, Published on 29/05/2019
» Earlier this year, I attended EmTech Digital, a leading forum on AI and the latest stage of technology organised by the MIT Technology Review. Interestingly, the major emphasis this year was on ethical AI and the use of AI to solve social issues and to create a positive impact.
Who’s afraid of peer-to-peer lending?
News, Sutapa Amornvivat, Published on 29/11/2018
» The recent announcement by the Bank of Thailand on peer-to-peer (P2P) lending rules represents a significant paradigm shift. If all goes to plan, by early next year Thailand will be among the few Asian countries, most notably China and Indonesia, to legalise this match-making platform between lenders and borrowers.
Important lessons from a chatbot developer
News, Sutapa Amornvivat, Published on 31/10/2018
» The smoother and deeper our conversation with Siri, (or with Alexa, Bixby or Cortana for that matter) the more realistic Dan Brown's Winston in Origin becomes. Many experts are predicting that demand for new mobile apps is slowing down with the next trend for user interface being chatbots. Of course, much more work in conversational AI will be necessary before we reach Winston's level of chatbot advancement. At least now, users are becoming more familiar and as a result, these interactions provide a constant source of data for machines to "learn".
China's rise as a global tech leader
News, Sutapa Amornvivat, Published on 15/11/2017
» All eyes are on China as it emerges as a new global leader in technology. Startups are sprouting up in Shanghai and Shenzhen with most successful ones going public at staggering IPO prices.
The European Project stands on the brink
News, Sutapa Amornvivat, Published on 15/03/2017
» The feverish environment that cultivated in Donald Trump's win in the US election is brewing strongly in Europe. Next month, the French are going to cast their votes for their next president. This election is unlike others as one of the top contenders promises an exit from the Eurozone within six months. Such a move by a core member country such as France could go down in history as the beginning of the end for the grand European Project.
Another crack in China's financial stability
News, Sutapa Amornvivat, Published on 22/02/2017
» Last month, China's foreign exchange reserves just fell below the psychological threshold of $3 trillion. The event got people talking about yet another worldwide financial firestorm. For Thailand, things could get even rockier than in 2008 as the epicentre of the earthquake would be much closer to home this time around.
Trade and education are an odd couple
News, Sutapa Amornvivat, Published on 18/01/2017
» On Monday, I attended a keynote speech by Eric Maskin, Nobel Laureate for economics in 2007, organised by Thammasat University and the International Peace Foundation.
Recovery on thin ice with Trump presidency
News, Sutapa Amornvivat, Published on 23/11/2016
» Donald Trump's win may derail the long journey of global recovery. This seismic shift in the political landscape stems from an internal economic root cause and likely extends into dire economic consequences globally, especially for emerging markets like Thailand. After much inconsistency in Mr Trump's presidential campaign, his team that will be unveiled over the next few weeks will be critical for the global outlook next year. It seems we will be "kept in suspense" into Christmas.
Strong side effects of ultra-low interest rates
News, Sutapa Amornvivat, Published on 17/08/2016
» Worldwide growth numbers in the past few years have been disappointing. As more uncertainties arise in the global economy, central bankers are taking ever more drastic measures in desperation to save growth. In July, one month after the Brexit result, the Bank of England cut its interest rates to a historic low to stave off potential impacts from the fallout. Central banks around the world too have taken their policy rates to unprecedentedly low levels.
All that glitters in CLMV markets is not gold
News, Sutapa Amornvivat, Published on 22/06/2016
» At the annual SCB EIC Conference held earlier this month, I mentioned the exuberant growth of our neighbours: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) as a catalyst for service businesses in Thailand. Recently, our government has also initiated a business council among CLMV and Thailand to facilitate information sharing and troubleshoot trade and investment challenges facing private investors. This is a good effort to find a new source of growth to revitalise the Thai economy.