Showing 1 - 10 of 349
Rise of the killer 'toys'
Oped, Editorial, Published on 31/05/2024
» As we celebrate World No Tobacco Day today, society, especially parents, are facing a new challenge -- the rise of young smokers and deceptively packaged but harmful tobacco products like "toy pods", the fifth generation of e-cigarettes designed to be both collectable and appealing to youngsters.
Catching the AI wave
News, Editorial, Published on 06/05/2024
» Microsoft's announcement that it will build a data centre in Thailand, seizing the momentum of AI-driven advances in Southeast Asia, is welcome.
Democracies can win tech race
Oped, Published on 04/04/2024
» The world is on the precipice of a technological cold war. As authoritarian regimes develop new digital tools that endanger open societies and threaten democratic values, the West must decide whether to compete or concede. Today, the battle for freedom is being fought in Ukraine; but the frontline could one day be in Taiwan, a global technology hub, producing the world's most advanced microchips, and a flourishing democracy less than 160 kilometres off the coast of China, which seems bent on annexing the island.
How Big Tech controls user behaviour for profit
Oped, Published on 02/03/2024
» In a new lawsuit in the US against Meta, 41 states and the District of Columbia argue that two of the company's social-media products -- Instagram and Facebook -- are not just addictive but detrimental to children's well-being. Meta is accused of engaging in a "scheme to exploit young users for profit", including by showing harmful content that keeps them glued to their screens.
The rise of consumer cryptocurrency
News, Published on 26/02/2024
» Since its inception with the launch of Bitcoin in 2008, blockchain technology has gone through numerous cycles of public attention. Over time, growing interest and investment in the best-known cryptocurrencies has led to greater acceptance, as highlighted by the US Securities and Exchange Commission's approval of a spot Bitcoin ETF (exchange-traded fund) in January. While blockchains and their associated "crypto" assets have yet to be adopted by a truly broad base of consumers, that is starting to change, owing to a shift in how these technologies are being used.
Thailand's central bank dependence
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 23/02/2024
» To proponents of central bank independence, the ongoing friction between Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin and Bank of Thailand Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput appears straightforward. The prime minister is putting unwarranted and unfair pressure on the central bank governor to spur the economy by loosening monetary policy and cutting interest rates. Yet, on closer scrutiny, the entrenched politicisation of central banking in Thailand may suggest otherwise. There is more than meets the eye in the politics of interest rate cuts.
Key portals to Global Digital Compact
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 09/02/2024
» This year will witness the formulation and adoption of the UN-backed Global Digital Compact if all goes as planned. It will provide a policy framework for digital relations worldwide, although not yet equivalent to a binding treaty. What, then, are the stakes, the key portals to the digital future?
Is AI a threat to public sector jobs?
Oped, Published on 30/01/2024
» In the fast-paced shift towards a digital future, the question for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is whether artificial intelligence (AI) will bring new opportunities or pose serious threats to jobs in the public sector.
Govt must plug its leaks
Oped, Editorial, Published on 18/01/2024
» The ambition of the Srettha government is not limited to megaprojects such as the Land Bridge or promoting the value of so-called "soft power".
Tackling populism at its roots
News, Published on 10/01/2024
» As Western democracies become increasingly polarised, rural and small-town voters are regularly pitted against their counterparts in larger urban centres. While this is not a new phenomenon -- and certainly not the only factor affecting voting patterns -- the rural-urban divide is a significant driver of today's culture wars. This dynamic, which economist Andres Rodriguez-Pose evocatively described as the "revenge of the places that don't matter", suggests that the ongoing populist surge largely reflects geographic disparities.