The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into daily education is rapidly increasing amongst students globally, fundamentally shifting learning behaviours.

However, this surge in adoption is not matched by a corresponding rise in understanding, leading to widespread confusion and apprehension about the future, particularly regarding careers.

Widespread adoption, shifting search behaviours

The #StudentsSpeakonAI Report, a comprehensive global survey by BrightCHAMPS involving 1,425 students across 29 countries, highlights a significant shift: 58 per cent of students globally have used AI for help with studies in 2025, encompassing homework, projects, and gaining additional understanding of school material.

Also Read: Beyond the classroom: How education companies are rewriting the rules with relationships

A substantial 33 per cent of students globally are fairly regular users of AI, with 10 per cent leveraging AI tools daily. Notably, a considerable 12 per cent of students have completely changed their search behaviour, now primarily relying on AI tools for online information, moving away from traditional search engines.

This indicates a profound change in how students access and process information for their academic pursuits.

A gap in understanding and the peril of misinformation

Despite this widespread use, a striking paradox emerges: almost half of the surveyed students admitted to having little to no understanding of how AI technology works or what its flaws might be.

Globally, 34 per cent of students acknowledge using AI tools but not fully grasping the underlying technology. This lack of foundational knowledge has tangible consequences. A concerning 29 per cent of students globally never cross-check AI-generated answers for accuracy.

The ramifications are clear: 20 per cent of students globally have mistakenly believed AI answers, only to later discover they were incorrect.

Furthermore, 23 per cent of students globally struggle to differentiate between real and AI-generated images or videos, highlighting a critical challenge in discerning authentic content in the digital age. The report also reveals that 14 per cent of students globally don’t understand AI at all, simply following what their peers do.

Concerns for the future and the call for greater support

The rapid advance of AI has ignited anxieties amongst the student population. A significant 36 per cent of students globally worry about how AI will affect future jobs.

Ravi Bhushan, founder and CEO of BrightCHAMPS, expressed his sadness over this concern but found hope in students’ “resilience and desire to upskill and fortify their learning with new-age skills”. Indeed, the majority of students recognise the imperative for AI literacy, with 59 per cent globally believing that AI is an important subject to learn to be future-ready. This sentiment underscores a proactive desire to equip themselves for the evolving employment landscape.

Also Read: Asia’s tech potential: How self-taught education is shaping the next generation of developers

Crucially, over half of the students surveyed, specifically 56 per cent globally, feel a strong need for additional support and guidance beyond what schools and parents can offer to navigate the complexities of the AI era properly. This indicates a pressing demand for more comprehensive and external educational resources to prepare the next generation for an AI-integrated future.

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Southeast Asia is rapidly emerging as a dynamic hub in the global AI landscape, attracting billions in investment and strategically focusing on downstream applications to overcome traditional hurdles.

While global venture capital (VC) investment into AI surged to a record high of over US$100 billion in 2024, constituting more than one-third of total global VC funding, Southeast Asia is carving out its unique niche.

Global investment flood, regional focus

An East Ventures White Paper, titled “AI-first: Decoding Southeast Asia trends”, says that despite accounting for a smaller portion of global AI investment (ranging from 0.6 per cent to 1.7 per cent between 2020 and 2024), the region is witnessing significant capital inflows, particularly into infrastructure and local initiatives:

Also Read: AI adoption in SEA e-commerce: The clock is ticking for sellers

Indonesia: A major beneficiary with Oracle, Microsoft, AWS, and Nvidia planning to invest US$20 billion into data centre infrastructure. Bytedance is also set to invest US$2 billion in an AI Hub. Microsoft alone plans a US$1.7 billion investment to expand its cloud and AI services in Indonesia, alongside local collaborations like Sahabat-AI and East Ventures’ IndoBuild AI platform.

Malaysia: Google, AWS, Microsoft, and TikTok collectively plan to invest over US$10 billion into cloud and data centre infrastructure.

Singapore: Led the region in AI initiatives, anchoring OpenAI’s Asia-Pacific Hub and allocating a substantial S$1 billion (approximately US$740 million) budget for AI investment from 2024-2029. Singapore also boasts the region’s first model AI governance framework.

Vietnam: Nvidia has partnered with the Vietnamese government to establish an AI research and development centre.

Thailand: Introduced its National AI Strategy and Action Plan in 2022, focusing on regulation, infrastructure, talent, innovation, and ecosystem promotion.

This influx underscores a clear recognition of Southeast Asia’s potential as an AI-driven market.

Overcoming hurdles: A pragmatic approach

Historically, AI adoption in Southeast Asia faced challenges such as deep-tech talent scarcity, infrastructure limitations, and a lack of clean data. However, the advent of GenAI has dramatically lowered these barriers:

Talent shift: Southeast Asia is not aiming to develop new foundational models, reducing the need for deep-tech expertise. A recent survey highlighted that over 65 per cent of regional companies now prioritise practical, integration-focused AI talent over technical research roles, emphasising problem-solving over foundational model development.

Infrastructure accessibility: While top-tier digital infrastructure attracts tech giants, studies indicate that 85 per cent of industrial AI applications in Southeast Asia run efficiently on standard, cost-effective networks. Most GenAI development and deployment can be piloted affordably without demanding expensive infrastructure.

Also Read: Burning billions: AI’s capital frenzy and its global implications

Data challenges: The region’s businesses, many of which are not digital native, face a scarcity of clean data. Crucially, GenAI solutions excel at ingesting “dirty” qualitative, text-based information and generating useful insights, mitigating this challenge. Furthermore, data annotation providers like Tictag are transforming disparate data formats for AI model training.

By focusing on accessible downstream applications, Southeast Asian AI companies are capitalising on existing foundation models and building ready-to-use solutions. This strategic pivot is making AI adoption highly cost-efficient and impactful, setting the stage for significant operational transformation and presenting an “attractive investment opportunity” for those backing founders leveraging this trend.

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A recent survey conducted by Airwallex, in partnership with Statista, paints a robust picture of Singapore’s cross-border e-commerce landscape, revealing key consumer preferences and non-negotiables for online merchants.

The “Airwallex Singapore Cross-Border eCommerce Survey 2025,” which polled 1,000 cross-border e-commerce shoppers in the island nation in January 2025, underscores the mainstream nature of international online shopping among local consumers and offers vital intelligence for tech startups eyeing the Southeast Asian market.

Singapore’s cross-border e-commerce boom is unstoppable

The study highlights that cross-border e-commerce is not just mainstream but also frequent in Singapore. A remarkable ninety-three per cent of consumers are comfortable buying online from overseas merchants, a figure “significantly higher than the global average”. This demonstrates a mature and confident online shopping demographic ready to look beyond local shores for their needs.

Also Read: Shopee, TikTok Shop, Lazada now control 84% of SEA’s e-commerce market

The top categories attracting Singaporean cross-border shoppers include:

• Fashion and apparel
• Skincare and beauty products
• Electronics
• Food and beverages

These categories represent clear opportunities for international merchants and e-commerce platforms targeting Singapore.

The imperative of seamless checkout: Transparency and trust are king

For online merchants, the checkout experience is a critical determinant of success, with transparency, speed, and trust emerging as key drivers. Shoppers articulate a clear demand for a sophisticated and secure transaction process.

The most valued aspects of an online checkout experience include:

• A “transparent pricing structure that includes a breakdown of taxes and fees, such as foreign exchange and shipping fees”. This suggests a strong preference for clarity and no hidden costs, which can significantly erode trust.
• The “ability to pay using my preferred payment methods”.
• A “mobile friendliness of the checkout process to let me complete the purchase on mobile”.

A significant red flag for consumers is any disruption to the payment flow. The survey found that 92 per cent of online shoppers “feel less secure about their payment if they are redirected to a different page to complete it”. Such redirections make them “less likely to complete the purchase” and “disrupt their shopping flow,” highlighting a critical technical and user experience hurdle for many platforms.

Deliberate digital shoppers demand flexibility

Singaporean online shoppers are discerning and informed, with 90 per cent of shoppers stating they are “aware whether a purchase is local or cross-border”. Their decision-making process for international purchases is notably influenced by several factors, including “affordable shipping,” “transparent fees,” and critically, “the ability to use their preferred payment methods”.

When it comes to preferred payment methods for international online purchases, consumers favour a mix of traditional and digital options:

• Debit cards
• Credit cards
• Digital payment methods such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and GrabPay

This underlines the necessity for merchants to offer a diverse range of secure and convenient payment solutions to cater to varied consumer preferences.

Capitalising on sales Seasons: Localised campaigns are critical

The survey emphatically states that “localised campaigns during sales periods are critical” for engaging Singaporean shoppers. A substantial proportion of consumers strategically time their purchases around key promotional events:

• 77 per cent of shoppers align their buying with Black Friday.
• 72 per cent time their purchases around double digit sales days (11.11, 12.12).
• 58 per cent coordinate their shopping with Lunar New Year.

These findings present a clear roadmap for e-commerce businesses and tech platforms to plan their marketing and inventory strategies around these high-volume shopping periods, leveraging localised campaigns to maximise reach and conversions.

Also Read: Through the fog: Why 2025 holds ‘fragile optimism’ for global logistics

The insights from the Airwallex survey offer a compelling data-driven perspective for tech startups and e-commerce players aiming to deepen their footprint in Singapore’s lucrative cross-border market. Prioritising transparent checkout processes, offering flexible payment options, ensuring mobile-friendliness, and strategically deploying localised campaigns during peak sales seasons will be paramount for success in this dynamic landscape.

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In 2024, the crypto and blockchain sector saw renewed investor enthusiasm. Venture capital (VC) funding is pouring in approximately US$13.7 billion, a 28 per cent rise from the US$10.7 billion secured the previous year.

While this uptick in capital signals a revival of interest following the market downturns of prior years, new findings challenge the assumption that VC support guarantees the success of any crypto project.

Contrary to popular belief, a crypto project backed by a well-known VC is not necessarily destined for prosperity. In collaboration with Storible, Chainplay released its latest research, revealing that 56.72 per cent of VC-backed crypto projects ultimately fail.

Alarmingly, nearly half (45.34 per cent) of these ventures are categorised as “dead,” meaning they have ceased operations entirely. Even among the survivors, performance remains underwhelming: 77.45 per cent generate less than US$1,000 in monthly revenue, highlighting significant underperformance in a sector often touted for its disruptive potential.

Prestigious VC firms are typically regarded as kingmakers in the crypto ecosystem. Their backing often serves as a stamp of legitimacy for early-stage crypto projects. Yet our data paints a more sobering picture. Of all crypto projects supported by Tier 1 VCs, 37.45 per cent have failed and 34.56 per cent are completely defunct.

Moreover, 33.41 per cent of these ventures struggle to earn even US$1,000 per month, underscoring the gap between funding prestige and operational success.

Also Read: How OnlyFounders aims to level the playing field for underrepresented founders with AI, blockchain

Two prominent names exemplify the trend. Polychain Capital, once seen as a leading force in decentralised finance, shows a staggering 44 per cent of its projects are now defunct, with 76 per cent generating negligible revenue. Yzi Labs (formerly Binance Labs) fares no better, with a failure rate of 72 per cent, despite its deep integration within the broader crypto industry.

These numbers reflect a structural issue in the VC approach to the crypto sector: high bets are often placed on experimental ideas that fail to translate into sustainable businesses.

Angel investors are not immune either

Tier 1 angel investors also struggle to pick winning ventures. Notably, Balaji Srinivasan, former CTO of Coinbase and a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, has a 57 per cent dead-project rate among his backed crypto startups. This illustrates that even experienced operators with deep sector knowledge are vulnerable to the market’s volatility and execution challenges inherent in the space.

Despite the bleak data, there is a silver lining: the amount of capital raised does appear to influence outcomes. Projects that raised over US$50 million were markedly more resilient, showcasing much lower failure rates. These better-funded ventures can often weather crypto’s turbulent cycles, build robust teams, and navigate regulatory hurdles more effectively.

Conversely, crypto projects that raised less than US$5 million fared significantly worse. Over 33 per cent failed outright, and nearly one in five were classified as dead.

Interestingly, projects without VC backing had a death rate four times higher than those with institutional investment. This suggests that while VC support is far from a guarantee of success, it does offer a level of resilience, access, and credibility that bootstrapped startups often lack.

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The convergence of technology and finance is reshaping India’s financial landscape, and at the heart of this shift is embedded finance.

At its core, embedded finance brings financial services, like payments, credit, or insurance, directly into non-financial platforms. It allows users to complete transactions within everyday apps and services, whether that’s topping up a wallet in a gaming app or renewing a subscription, like Netflix, in one click.

What was once a novel convenience has now become a mainstream expectation. The pandemic accelerated this surge as consumers searched for safer, more accessible ways of managing and growing money.

This trend has continued to grow post-pandemic, as digital finance adoption gains traction across urban and rural India.

This rising adoption is set to transform financial inclusion and economic participation across India. A report by Research and Markets projected that the embedded finance industry in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 37.8 per cent from 2024 to 2029, reaching US$34.32 billion.

In 2024, India saw a significant surge in digital-only investment accounts, with National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) reporting a 33 per cent increase that brought the total number of dematerialised accounts to 185.3 million.

We are now at a time where embedded finance is no longer optional — fast becoming a tool for banks, fintechs and non-bank financial institutions to deliver services, particularly to the un(der)banked, to build the foundation for financial ecosystems.

Embedded into our daily lives

Each and every day, there is an aspect of embedded finance that we engage with in the form of embedded credit. This creates digital platforms, both financial and non, that eases the process of applying for and repaying loans without leaving them.

An example is equated monthly instalment (EMI) cards commonly used in the retail environment. Remember when you purchased that smartphone on Amazon and turned your payment into an EMI at the checkout? Well, you are not alone.

Also Read: Blurring the Lines: The convergence of traditional finance and crypto

A study by Home Credit India in 2024 on ‘How India Borrows’ showed that about 43 per cent of borrowers showed a preference for EMI cards when it came to shopping or borrowing money.

The insurance industry is another one benefitting from embedded finance – just think about the number of travel-related bookings that now also prompt you to purchase travel insurance for your trip at the same time.

Similarly, without leaving the platform you are engaged with, embedded investments can be made without the need for a broker or advisor. Unlike robo-investing, embedded investment products allow the consumer to take ownership of micro-investment decisions. Today, many non-financial websites, including ride-hailing apps, offer this service.

Benefits to Indian companies

Digital platform companies, particularly non-bank companies with customer-facing websites and apps, hold  a natural advantage in the embedded finance sector. Years of transactional data have given them insight into consumer behaviour, allowing them to tailor financial offerings more precisely and price them more fairly.

This rich dataset opens opportunities not just for the platforms themselves, but also for financial institutions such as banks, insurers, and investment firms.

By tapping into these digital ecosystems, traditional players can access a broader pool of potential customers and diversify their revenue streams. They gain visibility into spending habits, credit usage, savings patterns, and financial health—insights that can guide everything from credit assessments to product design.

For example, a travel platform detecting increased discretionary spending could offer premium packages instead of budget deals — capitalising on embedded finance to enhance both user experience and profitability. This allows industries like insurance to benefit significantly from the easier access customers have increasingly enjoyed.

These datasets also offer a boost to companies, who can stay ahead of the competition by increasing customer acquisition, engagement, and retention, as well as repeat sales. Consumers reward companies they feel are attentive to their needs and preferences with loyalty.

This cycle translates into businesses building stronger business models, increasing customer share of wallet and improving financial performance.

Traditional banks struggle to connect with younger audiences who are increasingly turning to neobanks or digital banks for their seamless user-friendly experiences. However, by embedding their services in third-party platforms, even digitally transformed traditional banks can engage this younger demographic more effectively.

All of these developments mean the Indian financial sector has the potential to grow to be more resilient and financially sustainable, underpinning the growth of other sectors through greater liquidity, credit and investment, and benefitting the wider economy.

Benefits to Indian consumers

While the growth of digital banks has already improved access to financial services for consumers, embedded finance will take it a step further in terms of greater accessibility, convenience and relevance. This is because embedded finance can also provide customers with increased financial stability.

For one, access to a wide range of financial services improves financial literacy and inclusion. Customers who may prefer digital financial services or are unable to access traditional services will now be in a better position to save, invest and plan their finances while also securing themselves through greater insurance coverage.

Also Read: US-Japan deal, EU talks, and Japan’s Bitcoin bet: A new chapter for global finance

Since customers regularly interact with third-party platforms — be it an e-commerce site or a ride-hailing app – they build trust and rapport with these brands, making it simpler to venture into the realm of financial services.

Through greater access to and consumption of financial products and services, Indian consumers can become increasingly financially literate and more financially stable. This demand for financial products is soaring in a country with a rapidly growing urban and middle-class society.

Embedded finance has now filled the gap by providing access and convenience, and is set to propel India’s society, economy, and people forward.

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