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Singapore’s decision to mandate AI literacy for all public servants marks a critical inflexion point in the region’s approach to technology and governance. This is not simply a workforce training exercise. It is a structural bet on the idea that artificial intelligence will underpin the functioning of government, regulation, and citizen services in the decade ahead.

A structural shift, not a symbolic move

Most economies are still debating “responsible AI use,” drafting frameworks and guidelines that often remain disconnected from frontline adoption. Singapore has taken a different path: embedding literacy at the very heart of its bureaucracy. This is important for three reasons:

• Trust: Citizens expect governments to use technology responsibly. Training officials directly reduces the risk of blind adoption and builds credibility when policies are enforced.
• Competitiveness: For a nation positioning itself as a Tech, financial and innovation hub, literacy within the civil service ensures the regulatory environment keeps pace with private-sector deployment.
• Cultural adoption: Once public servants are equipped, the ripple effect extends into education, enterprise, and society.

AI literacy, in this sense, is not about mastering tools. It is about building a new language of governance.

The global context

Elsewhere, progress has been uneven. In the United States and Europe, regulatory conversations are advanced but implementation at the civil-service level is limited. In Asia, adoption is often driven by the private sector with government struggling to keep up. Singapore’s initiative bridges this gap, setting a precedent for aligning governance capability with technological acceleration.

This also positions Singapore strategically. By training its civil service at scale, it is not only protecting its own institutions from misuse of AI but also signalling to international investors and partners that it intends to be a safe, well-regulated hub for AI innovation.

Also Read: Singapore tops global AI hiring charts: One in six jobs now reference AI

Lessons for business leaders

There are clear implications for the private sector.

• First, if governments are prioritising AI literacy, businesses cannot afford to delay. Every organisation — from financial services to healthcare — should already be considering how to embed literacy into their culture.
• Second, AI adoption cannot be viewed purely through the lens of productivity. Its true value lies in decision quality: better forecasts, reduced blind spots, faster responses.
• Finally, speed and safeguards must advance together. Singapore’s approach illustrates that rapid adoption need not equate to reckless adoption.

A playbook for the future

This is not simply a Singapore story. In three to five years, AI literacy will be seen as a baseline skill — as fundamental as Excel was to the last generation of knowledge workers. The difference is that AI introduces new layers of complexity: ethics, security, and systemic risk.

For leaders, the message is clear: if governments are moving to make AI literacy mandatory, what justification remains for the private sector to treat it as optional?

The coming decade will not reward those who adopt AI tools superficially. It will reward those who understand them deeply, apply them responsibly, and integrate them into the way decisions are made.

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As the United States inches closer to a federal government shutdown, with no resolution in sight after talks between congressional leaders and President Donald Trump ended without progress on Monday, investors are navigating a complex web of signals.

Wall Street stays resilient amid shutdown fears

Despite the looming administrative paralysis, Wall Street closed higher on Tuesday, extending its winning streak into a second consecutive quarter. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2 per cent, the S&P 500 gained 0.4 per cent, and the Nasdaq added 0.3 per cent.

This resilience suggests that market participants either believe the shutdown will be short-lived or have already priced in its limited economic impact, given that past shutdowns have rarely derailed broader market trends for long.

Treasury yields and gold signal investor anxiety

Beneath the surface, subtle shifts in asset prices reveal deeper unease. US Treasury yields moved in opposite directions, reflecting a classic flight-to-quality dynamic mixed with short-term policy uncertainty. The 10-year yield inched up by one basis point to 4.148 per cent, while the 2-year yield fell by two basis points to 3.612 per cent.

This flattening of the yield curve often signals that investors expect near-term economic disruptions, such as a government shutdown, to weigh on growth, even if longer-term inflation or fiscal concerns remain elevated. Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index declined 0.1 per cent to 97.8, indicating a modest retreat in safe-haven demand for the greenback.

In contrast, gold surged 0.6 per cent to a record high of US$3,858.18 per ounce, underscoring its enduring role as a hedge against political and institutional instability. The precious metal’s ascent to unprecedented levels speaks volumes about the depth of investor anxiety, even as equities hold firm.

Also Read: The new market symbiosis: How Fed easing, AI, and crypto ETFs are lifting equities

Oil and Asian markets reflect fragile demand

Commodities tell a different story. Brent crude oil dropped 1.4 per cent to US$67 per barrel, pressured by expectations that OPEC+ may accelerate its planned output increases in the coming months. This potential supply boost comes at a time when global demand outlooks remain fragile, particularly with China, the world’s largest oil importer, entering its week-long National Day holiday.

Asian equities reflected this caution, trading mixed on Tuesday and lower in early sessions on Wednesday, with mainland China and Hong Kong markets shuttered for the festivities. The absence of Chinese participation in regional trading has amplified volatility and reduced liquidity, leaving other markets more exposed to external shocks, including developments in Washington and shifts in US monetary policy expectations.

Crypto faces a risk-off correction

The crypto market declined 0.51 per cent over the past 24 hours, aligning with the broader theme of risk-off behaviour and profit-taking following recent rallies. Two distinct forces are shaping this correction: regulatory evolution and the dynamics of the derivatives market.

On the regulatory front, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued new guidance allowing state-chartered trust companies, such as those operated by Coinbase, to act as custodians for investment advisers managing crypto assets.

At first glance, this appears to be a significant step toward institutional legitimacy. Long-term, it could pave the way for greater participation from traditional finance players who have long cited custody as a primary barrier to entry.

However, the guidance comes with stringent requirements, including mandatory annual audits and strict asset segregation protocols. These conditions have sparked operational concerns among crypto firms, many of which now face the prospect of higher compliance costs and structural overhauls.

As a result, the short-term market reaction has been one of caution rather than celebration. The progress is real, but the path to implementation remains uncertain, and the industry is watching closely for follow-up rule-making and clarity on adoption timelines from major platforms.

Also Read: The Fed’s first rate cut: What it means for equities, risk, and crypto

Simultaneously, the derivatives market is flashing warning signs. Perpetual futures open interest, a key gauge of leveraged positioning, fell by 5.48 per cent even as trading volume surged by 16.78 per cent. This divergence suggests that traders are actively unwinding leveraged long positions rather than initiating new ones. Compounding the pressure, average funding rates spiked to 0.0068, a staggering 354 per cent increase over 24 hours.

In perpetual futures markets, funding rates represent the cost of maintaining leveraged positions; when they turn sharply positive, it often indicates excessive bullish sentiment that becomes unsustainable. The recent surge suggests that longs were willing to pay a premium to stay in the market, creating a fragile equilibrium that ultimately collapsed under the weight of profit-taking and margin calls.

Notably, US$50 million in liquidations hit the XPL token alone, highlighting how concentrated leverage in smaller altcoins can amplify broader market selloffs. Historically, such spikes in funding rates precede heightened volatility, and if rates turn persistently negative, it could signal a deeper bearish shift as shorts dominate the market.

The current dip in crypto prices thus reflects a tug-of-war between structural progress and cyclical risk reduction. On one side, regulatory clarity around custody could eventually unlock billions in institutional capital, particularly if traditional asset managers gain confidence in secure, compliant infrastructure.

On the other hand, traders are aggressively trimming exposure in anticipation of near-term headwinds not just from potential SEC enforcement actions but also from macro crosscurrents like the US government shutdown and shifting Treasury dynamics.

This tension is further exacerbated by outflows from crypto ETFs, which have seen US$418 million exit Bitcoin funds and US$248 million leave Ethereum products recently. These outflows suggest that even regulated vehicles are not immune to sentiment swings, and that spot market demand may be insufficient to absorb the selling pressure from leveraged traders and cautious institutions alike.

Also Read: Dow, Nasdaq, and crypto all slip as treasury yields climb on delayed cut bets

The weeks ahead

Looking ahead, the critical support level for Bitcoin sits at US$113,000. A decisive break below this threshold could trigger further technical selling, especially if derivatives markets remain unstable.

Conversely, holding above this level might attract bargain hunters, particularly if the SEC’s custody framework begins to translate into tangible institutional inflows. Altcoins like Aster and Hyperbot face additional challenges due to supply-side constraints, which could either cushion their downside or exacerbate volatility depending on market liquidity.

Ultimately, the next few weeks will test whether the cryptocurrency market can decouple from macroeconomic noise and regulatory ambiguity, or whether it remains tethered to the same risk calculus that governs traditional assets. For now, prudence prevails, and the record highs in gold alongside muted equity gains suggest that even in a world of rising asset prices, uncertainty remains the dominant currency.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

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Image courtesy: Nick Chong

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Japanese gaming giant Nintendo has established a new local entity in Singapore to accelerate its business within Southeast Asia.

Nintendo Singapore is a wholly-owned subsidiary, with the parent holding a 100 per cent capital contribution ratio.

The new operation has been capitalised with SGD 8 million (US$6.2 million).

Also Read: Gaming as the next social network: How Gen Z and Gen Alpha are redefining digital belonging

Takahiro Miura has been appointed as the Managing Director of the new entity.

In addition to the immediate establishment of the Singapore base, Nintendo, led by President and Representative Director Shuntaro Furukawa, is also “considering establishing a local entity in the Kingdom of Thailand”. This potential move aligns with the overall strategy to accelerate the company’s business presence across the region.

Nintendo is a multinational video game and consumer electronics company headquartered in Kyoto. Founded in 1889 as a playing card manufacturer, Nintendo has evolved into one of the most influential companies in the video game industry. It is renowned for hardware and software innovations and for creating some of the world’s most iconic gaming franchises.

Also Read: Gaming in SEA: Understanding the growing opportunity for SMEs and payment providers

Nintendo is home to some of the most beloved and profitable franchises in entertainment history Mario (Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart, etc.), The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon (in partnership with The Pokémon Company), Donkey Kong, Metroid, Animal Crossing, and Super Smash Bros.

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I am unapologetically pro-AI and pro-automation. Not because they’re buzzwords, but because I’ve lived what they unlock. With the right systems and AI twins in place, I run multiple ventures lean, move faster than bigger teams, and focus my energy where it matters most: Growth.

But there’s a caveat. Automation is leverage — it multiplies what you already have. Multiply zero by anything and you still get zero. Multiply revenue and relationships, and you get scale. The art is knowing what to automate now, what to automate later, and what to keep human.

Adoption is here, but the gap is widening

Globally, AI has crossed the tipping point: 78 per cent of organisations now use it in at least one business function (McKinsey, 2025). This isn’t trial and error anymore — it’s mainstream.

Singapore tells an interesting story. Larger enterprises report 44 per cent AI adoption, while SMEs lag at just 4.2 per cent. The top SME reason for holding back? “No need at current scale.” It’s not resistance; it’s timing. When workflows aren’t yet repeatable, automation feels like over-engineering.

Yet leaders are bullish: 87 per cent of Singapore’s C-suite executives rank generative AI among their top three business priorities. And workers see what’s coming — 64 per cent expect their tasks to be automated or augmented within five years. The message is clear: AI isn’t optional, but its adoption curve isn’t even. Some founders will surge ahead; others will wait too long.

Automate → augment → amplify

Here’s how I think about building AI-first companies:

• Automate survival work: Repetitive, rule-based tasks like lead capture, confirmations, and basic reporting.
• Augment decisions: Train an AI twin to mirror your tone and SOPs, helping with briefs, prioritisation, and routing.
• Amplify the human layer: Reinvest saved time into sales, partnerships, creativity — the things that compound.

This order matters. In one large-scale experiment, giving workers AI assistance raised productivity by ~15 per cent on average, especially for junior staff. But those gains showed up only where structured workflows existed. AI multiplies workflows, not chaos.

Also Read: Policy warning: Without intervention, AI could deepen the digital divide

The revenue-first lens

Here’s my rule: Revenue drives the system, not the other way around.

• If you have customers and repetitive tasks → automate.
• If you have no inflow → focus on outreach first.
• If you’re caught in between → experiment manually, then scale what sticks.

I’ve seen founders proudly demo elaborate automations — while struggling to land their first ten paying clients. That’s a distraction. On the other hand, I’ve also seen lean teams using AI twins to triple their qualified outreach without hiring headcount. That’s leverage.

In my own community, I sometimes challenge students: “How many customers do you have?” When the answer is zero, automating a half-imagined platform isn’t a strategy — it’s procrastination.

Outreach before optimisation

Your first stack should bias toward bringing in revenue. A simple CRM, WhatsApp or email sequences, a booking tool, and analytics are often enough. AI twins and agents shine once the volume builds — when you’re drowning in DMs, juggling multiple funnels, or qualifying leads at scale.

That’s when automation saves you hours and stops revenue from slipping through the cracks.

For lean founders, tools like Sintra’s “AI employees” make the twin concept tangible. You can spin up an AI helper for support, email, or analytics in minutes. But they only deliver when connected to real, active workflows. Otherwise, you’re just paying for idle software.

Guardrails for smart adoption

Being pro-AI doesn’t mean automating everything blindly. Some tasks require nuance and should stay human.

For example, I sometimes use my AI twin, Seraphina, to help me draft a sensitive reply. But I wouldn’t fully automate that exchange. Contrast that with hundreds of social comments or event DMs — there, automation plus AI makes perfect sense.

The rule is simple: Automate where scale creates friction, keep it human where nuance drives trust.

Also Read: AI-powered marketing: How to generate leads, nurture customers, and close deals on autopilot

Why this matters now

Singapore’s digital economy already contributes nearly 18 per cent of GDP, and infrastructure is scaling fast. Keppel, for instance, is more than doubling its data-centre capacity to handle the AI workloads of tomorrow. Similar investments are happening across Asia and beyond.

This isn’t just infrastructure; it’s a signal. The cost of not using AI will soon outweigh the cost of adopting it.

That’s why events like Flux Series 2025 are so important. The conversation has shifted. It’s no longer “should we use AI?” but “how do we redesign our companies around it?” My view is simple: The winners will be those who treat AI twins and agents not as add-ons, but as the foundation of how lean teams operate.

Closing thought

I believe in AI because it has given me back time for relationships, creativity, and growth. It extends me, not replaces me.

For founders, the lesson is clear:

• Automate with purpose.
• Augment with AI twins.
• Amplify the human edge.

Automation is not about doing less. It’s about doing more of what matters. And the sooner we embrace that mindset, the sooner we build companies that are not just bigger, but smarter.

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