Energy & Technology

KUALA LUMPUR: World Network, has officially launched Android support for World ID Credentials in Malaysia. This expansion significantly enhances global accessibility, enabling more individuals and developers to engage with a privacy-preserving, human-verified digital ecosystem. World ID Credentials strengthen World ID by allowing people to verify their World ID using a passport, reinforcing security and privacy. Initially launched on iOS in Korea, Malaysia, Colombia, and Chile in November last year, the service is now available on Android, extending its reach to millions more worldwide. With this expansion, individuals can receive additional benefits upon verification, further enhancing their experience within the World Network. Beyond improving access to the World Network, the expansion of World ID Credentials also unlocks new opportunities for developers. The World Network continues to provide a verified, human-based audience, enabling direct engagement with real users. With over 23 million participants, the platform simplifies app distribution and onboarding, eliminating common barriers such as high costs and bot-driven traffic. Recent Tools For Humanity (TFH) data highlights the rapid growth of World’s Mini Apps ecosystem, which sees approximately 3.8 million daily opens, 6.7 million daily impressions, and 3.4 million weekly World ID verifications. Mini Apps, a core feature of World App 3.0, enable seamless integration for developers, offering self-custodial wallets, zero transaction fees, and World ID authentication for secure, efficient interactions. “Expanding Android support for World ID Credentials is a major milestone in making the World Network more accessible globally,” said Ajay Patel, Head of World ID, Tools for Humanity. “With stronger security, anonymity protection, and seamless usability, this expansion will drive greater engagement and adoption, benefiting both users and developers alike.” This expansion presents an unprecedented opportunity for Malaysian developers to scale applications while tapping into a global audience, concurrently aligning with World’s mission to broaden access and enable meaningful digital interactions. To learn more about Mini Apps and World ID Credentials, please visit world.org.

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s banking industry is facing an unprecedented challenge as the number of clients abandoning banks due to slow and inefficient onboarding practices has surged to record levels, according to new research from Fenergo, a global leader in client lifecycle management (CLM), Know your Customer (KYC) and transaction monitoring solutions. A global study of over 150 C-level executives across corporate, institutional, and commercial banks in 2024 in Singapore revealed that nearly 90% have lost clients over the past year due to delays and inefficiencies in onboarding — a staggering 35% increase from 2023. While banks worldwide, including in the US, UK, and Japan, are grappling with similar issues, Singapore has been hit the hardest, signalling a critical industry-wide problem.   The research highlights that banks in Singapore are spending more time and resources on KYC processes, an integral part of AML compliance, than any other region surveyed. 91% of respondents attributed high abandonment rates to poor data management and siloed workflows. While 79% of executives pointed to subpar customer experiences, and 47% blamed overly complex onboarding processes. These inefficiencies come at a time when Singapore’s financial institutions are under pressure to comply with the national anti-money laundering (AML) strategy, launched following the high-profile money laundering scandal of 2023. Cengiz Kiamil, Managing Director at Fenergo, has commented: “It’s no coincidence that the spike in banks losing clients because of burdensome KYC and onboarding closely follows one of the biggest money laundering scandals in Singapore’s history. Banks are now required to double down on client due diligence to better understand client risk as part of the country’s clamp down on AML. The extra scrutiny and a wide scale dependence on manual processes is having an immediate and negative impact on the client and the bank’s bottom line.”   While only 1% of banks surveyed have successfully automated the majority of their KYC and onboarding workflows, the report reveals a growing appetite for AI-driven solutions. 38% of respondents indicated plans to deploy AI to enhance operational efficiency, while 30% aim to improve data accuracy with AI-powered tools.   “In today’s fast-evolving regulatory landscape and rising financial crime, it has never been more important for firms to strengthen their client onboarding and KYC procedures,” continued Kiamil. Yet traditional banks in Singapore have historically been reticent about adopting transformative technology such as cloud and AI despite guidance from the regulator. Banks that fail to digitally transform these processes risk frustrating clients who are accustomed to seamless digital experiences in other parts of their lives. In contrast, those that embrace automation and AI can turn effective KYC and onboarding practices into a competitive advantage. It’s no longer a back-office issue; it’s a boardroom priority.”   “Through AI, banks can not only reduce operational inefficiencies but also enhance the customer experience, making KYC and onboarding smoother and faster. Our findings suggest that financial institutions embracing these technologies may be better positioned to navigate growing regulatory complexities in Singapore while regaining client trust.”   Fenergo’s report, KYC in 2024, provides in-depth analysis into the time and cost implications for regional and global banks conducting KYC tasks.

SINGAPORE: New Relic, the Intelligent Observability company, has introduced the industry’s first observability solution designed for monitoring DeepSeek, aimed at simplifying the development, deployment, and monitoring of generative AI (GenAI) applications for its customers. This innovative solution supports DeepSeek and DeepSeek on Microsoft Azure AI Foundry, enabling customers to leverage New Relic’s AI monitoring capabilities for comprehensive visibility across their AI applications built with DeepSeek. This integration promises a streamlined setup and enhanced data security, complementing DeepSeek’s cost-efficiency and advanced reasoning capabilities from its open-source models, which democratize AI accessibility and accelerate innovation in the field. “Observability plays a crucial role in selecting and deploying cost-effective, high-performance AI models,” said Ashan Willy, CEO of New Relic. “As enterprises increasingly adopt GenAI, including models like DeepSeek and Alibaba’s Qwen2.5-Max, the pressure mounts to make informed AI implementation decisions. New Relic’s AI observability extends our platform to encompass AI applications powered by DeepSeek, empowering enterprises to optimize model deployment decisions and gain competitive advantages in today’s hyper-competitive market.” New Relic’s AI monitoring solution offers real-time insights across the AI stack—spanning services, infrastructure, and the AI layer—ensuring efficient, reliable, and cost-effective operations. It provides comprehensive metrics on throughput, latency, and costs while addressing data privacy concerns and mapping request flows across services and models to enhance understanding of AI application dynamics. “With New Relic AI monitoring, businesses can confidently integrate and optimize AI technologies,” Willy continued. “This solution not only simplifies AI integration but also addresses the critical challenges of selecting and optimizing AI models amidst a saturated market. By combining New Relic’s advanced monitoring capabilities with DeepSeek’s high-performance, cost-effective models, we are pushing the boundaries of AI innovation.” Key benefits include: Reliability Assurance and Quality: Gain full visibility into DeepSeek-powered AI application performance to swiftly identify and resolve issues. Cost Optimization: Utilize insights from New Relic and cost-effective DeepSeek models to reduce AI development costs. Confidence in Model Switching: Leverage New Relic’s model comparison features to assess performance impacts when switching between AI models. Accelerated Innovation: Drive faster innovation and deployments using New Relic’s AI monitoring combined with DeepSeek’s open models. This integration expands New Relic’s AI integration ecosystem to over 60 integrations, including partnerships with Nvidia NIM and Amazon Bedrock, underscoring its commitment to providing the most expansive observability solutions available. For more information, visit: New Relic’s blog post and demo video New Relic AI monitoring GA press release New Relic AI monitoring webpage

As India moves towards energy transition, the government will focus on supporting clean technologies. The move aims to improve domestic value addition and build an ecosystem for solar cells, electric vehicle batteries, motors and controllers, electrolyzers, wind turbines, very high-voltage transmission equipment and grid-scale batteries. Transmission systems equipment has been in focus as India faces huge electricity demand and renewable energy integration amid global supply challenges in the segment. Clean technologies are seen playing a critical role in India’s energy transition and its ambitious target of having 50% of non-fossil fuel-based power by 2030. The policy measures will drive capacity expansion, fortify supply chains, and position India as a global leader in clean energy manufacturing, according to Amit Paithankar, whole-time director and CEO, Waaree Energies.- THE ECONOMIC TIMES

KUALA LUMPUR: Accenture (NYSE:ACN) announced new services and capabilities designed to reinvent business and cyber resilience through the power of gen AI, deepfake protection and quantum-safe data security solutions to help clients across industries become cyber-resilient organizations. Cybercriminals are increasingly using gen AI and dark large language models (LLMs) to launch new types of cyberattacks. In fact, Accenture’s cyber intelligence (ACI) researchers have observed a 223% surge in deepfake-related tool trading on dark web forums in the first quarter of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. The ACI team expects a significant rise in AI-driven cyberattacks, a warning signal that organizations need to adopt advanced AI-based cybersecurity measures that detect, respond to, predict and prevent threats in real-time.   “Modern cybersecurity protects the entire business—from the digital core to the supply chain—using gen AI-powered and quantum-proof protections to counter advanced AI-driven threats,” said Vinod Shankar, Security Lead, Southeast Asia at Accenture. “In Southeast Asia, our new cybersecurity services and centers help clients safeguard critical assets, enhance resilience, and navigate the region’s complex digital landscape with confidence, accelerating innovation and value creation.”   “The cybersecurity landscape faces unprecedented challenges, from geopolitical tensions to supply chain vulnerabilities. In Malaysia, as a leading innovation hub and digital economy, these risks are heightened. Gen AI-powered cybersecurity solutions enable organizations to navigate complexities, enhance protection, and build resilience, ensuring they remain secure and competitive in a rapidly evolving environment,” said Loh Tee Cheu, Security Lead at Accenture in Malaysia.   New Cybersecurity Services According to Gartner®, concern about AI-enhanced malicious attacks again topped Gartner, Inc.’s emerging risk rankings in the second quarter of 2024. To help clients safely adopt emerging technologies while simultaneously tackling evolving threats, Accenture is introducing new services, which it also employs to protect its business operations. Some of these include: Secure AI Solutions establishes resilience throughout an organization’s entire AI program lifecycle, including best practices for developing frameworks; policies and processes to ensure secure AI practices; capabilities to assess and protect access, data, models, infrastructure and building trust-by-design in AI systems. It also incorporates red-teaming and adversarial simulations that help find vulnerabilities in AI systems, including LLMs and a Gen AI Security Diagnostic to detect and secure unauthorized AI deployments. · Deepfake Protection includes security testing, monitoring and detection of deepfakes powered by key partners’ technologies such as Reality Defender to stay ahead of evolving AI threats that are impacting customer contact centers, business videoconferences and other critical points of communication. · Business Cyber Crisis Recovery a cloud-based solution enables C-suite leaders across industries such as healthcare, telecommunications and oil & gas to quickly restore essential infrastructure and significantly reduce the downtime impacts associated with recovering from a cyberattack. As a result, essential operations can be restored in hours rather than weeks. · Quantum Security Suite of services for building robust strategies, discovering vulnerable encryption throughout an enterprise and replacing outdated technology by leveraging the latest quantum-safe algorithms recommended by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology and orchestrating their use securely and efficiently.   Core Cybersecurity Services – Newly Powered by Gen AI Many organizations (86%) are either actively or planning to consolidate their tools as a means to streamline their cybersecurity operations. In response, Accenture is powering its core cybersecurity offerings with the Accenture mySecurity a centralized suite of assets that integrates gen AI into all cyber-resilience services across supply chain, cloud, application, cyber resilience and identity and access management to drive speed, efficiency and help clients protect against AI-driven threats. These include: For example, Accenture is actively working to shield nations from cyberattacks and is helping the Kuwait Government Central Agency for Information Technology to strengthen their cybersecurity infrastructure through the establishment and management of a National Security Operations Center. This collaborative effort aims to enhance visibility, detection and remediation capabilities against evolving cyber threats. The project will be supported by Accenture’s global network of Cyber Future Centers supported by a 24/7 local team focused on protecting the nation’s most critical organizations leveraging the benefits of gen AI. New Cyber Future Centers Additionally, delivering these new cybersecurity services Accenture will expand its global network of advanced cybersecurity facilities with new Cyber Future Centers powered by emerging technologies. The new locations include a flagship gen AI Security studio in Brussels and a studio in Washington, D.C.; a Quantum Security Center and Lab and a Cyber Physical Security center in Bengaluru; and a Sovereignty Hub in Malaga. With these new centers powered by gen AI and quantum security solutions, Accenture’s cybersecurity facilities currently span more than 40 locations across 22 countries. In 2024, the number of Accenture’s cybersecurity professionals grew by more than 30% to more than 25,000 people. Since 2015, Accenture has made 19 security acquisitions, including most recently strengthening its managed security services capabilities in Europe and Mexico with the acquisition of Innotec Security and Mnemo Mexico, respectively. Additionally, Accenture has invested in 13 cybersecurity, space and quantum security companies, including SpiderOak and Aliro Quantum.

What’s New: At CES, Intel unveiled an expanded product portfolio and new partnerships designed to accelerate automakers’ transitions to electric and software-defined vehicles (SDVs). Intel now offers a whole-vehicle platform, including high-performance compute, discrete graphics, artificial intelligence (AI), power management and zonal controller solutions alongside the Intel® Automotive Virtual Design Environment (VDE) co-developed with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Intel’s approach addresses automakers’ cost and performance scalability challenges, enabling faster, more efficient and more profitable SDV development and deployment. “Intel automotive is bringing innovative solutions that reduce cost in the SDV revolution. Our whole-vehicle approach, combined with cloud integration, delivers a complete solution that drives down total cost of development and deployment while empowering automakers to build the future of mobility faster, more efficiently and more profitably.” –Jack Weast, Intel Fellow, vice president and general manager of Intel Automotive Why a Whole-Vehicle Platform Matters: Intel’s whole-vehicle platform reduces inefficiencies of traditional fragmented approaches to vehicle architectures. By optimizing the entire vehicle’s electrical/electronic architecture, Intel drives significant cost reductions and performance improvements. Supporting this platform, Intel introduced the availability of the Adaptive Control Unit (ACU), designed for electric vehicle (EV) power trains and zonal controller applications. About the Adaptive Control Unit: The ACU U310 is a new kind of processing unit that supports the consolidation of multiple real-time, safety-critical and cybersecure functions, applications and domains (X-in-1) into a single chip. Traditional time and sequential processing-based micro and zonal controllers struggle to handle multiple workloads due to limited deterministic processing capabilities. In contrast, Intel’s new family of ACU devices integrates a flexible logic area that offloads real-time control algorithms from the CPU cores, ensuring reliable performance, freedom from interference (FFI) and deterministic data delivery even when consolidating multiple microcontroller workloads into a single zonal MCU. This dual-brain approach enables greater workload consolidation, lowers cost, and enhances safety, cybersecurity and performance. When used in an electric vehicle power train, the ACU U310 supports advanced algorithmic solutions that reduce vehicle energy demand from the battery, automatically adapting high voltage and control frequencies to individual driver styles and road conditions. The ACU reduces cost per kilowatt and enhances energy efficiency, allowing the vehicle to reclaim up to 40 percent of the power train system energy losses, delivering a 3% to 5% efficiency boost during the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). This translates to increased range, faster charging and a more responsive driving experience while significantly reducing per-vehicle bill of materials (BOM), electric motor size and battery costs compared to traditional approaches. Stellantis Motorsports selected Intel as a key technology partner and adopting the Adaptive Control technology into its next-generation inverter control for enhanced performance and efficiency in competitive racing environments. In this implementation, the Intel technology will control the electric motor and recover energy during braking phases. The inverter plays a crucial role during a Formula E race, where any gain in efficiency is transformed into a precious competitive advantage. Karma Automotive announced support for Intel’s ACU, showcasing an Intel co-branded inverter featuring Optimal Pulse Pattern control algorithms to improve efficiency and enable four unique driving profiles, including innovative features like Torque Ripple Reduction and Range Boost. The ACU’s programmability allows it to serve as a first-of-its-kind software-defined zonal controller, adapting to different vehicle topologies and applications. This flexibility streamlines the transition to software-defined vehicles, simplifies supply chains and reduces the complexity of the vehicle BOM.  How Next-Gen Architecture is Enhanced with AI Inside: Building on Intel’s first-generation AI-enhanced SDV system-on-chips (SoCs), Intel announced the upcoming second-generation Intel® Arc™ B-series Graphics for Automotive set for production by the end of 2025. This solution provides the high-performance compute needed for more advanced in-vehicle AI workloads, next-generation human-machine interface (HMI) engines, and immersive in-vehicle experiences and AAA PC gaming. Paired with an Intel AI-enhanced SDV SoC, it delivers scalable performance for complex AI tasks, supported by the vast Intel AI ecosystem. How Intel and AWS Revolutionize Automotive Software Development: Intel and AWS introduced the Intel Automotive Virtual Development Environment on AWS, a groundbreaking approach that ensures true hardware and software parity from cloud to car. This new offering addresses challenges throughout the vehicle development life cycle, enabling engineers to seamlessly switch between virtual and physical hardware setups. It integrates Intel® Xeon® processor-based Amazon EC2 instances and, for the first time, incorporates Intel’s Automotive SDV SoCs within the AWS environment, eliminating the need for expensive electronic control unit (ECU) simulators or developer boards. This collaboration provides a unified solution that accelerates innovation, reduces R&D costs and speeds time-to-market. About Intel’s System-Level Advantage: Intel’s whole-vehicle approach delivers numerous benefits to automakers, including cost reductions, enhanced vehicle performance, streamlined development, improved energy efficiency, seamless AI integration and faster time-to-market – all supported by Intel’s globally balanced supply chain. More: Intel at CES 2025 | Intel Auto Keynote Explores Software-Defined Future (Video)  

KUALA LUMPUR: More than half of Malaysians are questioning the content they’re served online more than before, and 67% (MY:67% APAC: 67% SEA: 70%) of people say that trust is an important factor to them when choosing to engage with a brand, according to Accenture’s (NYSE: ACN) 18th annual Life Trends report. People’s response to rapid technological advances is mixed. Influenced by the increased use of AI and generative AI, recent breakthroughs are impacting society’s digital experiences. While appreciating the convenience digital technology offers, people are increasingly needing to scrutinize what they see and what they believe as they seek to rebalance technology’s role in their lives. “As new technologies like generative AI continue to reshape lives, people are adapting their online interactions to maintain greater control over their digital experiences,” said Azwan Baharuddin, Country Managing Director, Malaysia at Accenture. “Online trust has become a critical concern across generations, driving a growing habit of carefully filtering what we see and believe. This shift in behaviour, seen across markets including Malaysia, is redefining how customers engage with businesses vying for their attention.” Insights crowdsourced from around the globe helped Accenture Song identify five macro-consumer trends forecasting the changing dynamic between technology and users, and the challenges and opportunities for brands as they adapt their strategies to meet evolving customer needs.  Cost of Hesitations: The trustworthiness of digital technology is under threat as a rise in scams blurs the lines between real and deceptive content. Generative AI is amplifying this confusion, challenging people’s trust in digital platforms. Accenture research shows over half of people now question online content’s authenticity. In Malaysia, 67% (MY:67% APAC: 67% SEA: 70%) of respondents indicated that trust is a crucial factor when engaging with brands, while 65% prioritize convenience (MY:65% APAC: 65% SEA: 69%). Trust erosion is impacting online shopping and brand interactions, with 37% (MY:37% APAC: 33% SEA: 38%) of people reporting deep-fake attacks or scams in the past year. Brands must reassure customers by creating beacons of trust in communications, commerce, and product. The Parent Trap: Parents face the challenge of helping the next generation build a healthy relationship with digital technology—potentially against their will. Unrestricted access to the internet and social media is influencing extreme behaviors and exposing young people to many different types of harm. Parents are seeing the effects and feeling the urgency, so they’re mobilizing to establish guardrails as governments work on top-down policy. Accenture findings reveal that in Malaysia, 63% (MY:63% APAC: 65% SEA: 69%) of young adults aged 18-24 believe social media significantly impacts their identity, compared to 33% (MY:33% APAC: 28% SEA: 39%) of those over 55. As young adults struggle with negative impacts, debate and action are needed to find the right balance and protective measures. Impatience Economy: Many cultures emphasize that education, hard work, and determination can shape a desired future. However, last year’s Decade of Deconstruction trend revealed that goals and priorities are increasingly shifting. Today, 77% (MY:77% APAC: 67% SEA: 78%) of individuals in Malaysia desire fast outcomes. Notably, influencers were once largely focused on style, travel and music but their remit has expanded to include life fundamentals like health, wealth and happiness. When companies fall short, consumers look to the digital crowd, pushing brands to keep up to maintain loyalty. The Dignity of Work: The dignity of work is increasingly being tested by business pressures, technological advances and shifting dynamics. As generative AI enters the workplace, dignity needs to be factored into new expectations around how people will work with the technology. The future of work in Malaysia is marked by uncertainty as employees increasingly prioritize work-life balance, salary and flexibility, with 62% (MY:62% APAC: 57% SEA: 58%) valuing a work-life balance, 61% (MY:61% APAC: 50% SEA: 55%) salary, and 41% (MY:41% APAC: 36% SEA: 35%) flexibility in job preferences. Despite these desires, Malaysia ranks poorly in work-life balance due to long hours and high workloads, with only 29% of employees trusting their leaders to prioritize their interests, indicating a significant cultural shift towards valuing personal well-being over traditional career advancement. Social Rewilding: People are increasingly seeking depth, authenticity, and sensory richness in their experiences, aiming to engage with the world in meaningful ways. Reflecting a renewed desire to reconnect with nature and each other, people are seeking balance between technology and moments of joy and well-being. We found that in Malaysia 38% (MY:38% APAC: 37% SEA: 40%) of people attributed their most enjoyable experience in the past week to something they did digitally. The shift presents organizations with opportunities to rethink their roles and align with people’s growing desire for more immersive and authentic experiences. “Brands today face the challenge of upholding the core values of human interaction, transparency, and trust,” added Azwan Baharuddin. “As generative AI muddles the lines between reality and deception, businesses must communicate meaning and emotions that resonate with and reassure consumers in an increasingly skeptical digital landscape.” To read this year’s Accenture Life Trends 2025 report, visit accenture.com/LifeTrends2025 or explore the findings in Accenture’s thought leadership app, Accenture Foresight.