How does a childhood escape from war turn into building the future of AI?
Dr. Christopher Nguyen’s journey runs from surviving as a refugee after the Vietnam War, to building systems at Google, and now, shaping the tools that will define AI’s next era. His story is remarkable — but what makes this conversation matter is how it connects personal resilience with the bold questions around technology’s future.
We talked about why being “early but wrong” can still shape the industry, how some people will be lifted by AI while others left behind, and why today’s tools — Python and prompting — are only temporary. Dr. Nguyen argues that the next wave of AI must be fault-tolerant, agent-driven, and built for the realities of our lives and work.
It’s personal, it’s technical, and it’s a wake-up call about what AI is really doing to society.
IN THIS EPISODE
(00:00) A Refugee Childhood: Escape & Resilience
(06:12) Why I Never Wanted to Depend on Anyone Again
(10:20) How My Retirement Plans Got Hijacked by Google
(11:38) What Everyone Got Wrong About Google Docs
(14:03) Leaving Google Was the Hardest Part
(17:17) If It’s Slower Than 5 Seconds, It’s Dead to Me
(18:23) They Laughed in 2012. Now Look Who’s Right
(21:27) Winners Aren’t Inventing, They’re Applying
(23:33) LLMs Will Be Everywhere… and Nowhere
(25:21) AI Today Is Still Just a Head Fake
(32:40) The One Thing That Will Define Intelligence
(37:10) Can One AI Agent Replace SAP?
(38:50) AI Is the Bear. Can You Outrun It?
(44:49) Prompting Flips — And Why Python Won’t Build the AI Future
Dr. Christopher Cuong T. Nguyen
Dr. Christopher Nguyen is CEO & co-founder of Aitomatic, a Silicon Valley leader in Industrial GenAI. He was previously President & CEO of Arimo-Panasonic, spearheading Panasonic’s global Industrial AI initiatives, and Google’s first Engineering Director, where he launched Google Apps/Gmail and earned the Google Founders Award.
At the AI Alliance, he co-leads the Foundation Models Focus Area and serves on its Steering Committee. He created Dana (the world’s first agent-native programming language), SemiKong (the first open-source LLM for semiconductors), and OpenDXA (an open framework for complex industrial AI systems). His other open-source projects include OpenSSA, Human-First AI (H1st), and Distributed DataFrame (DDF) for Apache Spark.
Globally, he co-founded the Computer Engineering Program at HKUST, helped lead Asia’s first internet implementations, and advanced Vietnam’s digital infrastructure with Unicode standards. He holds degrees from UC Berkeley (BS) and Stanford (MS/PhD), where he was a Regents Scholar, Alumni Scholar, and NSF Fellow.
Our Host
Peng is venture building defensible AI-powered companies that will change how we live. He is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of VC firm Monk’s Hill Ventures, operating out of Southeast Asia. Prior to Monk’s Hill Ventures, he was a Venture Partner at GSR Ventures in China.
As an entrepreneur, Peng co-founded a series of successful companies including Match.com, Interwoven and Encentuate, whose products even today combined generate over USD$1 billion in revenues annually.
https://sg.linkedin.com/in/pengtong
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About the Embracing Singularity Podcast
What happens when technology rewrites the rules of work, wealth, and meaning?
In this series, investor Peng T. Ong and tech founder Wei Qing Jen sit down with technology trailblazers to explore the future we’re hurtling toward—one shaped by AI, zero marginal cost, and radical shifts in how society functions. Get ready for bold ideas, deep insights, and the urgent questions we all need to ask before the future arrives!
What if I told you your job, your business model, and your most trusted advisor might all be obsolete in five years?
In this episode, I sit down with Suresh Shankar, founder of Crayon and one of the sharpest minds I know, to unpack what happens when intelligence becomes as cheap and available as electricity.
We talk about why trust will matter more than IP, why employment contracts might be on their way out, and why the next big businesses will feel a lot more like friends than corporations.
Also: what Sam Altman told Suresh in a closed-door session that made all of us raise our eyebrows.
This one’s for anyone building in a world where the old playbooks just don’t work anymore!
IN THIS EPISODE
(00:40) Who Do You Trust When AI Knows Everything?
(00:55) From Mad Men to Math Nerds: A Founder’s Shift
(03:52) The First Time AI Blew My Mind
(04:45) How AI Quietly Took Over Your Life
(07:26) What If Intelligence Was Just a Utility?
(13:31) The Next Big Thing in Business Isn’t Tech
(22:08) The Death of the Job Contract?
(24:46) What Are You Really Charging For Now?
(25:33) Free Life Coaches in Your Pocket?
(30:33) Will AI Kill Consulting Firms?
(32:57) Why Real-World Experiences Just Got Priceless
(37:00) You Still Paying for Information? Seriously?
(41:43) AI, Power, and the New World Order
(45:47) So… What Should Founders Build Now?
Suresh V Shankar
2nd-time entrepreneur, an evangelist of AI, big data and analytics, podcaster..
Corporate life: Intrapreneur for 15 years, pioneered use of direct marketing in adverting with Citibank and JWT in the 90s, launched the media buying revolution with Unilever and JWT Fulcrum (forerunner of Mindshare)
Start-up #1: RedPill, 2000, Singapore, pioneered the Analytics revolution in Asia and ME, exited to IBM in 2009
Stupidity Gene #2: Crayon Data, go bolder, pioneered AI and big data platform revolution in 2013 with maya.ai.
Host of podcast, Slaves to the Algo.
You can listen and subscribe now on:
Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/SlavesToTheAlgoApple
Spotify: http://bit.ly/SlavesToTheAlgoSpotify
Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/SlavesToTheAlgoGoogle
Our Host
Peng is venture building defensible AI-powered companies that will change how we live. He is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of VC firm Monk’s Hill Ventures, operating out of Southeast Asia. Prior to Monk’s Hill Ventures, he was a Venture Partner at GSR Ventures in China.
As an entrepreneur, Peng co-founded a series of successful companies including Match.com, Interwoven and Encentuate, whose products even today combined generate over USD$1 billion in revenues annually.
https://sg.linkedin.com/in/pengtong
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About the Embracing Singularity Podcast
What happens when technology rewrites the rules of work, wealth, and meaning?
In this series, investor Peng T. Ong and tech founder Wei Qing Jen sit down with technology trailblazers to explore the future we’re hurtling toward—one shaped by AI, zero marginal cost, and radical shifts in how society functions. Get ready for bold ideas, deep insights, and the urgent questions we all need to ask before the future arrives!
What do a Stanford professor, a world traveller, and a future-tech dreamer have in common?
When I sat down with Professor James Landay, I wasn’t expecting a crash course in the future of AI, culture, and kitchen appliances, but that’s exactly what I got. James is not your usual academic. He’s spent years helping shape how we use technology, from sketching interfaces with a pen to imagining homes where devices talk to each other.
He’s also lived in Beijing, collaborates globally, and believes AI should help humanity, not just chase clicks. We talked about cultural differences, job fears, open-source models, and what makes good design in a world run by AI.
This one made me rethink everything - from my phone to my fridge!
IN THIS EPISODE
(01:18) Can AI Ever Think Like a Human?
(02:20) The Three Unwritten Rules of Smart AI
(06:01) Why AI Hits Different Around the World
(08:57) Asia Loves AI.. Here’s What the West Missed
(12:49) Your Job or the Bot’s? Let’s Talk.
13:50 | How China’s AI Leapfrogged the West
(19:26) Remember Facebook's Feed? Blame the Bots.
(21:41) Are Politicians Too Old for AI?
(23:33) Forget Screens.. The Future Is You
(25:44) Talk Is Cheap.. Tech Needs Hands Too
(29:14) One Brain, All Devices. Almost There
(32:26) The Next Big Shift? It’s Already Here.
(33:44) Startups vs. Tech Giants: Who'll Win AI's Next Round?
(37:36) Why Coders Can’t Save the World Alone
(41:13) Stuck on Ideas? Go Live a Little.
James Landay
James Landay is a Professor of Computer Science and the Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan Professor in the School of Engineering at Stanford University. He specializes in human-computer interaction. Landay is the co-founder and Co-Director of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI). Prior to joining Stanford, Landay was a Professor of Information Science at Cornell Tech in New York City for one year and a Professor of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington for 10 years.
Wei Qing Jen
Wei Qing Jen is an investor, entrepreneur, and host of Embracing Singularity. With a background in venture capital and deep tech, she’s passionate about exploring how AI intersects with business, society, and humanity. Her conversations cut through hype to uncover practical insights from global thought leaders. When she’s not behind the mic, she’s out building and backing what’s next.
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About the Embracing Singularity Podcast
What happens when technology rewrites the rules of work, wealth, and meaning?
In this series, investor Peng T. Ong and tech founder Wei Qing Jen sit down with technology trailblazers to explore the future we’re hurtling toward—one shaped by AI, zero marginal cost, and radical shifts in how society functions. Get ready for bold ideas, deep insights, and the urgent questions we all need to ask before the future arrives!
What happens when your job, and maybe your whole economy, gets eaten by AI?
I sat down with my long-time friend Mike Halsall, a former construction guy turned tech thinker, to unpack some pretty wild (and slightly scary) ideas. From AI building cities to the collapse of labour value, Mike doesn't hold back.
We talk about why makers never get depressed, whether democracy is broken, and what it really takes to stop ourselves from… well, destroying ourselves.
This one made me think hard. I think it will for you too.
IN THIS EPISODE
(00:30) What if we’re building the tech that ends us?
(03:18) What's a construction guy doing at Singularity?
(05:47) One mistake, one week, mind blown open forever.
(12:23) He bet on the UK. Then quietly gave up.
(19:36) What if labour dies, and no one needs to work?
(22:24) Would you still work if money didn’t matter anymore?
(25:03) Is Sam Altman building the future—or owning it?
(32:11) Why do smart people refuse to run the world?
(37:21) If we know what’s wrong… why aren’t we fixing it?
(41:27) The real fix might be collaboration, not code.
Mike Halsall
Global strategic consultant with over 35 years’ experience in real estate, construction, software development, government, academia and geopolitics, including considerable experience in UK and overseas real estate investment and development, founding and exiting businesses, development and sales of emerging technologies, enhancing entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs by developing their skill-sets and running innovation programmes.
I’m an advocate of life-long learning, and to putting considerable effort back into the community. My powerful and extensive problem solving abilities have been obtained by working on a team basis.
I have worked with AXA, Amadeus Capital Partners, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey Milan, NASA, Singularity University, University College London, UK Government, Crown Estate, Ministry of Defence.
Our Host
Peng is venture building defensible AI-powered companies that will change how we live. He is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of VC firm Monk’s Hill Ventures, operating out of Southeast Asia. Prior to Monk’s Hill Ventures, he was a Venture Partner at GSR Ventures in China.
As an entrepreneur, Peng co-founded a series of successful companies including Match.com, Interwoven and Encentuate, whose products even today combined generate over USD$1 billion in revenues annually.
https://sg.linkedin.com/in/pengtong
—-
About the Embracing Singularity Podcast
What happens when technology rewrites the rules of work, wealth, and meaning?
In this series, investor Peng T. Ong and tech founder Wei Qing Jen sit down with technology trailblazers to explore the future we’re hurtling toward—one shaped by AI, zero marginal cost, and radical shifts in how society functions. Get ready for bold ideas, deep insights, and the urgent questions we all need to ask before the future arrives!
There simply aren’t enough teachers to teach the next billion students. So is AI going to make schools optional?
In this episode, we had the most fascinating chat with Robby Ratan, a media psychology professor who's pushing the boundaries of how we learn. He teaches students in virtual reality, runs an experimental program called Avatar Summer School, and has four kids of his own - so he's living and breathing education in every way.
We talked about AI teachers, philosopher warriors, why he doesn't let his kids use too much tech, and whether schools as we know them will even exist in 10 years. Robby's stories are wild, thoughtful, and surprisingly human!
IN THIS EPISODE
(00:00) What if AI made school... optional?
(00:43) What are Robby, Peng and Wei Qing concerned about
(03:05) The radical idea behind no teachers, just tech
(05:30) Can machines teach critical thinking?
(07:35) The bigger question: what do we even teach?
(11:11) Black Mirror meets the classroom: what happened next
(14:01) Preschool dilemmas and the ‘philosopher warrior’ test
(16:21) Can AI be your BFF?
(22:01) What is the value of schools?
(27:48) What does a VR school feel like?
(33:10) Can human teaching be scaled with VR?
(34:19) Side Note: Would you trust history written by 3 million chatbots?
(38:04) Could AI help us trust each other again?
(43:24) Will AI-enabled education increase inequality?
(45:13) Wait, do you actually want your kids using VR?
Robby Ratan
Rabindra (Robby) Ratan is Associate Professor and AT&T Endowed Chair at Michigan State University’s Department of Media and Information. Ratan received his Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, his M.A. in Communication from Stanford University, and his B.A. in Science, Technology and Society, also from Stanford University.
Dr. Ratan’s research focuses primarily on the psychological experience and effects of media use, with an emphasis on avatars, video games, virtual worlds, and other interactive environments (e.g., the road, online education) that include mediated self-representations (e.g., avatars, automobiles).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbyratan
https://www.avatarsummerschool.com/
Wei Qing
Wei Qing is the CEO and cofounder of Vybes, a leading social commerce platform in Southeast Asia, funded by Peak XV (formerly Sequoia) and DSG Consumer.
Prior to Vybes, Wei Qing was an investor with Temasek (a US$300 billion fund), where she was part of the China team responsible for early stage investments in decacorns such as Alibaba and Xiaomi. She was also responsible for government relations, where she worked with senior government leaders to foster innovation. Before living in China, Wei Qing started her career with McKinsey in New York advising Fortune 500 companies.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/weiqingjen/
Our Host
Peng is venture building defensible AI-powered companies that will change how we live. He is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of VC firm Monk’s Hill Ventures, operating out of Southeast Asia. Prior to Monk’s Hill Ventures, he was a Venture Partner at GSR Ventures in China.
As an entrepreneur, Peng co-founded a series of successful companies including Match.com, Interwoven and Encentuate, whose products even today combined generate over USD$1 billion in revenues annually.
https://sg.linkedin.com/in/pengtong
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About the Embracing Singularity Podcast
What happens when technology rewrites the rules of work, wealth, and meaning?
In this series, investor Peng T. Ong and tech founder Wei Qing Jen sit down with technology trailblazers to explore the future we’re hurtling toward—one shaped by AI, zero marginal cost, and radical shifts in how society functions. Get ready for bold ideas, deep insights, and the urgent questions we all need to ask before the future arrives!
What do you ask someone who invests in nuclear reactors and believes we should all have our own AI?
I had the chance to sit down with Albert Wenger, partner at Union Square Ventures and someone who’s spent years thinking deeply about the future of work, technology, and capitalism. He’s not just a venture capitalist—he’s written a book about how zero marginal cost and universal computation could change everything.
In this conversation, we talk about why jobs are losing meaning, why basic income might be the fix, and what it will take from corporations, governments and politicians to build a better future.
He also tells me about a UBI pilot he’s running—yes, out of his own pocket. Tune in now!
IN THIS EPISODE
(00:00) What if digital tech isn’t just another machine?
(01:51) A world with zero marginal costs
(03:34) What happens when everything costs nothing
(05:18) Is it Digital or Intelligent?
(08:10) Is AI a threat?
(10:15) Is it the end of Capitalism?
(12:20) Will Universal Basic Income fix the ills of AI?
(19:18) Can $500 a month actually change someone’s life?
(25:25) Are you an extractor or an empowerer?
(26:43) How can AI be optimised for our good?
(29:49) The role of Government in an AI world
(35:08) What could politicians do?
Our Guest
Albert Wenger is a German-American businessman and venture capitalist. Wenger is a managing partner at Union Square Ventures, a New York City-based venture capital firm with investments in companies such as Twilio, Etsy, Firebase, Behance, and MongoDB.
Connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/albertwenger
Our Host
Peng T. Ong is a seasoned founder and investor who spends his time venture building the next generation of AI-enabled businesses. As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Monk's Hill Ventures, an early-stage tech venture capital firm in Southeast Asia, he influences innovation across the region.
Connect with him at https://sg.linkedin.com/in/pengtong
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About Embracing Singularity Podcast
What happens when technology rewrites the rules of work, wealth, and meaning?
In this series, investor Peng T. Ong sits down with technology trailblazers to explore the future we’re hurtling toward—one shaped by AI, zero marginal cost, and radical shifts in how society functions. Get ready for bold ideas, deep insights, and the urgent questions we all need to ask before the future arrives!
How can we build smarter AI without burning the planet? In this episode, we dive into the energy crisis at the heart of today’s AI with Subutai Ahmad, CTO of Numenta.
While current AI models guzzle power like data-hungry beasts, the human brain runs on just 20 watts—about the energy of a light bulb. Why are we still using outdated 1950s neuron models when neuroscience has uncovered so much more?
Subutai makes the case for breaking free from brute-force GPUs, embracing brain-inspired designs, and rethinking both our algorithms and hardware from the ground up. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on how biology might hold the key to unlocking radically efficient, trustworthy AI for everyone.
In this episode, Peng and Wei Qing explore the idea that (a) in the age of AI, proprietary relationships can be scalable, (b) businesses should rethink how they're built given that they can build proprietary relationships at almost zero cost, (c) trust with the customer may become the only moat that businesses will have, and (d) hence how this may become good for humanity. Please join them as they explore this thought provoking conversation!
We had the pleasure of welcoming Professor Fei-Fei Li to Singapore last week - and what better way to celebrate than to invite her on a bus with 40 Stanford alums! In this unique and intimate podcast, Fei Fei shares with us her personal journey (from supporting her family to finding her North Star), her vision of human-centered AI, and her recent entrepreneurial turn as the co-founder of World Labs, a spatial intelligence AI company. We also ask what she thinks about Embracing Singularity. Please tune in to partake in this exclusive journey.
In Episode 3, Prashanth Prakash, founding partner of Accel India (one of India's leading venture capital funds) joins Peng to discuss the impact of AI on business. Join two well known investors (who are also founders and old friends) as they --
In this episode of Embracing Singularity, Wei Qing and Peng discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and its implications. They explore the commoditization of intelligence, the accelerating shift from "AI doing efficiency" to "AI doing AI," and the impending economic and technological singularities.
With a mix of deep insight and candid conversation, they discuss how AI is reshaping industries, redefining labor, and challenging our fundamental understanding of value, creativity, and purpose. As entrepreneurs and investors, they also ponder what it takes to build defensible businesses in a world where intelligence itself is becoming a utility.
Here’s what we talked about:
Intelligence becoming a commodity.
AI shifting from efficiency to self-improvement.
AI acceleration outpacing human understanding.
Automation reshaping labor and economic value.
Traditional capitalism may struggle to adapt.
AI-driven automation transforming industries.
Robotics will redefine work, public spaces, and homes.
AI challenges our notions of creativity and genius.
The rise of AI forces deep existential questions.
Entrepreneurs must rethink defensibility in an AI world.
We believe that humanity is at an inflection point and AI will commoditise intelligence. How do we build businesses that will thrive in this age of AI? In Episode 1, Peng and Wei Qing, share more about their backgrounds as investors and entrepreneurs in the US, China and SEA, and explain why they are starting this podcast.
