AI's future in Asia: Leaders tackle responsible scaling and trust at ATxSummit

Global leaders and industry experts gathered at the Asia Tech x Summit (ATxSummit) 2026 in Singapore, organized by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), to chart a course for the responsible integration of artificial intelligence.

Under the theme "Redefining Tech for a Better Future," the summit addressed the profound impact of AI on economies, businesses, and daily lives. A key focus was on the frontier of AI-powered futures, particularly the challenges and advancements in making autonomous AI systems reliable and widely deployable.

Dr. William Dally, chief scientist and senior vice president of research at Nvidia, highlighted the critical role of data in accelerating progress in autonomous robotics. He explained how researchers are supplementing limited physical world data with vast amounts of human video footage and remote robot operation information. "To make robots useful, they have to be able to interact with their environment and humans in ways they haven’t seen or predicted," Dally stated, underscoring the need for AI to learn from unpredictable scenarios.

Advances in computing power are also a significant driver. Dally noted that Nvidia's AI hardware has become substantially faster and more efficient over the past 12 years, paving the way for expanded use of robots in fields like caregiving, manufacturing, and hazardous work. Singapore is also pioneering the deployment of robotics, with plans for a living testbed in the Punggol Digital District to trial autonomous robots for delivery, security, and cleaning services in a mixed-use public area.

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To make robots useful, they have to be able to interact with their environment and humans in ways they haven’t seen or predicted.