Magazine N°154

SINGAPORE INTELLIGENCE GOES ARTIFICIAL

Singapore's image is above all that of finance. This specialisation is borne out by all the rankings, which place the city-state between third and fourth in the world rankings, and between first and second in Asia.

But that was before. Singapore, now a self-confident economic and financial powerhouse, is embracing everything that has to do, in one way or another, with artificial intelligence: everyday life, transport, personal assistance, security, storage... Clearly, the city-state wants to become a pioneer in all areas where new technologies are needed, to live as a kind of 'smart nation' in a 'smart era'. And it's well advanced, with the city already accounting for 40 % of the world's hard disk production and shining in big data, with applications in fields as varied as banking, tourism and leisure, security and urban planning. French companies are well aware of this, with nearly 800 in Singapore working in intelligent mobility, biotech, clean-tech and cybersecurity.

More in the media because it's tangible in everyday life, it's in the field of personal assistance robotics that Singaporeans are planning their near future. The result is the Aura, Sofie and Zoé, which may have pretty names, but look no less like washing machines or industrial hoovers. Aura, for example, is a butler by profession. He circulates through the floors of a hotel and is on hand to bring guests bottles of water and amenities on request.

Meanwhile, a certain Techi, who is also very ugly, is in charge of room service, while his cousin Robie collects and distributes the laundry...

Then there's Zoé, a driverless electric car designed by Renault and due to start operating as a taxi in 2018, and above all Nadine, an almost human robot - with clothes, stringy blond hair and a face that looks as if it's been botoxed - designed to assist the elderly. Deep down, with her air of a caring nanny, Nadine is scary. And she raises a lot of questions - as do her accomplices - about the isolation of people and the future risks of absolute solitude. Even if, on the face of it, robots are only there to help the living, not replace them. And that's all we need to know.
And no more.

Serge Barret, Editor-in-Chief

In this issue

Travel diary Daniel Barenboim, maestro and citizen of the world
NEWS aircraft, railways, hotels, cruises, meetings/businesses, conventions, throughout the world
TECHNOLOGIES Biometrics takes shape in the world of travel
NOMADE - Digital shopping :
AIR - Europe The winning spirit of the major airlines
HOTEL Trends hotels in coworking mode
BUSINESS DISTRICT San Francisco SOMA: Silicon Valley in the city centre
BUSINESS DESTINATION SINGAPORE
EMERGING DESTINATION Ethiopia: a new economic power in the Horn of Africa
INCENTIVE :
Wide Angle India: Goa, a total trend
Chronicle : Marseille: a radiant Mediterranean
Theme : Costa Rica, lush greens and cloud forests
SURVEY
Meetings just an hour from Paris The Paris region is also a party
Convention centres innovation and modularity
MANAGEMENT
Expenses Expense management on the road to automation
SHOPPING Christmas and New Year: our shopping selection
DECIDEUR Franck Terner, Chief Executive Officer of Air France