Singapore Leads The Pack In Southeast Asian AI

According to a report by Clarivate Analytics, Southeast Asia is investing heavily in AI and producing quality AI research.

AsianScientist (Mar. 15, 2018) – While artificial intelligence (AI) is often referred to as cutting-edge technology, nascent ideas about AI had already emerged more than five decades ago. In fact, the term ‘AI’ was coined in 1956. Since then, the technology has weathered two ‘AI winters’—periods in history where disillusionment over AI’s potential stymied AI research—and improved tremendously.

Originally an invention of the West, AI is now being researched and implemented all over the world, and Southeast Asia (SEA) is emerging as a hub for AI excellence. According to a report by Clarivate Analytics, the first publication on AI from the region appeared in 1985, and there have been 24,548 AI-related papers published since.

Among the Southeast Asian nations, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand account for 86 percent of the total research output on AI. Of the 24,548 articles, 10,274 were from Singapore.

Prioritizing quality over quantity, the Clarivate Analytics report also analyzed the most cited publications produced in SEA and listed their countries of origin. A total of 161 highly cited papers were identified, and once again, Singapore led the pack in terms of AI research impact, producing 97 widely-referenced articles.

Ranking the institutes that produced high-quality AI research, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, National University of Singapore, University of Malaya and University of Technology, Malaysia, emerged as the top four universities in SEA for high impact AI research.

In terms of patents relating to AI, Singapore is a dominant player, accounting for 77 percent of SEA’s total patent publications, with Vietnam taking second place (7 percent of total patent publications). The report also listed notable brands engaged in AI research: Johnson & Johnson, Applied Materials and Softbank Robotics lead the industrial charge to develop and deploy AI.

In general, applications that require measuring, computing, calculating and counting are the strong suite of AI. However, AI innovation surrounding transport and storage devices, electronics and semiconductor technology, as well as biochemistry and genetics are being actively developed.


The full report by Clarivate Analytics can be found at: Artificial Intelligence In Southeast Asia.

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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine; Photo: Shutterstock
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Jeremy received his PhD from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he studied the role of the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression.

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