4/30/2019

AI without intelligence

The days of planning ahead of the curve, chasing the next trend and keeping a step ahead of our neighbours were the keys to Singapore's success in the 70s and 80s. From low skill manufacturing, Singapore moved ahead into the service sectors like banking and finance, medical services and of course shopping and retail trade under the name of tourism. Somehow after jumping onto the higher skills industries and services, it seemed that the story stopped right there, or nothing of substance came on to replace the growth sectors of the early decades of rapid economic growth.

For the last couple of decades, Singapore's economy has been in a limbo, ie around 2 to 3 percent growth as against the 5 to 7 percent growth rates of other Asean countries. And this seems to be the big success of Singapore, to claim big credit for such miserly growth rates and echoing the western media to denounce the 6.5 percent growth rate of China as if the Chinese economy is about to crash. Can't imagine what was going on in those silly heads that sneered at a US$13 trillion economy growing at 6.5 percent and praising a US$200b economy struggling at 2 to 3 percent.

And to add insult to injury, the miniscule growth rate was built on immigration, growing the population but not on productivity, and on a fictitious housing bubble with a 99 year lease that is coming to an end sooner than expected when the issue was totally ignored earlier, like the proverbial monkey covering its eyes, not wanting to see or to know.

One big mistake that is showing itself today is the big failure to recognise the importance of computer science, programming, software and artificial intelligence. With a highly educated population that boasted of pursuing a knowledge based economy, about higher education and intelligence, there is no intelligence or no one thought it an intelligent thing to focus our education in computer science and technology. The consequence, we need to import such talents or trained people from third world countries that have the intelligence to educate their people to meet the demands of the 21st Century.

Didn't they know that the computer related industries, the exploitation of information technology and artificial intelligence are very well suited to a highly educated population, an industry that requires little land and space and natural resources to grow as needed in manufacturing? Didn't they know that the 4th Industrial Revolution relies mainly on a pool of well trained manpower, using only the brains to conquer the world?  Are our education system geared and transformed to go in this direction, to build a silicon valley here two decades ago?

The calls to build smart cities sounded so hollow when there are just not enough of such skilled people to take it forward as a national initiative, as the next economic engine of growth. This is an industry that a tiny island like Singapore can compete with big countries without being too badly disadvantage for short of land and natural resources. Software related products do not need large factories and warehouses to store the goods, do not need more natural resources and material to produce more products. The products are all in the air, in the clouds.

We have wasted a whole generation of people educated in the wrong fields and disciplines and are paying the price for it today. Our people are now good only as security guards and taxi drivers and table cleaners, armed with useless degrees and diplomas. The future is about AI but we don't have the intelligence to catch this early enough and are now miles behind even to third world countries. We missed the boats of googles, facebooks, twitters, whatsapp, wechats, alibaba, alipay, blockchains, uber, etc etc, and all the apps that are invading the world like a storm.

Our economy is still largely dependable on shopping malls, housing and rentals, foodcourts, hawker centres to survive. Any new ideas that could match the drive and creativity of the 70s and 80s, when the EDB and associated organisations were chasing new ideas, raring to go with big ideas of growth? Running out of ideas except spending money and resources barking at fake news?

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

And spending money and resources on US F-35s to carry the Americans' big balls !

Anonymous said...


hahaha........

not that i want to pour cold water.....

sg loong loong ago already like that liao

what can you expect from sg

sg visioned....to be....fasterer....cheaperer.....betterer.......

so.....nothing creative...nothing innovative.....nothing cutting edge....nothing! nothing!

this is sg for you..................

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Ya, fasterer, betterer and cheaperer do not need much thinking or degrees.

Another important initiative is to lower cost of living, 50 cent kopi and teh.

Now who is raising the cost of living, when is rental going up again, when are taxes and fares going up again?

Virgo49 said...

Sinkies are encouraged to be HAWKERS.
Just to be servile and served the RICH.
Wah, Master Chefs and all those shits propaganda Wasting of Foods Talents Shows. Even those useless self proclaimed Master Chefs which are actually useless beans that cannot find any other useful jobs being one.

Self praising their what's culinary skills that took hours to prepare and gulp down in seconds by their equally already arrived affluent beans that have these lifestyles due to their hold on the peasants balls and hard work.
Even Researched On Food, Food, Food and Fools.

Even now Research on Food, Glorious Food.

Think the Ah Nehs will spend a fortune on their Food.
Not knowing that the Ah Nehs worse than the Hakkas citing one cent into eight pieces. Their Motto Eat To Live and NOT Live to EAT.

Still encouraging Sinkies to be in the SERVILE industries.

Not Sinkies to be Masters of their Destinies and Industries. Still Sinkies are Million Hairs like the One System 07 winner of yesterday's TotoDraw of 4.9M.

The PAP Parasites with their already accumulated millions want you to be Hawkers and MASTER CHEFS to serve them.

See KeeChiu and the rest of their members Pui Pui louk luok (ripe for slaughterhouse consumption) even less than half a term as Masters of Sinkie land.

So, Sinkies down the road gonna be fooders for the wildlifes with the consent and courtesy of the Pay And Pay.

Anonymous said...

When artificial intelligence meets natural stupidity.....

Anonymous said...

Let's have some sense of culture and history.
富不过三代 literally translated means wealth lasts no more than 3 generations. Reason is that success that First Generation achieved invariably comes about through hardwork, entrepreneurship and frugality which comes about due to poverty during earlier times.
Second Generation in wealthy family having the affordability of the First Generation tends to slacken as there is no need for them to work for survival and to enjoy relatively material good life. Money and wealth are waiting for them to inherit, so the Second Generation needs not work to own them. There is only so much(limited) time for one to enjoy. As such, it makes no sense to work for more
material which one has no time to enjoy.
A minority of Second Generation may pursue spiritual and intellectual purpose to enlighten themselves and abandon material pursuit, discontinuing accumulation of wealth.
As for the Third Generation, especially those that inherit huge wealth from their First and Second Generations Forefathers, it shall be festival times at birth as they have everything they need and want the moment they arrive.
There is no need to do much as they are unlikely able to use up the wealth left to them by their forebears
Personally,
I like this cycle of wealth flow as like in life, it goes in cycle and goes into renewal to maintain a healthy state of affairs.
NO ONE SHOULD ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND MAKE IT INTO WHITE ELEPHANT FOR NOT USING IT DUE TO THE LIMITED LIFESPAN.
It is a great sin to hoard wealth.

Money is like water,
it must flow to benefit as many as possible.

Anonymous said...

@Virgo

///So, Sinkies down the road gonna be fooders for the wildlifes with the consent and courtesy of the Pay And Pay.///

Whose fault?!?!?

Don't KPKB when you yourselves are the ones who keep voting for LKY & gang since 1988 (before that still excusable if you voted for PAPies).

Anonymous said...

Basically, Lau-Goh-nomics and Botak-nomics are actually known as No-No-nomics.

They simply have no abilities to carry the country forward.

So, they bluffed themselves and the dafts by coming out with grandiose schemes and plans which they either could not accomplish (eg Swiss Standard of Living) or completed at a cost many times above budget (Gardens-by-the-Bait, Vivian's Youth Olympics, Terminal 5, The Jewel, Tuas Megaport, F35s), thereby hurting taxpayers' pockets more and more by increasing more and more taxes and creating new taxes.

Worst of all is the over-dependence on the opiate of foreign workers' levies, an incurable sickness that is no different from drug addiction. In order to force a cure, you need cold turkey treatment which will cripple the economy to such an extent that is beyond imagination.

Added to the weight of the grandiose wet-dreams, giving them instant super orgasms, is the out-of-this-world ministers' pays and perks, making mediocre yes-men multi-millionaires within a year. It is not about only one plate of char kway teow a day. It is about the extravagance, obscenity, shamelessness, and unsustainability.

Least of all, it's about preventing minds that are easily susceptible to corruption from becoming corrupt. Such easily corruptible minds will ultimately get corrupted when they start watching and handling billions of dollars, passing through their hands with their mouth-watering ceaselessly on a regular routine every day/week/month/year.

So, what is/are the solution/s?

1. Break the monopoly of power.

2. Wait and die.

Anonymous said...

@Anon 10:36am

///NO ONE SHOULD ACCUMULATE WEALTH AND MAKE IT INTO WHITE ELEPHANT FOR NOT USING IT DUE TO THE LIMITED LIFESPAN. It is a great sin to hoard wealth.///

It is a greater sin & greater selfishness & greater self-centredness & greater hypocrite to do nothing much & yet expect OPM.

Majority of sinkies who expect plenty of OPM -- they themselves too selfish & self-centred to help others who are even worse off. 99% of Sinkies and 100% of PAPies.

Anonymous said...

200 year ago, the British; First Generation of Sin, made Sin one of the most thriving and richest spot in the World.

The Prosperity
was handed over to the Sin Locals in the 60s, which formed the Second Generation.

Now,
we are into the Third Generation in the History of Sin.
Look at the bunch of 4th Generation spoiled brat leaders. Most are practically jiakleowbees.

What do they do other than talking big ?

Anonymous said...

@Anon 10:59am

///Basically, Lau-Goh-nomics and Botak-nomics are actually known as No-No-nomics.///

Not just Lau Goh or Botak --- the rot started way back with LKY.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@1036

The English version of what you're saying is:

Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations. As you can see, it is a universally accepted phenomenon of human behaviour, regardless of culture.

@ all

Don’t worry lah RB, Singapore is still one of the best places to be in a topsy-turvy world. There’s a lot of new startups and brilliant tech stuff happening which the public is not aware of.

There’s exciting R&D, Data Science, Cybersecurity are going gangbusters, AI, Quantum Computing, machine learning especially DEEP learning, blockchain engineering, life sciences and biotech.

sg.gov is spending Big Bucks on R & D at places like SIT (Singapore Institute of Technology) and SUTD (Singapore University of Technology and Design). Of course A -Star leads the field of biotech and the life sciences. If you have any doubt, just go to their website and get an idea of how many fucking PATENTS they’re registering every year.

The people who are complaining are the lazy shits who’ve failed to keep themselves and their marketable skill sets RELEVANT to the demands of a modern STEMA-based (Science Tech Engineering Maths Art) economy. They think that the stuff they learnt in the mid to late 1900s is still applicable today. So now they’re up shit creek without a paddle. And so as not to take any personal responsibility, they find a common “evil” to blame: the sg.gov. Good. Speaker’s Corner @ Hong Lim is specially designated for the miserable to commune with each other.

Some of you might think I’m being harsh, unsympathetic and lacking in compassion. Well, you are free to think whatever you like mate, but that won’t alter REALITY for either of us.

So, please, enjoy your 50 cent kopi and teh every Wednesday. Might I suggest some “reflective contemplation” as you sit and sip the cheap brews every Wednesday? No? Then don’t worry about it. 😂

P.S. WSG --- man, you should see what research MINDEF is funding. Oh yah, ST Engineering/ Kinetics also involved.

Anonymous said...

@Matilah, @All,

For those with spare cash but no spare time or energy, you can invest in PE/VC funds. Btw Temasek is VERY VERY HEAVY into this type of investments for the past 10-15 years (this is what PAPies are using your reserves $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for).

E.g. Jungle Ventures ... Temasek also invested in their latest fund raising

S'pore is swimming with BILLIONS of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ looking for investments & people with right skillsets.

We are now in a all-or-nothing economy, get-big-or-go-die .... those with the right skills & connections & networking will make it rich ... those without will struggle and be miserable. There's no middle ground of relak relak, do average work & still enjoy middle-class life, like in the old days.

E.g. UOB wants to give you $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ --- but only if you got money-making ideas

Anonymous said...

Sickapore is a really sick island of paradise - a paradise for the sickening sick, e.g.:

1. Leaders who suffer from cancers, cancels and censores;

2. Leaders who suffer from strokes, strokings and shiokings;

3. Scholars who suffer from balls-carrying, boot-licking and butt-offering;

4. Graduates who suffer from balls-less-ness, cluelessness and joblessness.

5. Undergraduates who suffer from sexual hungers, sexual perversions and sexual deprivation.

6. Students who suffer from fearfulness, helplessness and stressfulness.

7. Etc.etc.etc.

Anonymous said...

U said it ! One got cancer, one got stroke ! Better to make end-of-life preparations.

Virgo49 said...

Anon 10.48

Why you jokers always think that the PG and MG are PAP voters???

In fact it's your Daft Millieninals the ones who voted your present lot of JLBs who doomed your future.

Oldies are the Ones most street wise and vocal to fight for ours and your rights.

Which youngdies are seen in HLP and charged in courts for opposing the PAP.???

Just like the Taiwanese Millieninals who voted that DPP Tsai President into their demise.

Anonymous said...

The Splurging and Spending on lavish artifices fit nicely into the Observation that the 3rd Generation shall do the Spendings.
lt is absolutely normal to take and spend others money. It is the Nature of humankind to want to spend easy money.
Vanity is not a sin per se, it is the Lack of Probity and Conscience that is detestable and
immoral.

Anonymous said...

Hi all

Please lah! The way you all talk here, Sg like very siong leh!

Sg not siong at all lah!

You can see what. Everyone smiling. Everywhere crowded with customers including the casinos......!

So ok ok ok lah!

So don't ever say Sg is siong lah!

Hahaha...........

Anonymous said...

The Madness Of The Lee vs Lee Family Feuds

The saga of Lee Kuan Yew's Willy Will has unwittingly or unwillingly continued into Phase III.

In Phase I, the commoners of the People's Republic of Singapore (People's stands for People's Action Party) were treated with amusement, shock, awe, disbelief and surprise when all of a sudden Dr Lee Wei Ling started labelling her elder brother (the Prime Minister raised, groomed and enshrined by their own father) as a "Dishonorable Son" in her Facebook posts. Yet the Prime Minister, until today, has chosen not to sue her for defamation! Instead, he has chosen to save money (legal costs), time and potentially embarrassing circumstances by using the Pa-Lee-Men to clear his name like manufacturing instant noodles - availing himself as the ingredient of all ingredients: accused, prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner - all in one.

In addition, also in Phase I, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang accused their elder brother of abuse/misuse of organs of state and stated in no uncertain terms that they have lost confidence in their elder brother's leadership and that their elder brother has been trying to create a Dynasty by raising his son Hong Yi to become a future PM. In those accusations, the PM said they were baseless and also cleared his name by declaring himself cleared.


In Phase II, it was the PM's turn to fire the artillery salvos, probably aimed at firing for effect with as much damage as possible, taking into consideration civilian casualties as collateral damage also. Through the Attorney General's Chamber, which is under the control of his previous personal lawyer, Li Shengwu, the son of Lee Hsien Yang has been charged for contempt of court; and the wife of Lee Hsien Yang has been accused of official misconduct, etc.

In this Phase III, Dr Lee Wei Ling is firing counter-bombardments. So far, within two weeks, she has let go two most devastating bombardments. If you wish to know what exactly are the two bombardments, go and read her recent Facebook posts.

Standby for more infotainments. Cheers!

UG said...

https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2019/04/30/104-hauled-up-in-multi-agency-joint-enforcement-blitz-led-by-jurong-police-division/

So fat can become police? I go army train train train, fall sick still must ownself pay leh. Tell you all liao. Got officer IPPT not so good can become officer a not ah? See the picture. Thanks those vice people. And who so smart take the picture ah? Smart nation?

KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA.

No elites or civil servants patronize such stuff before? KAKAKAKAKAKA. Those people are daft. Someone please go tell them dont smoke, dont drink, dont buy Singapore Pools. See what will happen. They got caught or the elites got caught? Please learn Cai Ming Jie drive taxi and publish books. Or Ah Tiong scoot millions away?

KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA. 6 SMOKE BOMB LAI LIAO. Did LHL praise Hyflux? What happen ah? Now I think LHL are Honorable Son leh. Naked people are DAFT? DAFT people are HONORABLE? TIOK BOH?

KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA.

Next election I am going stay at home loh. I dunno people will read wrong my vote a not. TCB stay landed property a not ah? I want be rich also leh. Later I vote PAP, read wrong become opposition how? Woo hoo. Stay at home. Smart nation I must use my brain think. KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA. Da Jia Hao. I am strawberry cao mei, cao liao fah mei millenial generation. I am not Albert Einstein. I am also not Ah Bock Say Lian Dai. But I am DAFT and DAI. KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA. CHIO SI LANG.

Anonymous said...

Peculiarity of the
typical sinkies is
不见棺材不流泪.
apathy and numb, You die your business,
till they become victims themselves.
Once a sinkie becomes adversely affected, he or she will look for others to help or kpkb.
Just too bad,
most sinkies are same same.

UG said...

Read 1048am Anon comment. Google when TCB come out KPKB or open new party? 1st time I vote Workers Party. 2nd time I vote Workers Party. 3rd time I vote Tony Tan. 4th time I vote PAP. My problems still not solve. KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA. Which time the one count vote too tired read wrong ah? Anyone knows? Let the elite relatives and friends who know who they are, ownself go vote. #I am Peasant and my vote is on social media. After election take picture of vote with hand phone and post on social media. I am sure those expert know whether the photo is lying a not right? KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA.

http://theindependent.sg/who-is-president-xi-jinpings-daughter/
Wah seh. Study Havard? Ang Moh Wan Sui. Tua Kee Wan Sui. Banana Wan Sui. CHIO SI LANG. KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA.

UG said...

What will happen to Sinkies? In China kids carry lighter bags but walk very far too school? In Singapore kids carry heavier bags but climb many storeys? What will happen to Sinkies ah?

Anonymous said...

@Virgo

Who are the sinkies keep on voting LKY in late 1980s & throughout 1990s?!?

Who are the sinkies today 60+, 70+ yrs old still working, no money to relax & can only KPKB?!?!?

Not the millennials for sure!!! LOL!!!

UG said...

Anyone know where is TCB, TKL, TJS, relatives and friends when I cast my first vote to WP? How can Singapore have talent? Of course must import talent right? Dont blame LHL or HC lah. Where the foresee skill? Buy high sell low Ching Ho? I am luffing at old leaders more and more as you all go Hong Lim Park talk more and more. All naked together. I dunno go army for what. KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA. CHIO SI LANG. Where the 80 20 rules when I first vote for Workers Party? Dont have 80 percent poor people? This election prove I am wrong leh. Over turn PAP. I stay at home what. Others can go vote. 80 20 rule. Sure got 80 percent angry people right? Lee Li Lian empty boxes will appear a not?

UG said...

So those old leaders that go Hong Lim Park and people say LHL naked emperor? Naked = Daft = Honorable = All Guai Guai in SG = LKY Iron Fist = No talent = Must import talent = Tiok Boh?

KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA. Not daft will throw 6 smoke bomb? And dunno how to run? Too scared to run? We cannot be fierce what. Go MPS, later the mum dunno what, the child slam chair, will how a not ah? 17 go work? No Li Ning free education? Huh?

https://www.mycarforum.com/topic/2637969-boy-arrested-for-slamming-chair-at-mp-office/

How to be brave protect mama? Little India Riot hide. In the culture liao. In fear mode. Bath also must in fear mode, check the whole toilet got cctv a not than can bath. We cannot be angry protect our love ones. Woo hoo. Go army learn values. Protect country. Protect love ones. KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA.

Taking Stocks said...

GCT's Mass Import of Foreign Talents was and still is a direct admission of LKY's FAILURE in creating and nurturing own local talents due to his overwhelming success in the "Boy or Girl, Two-Is-Enough" Family Planning Policy (can also read as Killing Babies/Fetuses Policy).

GCT's introduction of GST was and still is a Regressive Taxation aimed at taxing the poorest of the poor, even unborn babies still in the mothers' wombs were and still are not spared; and even the dead corpses were and still are not spared (i.e. GST for coffin and funeral and cremation services). The sudden huge amount of money collected through GST taxation made his eyes red and heart greedy. Therefore, the Out of This World Ministers' Salary was forced through the Pa-Lee-Men with crappy reasoning (to prevent Ministers from becoming corrupt) that until today is still a fallacy - illogical, unconscionable, shameful, disgraceful, morally wrong and unacceptable.

GCT's introduction of ERP and COE was not to curb vehicle ownership nor to reduce traffic but was to increase the GDP, and therefore the government's coffers, so as to justify for the Ministers huge annual bonuses and also to help sustain the unsustainable Huge Government Expenditures.

GCT's introduction of CPF ceiling (minimum sum to be retained by the government) was to ensure that MOF, MAS, GIC and Temasek Holdings have sufficient sums of low-interests cheap loans to finance their adventures and exposures.

To continue...

Speedwing said...

Hi Redbean, I heard about the Changi Jewel. Surely you cannot fault that idea? It is supposed to attract tourists by the millions to enjoy this spectacular innovation. Success surely and a must visit place with all the food and attractions.

Anonymous said...

I think the kakakakakakaka guy needs to be sodomized for posting nonsense. 😀

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Would tourists fly from all over the world to Spore just to see a shopping centre?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

...and dun forget, the Leaky Waterfall. (LeeKY Waterfall? 😂)

It's "bread and circuses" mate. Old poliical trick..give the public frivalous nonsense. They like that.

b said...

Old sinkies to blame. Opted for yellow LKY instead of white Queen. Otherwise can enjoy pension, free healthcare, free education, no coe, fh housing etc.