Talking About AI: The Economics of Intelligence
As AI races ahead, it's not just a technological story — it's an economic one.
From the rising cost of GPUs to geopolitical battles over compute infrastructure, artificial intelligence is reshaping the world’s industries, labor markets, and competitive landscape faster than ever before. But how do these macroeconomic forces impact businesses, policymakers, and startups trying to navigate the AI boom?
Join us for an insightful panel discussion with industry leaders from OpenAI, Microsoft, and AI startup Tigtag as we unpack the economics of AI — what’s driving it, who’s winning, who’s struggling to keep up, and where the next big opportunities (and risks) lie.
What We’ll Cover:
→ How AI infrastructure — GPUs, semiconductors, data — is shaping global supply chains
→ How AI is disrupting industries, business models, and jobs
→ What barriers smaller players face when competing with Big Tech
→ The role of regulation, geopolitics, and policy in shaping AI innovation
→ Practical insights for businesses navigating the AI-powered economy
Speakers:
→ Jerene Yang — Head of Engineering, Runtime, OpenAI
Jerene Yang is a systems infrastructure leader passionate about building scalable platforms to power advanced AI and technology. She is Head of Runtime at OpenAI, where she leads the teams responsible for training and agent infrastructure. Prior to joining OpenAI, she was a senior leader on the Cloud Spanner team at Google, driving innovations in distributed databases. Earlier in her career, Jerene co-founded two startups focused on large-scale infrastructure and storage systems.
Jerene holds degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University. Originally from Singapore, she now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. Beyond her technical work, Jerene is an advocate for financial literacy and coaches women and mothers on personal finance.
→ Kevin Quah — CEO & Co-Founder, Tigtag
Kevin is CEO and Co-Founder of Tictag, a Singapore-based artificial intelligence company helping companies use data to solve long-tail business problems with data-centric AI, while making an impact.
Tictag’s proprietary mobile platform allows companies to harness crowdsourcing or internal knowledge to transform raw data into valuable fuel for AI. Committed to social impact, Tictag also partners with social service organizations to support persons with disabilities, giving a way to participate in the booming AI economy.
Before Tictag, Kevin led technical sales at Taiger, a natural language AI solutions company, before becoming the Director of Growth overseeing strategy and expansion efforts. As a qualified advocate and solicitor in Singapore, he also served as the in-house legal counsel.
Kevin’s passion lies in using technology as a force for good, making an impact both in how AI is created and how it is used.
→ Sunita Kannan — Director, Global AI Strategy Lead, Microsoft
Sunita Kannan is a global AI leader driving Microsoft’s worldwide strategy across AI Platforms, AI Agents, and Responsible AI. She also serves as a Quantum Ambassador at Microsoft. Previously, she led Data & AI Solutions Strategy for Asia Pacific & Japan, helping organizations implement transformative AI initiatives.
With over a decade of experience in data, analytics, and digital strategy, Sunita has worked across executive roles in strategy, product, and change management. She holds a Master’s in Quantum Physics and a Bachelor's in Mathematics and Physics from Wellesley College. A former PhD student in Physics, she is also a keynote speaker and technology coach, passionate about responsible innovation and leadership in the age of AI.
→ Jason Widjaja — Executive Director of AI, Singapore Tech Centre, MSD
At MSD, Jason leads the global strategic direction of AI capabilities and set guidelines for AI architecture and best practices, working in close partnership with key business and technology stakeholders. He also responsible for AI ethics and governance maturity, as a co-author of the company’s AI policy and leader of AI risk and trust and safety teams.
He actively contributes to national initiatives including Singapore’s skills framework for data and AI careers, Singapore’s AI Governance Framework, and is an author for Singapore’s AI Ethics and Governance Body of Knowledge.
Jason was on the Melbourne Business School Dean’s List for his MBA and graduated from the same university with a second master’s in Business Analytics. He also holds a degree in Computing from the National University of Singapore and a first-class honours’ in Business Information Systems and Human Resources Management from Middlesex University. In his free time, Jason enjoys reading, gaming and giving back by advocating for ethical AI and diversity in tech.
Who Should Attend:
→ Business leaders navigating AI-driven transformation
→ Policymakers shaping AI regulation and governance
→ Entrepreneurs & startups exploring AI opportunities
→ Researchers, students & curious minds interested in AI’s economic impact
Event Details:
📅 Date: 25 April 2025
🕔 Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM (GMT+8)
📍 Venue: SGInnovate, 32 Carpenter Street, Singapore
Organized by AI Space — a community for anyone building meaningful and impactful careers in AI. Non-technical folks and beginners are welcome!
Reserve your spot now — limited seats available.