Tech Conversations with Grace Chng is a podcast series produced by News On Tech which aims to expand business leaders’ technical IQ and intelligence in horizon and frontier technologies.
This series will engage tech experts to highlight the technologies that have the potential to create substantial advancements in the future and significantly impact industries, economies, and societies.
Tech Conversations with Grace Chng | Ep 17: Why are AI bills rising while token costs drop?
AI bills are climbing even as token prices fall. NCS Chief AI Officer Edward Chen says most companies are measuring the wrong thing. He breaks down why “token oblivious” spending and agentic loops are quietly rewriting enterprise budgets, and why counting tokens used is a hollow proxy for value created. Chen explains how NCS reframes ROI around outcomes instead, and how NCS's Sunshine.core platform routes work to the cheapest model that'll do the job — with cost gaps between open-weight and closed models running as high as 10x.
The conversation turns to physical AI, where Chen warns the real budget trap is not compute: it is data. Robots that shine in a demo hit a wall in messy, real-world environments, and closing that gap means costly proprietary data collection most enterprises have not budgeted for.
23 Sept 2026
Ep 17: Why are AI bills rising while token costs drop?
AI bills are climbing even as token prices fall. NCS Chief AI Officer Edward Chen says most companies are measuring the wrong thing. He breaks down why “token oblivious” spending and agentic loops are quietly rewriting enterprise budgets, and why counting tokens used is a hollow proxy for value created. Chen explains how NCS reframes ROI around outcomes instead, and how Singtel's "Sunshine Core" platform routes work to the cheapest model that'll do the job — with cost gaps between open-weight and closed models running as high as 10x.The conversation turns to physical AI, where Chen warns the real budget trap is not compute: it is data. Robots that shine in a demo hit a wall in messy, real-world environments, and closing that gap means costly proprietary data collection most enterprises have not budgeted for.
4 Apr 2026
Ep 16: Inference runs on data, get it right to win in AI
AI anywhere and everywhere. Inferencing is moving to the centre stage as AI is beginning to generate business value.
In this podcast with Sumir Bhatia, Chief Commercial Officer for Lenovo, Asia Pacific, he stresses that companies must deploy AI with clear objectives, strong governance and the right datasets. Organisations should start with focused use cases, scale gradually and ensure infrastructure can support continuous AI workloads, often through hybrid environments that combine cloud, on-premise and edge systems.
A major consideration for enterprises is cost. Long-term inference can cost significantly more due to continuous queries and usage. Listen to Sumir’s perspective on how inferencing can be a profit driver, enabling productivity gains, stronger customer engagement and competitive advantage.
19 Nov 2025
Ep 15: Inside the Minds of Cyber Adversaries (Part 2)
Host Grace Chng talks with Teo Xiang Zheng of Ensign InfoSecurity about how cybercriminals are weaponising AI, from AI-generated phishing and deepfakes to automated reconnaissance and exploit prototyping, supercharging the underground economy and dramatically raising attack volume and believability.
They also unpack the cyber supply-chain risk, why Singapore’s hub status makes it attractive to adversaries, and what CEOs should do: treat cyber intelligence as business intelligence, join information-sharing communities, and invest in visibility and resilient supply-chain practices as AI-driven and state-level threats grow.
5 Nov 2025
E14: Inside the Minds of Cyber Adversaries (Part 1)
Cyber intelligence is both science and art: gathering scattered data, connecting the dots, and uncovering attacker behaviour before the next strike. Grace Chng speaks with Teo Xiang Zheng from Ensign InfoSecurity, who explains how the game has shifted from chasing fleeting threat indicators to profiling threat actors’ enduring patterns, a move from reactive to pre-emptive defence.
They unpack how today’s underground cyber economy operates like a business network, where initial access brokers, ransomware-as-a-service groups, and hacktivists collaborate for profit and power. As hacktivists evolve into organised crime groups, defenders are learning that understanding attacker behaviour, not just their tools, is the key to staying ahead.
8 Sept 2025
EP12: Tech Conversations with Grace Chng | E12: Gartner's Maverick predictions on GenAI's societal impact
Ben Tan, Senior Executive Partner at Gartner shares with Grace Chng about the firm’s Maverick Research, which looks beyond five years into the future of technology and society.
Tan outlines bold predictions: the UN may soon declare AI a basic human right to ensure equitable access; universities face major disruption as GenAI democratises and personalises learning; the job market will evolve with AI reshaping roles and creating new opportunities; and by 2035, society could face risks of AI-driven addiction and even AI-inspired belief systems. The conversation also highlights the need for responsible adoption, and the crucial role of leaders in treating GenAI, not just as a tool but as a powerful new workforce requiring guidance, governance, and cultural adaptation.
9 Jul 2025
Ep 11: Gartner’s Ben Tan on surviving tech turbulence in a tariff-tangled world
In this episode of Tech Conversations with Grace Chng, Grace speaks with Ben Tan, a senior executive at Gartner with over 30 years in the tech industry, about the rippleeffects of recent U.S. tariffs on the global tech landscape. Will tariffs reshape trade flows and increase costs for both companies and consumers. Ben outlines possible future scenarios and stresses the need for companies to rethink long-term planning, balance cost and risk, and adapt to changing political dynamics.
6 Jul 2025
Tech Conversations with Grace Chng | S1E10: AI as a Force Multiplier for Strategic Thinking
Futurist Peter Schwartz discusses AI's role in strategic thinking and scenario planning, emphasizing its potential as a decision-support engine in an interview with Grace Chng.
16 Jun 2025
Tech Conversations with Grace Chng | S1E9: Transforming Finance with AI:
Hitachi Vantara CTO Mathew Hardman discusses AI's transformative role in finance, emphasizing cybersecurity enhancements and the shift towards cyber resiliency in an interview with Grace Chng.
4 Jun 2025
EP 8: AI Inference: From Model to Action
Soo Mei May explains AI inference, highlighting use case definition, cost management, and data privacy, while Grace Chng interviews her about the growing role of AI PCs.
2 Apr 2025
Ep 7: Decoding Data's Crucial Role in the AI Revolution
Are cloud costs crushing your AI? You may be doing it wrong
Dr Geraldine Wong of GXS Bank and Nick Eayrs, Databricks vice-president of field engineering in Asia-Pacific and Japan, discuss whether businesses are paying too much for data in the cloud and the business value of AI models.
10 Mar 2025
Ep 6: Smaller AI models better for your business
Large language models may not suit businesses.
Businesses developing GenAI applications need to have a data set. Often, they don’t need a large language model. Ai Kiar, cognitive solution developer and master inventor, IBM, explains the use of small language models that can be used by businesses in a cost-effective manner.
18 Dec 2024
Ep 5: AI Agents
Gavin Barfield, CTO of ASEAN Salesforce, breaks down the capabilities and limitations of AI agents, highlighting their potential to automate tasks while maintaining human oversight and control.
27 Nov 2024
EP 4: Digital Twins
Miles Upton of Capgemini and Grace Chng explore how digital twins revolutionise safety testing by simulating extreme conditions and optimising human-machine interaction.
2 Oct 2024
Ep 3: Synthetic Biology
The emergence of synthetic biology is poised to revolutionise healthcare, unlocking new possibilities for regenerative medicine, tissue repair, and personalised treatments. What are the key advancements reshaping this field, and how can businesses harness its potential?
In this episode, we’re joined by Miles Upton, Regional General Manager for Asia at CapGemini, as he shares insights on the promise of synthetic biology, discussing groundbreaking applications such as skin grafts, cartilage repair, and gene therapy. We’ll also examine ongoing research in Asia, highlighting ethical considerations, regulatory frameworks, and the challenges of accessibility.
Join us as we uncover how synthetic biology could redefine healthcare and the broader implications for society and industry.
18 Sept 2024
Ep 2: AI & Quantum
The convergence of AI and Quantum technology is reshaping the landscape of digital transformation, offering both unprecedented opportunities and challenges for businesses.
How can organisations leverage these advancements to stay ahead?
To explore this exciting topic, we’re joined by Miles Upton, Regional General Manager for Asia at CapGemini. With over two decades of experience in various tech sectors—including mobile, wireless, and medtech—Miles has been instrumental in driving digital transformation across China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.
In this episode, he shares insights on the synergy between AI and Quantum technologies, discussing how AI can optimise quantum algorithms and enhance error correction, while quantum computing accelerates machine learning and tackles complex optimisation problems. We’ll also delve into the latest developments in Asia and their implications for the future of technology.
Tune in to discover how businesses can harness these innovations for success.
28 Aug 2024
Ep 1: Quantum Security
Quantum computing presents a major threat to current cryptographic systems, including methods like harvest-now-decrypt-later attacks and public-key cryptography, which could accelerate brute force attacks.
How can organisations protect themselves in this evolving landscape?
To address this critical issue, we turn to Tan Teik Guan, Founder of pQCee. His organisation specialises in designing and developing post-quantum products and services, equipping businesses to safeguard their systems against the emerging threat of quantum attacks.
Who has been a guest on Tech Conversations with Grace Chng
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Peter Schwartz
Mathew Hardman
Soo Mei May
Gavin Barfield
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