From HIRARC to SHASSIC: Using Vision AI to Improve Safety Scores in Malaysia Construction

From Kuala Lumpur, James Abela shares how one Malaysian international school is dealing with AI changes in the classroom.

The post Malaysia: Growth risks and steady rates – UOB appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. UOB’s Global Economics & Markets Research, led by Julia Goh and Loke Siew Ting, notes Malaysia’s 1Q26 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 5.4% year-on-year, slightly above estimates but slower than 4Q25. Domestic demand and services remained key drivers, while external headwinds and the Middle East conflict are intensifying downside risks. UOB keeps its 2026 GDP growth forecast at 4.5% and expects Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to hold the Overnight Policy Rate at 2.75%. Growth slows as risks intensify “Although headline growth was robust in 1Q26, downside risks have intensified as the Middle East conflict enters its 11th week and the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed.” “Pending greater clarity, we maintain our 2026 GDP growth forecast at 4.5% (BNM est: 4.0%–5.0%, 2025: 5.2%), with the central bank expected to keep the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) unchanged at 2.75% until clearer shifts emerg

Over 70 percent of Americans oppose AI data center construction in their area, according to a new Gallup survey. Just seven percent said they were "strongly" in favor of new data centers. According to Gallup, data centers are so strongly disliked that Americans would prefer to live near a nuclear power plant than a data center - even at its peak, opposition to nuclear power plant construction topped out at 63 percent. Gallup's data is based on a March 2026 survey of 1,000 randomly-selected American adults in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia, along with an April 2026 survey of 2,054 adults "who are members of the Gallup Panel." … Read the full story at The Verge.

Meta is testing an AI-powered feature on Threads that allows users to invoke Meta AI directly within posts and replies — positioning the platform as a destination for information as well as conversation. The rollout is currently in beta across Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Argentina, and Singapore. The feature works by letting public account holders mention @meta.ai […]

Insider Brief PRESS RELEASE — ProcurePro, the first end-to-end construction procurement platform, has secured US$11 million in a funding round led by QIC Ventures — one of Australia’s largest sovereign wealth funds and a major infrastructure asset owner. The round values the company at more than US$80 million. Existing venture investors Airtree and Glitch Capital participated, together with global […]

South Korean AI startup Searchdoc has secured approximately $2.1 million in early-stage funding, combining a seed round with support from the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund’s Innovative Startup Growth Support Program. Founded in March 2025 by engineers from AWS, Naver, and Samsung, the company has developed AI capable of analyzing large-scale industrial documents and technical drawings […]

How AI transforms HIRARC in Malaysia manufacturing to reduce risks, improve safety, and boost productivity with real-time monitoring.

Physical AI is becoming one of the most important ideas in modern AI. Instead of working only with text prompts or digital workflows, physical AI operates in the real world. It has to interpret environments, understand movement, detect risk, and support action in spaces that are constantly changing. That is where vision AI becomes essential. […]