Visiting Singapore always feels like stepping into the future, but today at Marina Bay Sands, the energy was undeniable.

On the first day of Tech Week Singapore, the floor was packed with real-world innovations in eCommerce, AI, and cybersecurity. As expected, cybersecurity took center stage, fueled by this year’s wave of sophisticated attacks. Securing platforms and safeguarding personal data has never been more critical and lucrative.

Ecommerce Buzz around Marina Bay Sands

Some companies showcased truly groundbreaking solutions, and even other attendees (there to showcase their own solutions) couldn’t help but get swept up in the excitement.

HomeBrew

While wandering the expo, I noticed a big crowd gathered around a booth and decided to check it out. At first glance, I thought it was related to Homebrew, the package manager many of us (DEVS) use on our MacBooks. But as I got closer, it became clear this was something entirely different, and much more exciting.

Homebrew Research (homebrew.ltd) immediately captured my attention with their suite of open-source AI tools. They’ve developed a set of AI products that can be hosted locally, giving users/business full control and customization. Here are their OpenSource tools:

• Cortex – A local AI engine that powers their platforms.
• JanAI – A local AI assistant with over 1.7 million downloads, offering powerful offline AI functionality.
• Ichigo – A real-time voice AI, similar to Siri but customizable and entirely local.

The idea that these AI tools could be set up and run on your own machine was intriguing. It provides immense flexibility and ownership for businesses looking to integrate AI into their workflow without relying on cloud-based solutions.

I’m especially piqued by the potential to use these tools in our own development processes, serving as developer companions or even internal documenters, similar to GitHub’s Copilot, but fully owned by you.

With Meta’s LLaMA and others open the doors to tech providers like HomeBrew to build custom AI platforms.

AI: Enhancing, Not Replacing

The overarching theme across all AI talks and fireside chats was that AI won’t replace people; it will enhance them. This message was consistent, as businesses are leveraging AI to augment human capabilities.

Human-AI Collaboration Talks

A significant trend this year was the growing integration of Augmented Reality in eCommerce to create immersive shopping experiences, much like TikTok’s interactive filters.

This technology allows users to virtually try on products or visualize them in their spaces before making a purchase, blurring the line between physical and digital shopping. This added layer of interactivity is making eCommerce more engaging, fun, and personal.

Connections

The most enjoyable part of any event for me are the conversations. It was great catching up with friends in the ecosystem and some of the Magento OGs in Singapore.

Vatsal Shah, a board director at the Magento Association, encouraged me to take the next step and submit my nomination for the Adobe Association Board. We talked about representing Southeast Asia, play a key role in expanding the Magento community ecosystem in this rapidly growing region.

It’s an exciting opportunity to drive collaboration and growth for both the platform and the broader developer community across Southeast Asia.

Looking Forward

While I did miss the Meet Magento Singapore event, attending Tech Week Asia SG has been a different incredible experience, offering new insights across the tech landscape.

Swag from Tech Week Singapore 2024 (Another Critical Takeaway!)