In Your Opinion

In an Autonomous Vehicle (AV) crash, should AI save the young instead of the elderly? Germany banned this, but a pragmatist asks: why not let algorithms choose based on age?

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

Traffic accidents in Singapore have hit a 10-year high. Every day, motorists are caught speeding, running red lights, and looking at their phones. The proposed solution is radical: take the steering wheel away from humans and hand it entirely to Artificial Intelligence.

But as Singapore drafts the legal framework to roll out autonomous vehicles (AVs), where are the dangerous lines we are crossing? From programming algorithms to decide who lives and dies in a split-second crash, to the terrifying threat of a hacked network, are we actually ready to surrender our safety to a machine we don't fully understand?

In this episode, ST assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with the man building the robot's brain: Professor Marcelo Ang from the Advanced Robotics Centre at the NUS Mechanical Engineering Department, a researcher who first tested an AV in 2013. 

They debate the ethics of the trolley problem about picking who to collide with in an unavoidable crash, the liabilities in the event of a driverless car crash, and the brutal reality awaiting thousands of middle-aged drivers whose jobs are about to be automated.  

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:47 Tesla vs. true driverless - the different levels of self-driving 

9:04 The "Guardian Angel" - an underlying physics algorithm that overrides bad AI decisions

11:48 Why level 3 autonomous driving can be dangerous

14:20 Should the algorithm hit the 80-year-old or the 10-year-old in an unavoidable crash

23:55 The hardest engineering challenge: Predicting irrational human behaviour

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v

Host: Lynda Hong ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong

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The dopamine trap: Is Asia’s conservative culture driving a porn addiction crisis?

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

Asia holds the highest rate of problematic pornography use in the world at nearly one in five people, according to a study which researchers term 'Asian Paradox'. While casual viewing can be healthy for adults in some instances, this taboo weaponises the dopamine hit for tech-savvy youths.

In this episode, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with Dr Peter Chew, Associate Professor of Psychology at James Cook University Singapore, to unpack this silent epidemic.
They explore the neuroscience behind the digital dopamine trap, why a teenager's developing brain is vulnerable, and why symbolic website bans are failing.
 
Dr Chew also dismantles common misconceptions, explaining the crucial difference between clinical addiction and religious guilt; how sex education should change; and why abstinence-only programmers cause higher unwanted pregnancies. 

Highlights (click/tap above):

4:25 Why is porn so devastating to a teenager? 

6:40 Does porn addiction lead to sex crimes?

10:05 What does treatment entail? 

12:38  Approaching the topic of sex and pornography with youths

16:24 Moral implications towards sex education

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v

Host: Lynda Hong ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb

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Feedback to: [email protected]

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As AI changes everything, can the property agents’ most valuable asset - trust - keep them relevant?

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at key issues of the day with newsmakers.

Singapore's property market has transformed over the last few decades. From an opaque, relationship-driven industry, it has evolved into one reshaped by online listings, price transparency, and regulatory tightening. Yet the ethical tensions have endured, with commission conflicts, trust gaps, information asymmetry still persisting. And as property prices have climbed, so have agent commissions. 

With the advent of AI and digitalisation, some sharper questions have surfaced. As technology changes or replaces roles across industries, can it do the same for the property sector and finally resolve the conflicts and contradictions that have been constant bugbears? Will buyers and sellers still need to depend on an agent? How will the role of the property agent change?

In this episode, opinion deputy editor Mubin Saadat speaks to real estate agency ERA’s CEO Marcus Chu. 

Highlights (click/tap above): 

2:05 What’s fundamentally changed about the agent’s role?

7:06 Are property agents earning more now than they ever did?

10:36 Should we rethink agents’ commissions?

20:42 Should property agents be giving financial advice?

23:40 Will AI replace property agents?

30:40 Preparing property agents for AI

33:28 The important conversation the industry should be having

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Mubin Saadat ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong

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Feedback to: [email protected]

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Is “not spicy enough” a legitimate criticism of a dish? 

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at key issues of the day with newsmakers.

Across Singapore’s diverse culinary landscape, chilli is a common accompaniment to almost any meal — think sambal belachan, chilli paste mixed with garlic and ginger or freshly cut chilli padi. 

The unique chilli condiment paired with a meal can sometimes make or break a dish. Do we judge a dish by its chilli — and rightly or wrongly so? Do we wear our tolerance toward spiciness as an undeserved badge of honour? And with the influx of Chinese mala cuisine and Korean gochujang, has Singapore's chilli culture become more adventurous in the last decade?

In this episode, opinion editor Lin Suling speaks to food influencer Alderic Teo and private chef Schira Hassan.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

7:20 Is “not spicy enough” a legitimate criticism of a dish?

8:10 Korean spicy noodles: Why the performative element?

9:30 How to make traditional dishes accessible to a wider audience while retaining authenticity?

11:10 Do people’s spice tolerances decline with age?

22:00 Can the accompanying chilli become the dealbreaker for a dish?

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Lin Suling ([email protected]) 

Produced & edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

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Feedback to: [email protected]

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Why Singapore’s low fertility rate last year could really redefine real estate from 2050.

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with newsmakers.

Singapore is producing fewer babies. Its birth rate, measured by the total fertility rate (TFR), plunged to a record low of 0.87 in 2025, continuing the downtrend of 0.97 in 2023. 

The citizen population may start to shrink by the early 2040s. In February 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong stressed the need to therefore have a “carefully managed immigration flow to augment our low birth rate”.

As the population shrinks, who would be the buyers in the property market in the future? To delve deeper into this, Lynda Hong hosts Mr Alan Cheong, executive director of consultancy at Savills Singapore. 

They also discuss how fewer buyers in the future would push the property market to be rental-based, rather than ownership-driven. They chat too, about the future of the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (Vers) and how rapid changing technology could change immigration policy. 

Highlights (click/tap above): 

7:54 How shrinking family sizes have concentrated wealth for young buyers

15:38 The AI threat also applies to immigrant skills

20:09 How Vers could be implemented

24:10 Why Singapore may be leaning towards Generation Rent in the future

25:28 Why youth of the future may not have the same desire to own property later on

27:25 The looming divide between appreciating freeholds and plunging ageing leaseholds

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v

Host: Lynda Hong ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb

Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

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If Singapore has fuel reserves, why are electricity tariffs surging? 

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with newsmakers.

From April to June 2026, electricity and household tariffs will be higher. And we’ve been warned to brace for even higher utility bills after this quarter, as the ongoing war in the Middle East squeezes global fuel supplies.

But this always leads to a very common question from Singaporeans. To counter these exact types of supply shocks, does Singapore actually have enough national fuel reserves to last for months? So if we have our own stockpiles, why do we still have to pay more? 

In this episode, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong unpacks the impact of the war on inflation with Dr David Broadstock, partner at energy consultancy The Lantau Group. He explains the stockpile paradox when global conflicts hit the cost of living at home.

Apart from cost of living issues related to the rise in energy prices, the episode also discusses whether it’s more cost-effective to buy an Electric Vehicle (EV) and the challenges to transition to decarbonised energy like nuclear and renewables. 

Highlights (click/tap above): 

4:54 Survival vs. hedging: The two types of fuel reserves Singapore uses

14:10 Will Open Electricity Market (OEM) retailers collapse again?

20:35 When will energy inflation hit food and transport?

25:52 Why the war, even if short-lived, would have long-term impact on high prices

27:58 EV vs. petrol: Does switching to an electric vehicle actually save you money right now?

30:59 Is nuclear energy the ultimate solution to Singapore's price shocks?

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v

Host: Lynda Hong ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

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Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb

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Feedback to: [email protected]

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The first woman to lead a university in Singapore discusses how SMU is adapting to AI and different forms of employment.

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with newsmakers.

Facing a softer job market, fresh challenges wrought by artificial intelligence (AI) and growing scrutiny over the industry relevance of degrees, universities are coming under pressure to show degrees lead to good jobs, not just academic credentials.

That requires stronger career services, more industry-linked learning and closer alignment between education and the job market.

How are universities adapting to improve graduate employability? How do they ensure students gain practical, industry-relevant skills alongside academic knowledge? What yardsticks should universities use to judge if a degree is still delivering good value?

In this episode, ST's opinion editor Lin Suling speaks with SMU President Prof Lily Kong.

Highlights (click/tap above): 

7:07 Can a student realistically juggle multiple competing demands of a holistic education?

9:33 Overseas exchange programmes: Leveller or a flex?

15:34 What responsibilities do universities bear for graduate employment outcomes?

20:58 The impact of internships and cross-disciplinary programmes on employment outcomes

28:54 How AI is changing teaching at SMU

32:50 More gig, temp and part-time roles: Do universities have a role in preparing students for this career reality?

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lin Suling on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/hiLQ

Host: Lin Suling ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

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Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb

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Feedback to: [email protected]

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Are these cards really that bad? Could playing with them lead to gambling? 

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

Pokemon. One Piece. Magic: The Gathering. These trading card games bring back nostalgic childhood memories. But the government's plans to regulate them raise questions.

In this episode, assistant opinion editor Lianne Chia speaks to psychiatrist Lim Boon Leng from Gleneagles Medical Centre, and Chew Zhan Lun, co-founder of card marketplace CTRL Collectibles, who recently made headlines for rejecting a $1.3 million offer for one of his Pokemon cards. 

They delve into the nature of the trading card scene and how such cards - initially meant for children to play with - have turned into a hyped-up investment asset. But with social media and livestreaming fuelling this boom, there are practices that could cross the line into gambling. Could regulations, therefore, be a good thing for the scene? And what could they look like?

Highlights (click/tap above):

7:28 When a hobby becomes lucrative, what do we lose?  

13:08 What makes people spend thousands of dollars on a single card?

17:29 Is there something inherently wrong with trading cards that could cause one to be addicted to gambling? 

20:31 Are we exposing our children to gambling?

26:41 Is regulation going to take the fun out of the hobby?

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lianne Chia on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/gTta

Host: Lianne Chia ([email protected])

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

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Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb

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Feedback to: [email protected]

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Why older workers with deep domain expertise have a unique advantage in the AI era, how companies can fix the "broken rung" for fresh graduates. 

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

Ten years ago, the message to the workforce was: "Learn to code." Today, the mandate has shifted to learning AI and prompting chatbots. But as the goalposts move again toward autonomous AI agents that can take over complex workflows, is the Singaporean workforce ready?

In this episode, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong explores the realities of the AI transition with her guests: Laurence Liew, director of AI innovation at AI Singapore, and Koh Chee Kiong, deputy CEO of WizVision. The 66-year-old recently took up a course in Gen AI and uses AI agents at work.

They also discuss why older workers with deep domain experience have a unique advantage, how to fix the broken rung for fresh graduates entering an AI-assisted corporate world, and why adopting AI is much less daunting, and much more conversational, than you might think.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:04 Why workers have a bigger advantage over fresh graduates with Gen AI

8:05 Gen AI understands broken English

9:53 How young professionals can build industry judgment if AI automates entry-level work

17:39 AI has been implemented decades ago, and will continue to be deeply integrated in work flows by 2035 

21:12 Debunking the plumber myth: Why blue-collar jobs aren't AI-proof

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v

Host: Lynda Hong ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb

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Feedback to: [email protected]

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Booming arrivals, stubborn humidity – but dull and overpriced? 

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.

Singapore’s tourism pitch is not just about selling its picture-perfect skyline; it’s also about showcasing its rich multiculturalism, leaning into its talent in hosting world-class events, and taking visitors on a journey to discover how a young nation is defining its own identity. 

In this episode, senior columnist Tan Dawn Wei speaks with Ms Jean Ng, assistant chief executive of Experience Development at the Singapore Tourism Board, and Mr Matin Mohdari, head of Public Policy for Southeast and South Asia at online travel company Expedia Group about Chinese traveller sentiment, events as demand drivers, cooling the city, and how AI could reshape tourism by 2040.

They unpack Singapore's 2025 performance, why “hot, boring, expensive” perceptions among some Chinese travellers matter, and how STB is adjusting for younger, social-media-led free-and-easy visitors through partnerships, IP, and precinct storytelling. 

The conversation also looks at practical ways to soften the tropical heat, what Singapore offers versus rival Asian cities, and the balance between premium experiences and everyday affordability. 

Finally, they explore Tourism 2040 – the roadmap to hitting between $47 and $50 billion in tourism receipts by then – and how AI can boost productivity behind the scenes, while keeping the human stories that make a place emotionally resonant. 

Highlights (click/tap above): 

2:54 “Too hot, too boring, too expensive”

13:14 Singapore can’t change its climate, but it can make the outdoor experience more enjoyable

16:54 Singapore’s edge over other Asian cities

24:48 Going after “quality tourism” in Singapore’s Tourism 2040 roadmap

38:10 What Singapore needs to loosen control over, to be emotionally resonant

Read more: https://str.sg/okfhy

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Read Dawn's columns: https://str.sg/3xR7

Host: Tan Dawn Wei ([email protected]) 

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

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Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb

Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV

Feedback to: [email protected]

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

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