Reset with Lynlee

Singapore's economy grew 6% in the first quarter, but are workers actually feeling the benefits? On this week's Viewpoint Friday, Lynlee Foo speaks with Manu Bhaskaran, Founder and CEO of Centennial Asia Advisors and Senior Research Fellow at IPS, about what lies behind Singapore's strong growth numbers, why wage satisfaction remains a challenge, and whether the current AI-driven boom can be sustained. They explore rising tensions in the Middle East, the risks surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, and what volatile oil prices could mean for businesses, consumers and the global economy. With the Shangri-La Dialogue taking place in Singapore, Manu shares his perspective on China's lower-level representation, US-China competition, and what smaller countries should expect in an increasingly uncertain world. As Manu puts it: "We have to build buffers and improve our ability to respond to shocks, because the shocks will come."

Maybe right now, you’re working the job you once dreamed about. On paper, it looks like everything you wanted, but instead of feeling fulfilled, you feel drained, stuck, or disappointed. On Is It Just Me?, Lynlee Foo and producer Alexandra Parada explore why achieving the career you've always wanted doesn't always bring the satisfaction you expected and how to know whether you need a change in mindset, a change in environment, or a completely new path. Featuring insights from Aurelie Eltvedt, French Organisational Psychologist from Counseling Perspective.

Justin Chen, CEO of Arcc Spaces grew up helping his parents run an enamelware factory in Mali, West Africa, one of only four Chinese families in the capital. It's not where you'd expect the story of one of Asia's most recognised workspace brands to begin. On Suite Talk, Lynlee Foo talks to the second generation leader about growing up between worlds, what fifteen years in a family business really costs, and what it took to find his way back to himself.  

All Set! rounds up a fresh mix of things to do this long weekend, from Winnie The Pooh-themed high teas at SKAI to arts performances under Pulau Ubin’s night skies. Lynlee Foo and producer Alexandra Parada also weigh in on which events they’d actually turn up for themselves from rooftop tea sessions and thrift market browsing to late-night island performances and vinyl crate digging weekends.

Asia Pacific’s commercial real estate markets have entered 2026 with stronger momentum than many investors expected, with Singapore emerging as the region’s most active market amid renewed interest in offices, retail and alternative assets. At the same time, lower financing costs and shifting global capital flows are fuelling investment activity across the region, while surging AI demand is turning data centres into one of real estate’s biggest growth stories. On Industry Insight, Lynlee Foo speaks with Benjamin Chow, Head of Private Assets Research for Asia at MSCI, about what’s driving APAC’s commercial real estate recovery, whether post-pandemic market behaviour has stabilised, and the risks that could shape the outlook for the rest of the year.

Do you use AI in your workplace? But are you aware of your company’s policies around AI and the extent of what you’re actually allowed to use? As AI becomes part of everyday work life, many people are navigating unclear boundaries such as relying on personal judgment while companies race to catch up with policies and governance. So where do we draw the line between productivity, responsibility, and risk? On AI & Me: AI Dilemma, Lynlee Foo explores the growing tension between embracing AI at work and understanding the ethical, professional, and organisational boundaries that come with it.

Singapore wants to become a leading global AI hub. But as AI moves rapidly from experimentation into real-world deployment, what happens next for businesses, workers and the economy? Following Asia Tech x Singapore, Lynlee Foo speaks with Timothy Chin, Assistant Chief Executive (International) at the Infocomm Media Development Authority, about why “AI is no longer optional,” the growing pressure for companies to move beyond AI pilots, and whether Singapore is moving fast enough to stay competitive. They explore agentic AI, workforce anxiety, OpenAI’s expansion into Singapore, AI governance and the skills workers may now need in an economy increasingly shaped by automation and AI-assisted decision-making. It also examines the reaction to recent comments by the Standard Chartered CEO on “lower-value human capital”, and why many workers still feel uneasy about where AI may be heading.  

A lost AirPod. A stressed 13-year-old alone in a cab. A family group chat in full meltdown mode. What started as a chaotic Sunday parenting moment turned into a surprisingly uncomfortable question: would AI have handled it better than we did? On AI & Me, Lynlee Foo explores why AI's response to a panicking child was calmer than anything the family chat produced, and what that means for parents of Gen Alpha kids. Are our children already finding AI easier to listen to than us, especially under stress? While the experiment isn't about AI replacing parents, it's about something subtler, and maybe more unsettling.  

This week on Viewpoint Friday, Lynlee Foo takes a step back to connect the dots behind some of Singapore’s biggest stories — from AI investment and booming tech sectors to rising business costs, restructuring and growing pressure on workers. In Part 1, Song Seng Wun, economic advisor at fintech firm SDAX shares his “bellynomics” perspective on what businesses and consumers are experiencing on the ground, as stories like Gardenia shifting production to Malaysia, rising COE prices and global layoffs raise questions about whether different parts of Singapore’s economy are moving at different speeds. In Part 2, Ian Tan, generative AI coach and lecturer at Nanyang Technological University’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information — discusses how AI is rapidly entering everyday working life, why companies and workers are feeling pressure to adapt, and how people can approach AI without getting overwhelmed.

On Is It Just Me?, Lynlee Foo and producer Alexandra Parada explore whether our attention spans have actually gotten worse in today’s fast-paced digital world. This week, they unpack how constant notifications, endless scrolling, and screen-heavy lifestyles may be affecting the way we focus, and whether our brains are simply adapting to an always-connected environment. Featuring insights from Dr Annabelle, Clinical Psychologist at Annabelle Psychology.