AI agents can plan gym workouts, book flights and make decisions on our behalf. But granting them greater autonomy may pose serious consequences when AI agents go rogue. With AI researchers calling for tighter restrictions, what safety guardrails should Singapore put in place - and are we already doing that? In this week's Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with leading scholar on AI in financial economics Professor Will Cong from the Nanyang Technological University and Associate Professor Jennifer Ang from the Singapore University of Social Sciences, who sits on the AI Singapore Scientific Committee on Governance, to explore the risks of rogue AI agents and why human oversight remains essential even as AI is used to defend against AI threats.

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Since the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act was enacted in 2014, no company has yet been successfully prosecuted. What is Singapore doing differently this time, to pursue the culprits behind this year’s haze? Ten companies linked to the fires have received preventive measure notices, while Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam has warned that Singapore will use every legal, regulatory and economic measure to pressure recalcitrant companies to act. Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with environmental law expert Sean Tseng of the Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law to find out why unclear land ownership and corporate structures make criminal prosecutions difficult and how the use of other levers – such as banks and the Singapore Exchange - could put commercial pressure on haze-linked companies.

More from Deep Dive on the haze - Learn how to better protect yourself from the unhealthy air, with advice from an air pollution expert: https://cna.asia/4yXW5Ia 

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With Singapore shrouded in unhealthy levels of haze for weeks – and authorities warning of worse conditions before they improve – how can we protect our health? If an air purifier isn’t an option, what hacks can help you minimise exposure and does staying in an air-conditioned place really help? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with urban air quality expert Professor Rajasekhar Balasubramanian, of the National University of Singapore, on the Internet’s burning questions such as: why can’t haze forecasting be more reliable? Which air quality indicators should I pay attention to? Will just any air purifier do? What happens to my body if I’m out jogging in the haze? And which is more toxic – haze or cigarettes?

More from Deep Dive on the haze - What Singapore is doing differently to pursue companies behind this year’s fires: https://cna.asia/3WC8Olx 

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Eight public officers have been referred to the police following a Public Service Division review of 191 officers’ property transactions near then-unannounced MRT stations. While this does not mean that wrongdoing has been established, the case raises questions about the use of confidential government information and public trust. Where is the line between legitimate personal decisions and the misuse of privileged information? Are Singapore's existing public service safeguards enough to prevent and detect potential abuse? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with lawyer and former deputy public prosecutor Marshall Lim and Dr Celia Lee, Senior Research Fellow at the Nanyang Centre for Public Administration, about the legal and ethical issues, the higher standards expected of civil servants and whether tighter safeguards could unfairly limit their personal choices.

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Is the cost of dental care stopping Singaporeans from going for preventive checks or getting timely treatment? With almost 80 per cent of dental care provided by the private sector, those who cannot afford private fees may face longer waits for subsidised care. Tiffany Ang and Steven Chia speak with Dr Yeo Kok Beng, CEO of Royce Dental Group, and Associate Professor Jeremy Lim from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine about what drives dental fees, why dental care has not received the same level of public support as medical care and whether the local dental industry's current public-private mix is leaving some people behind.

Related: I'm Turning 55 With 24 Teeth Left: What Would Losing More Cost Me? | Talking Point
Reference: MOH Guide to Dental Treatment Costs and fee benchmarks

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Ghosted by your interior designer, left with unfinished renovation work or stuck waiting for your furniture to be delivered? For some homeowners, creating their dream home can quickly turn into a costly nightmare. So, what can homeowners do to protect themselves from renovation woes? What red flags should they look out for before signing a contract, and what can they do when things go wrong? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with interior designer Shaun Fong and litigator Pang Khin Wee from IRB Law to unpack the risks, red flags and safeguards that every homeowner should know before embarking on a home renovation.

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Another delay to the construction of the North-South Corridor means two more years of dust, noise and disruption for affected residents, businesses and pedestrians. For an engineering project of this scale and complexity, are delays simply part of the process or could more have been done to prevent them? And as businesses grapple with declining footfall and mounting losses, what can be done to help them ride out the prolonged disruption? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia speaks with Dr David Ng from The Institution of Engineers, Singapore - who has worked on major infrastructure projects from the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) to MRT lines - and business owner Alvin Lin about the challenges surrounding the Corridor project, from the engineering difficulties to the business fallouts.

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Recent controversies over the Nepal-Tibet floods and the debate over Singapore Airlines’ investment into Air India have once again put Singaporeans’ attitudes towards race and immigration in the spotlight. Does this reflect growing racist views in society, or is social media amplifying the racism of a minority? Are we also up against something more sinister, like AI bots creating divisions? Can we have meaningful discussions about hot-button immigration or social issues without resorting to racism and stereotypes? And will the new racial harmony law – which took effect on Sep 15 – put the brakes on racist commentators online, or will it drive them underground? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with Dr Mathew Mathews from the Institute of Policy Studies and associate professor Natalie Pang from the National University of Singapore about what’s driving these conversations, where the lines should be drawn and how we can do better.

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A convincing livestreamer, thousands of reviews or professional-looking packaging may make an online food purchase feel safe to buy. But none of these can tell you whether the food itself is safe. With more of our shopping moving online, have we become better - or worse - at assessing the risks? Tiffany Ang and Steven Chia speak with Dr Vinayak Ghate from the department of food science and technology at NUS and Dexter Tay, executive director at the Consumers Association of Singapore, about what consumers can and cannot tell from food labels, seller claims and customer reviews.

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A pat on a child's head by an elderly man at Roxy Square, which led to a shoving incident, has ignited debate about how a gesture can be seen as friendly affection by one person but viewed as an unwanted touch by another. As social norms shift, how should adults respond when they feel that children's boundaries are crossed? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with Tey Beng Huan, psychologist at Temasek Polytechnic Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, and Kelly Tay, CEO of Juicy Parenting (@juicy.parenting), parent educator and author.

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This year’s National Day Rally brought welcome news for parents. From additional childcare leave and lower childcare centre costs to increased financial support under the new Singapore Child Support Package, the measures signal a push by the Government to provide families with more sustained support. But will these measures be enough to persuade parents who are already juggling full-time jobs and family life to have another child? How can those with no children not feel left behind? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau and working parents Rachael Cheong and Yuvaraj Uthaman about their lived realities and whether the new initiatives can truly move the needle when it comes to family planning.

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