There’s been a litany of warnings about AI and its potential dangers. A top safety researcher at Anthropic, one of the biggest AI companies in the US, warned the technology is advancing at a pace so fast that there’s a 10% chance it “could kill all humans” within the next decade.

Such concerns have led to calls for a coordinated action in the US to slow down the development of the technology. But there are also some who have challenged the need for guardrails – including US President Donald Trump – arguing that it would surrender America's dominance over the technology to its rivals.

China’s AI industry has also been accelerating in lockstep with the US, despite American efforts to restrict the pace of China’s tech development.

AI services from DeepSeek, Moonshot and Zhipu.AI, among others, have continually shown that Chinese competitors are either level or closely behind the capabilities of leading US labs.

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi speaks to Laura Bicker and Jing Yang. Laura is the BBC’s China correspondent and has been reporting on China’s advances in AI. Jing is the Asia bureau chief at The Information, a publication focusing on the tech industry. Together, they unpack the challenges that both the US and China face in terms of the technology and how the two countries are split on the how to regulate AI and the pace of development. We try to answer if the widening chasm can be bridged.

Also on this episode, Bernard Leong, the former head of AI in South East Asia for Amazon Web Services, explains how AI could materially threaten humanity, and why they would do that in the first place.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Search Asia Specific on YouTube for video episodes.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Top Australian Hyrox athlete Joanna Wietrzyk has apologised after soiling herself during a race in Beijing, saying she would withdraw from the event and forfeit the points she earned.

The company behind the fitness phenomenon has also apologised for allowing her to continue and win, amid criticism over hygiene and athlete welfare.

The incident has shone a spotlight on the rapidly growing fitness trend, which combines running with functional exercises including sled pushes, rowing, lunges and burpees. So why has Hyrox become so popular across Asia? And could the controversy dent its momentum? In this episode, host Mariko Oi speaks to Hyrox Pro Mens athlete Gabriel Heck, one of the fastest-rising names in the sport, and Rebecca Orme, a Singapore-based enthusiast, about how Hyrox became so big and how the Beijing incident shook up the sport. Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends. Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, just search Asia Specific.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Australia was the first country in the world to ban social media for under-16s. Now, it's taking aim at something even bigger: the algorithms that keep everyone hooked.

Under a new "My Feed, My Way" proposal, tech companies could be forced to let users switch off the personalised recommendation systems that decide what they see on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Supporters say it could reduce exposure to addictive, divisive content. Critics, including the platforms themselves, warn it could make apps far less useful, and put the burden of managing it back on parents.

This comes as Meta agreed to pay $18 billion over allegations it knowingly built addictive features to hook teenagers, as concerns about the power of big tech mount worldwide.

So is Australia getting ahead of a global problem — or creating a new one? And can an algorithm even really be switched off?

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC Australia correspondent Katy Watson and Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies at Curtin University

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: [email protected]

Australia is home to some of the world's most distinctive wildlife — nearly 90% of its mammals exist nowhere else on Earth. But Australia is also where a mammal extinction is happening at an alarming pace.

Species are disappearing at a rate of roughly four every decade, driven by feral predators, habitat destruction, and a changing climate. Feral cats alone kill an estimated three billion native animals and insects every year.

But it’s not all bleak. In Western Australia, conservationists have spent decades bringing the numbat, a small, striped marsupial found only in Australia, back from the brink, and it's just been reclassified as no longer endangered.

The bigger question is whether that success story can be repeated elsewhere, especially when government spending on conservation lags far behind what experts say is needed.

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi discusses the extinction crisis with BBC Senior Journalist Tiffanie Turnbull and Professor Euan Ritchie, Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at Deakin University.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people. Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, just search Asia Specific.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Haze wafting across borders in South East Asia is an annual problem, so why can’t the countries responsible stop it happening?

The haze is primarily caused by farmers and landowners slashing and burning plots of land - a relatively cheap and fast way of preparing a field for crops.

This year, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto is talking tough towards those responsible for the fires, pledging to revoke permits for firms that order land clearing with fire.

But that’s done little to stop the haze, which is also caused by farmers in neighbouring Malaysia.

The smoke has engulfed neighbouring countries including Brunei, Singapore and even the Philippines capital Manila, around 2,000 kilometres away from the fires.

Long term, prolonged exposure to high levels of PM2.5 - tiny particulate matter released into the air through smoke haze, can cause a range of serious health problems. Singapore's National Environment Agency states that among healthy individuals, short term exposure is more likely to cause self-resolving problems, such as eye, nose and throat irritation.

In this episode of Asia Specific podcast, host Mariko Oi speaks to Joel Aik, an environmental epidimiologist from Duke-NUS Medical school, and Astudestra Ajengrastri, a journalist with the BBC World Service in Jakarta.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: [email protected]

From Jackie Chan and Wong Kar-wai to the city’s gritty crime thrillers and romantic dramas, there was a time when Hong Kong cinema was everywhere.

The city was once one of Asia’s great filmmaking capitals, producing movies and stars that became cultural icons around the world. But today, that creative energy is looking increasingly hard to find.

The national security law, tighter censorship and the growing influence of mainland China have made it harder for filmmakers to tell the kinds of stories that once defined Hong Kong. And funding for movies is also drying up at the same time as the pull of Beijing is reshaping the industry.

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi speaks to Phoebe Kong, a video journalist with the BBC based in Hong Kong who has spoken to a slew of people from the industry. Also on the show is Jun Li, an award-winning director from the financial city who made his debut in 2018. Together, they unpack Hong Kong’s now complex movie scene and opine on where the industry is heading.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, just search Asia Specific.

Get in touch: [email protected]

The AI boom means data centres are being built at an unprecedented pace around the world and in South East Asia, Malaysia has emerged as one of the biggest hubs for this expansion. But the rapid construction growth for data centres is also prompting a backlash. Data centres can consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, while critics question how many long-term jobs they actually create for local communities.

In Malaysia, residents have protested against proposed developments, while governments are trying to balance economic growth with environmental and social concerns.

In this episode, host Mariko Oi speaks to freelance journalist Isaac Chong and AI strategist Bernard Leong about what data centres actually do, why AI is driving a global construction boom, and why Malaysia has become one of South East Asia’s biggest data centre hubs.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: [email protected]

Across Asia, a growing number of young people are becoming hikikomori, a term used to describe people who suffer from a severe social withdrawal. They shut themselves in their homes, retreating from work, school, or their families for months, sometimes years.

That condition was first observed in Japan but other countries like South Korea, China and Singapore have since reported a rising number of youths choosing to shut themselves at home. That’s raising difficult questions about loneliness, social pressure and mental health.

Some countries like South Korea are trying something unexpected: government-backed AI chatbots designed to build trust with socially isolated young people and encourage them to reconnect with the world. But can an artificial companion really help someone return to society? Or could it end up becoming another reason to stay hidden?

On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi speaks to BBC news journalist Sophie Jeong who has reported on the phenomenon in South Korea, as well as Paul Wong, a clinical psychologist and a professor at Hong Kong University. Together, they explore why more young people are disappearing from public life, and whether AI is part of the solution, or part of the problem.

This episode discusses social isolation in Asia. Viewers who identify with the issues raised are encouraged to seek local support.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: [email protected]

Frantic search efforts are underway in Nepal and the Tibetan side of the Chinese border after a devastating flash flood and landslide swept through a valley.

Thousands of rescue personnel have been deployed as crews search through thick mud and debris for survivors, with hundreds of people unaccounted for at the time of recording - August 27th, 2026.

Host Mariko Oi speaks to a journalist from the BBC Nepali service in Kathmandu, Sanjaya Dhakal, about the pressure on hospitals and the arrival of international assistance.

We also hear from Tom Robinson, a Senior Lecturer in Disaster Risk and Resilience at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, who has studied landslides and worked in Nepal.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: [email protected]

Seen as pests in some parts of Asia, long-tailed macaques are highly sought-after in the world of biopharmaceutical research for drug development. But now a worldwide shortage means one monkey can sell for tens of thousands of dollars, so what’s driving up the cost?

China’s fast-developing biopharmaceutical industry has created more demand for macaques, and South East Asia is jumping on the opportunity to deliver.

Indonesia is resuming its export of macaques, to the chagrin of animal welfare groups who warn it may worsen the exploitation of an endangered species.

Not just any monkey can be used for testing.

Only captive-raised macaques are suitable, fuelling concerns that higher prices could lead to “monkey laundering” - where poached monkeys from the wild are introduced into the captive system under false records. On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by the podcast’s Editor Bill Birtles, Bloomberg Asia pharma reporter Amber Tong and the BBC’s Jakarta-based senior journalist Liza Tambunan.

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: [email protected]

The Grammys created a new category for Asian pop music, but BTS have decided to withdraw from the awards in 2027. The group says music should be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language.

The Recording Academy, organisers of the Grammy Awards, said the creation of several new categories, including Asian pop, is meant to make the ceremony more inclusive.

So, is the new category a long-overdue recognition of Asia’s growing influence on global pop or does it risk putting Asian artists in a box?

Presenter Mariko Oi speaks to BBC music correspondent Mark Savage and Asian pop commentator Andy Trieu about BTS’s relationship with the Grammys, which has for years been grappling with how to best reflect the rise of K-Pop. In the conversation, they try to answer the one question everyone seems to be asking: who gets to define what pop music is?

Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural trends.

Hear Asian perspectives on international issues and in-depth analysis on news from a region that’s home to nearly 2.5 billion people.

Whether it is the latest on trade between the US and China, the rise and fall of political dynasties in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, or South Korea’s K-pop inspired soft power strategy, we find out what key players are thinking and dive into the stories that matter.

Hosted in Singapore by Mariko Oi, alongside BBC experts in Beijing, Bangkok, and beyond – listen to new episodes twice a week. Episodes of Asia Specific are also available on YouTube, here: https://bit.ly/4iJyeVt

Get in touch: [email protected]

This episode was recorded on 20 August 2026.