Tech Giants Rush to List – Is This The Next Investment Boom?
Professor Anthony Tung from the Department of Computer Science appeared on 狮城有约 (Hello Singapore) to analyse the wave of tech giant IPOs – from SpaceX's record-breaking public offering to the anticipated listings of OpenAI and Anthropic – and what they signal for investor and everyday AI users.
On SpaceX's extraordinary market reception, Prof Tung pointed to something more durable than hype: a long track record of delivering on technically ambitious promises. Rocket recovery technology, once widely dismissed as impractical, has become routine – and that execution credibility, he argued, is what gives investors real confidence. He also noted that SpaceX's integrated hardware-software model gives it a structural edge over pure software players, enabling rapid deployment of AI into physical devices and robotic systems.
As AI companies prepare to meet capital market expectations, Prof Tung pushed back on the assumption that monetisation pressure would trigger a price war. With open-source models and localised solutions already a significant part of the ecosystem, he argued that competition is more likely to play out on accuracy, safety, and functionality than on cost alone. On OpenAI's reported move towards advertising revenue, he observed this follows a well-worn path for internet businesses: free users may see more ads, while paying users gain a fuller, less interrupted experience.