1. Distinguished guests, mentors, judges, organisers, participants, a very good evening to all of you here today. This is CatalystX's third year of inspiring innovation among our young change makers. Now, it's quite wonderful to be here with all of you tonight, because you're here as you believe in using technology for good - not just to make our lives easier, but to make all of our lives better.
2. Every day, we see new technology in the news. Smarter and faster systems, and new tools. We hear how AI can now paint, sing and do everything that we thought we could do. But the real question is: is technology actually making our lives better? Is it helping us provide better solutions for our people, our planet, and for the future generations to come? For all of you here today, I hope that you are not just going for the next big, exciting idea, but instead doing something that is actually for the good of our people. Hence, I wanted to share with you some ways where technology has been applied for good, in four areas of our lives. They are namely our environment, our health, our finances and our learning.
3. Firstly, let us talk about our environment, which is really our planet. Today, we have AI and sensors monitoring air quality and tracking water usage on a real time basis, which allow us to make quick decisions when we need to. We also have satellites and drones tracking forest cover and coral reefs, allowing us to act faster when we need to. Hence, sustainability today is not just about planting more trees. We're actually harnessing technology to take concrete actions to preserve the planet that we live in.
4. Next, let us talk about health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we realised how telemedicine and remote monitoring devices allowed our doctors to care for patients, even when the clinic doors were closed. Today, AI is helping us detect illnesses earlier. At the heart of it, health tech now is about using data and devices to make lives better. Rather than removing the human touch in healthcare, it brings care closer to our patients.
5. For most of us here today, I believe our smartphones are now our wallets, our bank accounts, our financial advisors all roped into one device in the palm of our hand. FinTech has brought us many conveniences, but in that process, as we embrace all of these technologies, there are questions around trust that we have to deal with. Hence, we must continue to build trust and strengthen safeguards in our technology to make sure that technology empowers us and does not exploit us.
6. Lastly, on learning. Given technology and online platforms, we can learn anywhere, and at any time now. There is no excuse for any of us, be it young students or mid-career professionals, for not being able to keep up with new knowledge and new lessons. Technology can give us the assurance that we will not fall behind. But again, it is up to us to take it up and make the best use of it.
7. Thus, as we think about using technology for good, I want to remind you that technology itself is neither good nor bad. It is really how we use it that matters most. If you are guided by purpose to protect the planet, to care for people, to build trust in our financial system, and to support lifelong learning, you will see how technology can truly bring positive progress.
8. To all the young changemakers today, I urge you to not chase the next big thing that could make you money. Instead, chase the next big thing that can be meaningful, that can make a difference to our lives and to those around us. As you go forth into the weekend, you will experience some ups and downs. Some of your ideas might work. Some of them might not. It will be a series of ups and downs, just like the rest of life, but I hope that all of you find the experience enriching. This, I hope for many of you, is just the start of many more hackathons that you will join. I wish all of you a meaningful and enriching CatalystX 2025 and I thank all the organisers, especially the student organisers, for setting this up for all of us here. Thank you very much.