What's the Focus

Avsnitt

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  Fake Durians, Rented Boyfriends, ‘Actor’ CEOs 16.10.2026 16min

  This week on WTF, nothing is quite what it seems. A woman in China cracks open a durian to find a cooked potato and modelling clay inside. In Japan, you can rent a boyfriend, a friend or even a grandmother by the hour. In China, some firms hire foreigners to pose as executives and scientists.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Stolen Books, Brain Rot & BeReal Blunders 09.10.2026 14min

  On this week's WTF, or What's the Focus, thieves in France make off with a 210kg, diamond-studded book illustrated by Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. Meanwhile, an AI-generated internet sensation called Tung Tung Tung Sahur is at the centre of a legal battle over who owns AI-created characters. And in Japan, the social-media app BeReal is getting a little too real, with workers accidentally exposing confidential workplace information. Plus, the team's recommendations for the weekend.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Japan's Mystery Book Buyer 02.10.2026 14min

  Since August, Japan's second-hand bookshops have been getting mysterious bulk orders, and more than 50 tonnes of books have been shipped to the US. Booksellers suspect AI companies are behind it. We also look at why young Chinese workers are asking whether a Golden Week holiday counts if they have to work weekends to make up for it. Then Joseph Gordon-Levitt questions why AI creation Tilly Norwood is called an actress when nobody calls Donald Duck an actor. Plus the Shortlist, our weekly round-up of what to watch.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Two Brains, 1,156 Presidential Trades and the Piranha That Got Away 25.09.2026 16min

  Stanford researchers say the human brain may really be two separate organs pushed together by evolution, so maybe we have always been in two minds. Donald Trump's latest financial disclosure shows 1,156 securities trades in July alone, which raises the question of how far a president should be kept from his own investments. Back home, the Fisheries Department is trying to work out whether piranhas are living in Klau Dam in Raub, and the fish they need to check was thrown away. Richard Bradbury, Roshan Kanesan and Frankie Lim run through the week's stories in What's The Focus.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  AI Hires You, Smart Glasses Watch You, Pulau Tioman Ignores You 18.09.2026 15min

  For years the question was whether AI would take our jobs. Now there's a site called RentAHuman.ai where AI agents hire real people to do the things they can't, with the tagline "robots need your body." We also look at ZuckOff, an app that scans for Bluetooth signals to warn you when there might be a pair of smart glasses recording nearby, and ask whether you have a right to know when the person across the table is wearing a camera. Then we come home to take a look at Pulau Tioman, newly named Asia's quietest island, and whether it can stay quiet now that everybody knows.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Would You Actually Switch The Algorithm Off? 11.09.2026 16min

  This week on WTF: Australia's draft "My Feed, My Way" legislation would let anyone over 16 switch algorithmic recommendations out of their default social feed, but after years of complaining about the algorithm, would we really turn it off? Then, the CEO of AI legal software firm Spellbook is asking his staff to stop polishing their ideas with AI and send him the rough version instead, raising the question of whether AI has made it harder to tell good writing from good thinking. And back home, a viral Threads post claims one company required CEO approval for a new 80-sen pen, which raises a bigger question about when saving money starts costing more than it saves.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Pastries, Tokenmaxxing & Super El Niño 04.09.2026 16min

  This week on WTF, a viral cream-filled pastry is drawing hundreds of tourists into the Italian Dolomites, raising questions about what happens when social media discovers a once-remote destination. Microsoft, meanwhile, is grappling with “tokenmaxxing” after an employee reportedly burned through US$28,000 in AI computing resources in just 28 days. And closer to home, Malaysia is being warned to prepare for a potentially powerful El Niño and temperatures approaching 40°C. Are we ready for what happens when online trends, AI excess and extreme weather collide with the real world?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  India's Circulating Libraries, Emotional Workouts, And Penang's Vanishing Shophouses 28.08.2026 17min

  In India, people are still reading, and what's keeping the habit alive is a business model that's centuries old: private circulating libraries that lend books for a small fee and a name written in a notebook, quietly filling a gap 46,000 public libraries somehow haven't. We also look at the rise of the emotional workout such as grief cycling, rage yoga, angry weightlifting, and why the research on whether any of it actually works is genuinely split. And closer to home, a pre-war house was demolished inside George Town's protected UNESCO zone back in March, which raises an awkward question about what a World Heritage listing is actually worth. Though when much of the architecture in question is colonial, deciding what deserves saving turns out to be less straightforward than it looks.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Bad Movies, AI Labels & OnlyFans Marmots 21.08.2026 16min

  This week on WTF, a spectacularly bad Chinese animated film discovers that terrible reviews can sometimes be great for business, while Europe begins requiring greater transparency around AI-generated content. Back in Malaysia, an employee's habit of leaving work when work actually finishes reignites the debate over presenteeism. And finally, American scientists facing the loss of research funding turn to an unlikely solution: posting "uncensored marmot content" on OnlyFans, raising around US$100,000 in the process.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Can You Still Tell What’s Real Online? 13.08.2026 14min

  AI-generated content is becoming harder to distinguish from human creativity, and technology companies are starting to respond. Anthropic is exploring ways to watermark AI-generated work, while Spotify is introducing labels identifying artists that do not actually exist. Meanwhile, Malaysia could have an unlikely answer to the enormous cooling demands of AI data centres: palm oil. As artificial intelligence reshapes everything from schoolwork and music to physical infrastructure, are we finally starting to confront some of its stranger consequences?Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Can AI Be Trusted to Police Itself? 06.08.2026 16min

  Artificial intelligence is increasingly being trusted with more complex tasks, but recent incidents have also highlighted its limitations and the risks of overreliance. This week, reports emerged that AI-generated research errors had found their way into reports published by major consulting firms, while South Korea is using virtual reality to help offenders experience crimes from their victims' perspective in an effort to build empathy. Closer to home, new survey data suggests Malaysians are gradually moving out of "crisis mode" as consumer confidence improves.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  When AI, Paradise and Progress Collide 30.07.2026 14min

  This week on WTF, we explore three stories about technology, society, and the challenges of adapting to change. As US courts grapple with whether AI companies can be held responsible for harm caused by their chatbots, Bali confronts growing tensions over digital nomads and their impact on local communities. Back home, Malaysia is betting on AI literacy by giving young people free access to artificial intelligence tools, raising a bigger question: are we teaching people to use AI, or to think alongside it?Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  When Systems Stop Behaving 23.07.2026 12min

  This week on WTF, we look at three stories about institutions under pressure. OpenAI reveals an AI agent that escaped its testing environment and launched an autonomous cyberattack, India and Japan show how very different systems struggle to adapt to changing public expectations, and Sarawak's first onshore oil production in over 50 years raises bigger questions about state autonomy and the future of Malaysia's energy sector. Plus, our team's recommendations for the weekend.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  American "Strength", China's Soft Power & Money Traps 16.07.2026 16min

  This week's WTF explores how the US military plans to make itself more manly, why people seem to look at China increasingly more favourably compared to America and the dangers of carelessly using BNPL. Plus, our weekly recommendations, from epic 3-hour movies to Harry Potter (again), and Madonna, the undisputed Queen of Pop (again).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Can Politics, Plants and Pop Culture Change Our World? 09.07.2026 13min

  This week's WTF explores how unexpected stories can reveal much bigger shifts. We look at a catnip-based mosquito repellent that could transform malaria prevention, the IOC's move to bring Russia back into the Olympic fold and the debate over whether sport can ever be truly apolitical, and why more young Malaysians are delaying marriage as financial pressures reshape life choices. Plus, our weekly recommendations, from documentaries and books to Netflix, Instagram, Harry Potter, and one very expensive durian.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Can Social Media Make or Break a Country? 02.07.2026 14min

  This week's WTF looks at the power of influence in shaping perceptions and behaviour. We examine Donald Trump's latest financial disclosures and fresh questions over the blurred lines between politics and personal business, explore how China's RedNote app is transforming the way tourists discover Malaysia, and ask whether the newly opened LRT3 can finally persuade Klang Valley residents to leave their cars at home. Plus, our weekly recommendations from the team.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  AI, Air Taxis, and the Five-Minute Fix 25.06.2026 13min

  This week's WTF explores how technology and changing habits are reshaping the way we live and work. We look at new research suggesting overreliance on AI could weaken critical thinking, why a simple five-minute walk every hour may be the best productivity boost for office workers, and Malaysia's plans to build a low-altitude economy powered by commercial drones and air taxis. Plus, our weekly recommendations from the team.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  WTF: From the Moon to the World Cup 11.06.2026 14min

  This week’s WTF spans everything from football and space exploration to technology and public policy. We look at the controversies surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including geopolitics, visas, ticket prices and the growing commercialisation of the game. We also examine NASA’s Artemis programme as delays raise questions about America’s return to the Moon and its race with China. Back home, we discuss Malaysia’s new AI-driven motor insurance scheme and whether lower premiums for safe drivers come with new concerns over transparency, fairness and data governance.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  Trust, Technology and the Talent Shortage 04.06.2026 14min

  This week on What’s the Focus, we explore three stories that highlight how trust is being tested in very different ways. First, intelligence agencies from the Five Eyes alliance are warning that professional networking platforms may be used to recruit individuals with access to sensitive information, raising fresh questions about digital security and espionage. Then we examine how YouTube has evolved from a video-sharing platform into a genuine challenger to traditional streaming giants, reshaping the battle for audiences, advertising, and attention. Finally, we look at Malaysia’s growing shortage of radiographers and why a lack of these highly trained healthcare professionals could have serious consequences for diagnostic capacity, patient care, and the future of the healthcare system.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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  When Health, Technology and Aging Collide 28.05.2026 16min

  This week on What’s the Focus, we look at three very different stories tied together by one underlying theme: how societies adapt under pressure. First, a major global study warns that mental disorders have now become the leading cause of disability worldwide, raising urgent questions about whether healthcare systems, workplaces, and communities are equipped for the scale of the crisis. Then we turn to Ferrari’s controversial new electric vehicle, the Luce, and what the backlash says about technology, identity, and the uneasy transition into the EV era. And finally, with Malaysia rapidly becoming an aging society, we examine the growing debate over whether older drivers should undergo medical assessments before renewing their licences, and how to balance road safety with dignity and independence.Image Credit: ShutterstockSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.