Tak Lo

In the early days of applied AI, when most investors still viewed the sector as speculative, Tak Lo founded Zeroth.ai, one of the world’s first accelerators dedicated entirely to artificial intelligence startups.

Over the past decade, Tak has moved fluidly between venture investing, entrepreneurship, academia and public policy. In the process, he has built a reputation as one of Asia’s more thoughtful interpreters of how AI reshapes power, work and human behaviour. Through Zeroth.ai, he has helped mentor and invest in dozens of startups across artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning and blockchain, supporting founders from more than 18 countries. Several later achieved major exits, including acquisitions in Japan and the United States, as well as a public listing in New Zealand.

What distinguishes Tak is his interest in the systems surrounding technology. The cultural shifts, geopolitical tensions and economic realignments that determine whether innovation succeeds. That perspective runs through much of his writing and speaking. He is the co-founder of The Automated, a widely read newsletter exploring the intersection of AI, business and society. He is also host of The Down Lo Show, where conversations range from Silicon Valley and Shenzhen to demographics, state power and the future of global competition.

At a time when discussions around artificial intelligence often drift towards hype or alarmism, Tak Lo tends to take a more grounded approach. He sees AI as a force multiplier. One that will reward societies, institutions and individuals able to adapt quickly, while exposing the fragility of those that cannot. Increasingly, his work focuses on the broader consequences of this transition, from declining birth rates and labour shortages to the geopolitical competition emerging around compute, infrastructure and talent.

As a Visiting Associate Professor at the American University of Armenia, he teaches Entrepreneurship in the Age of AI, a course designed to rethink how founders build companies in a world shaped by generative systems and automation. Alongside his academic work, Tak has advised governments and institutions navigating technological change. Over the years, he has worked with the Estonian government on its pioneering e-residency programme, contributed to innovation and technology committees in Hong Kong, and supported ecosystem development initiatives backed by German development agency GIZ. He has also spoken before a US Congressional panel on veterans’ affairs, reflecting the increasingly broad reach of AI-related policy questions.

Tak Lo is the author of several books, including I, Leader, which explore how leadership, creativity and decision-making evolve alongside increasingly capable machines.