https://www.scmp.com/rss/320663/feed The latest big tech news on Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Facebook. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Eunice Xu Eunice Xu “State-of-the-art” (Sota) artificial intelligence models excel at solving complex Olympiad maths but still struggle with everyday enterprise tasks, according to an executive from a top AI unicorn in the US. David Meyer, senior vice-president of product at US data processing and analysis company Databricks, told the South China Morning Post in a recent interview that the very traits making models state-of-the-art could cause issues in basic office work. For instance, when tasked with identifying... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350614/state-art-models-can-struggle-basic-enterprise-tasks-ai-unicorn-executive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350614/state-art-models-can-struggle-basic-enterprise-tasks-ai-unicorn-executive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 10:00:18 +0000 Kai-Lung Hui Kai-Lung Hui Generative artificial intelligence (AI) powered by large language models presents a significant breakthrough. For the first time, humans are communicating with computers using language instructions. This has enabled the use of AI agents to perform intelligent tasks involving some degree of advanced reasoning and complex logic. Vibe coding – the use of AI for programming and software development by lay persons – empowers end-user application deployments. One-person companies using AI agents to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350030/ai-advancing-now-its-humans-redefine-their-worth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350030/ai-advancing-now-its-humans-redefine-their-worth?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao As the artificial intelligence race moves beyond language models into the physical world, Asia’s manufacturing and supply chain strengths could give it an edge over the US, says Granite Asia’s Jixun Foo. The veteran venture capitalist said the current wave of AI development, sparked by breakthroughs in foundation models over the past two years, had entered a new phase where physical applications – from robotics to industrial automation – were becoming increasingly important, playing to Asia’s... https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3350609/asias-supply-chain-strengths-could-give-it-edge-over-us-ai-race-granite-asias-foo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3350609/asias-supply-chain-strengths-could-give-it-edge-over-us-ai-race-granite-asias-foo?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 06:00:18 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang As China’s artificial intelligence sector accelerates, competition for top talent has intensified among major tech companies, with firms increasingly poaching from rivals while also attracting researchers from overseas hubs such as Silicon Valley. A reported high-profile personnel move involving DeepSeek researcher Guo Daya recently drew attention to the sensitivity surrounding AI hiring in China’s tech sector. Guo, a lead researcher on DeepSeek’s R1 model, joined ByteDance’s Seed AI development... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350521/bytedance-tencent-step-ai-talent-battle-amid-reported-departure-deepseek-researcher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350521/bytedance-tencent-step-ai-talent-battle-amid-reported-departure-deepseek-researcher?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:00:32 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China’s leading LED chipmaker and its Malaysian partner have abandoned their US$239 million cash offer to purchase Dutch technology company Lumileds Holding after opposition from US authorities, marking the latest setback for Chinese tech investment overseas following the high-profile Nexperia saga. Sanan Optoelectronics, listed in Shanghai, said in a disclosure announcement on Friday that despite multiple rounds of discussions, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350520/chinese-led-chipmakers-purchase-dutch-firm-collapses-after-us-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350520/chinese-led-chipmakers-purchase-dutch-firm-collapses-after-us-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow In China’s hyper-competitive and lucrative tech industry, releasing cutting-edge artificial intelligence models for free may seem counter-intuitive – but it has become a core business strategy. At the University of Hong Kong last November, Alibaba Group Holding chairman Joe Tsai was asked why the tech giant open-sourced its AI models. Addressing a room full of students, Tsai said he believed open-source AI would bring global benefits by lowering costs, making it a natural fit for talent- and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350340/chinas-ai-firms-scaled-open-source-models-next-phase-may-be-different?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350340/chinas-ai-firms-scaled-open-source-models-next-phase-may-be-different?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:00:17 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang A wave of companies, from the start-up launched by artificial intelligence “godmother” Li Fei-Fei to the largest Chinese tech firms, are racing to introduce their latest approaches to world models – an emerging field aimed at extending AI beyond language processing to learning from and comprehending physical reality. Alibaba Group Holding on Thursday unveiled Happy Oyster, which it called an open-ended world model designed for real-time and “flowy” virtual world creation and interaction,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350351/chinese-tech-giants-ai-godmother-li-fei-fei-race-seize-edge-world-models?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350351/chinese-tech-giants-ai-godmother-li-fei-fei-race-seize-edge-world-models?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:00:14 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) expects a revenue surge of more than 30 per cent in 2026 as the world’s largest contract chipmaker “pulls in all equipment” to ramp up supply, as management downplayed the impact of memory price hikes and Middle East tensions. During its first-quarter earnings call on Thursday, company executives voiced optimism for the year ahead anchored by the global AI frenzy, attributing the expected revenue surge to strong demand for artificial intelligence and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350346/tsmc-targets-over-30-revenue-surge-2026-ramps-capex-amid-booming-ai-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350346/tsmc-targets-over-30-revenue-surge-2026-ramps-capex-amid-booming-ai-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:07:11 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Silicon photonic computing chips – long overlooked in the artificial intelligence hardware stack – are emerging as a new focal point in mainland China’s semiconductor push, as domestic companies move towards public listings amid intensifying US-China competition and surging demand for next-generation computing infrastructure. Shanghai-based Lightelligence, the first company globally to achieve large-scale deployment of hybrid optical-electronic computing, passed its Hong Kong listing hearing on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350183/lightelligence-track-ipo-plans-chinas-ai-photonics-race-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350183/lightelligence-track-ipo-plans-chinas-ai-photonics-race-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:00:31 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang China’s world models are benefiting from early integration with the country’s strong industrial base, which gives the domestic ecosystem greater momentum than that of the US, according to an executive at a leading Chinese world model start-up. World models simulate 3D environments and physical dynamics, and are expected to help train the next generation of physical artificial intelligence applications, including robots and autonomous vehicles. Wang Xiaofeng, an algorithm partner at GigaAI, said... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350062/chinas-edge-over-us-ai-world-models-abundant-data-faster-deployment-executive-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350062/chinas-edge-over-us-ai-world-models-abundant-data-faster-deployment-executive-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Asia’s technology industry is bracing for longer and deeper disruptions from the Middle East turmoil as analysts warn that prolonged hostilities could throttle semiconductor production and the buildout of artificial intelligence data centres. The Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a quarter of global seaborne crude oil trade and 20 per cent of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, remained effectively closed after US President Donald Trump said he would block the channel following the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349895/how-prolonged-iran-war-could-disrupt-asia-tech-industry-chipmaking-ai-data-centres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349895/how-prolonged-iran-war-could-disrupt-asia-tech-industry-chipmaking-ai-data-centres?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Governments, industry and the public are in “common ignorance” about the present and future of artificial intelligence, making both international collaboration and coordination between industry and policymakers necessary, experts have said. In a panel discussion at the inaugural Hong Kong Global AI Governance Conference at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) on Saturday, Alibaba Group Holding policy lead Fu Hongyu said that China was now at the front lines of global efforts to introduce guardrails... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349871/common-ignorance-how-china-took-lead-global-efforts-govern-ais-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349871/common-ignorance-how-china-took-lead-global-efforts-govern-ais-future?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek is ramping up recruitment in Inner Mongolia, signalling a potential expansion of its data centre footprint ahead of the much-anticipated release of its V4 model. The Hangzhou-based company is recruiting for two new roles – server maintenance engineers and delivery managers to oversee data centre launches – in Ulanqab, in Inner Mongolia, according to recent job postings. The move marks the first time DeepSeek has publicly advertised on-site roles... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349741/deepseek-ramps-hiring-ahead-v4-launch-questions-swirl-over-chip-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349741/deepseek-ramps-hiring-ahead-v4-launch-questions-swirl-over-chip-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:37:34 +0000 Iris Deng,Yeon Woo Lee,Coco Feng Iris Deng,Yeon Woo Lee,Coco Feng Samsung Electronics faces a “strategic dilemma” over whether to defend its shrinking footprint in China or redeploy resources to bolster global competitiveness, analysts say, as speculation grows that the tech giant may scale back parts of its mainland operations and double down on semiconductors. The South Korean firm was considering a broad restructuring of its China business, potentially exiting segments such as home appliances and displays while retaining smartphones and storage as core... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349728/samsung-weighs-china-retreat-focus-shifts-global-chip-race-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349728/samsung-weighs-china-retreat-focus-shifts-global-chip-race-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 05:08:28 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Last week, on April 1 to be exact, Apple reached the grand old age of 50 (almost exactly a year younger than Microsoft), one of a tiny proportion of S&P-listed companies that have stayed the course for half a century. It is a company with which I have had a special connection and a love-hate relationship for most of my adult life. Not that I have ever owned an Apple product (I have always been a loyal Android man) nor any Apple shares; heavens, I wish I had. No. My special connection is more... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349541/my-love-hate-relationship-apple-android-user?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349541/my-love-hate-relationship-apple-android-user?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Alibaba Cloud captured more than 50 per cent of global open-source model downloads as of March following the release of its Qwen 3.5 model series, a new report has found. The finding underscores the dominance of Chinese models in the global open-source artificial intelligence landscape, though some US companies including OpenAI and Nvidia are also making early gains. Qwen reached nearly 1 billion cumulative downloads by March, far surpassing rivals like Meta Platforms’ Llama and DeepSeek,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349552/alibabas-qwen-family-captures-over-50-global-open-source-downloads-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349552/alibabas-qwen-family-captures-over-50-global-open-source-downloads-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding’s cloud and artificial intelligence unit is expected to remain a prime engine for the March quarter, with the growth rate forecast to accelerate as the company steps up AI monetisation and reshuffles its AI businesses, according to analysts. Cloud revenue growth was projected to increase to around 40 per cent during the period, up from 36 per cent in the December quarter, analysts said. The growth momentum was expected to be supported by “a robust surge in token usage”,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349508/alibaba-cloud-growth-forecast-accelerate-ai-push-higher-service-charges-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349508/alibaba-cloud-growth-forecast-accelerate-ai-push-higher-service-charges-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:30:13 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Artificial intelligence has emerged as the driving force behind global trade growth, fuelled by a surge in data-centre buildouts at a time when geopolitical tensions are redrawing trade flows, according to McKinsey & Company. Global trade grew 6.5 per cent last year, outpacing the world economy, with AI-linked goods accounting for about one-third of that increase, McKinsey’s research showed. The category – including semiconductors, graphics cards, routers and servers – has been propelled by the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349424/ai-fuels-global-trade-growth-china-us-flows-shift-mckinsey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349424/ai-fuels-global-trade-growth-china-us-flows-shift-mckinsey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:00:08 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, has seen its valuation surge to a record high of more than US$600 billion after a proposed equity sale from one of the founding shareholders, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The deal aimed to transfer US$900 million worth of ByteDance shares, one of the sources said. The seller originally had the company’s valuation at US$550 billion, in line with an earlier proposal by General Atlantic, one of the firm’s earliest institutional... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349337/bytedance-valuation-surges-record-high-over-us600b-proposed-equity-sale-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349337/bytedance-valuation-surges-record-high-over-us600b-proposed-equity-sale-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:40:21 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China is looking to the ocean to power its artificial intelligence computing ambitions, as it seeks new ways to meet soaring demand for computing power through underwater data centres in eastern and southern China. Shanghai’s Lingang Special Area, a government-designated free-trade zone designed to attract advanced manufacturing and hi-tech industries, recently saw an underwater data centre (UDC) begin operation, marking the first such facility in the world to be directly linked to an offshore... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349280/china-turns-offshore-wind-farms-subsea-data-centres-ease-ai-computing-bottleneck?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349280/china-turns-offshore-wind-farms-subsea-data-centres-ease-ai-computing-bottleneck?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 23:30:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow There was a surprise guest speaker at Nvidia’s widely watched GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in San Jose, California, last month: Yang Zhilin, the founder of Beijing-based Moonshot AI, the developer behind the Kimi family of foundational artificial intelligence models. Amid heated rhetoric about US-China AI competition, which some have likened to an “arms race”, the participation of a Chinese AI start-up’s CEO at the flagship event of American chipmaking giant Nvidia might have struck some as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348973/competition-or-co-opetition-how-convergence-shaping-ai-race-between-china-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348973/competition-or-co-opetition-how-convergence-shaping-ai-race-between-china-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese companies including Alibaba Cloud and Zhipu AI have opted not to open-source some of their latest artificial intelligence models as they look to capture the full value of their usage through official revenue generating channels. While none of the companies have said that they are moving away from their open-source strategies, the development reflects an industry trend where the most powerful models are growing in size, making them increasingly difficult to host on local hardware. This... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348844/chinese-ai-giants-pivot-toward-proprietary-models-drive-revenue-performance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348844/chinese-ai-giants-pivot-toward-proprietary-models-drive-revenue-performance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:07:42 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s third-largest chip foundry, Nexchip Semiconductor, filed for a Hong Kong listing on Tuesday as domestic wafer fabs race to expand production capacity amid surging artificial intelligence demand and Beijing’s push for greater chip self-sufficiency. Nexchip, a smaller rival to SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor, is seeking a dual listing in Shanghai and Hong Kong, signalling the state-backed foundry’s latest effort to strengthen its position in China’s mature-node chipmaking sector. The move... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348687/chinas-nexchip-files-hong-kong-listing-chip-expansion-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348687/chinas-nexchip-files-hong-kong-listing-chip-expansion-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huawei Technologies maintained “steady” recovery momentum in 2025, with its profit rising 8.6 per cent, as the Chinese telecommunications gear maker doubled down on chip development and smartphones in defiance of US sanctions. Net profit came in at 68 billion yuan (US$9.8 billion) last year, compared with 62.6 billion yuan a year earlier, according to the Shenzhen-based company’s annual report released on Tuesday. Total revenue in 2025 reached 880.9 billion yuan, up 2.2 per cent from 862.1... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348558/huaweis-profit-rises-86-2025-overall-performance-remains-steady?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348558/huaweis-profit-rises-86-2025-overall-performance-remains-steady?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu China’s southern tech hub Shenzhen began operations of the country’s first 10,000-card intelligent computing cluster, built with advanced chips made by Huawei Technologies, in the latest sign of how the country is deepening its push for home-grown computing capabilities. Featuring a computing capacity of 11,000 petaflops, the new cluster, activated last week, is the country’s first 10,000-card intelligent computing cluster built with Huawei’s Ascend 910C AI chips, according to Shenzhen Special... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348502/shenzhen-activates-chinas-first-10000-card-ai-cluster-domestic-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348502/shenzhen-activates-chinas-first-10000-card-ai-cluster-domestic-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese tech giants Xiaomi and Alibaba Group Holding have launched spring recruitment drives amid fierce competition for the talent driving the global artificial intelligence boom. The campaigns come as the smartphone and e-commerce giants, respectively, look to increasingly position themselves as AI-first firms, amid growing commercial pressures in their traditional businesses. In a Weibo post on Monday, Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun said the company’s global recruitment campaign would target... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348434/xiaomi-alibaba-ramp-ai-recruitment-amid-global-talent-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348434/xiaomi-alibaba-ramp-ai-recruitment-amid-global-talent-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek suffered a prolonged outage overnight that extended into early Monday morning, disrupting service for hundreds of millions of users, according to a company notice and user feedback. The Hangzhou-based AI lab’s namesake chatbot website and app were offline from Sunday evening, with the company continuing to investigate while issuing fixes from between 1am and 9am on Monday, according to service maintenance records the company published online. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348345/deepseek-outage-leaves-millions-cut-and-sparks-complaints-rivals-gain-ground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348345/deepseek-outage-leaves-millions-cut-and-sparks-complaints-rivals-gain-ground?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 03:41:43 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Yuanjie Semiconductor Technology, a Chinese maker of laser chips for optical communications, has emerged as one of the mainland exchanges’ biggest beneficiaries of the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom – with its shares rising nearly ninefold over the past year as it pursues a Hong Kong listing. The Shaanxi-based integrated device manufacturer, whose shares closed at 1,100 yuan on Friday, now ranks second by share price among mainland-listed companies, trailing only Kweichow Moutai at... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348311/what-makes-yuanjie-chinese-optical-chip-star-and-hong-kong-ipo-candidate-stand-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348311/what-makes-yuanjie-chinese-optical-chip-star-and-hong-kong-ipo-candidate-stand-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:00:06 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen A string of Chinese analogue chipmakers have announced price increases in step with their international peers, as a broader pricing wave sweeps across the semiconductor supply chain – a shift that analysts say could hand China’s mature-node producers a rare window to gain ground. Novosense Microelectronics, SG Micro, Fortior Technology, Halo Microelectronics, Silan Micro and Kiwi Instruments are among the domestic firms recently raising prices, in line with global leaders including Texas... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348284/chinese-analogue-chipmakers-join-wave-global-price-rises-mature-node-firms-eye-gains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348284/chinese-analogue-chipmakers-join-wave-global-price-rises-mature-node-firms-eye-gains?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Elina Noor Elina Noor On March 1, after Israel and the United States initiated attacks against Iran, Amazon Web Services reported drone strikes against data centre facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The strikes caused structural damage to the company’s infrastructure, impairing cloud services for those countries. Iran warned that US tech companies with Israeli links, including Google, Microsoft, Palantir, Nvidia and Oracle, were on Tehran’s list of “legitimate targets” for countermeasures. Strikes on... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3347725/ai-infrastructure-front-line-lessons-asean-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3347725/ai-infrastructure-front-line-lessons-asean-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding is set to launch a new service that provides AI agents for millions of merchants on its Taobao and Tmall platforms, as the tech giant capitalises on the recent frenzy fuelled by OpenClaw to secure its lead in e-commerce. The new feature, slated for release by the end of March, will provide agentic AI services based on its merchant tool Business Advisor, aiming to give them a 24/7 autonomous “digital workforce” that can automate operation processes including offering... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348237/alibaba-deploy-ai-digital-workforce-millions-merchants-taobao-tmall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348237/alibaba-deploy-ai-digital-workforce-millions-merchants-taobao-tmall?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 13:00:29 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao China’s ambition to cut its reliance on foreign semiconductor technology achieved a notable milestone this week, with the launch of two powerful chips based on the open-source RISC-V architecture. Xiangshan, a high-performance processor unveiled by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) at the Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on Thursday, is the latest effort to push the boundaries with RISC-V architecture. With the central processing unit (CPU) core achieving a score of 16.5 points/GHz under SPEC... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348168/chinas-tech-self-sufficiency-drive-reaches-new-milestone-powerful-risc-v-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348168/chinas-tech-self-sufficiency-drive-reaches-new-milestone-powerful-risc-v-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:30:07 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang The recent nationwide frenzy to adopt OpenClaw, an open-source artificial intelligence agent, has pushed token use to new levels and given fresh momentum to China’s booming AI sector, according to industry experts at a state-backed conference on Friday. “Since late January token consumption [on my company’s platform] has been doubling every two weeks, and by now it has increased roughly tenfold,” said Xia Lixue, co-founder and CEO at Infinigence, a Beijing-based AI computing service provider,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348147/openclaw-effect-explosion-ai-token-use-adds-fuel-chinese-ai-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348147/openclaw-effect-explosion-ai-token-use-adds-fuel-chinese-ai-development?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:30:16 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) launched an action plan to enhance its current businesses and seek new growth in 2026, as the largest contract chipmaker in China aims to solidify its role as the backbone of the country’s self-sufficiency drive. Released alongside its annual report for 2025, the plan outlined a commitment to “optimising existing stock and digging for new increments”, the company said in a stock exchange filing on Thursday. The company said two trends would... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348044/chinas-top-chip-foundry-smic-unveils-action-plan-seizing-new-growth-opportunities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348044/chinas-top-chip-foundry-smic-unveils-action-plan-seizing-new-growth-opportunities?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 03:00:08 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) is lagging behind China’s national average in basic research, despite showing strong potential in sectors such as semiconductors and smart manufacturing, according to Deloitte. The cluster of cities in southern China, which included Shenzhen, spent about 28.9 billion yuan (US$4.2 billion) on basic research in 2024, accounting for just 5.67 per cent of total spending in research and development (R&D), the consulting firm said in a report... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347992/greater-bay-area-trails-peers-basic-research-despite-strong-tech-potential-deloitte?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347992/greater-bay-area-trails-peers-basic-research-despite-strong-tech-potential-deloitte?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:00:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A new artificial intelligence algorithm developed by Google that could reduce demand for memory chips triggered a slump in global memory stocks, but analysts said it presented an opportunity for investors to “buy the dip”. Shares in memory giants including Samsung and SK Hynix fell after Google said in a blog post on Tuesday that the algorithm, called TurboQuant, reduced the memory demands of key-value (KV) caches – a crucial component of how AI models are served to users – by six times through... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348038/googles-turboquant-ai-advance-dents-memory-chip-stocks-analysts-say-buy-dip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348038/googles-turboquant-ai-advance-dents-memory-chip-stocks-analysts-say-buy-dip?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:24:11 +0000 Ben Jiang,Ann Cao Ben Jiang,Ann Cao Chinese food and on-demand delivery giant Meituan reported on Thursday its second consecutive quarterly loss since 2022, as intense competition and a prolonged price war with Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com last year squeezed margins. The company reported a 15 billion yuan (US$2.2 billion) adjusted net loss – worse than the 12.9 billion yuan average estimate by analysts – for the fourth quarter ended December 31, compared with adjusted net profit of 9.8 billion yuan a year earlier. Its... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348017/meituan-posts-second-consecutive-quarterly-loss-amid-costly-instant-commerce-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348017/meituan-posts-second-consecutive-quarterly-loss-amid-costly-instant-commerce-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:22:19 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Agentic artificial intelligence and advanced packaging technology will be key growth drivers for China’s chip industry in coming years, as the country is expected to increase its share of chipmaking capacity to nearly half of the world’s total by 2028. According to data revealed at Semicon China, the world’s largest chip industry trade show, China’s share of wafer fabrication capacity for mainstream processes was expected to reach 42 per cent of global capacity by 2028. That would mark a rapid... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347902/semicon-china-ai-advanced-packaging-set-drive-countrys-chip-industry-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347902/semicon-china-ai-advanced-packaging-set-drive-countrys-chip-industry-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:13:25 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen PDD Holdings, the Chinese e-commerce group behind Pinduoduo and global budget marketplace Temu, on Wednesday reported an 11 per cent drop in quarterly profit amid higher sales as the company continued a pivot towards greater reinvestment. Net profit for the quarter fell to 24.5 billion yuan (US$3.6 billion), missing a consensus analyst estimate of 29.1 billion yuan. Meanwhile, revenue rose 12 per cent from a year earlier to 123.9 billion yuan, aligning with a consensus analyst estimate of 123.7... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347894/pinduoduo-operator-pdds-profit-slides-chinese-firm-cites-higher-reinvestment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347894/pinduoduo-operator-pdds-profit-slides-chinese-firm-cites-higher-reinvestment?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:45:50 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China is stepping up its efforts to build Beijing and its environs, along with other major city clusters, into “international technological innovation centres”, according to a high-ranking official – part of the country’s accelerated push for tech self-sufficiency. Speaking at the opening of the state-backed Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing on Wednesday, Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang said the country would intensify its campaign to achieve “high-level self-reliance in science and technology”... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347816/china-names-beijing-other-city-clusters-global-tech-hubs-self-reliance-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347816/china-names-beijing-other-city-clusters-global-tech-hubs-self-reliance-push?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:15:20 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese self-driving technology developers continue to expand outside the mainland as WeRide seeks to launch robotaxi services this year in Hong Kong and Singapore, according to an executive. WeRide’s planned entry into Hong Kong was set to cover both robotaxis and robobuses, said senior director of public relations and marketing Maeve Zhang in a media briefing on Tuesday, without disclosing the operation areas or a launch date. Meanwhile, the Guangzhou-based company said it planned to launch... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347747/chinas-weride-eyes-hong-kong-singapore-roads-robotaxis-self-driving-giants-expand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347747/chinas-weride-eyes-hong-kong-singapore-roads-robotaxis-self-driving-giants-expand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:15:08 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding’s research arm Damo Academy has unveiled a chip designed to fuel artificial intelligence agents, as the tech giant bets on open-source RISC-V architecture to ride the wave of agentic AI. XuanTie C950, the latest flagship in Alibaba’s XuanTie RISC-V series, was introduced at the company’s annual ecosystem conference in Shanghai on Tuesday. Designed for high-performance tasks in cloud computing and AI computing, the C950 is a “CPU core” – the fundamental architecture for a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347684/alibaba-debuts-its-latest-risc-v-based-chip-amid-shift-ai-agents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347684/alibaba-debuts-its-latest-risc-v-based-chip-amid-shift-ai-agents?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 08:00:11 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi Three Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers have raised prices for some models in response to rising supply chain costs, but analysts say the increases are unlikely to be sustained given weakening domestic demand. Xiaomi became the latest manufacturer to adjust pricing on March 19, announcing that its new-generation SU7 standard version would start at 219,900 yuan (US$31,800) – a 4,000 yuan increase over the previous model. Founder and CEO Lei Jun had attributed the rise to aggressive surges in... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3347527/three-chinese-ev-makers-raise-prices-analysts-warn-weak-demand-could-force-reversal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3347527/three-chinese-ev-makers-raise-prices-analysts-warn-weak-demand-could-force-reversal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 23:30:08 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen “Tokens are the new commodity,” said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, clad in his iconic leather jacket, at the company’s annual flagship developer conference, GTC, last week in San Jose, California. The chip designer’s helmsman wants to recast his company not as a silicon vendor but as the architect of what he calls “AI [artificial intelligence] factories”, whose standard product is “token”. While Nvidia is busy writing the rules of a new token economy, a parallel debate is emerging in China around the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347495/how-china-could-dominate-ai-eras-tokenomics-vast-power-grids-and-low-cost-models?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347495/how-china-could-dominate-ai-eras-tokenomics-vast-power-grids-and-low-cost-models?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:30:22 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says the US robotics industry will have to rely on China’s supply chain despite the US pioneering the market, as the company bets on physical AI and looks to return to the Chinese market. “I think China is formidable,” Huang said when asked about the country’s rise in the robotics industry during a podcast hosted by Silicon Valley tech executives. “The reason for that is because their microelectronics, motors, rare earth and magnets – which are foundational to robotics –... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347427/nvidias-huang-calls-china-formidable-robotics-company-bets-physical-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347427/nvidias-huang-calls-china-formidable-robotics-company-bets-physical-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 10:18:16 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The Chinese founder of the massive router maker facing national security probes by the Trump administration has applied for an expedited visa under the Trump Gold Card programme, according to people familiar with the matter. California-based TP-Link Systems told the federal agencies scrutinising its operations that founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Chao had applied for permanent residency under the programme, the people said. Successful Gold Card applicants must give a US$1 million... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347222/tp-links-chinese-founder-jeffrey-chao-seeks-us1-million-trump-gold-card-visa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3347222/tp-links-chinese-founder-jeffrey-chao-seeks-us1-million-trump-gold-card-visa?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:59:25 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Alibaba Group Holding on Thursday said it aimed to generate US$100 billion in annual external revenue from its combined cloud and AI businesses within five years after disclosing for the first time the production progress of its T-Head chip unit, even as it missed its quarterly earnings estimates. “Over the past three months, token consumption on the Model Studio platform has grown by six times,” said CEO Eddie Wu Yongming on the earnings call, adding that model-as-a-service offerings would... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347177/alibaba-discloses-gpu-production-first-time-quarterly-profit-misses-estimates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347177/alibaba-discloses-gpu-production-first-time-quarterly-profit-misses-estimates?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:39:03 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Tencent Holdings pledged to double its investment in artificial intelligence products and models in 2026, a bigger bet from the tech giant as it gains greater confidence in the technology’s capability to drive future growth across its businesses. The Shenzhen-based company dedicated 18 billion yuan (US$2.6 billion) to the development of new AI products in 2025, including 7 billion yuan in the fourth quarter alone, said Tencent president Martin Lau Chi-ping at a media briefing on Wednesday. “We... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347023/chinas-tencent-meets-expectations-fourth-quarter-results-ai-wave-lifts-all-boats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347023/chinas-tencent-meets-expectations-fourth-quarter-results-ai-wave-lifts-all-boats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:52:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Nvidia is restarting ⁠the production of one of the company’s chips that is designed to comply with US export restrictions on China, CEO Jensen Huang said at a press conference on Tuesday. The company had halted ‌manufacturing last year of its H200 chip, which is based on its ageing Hopper technology, because of increasing regulatory hurdles in the US and China, according to a report at the time. Since then, Nvidia has received licences to export the H200 from the US government ⁠and has taken... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3346943/nvidia-restarting-production-china-ai-chip-variant-says-ceo-jensen-huang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3346943/nvidia-restarting-production-china-ai-chip-variant-says-ceo-jensen-huang?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 22:31:27 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui Details of the Shenzhen museum being built by Pony Ma Huateng, co-founder and CEO of internet giant Tencent Holdings, were unveiled on March 17 after months of speculation. In a public letter, Pi Li, the former head of art at Hong Kong’s Tai Kwun, revealed that he is the founding director and first employee of Rong Museum of Art, a cultural institution with around 4,500 square metres (48,400 sq ft) in total floor area that will open in 2027. The name Rong refers to the Chinese character for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3346881/tencents-pony-ma-open-museum-shenzhen-led-tai-kwuns-former-head-art-pi-li?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3346881/tencents-pony-ma-open-museum-shenzhen-led-tai-kwuns-former-head-art-pi-li?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:35:32 +0000