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 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China is ramping up its bets on space-based artificial intelligence computing with the launch of a state-backed research institute in Beijing, accelerating a frontier tech race with the US just as Elon Musk’s SpaceX eyes a record-shattering US$75 billion market debut to fund its own orbital AI ambitions. The establishment of the Beijing Space Intelligent Computing Research Institute marks a major step in the superpowers’ AI rivalry, which is increasingly extending beyond Earth as terrestrial AI... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3356102/china-launches-space-computing-hub-spacex-gears-historic-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3356102/china-launches-space-computing-hub-spacex-gears-historic-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Yao Shunyu, the former OpenAI researcher now leading Tencent Holdings’ artificial intelligence model development, pushed back against concerns that the tech giant is slow in AI, arguing that the race is just beginning with massive untapped opportunities in coding agents and embodied intelligence. “AI is a long-term game, with the second half of the race just starting,” said Yao, chief AI scientist at Tencent, comparing the current state to the development of personal computers in the 1970s. Yao... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3356090/tencents-chief-ai-scientist-dismisses-lag-concerns-says-race-long-term-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3356090/tencents-chief-ai-scientist-dismisses-lag-concerns-says-race-long-term-game?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:00:11 +0000 Zhang Shidong Zhang Shidong The artificial intelligence frenzy has made Zhongji Innolight, a supplier of optical modules to US hyperscalers, the biggest constituent of China’s stock benchmark, highlighting AI’s profound impact on the world’s second-largest equity market. The northern Shandong province-based company had a 5 per cent weighting on the CSI 300 Index on Friday, making it the largest of the 300 most valuable stocks on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges. The index’s weighting is based on the market... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3356074/ai-hyperscaler-effect-vaults-chinas-zhongji-innolight-top-csi-300-benchmark?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3356074/ai-hyperscaler-effect-vaults-chinas-zhongji-innolight-top-csi-300-benchmark?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2026 07:30:11 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Tencent Holdings is opening WeChat to smartphone artificial-intelligence agents, as the Chinese tech giant fights to keep the app’s 1.4 billion users locked into its ecosystem in the AI era. The new feature would allow a phone’s built-in voice assistant to send messages or start voice and video calls inside WeChat, according to a report on Thursday by Chinese financial news outlet Yicai. WeChat had been working with the country’s biggest phone makers – including Huawei Technologies, Honor,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355953/wechat-take-commands-ai-assistants-major-shift-tencent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355953/wechat-take-commands-ai-assistants-major-shift-tencent?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:00:17 +0000 Wency Chen,Ben Jiang Wency Chen,Ben Jiang Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek is finalising its first external fundraising round, securing over 50 billion yuan (US$7.4 billion) at a valuation of just under US$60 billion, according to people familiar with the matter – marking a six-fold leap from its US$10 billion valuation in April. The blockbuster round highlights intensifying global competition and a shifting strategy for the AI breakout star, which had previously resisted external capital. Market-oriented investors and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355818/deepseek-nears-us7b-haul-first-ever-funding-round-backing-tencent-catl?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355818/deepseek-nears-us7b-haul-first-ever-funding-round-backing-tencent-catl?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:00:41 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow ByteDance risks throwing away its lead in China’s fierce market for consumer artificial intelligence by monetising too early, according to analysts, after its flagship chatbot Doubao shed millions of users following a sneak peek at paid-subscription tiers. The assessment follows a 6.1 million drop in Doubao’s monthly active users (MAUs) in May – a rare slump for the app since its 2023 launch – after it teased its first-ever subscription options, according to data released on Wednesday by global... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355782/china-ready-pay-ai-bytedances-doubao-loses-6-million-users?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355782/china-ready-pay-ai-bytedances-doubao-loses-6-million-users?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 05:59:48 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Meituan is set to reap a sizeable financial windfall from its investments in frontier tech – including in fast-rising artificial intelligence company Zhipu AI – offering the Chinese food-delivery giant a timely boost after consecutive loss-making quarters. On Monday, Meituan posted an adjusted net loss of 4.97 billion yuan (US$735 million) for the three months ended March 31, marking its third consecutive losing quarter. At the same time, the company disclosed that its investments in firms like... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355723/us1b-windfall-how-meituans-bets-ai-robotics-outshine-quarterly-loss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355723/us1b-windfall-how-meituans-bets-ai-robotics-outshine-quarterly-loss?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:00:12 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Alibaba Group Holding chief technology officer (CTO) Wu Zeming has joined the company’s elite steering committee, joining co-founders Jack Ma and Joe Tsai in playing a central role in formulating the tech empire’s strategy. According to Alibaba’s website, the other members of the committee of the Alibaba Partnership are group CEO Eddie Wu Yongming and Jiang Fan, CEO of the e-commerce business unit. Born in 1982, the CTO represents a younger generation of tech executives climbing Alibaba’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355716/alibaba-elevates-tech-chief-wu-zeming-elite-committee-ai-push-ramps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355716/alibaba-elevates-tech-chief-wu-zeming-elite-committee-ai-push-ramps?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A renowned artificial intelligence researcher who spearheaded foundational AI research for TikTok owner ByteDance has announced his departure from the company. The unexpected development comes as the firm is increasingly looking to monetise its core AI offerings, including subscription plans for its flagship consumer AI app Doubao. Gu Quanquan, also an associate professor of computer science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), announced his departure from ByteDance on social... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355677/bytedance-loses-key-ai-research-leader-behind-seed-models-amid-monetisation-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355677/bytedance-loses-key-ai-research-leader-behind-seed-models-amid-monetisation-push?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:01:21 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Shares of Tencent Holdings surged 10 per cent on Tuesday, driven by investor optimism over reports that the Chinese tech giant is close to launching an artificial intelligence agent within its super app WeChat. Tencent was testing a prototype AI agent for the WeChat ecosystem, which boasts 1.4 billion active users, and planned to start the compliance process as soon as this month for a public launch, according to a report by the Financial Times on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources. The company... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355651/tencent-shares-jump-expectations-ai-agent-within-wechat-super-app?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355651/tencent-shares-jump-expectations-ai-agent-within-wechat-super-app?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 05:45:29 +0000 Daisy Wu Daisy Wu Enterprises across the Asia-Pacific region are investing heavily in artificial intelligence with limited evaluation of its effectiveness, driven largely by fears of being left behind, according to a survey released on Tuesday. Some 37 per cent of organisations in the region admitted to investing aggressively in AI with little assessment of outcomes – nearly double the global average of 20 per cent – according to the report by market consultancy International Data Corporation, commissioned by... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3355642/fear-missing-out-why-asia-pacific-firms-pour-money-ai-despite-scant-returns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3355642/fear-missing-out-why-asia-pacific-firms-pour-money-ai-despite-scant-returns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 05:15:29 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Unitree Robotics, one of the leading forces in mainland China’s booming humanoid robot sector, has cleared a major hurdle for its highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) after passing a listing committee hearing on Monday. The Hangzhou-based company filed to list on Shanghai’s Star Market on March 20. Following two rounds of regulatory inquiries and an on-site inspection, the hearing approval opens the door for the IPO to proceed to registration and issuance. Unitree said it aimed to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355538/unitree-clears-key-hurdle-shanghai-ipo-chinas-humanoid-robot-wave-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355538/unitree-clears-key-hurdle-shanghai-ipo-chinas-humanoid-robot-wave-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:17:28 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Chinese food and on-demand delivery giant Meituan reported its third consecutive quarterly loss as competition in the country’s food delivery market appears to be easing but broader rivalry across the local service sector continues to weigh on margins. Meituan’s revenue in the three months ended March rose 5.6 per cent year on year to 91 billion yuan (US$13.45 billion), the company said in an earnings release on Monday. The company reported an adjusted net loss of 4.97 billion yuan for the first... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355556/meituan-reports-third-consecutive-quarterly-loss-rivalry-food-delivery-hits-margins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355556/meituan-reports-third-consecutive-quarterly-loss-rivalry-food-delivery-hits-margins?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:14:28 +0000 Vincent Chow,Ann Cao Vincent Chow,Ann Cao Nvidia has partnered with Chinese robotics champion Unitree Robotics and Singapore robotic hand maker Sharpa to release a new humanoid robot reference design to accelerate innovation in the global humanoid industry, the US chip giant’s CEO, Jensen Huang, announced on Monday. The new design, called H2+ or Isaac GR00T, will support industry-wide humanoid robotics research by streamlining the full development workflow for developers, including data collection, policy training and real-world... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355402/nvidia-unitree-and-sharpa-unite-design-humanoid-robot-can-perform-real-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355402/nvidia-unitree-and-sharpa-unite-design-humanoid-robot-can-perform-real-work?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 05:30:25 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A new Chinese artificial intelligence agent platform is looking to replicate the “lobster craze” sparked by AI agent tool OpenClaw earlier this year, while avoiding some of the privacy and security risks associated with the open-source software. MuleRun, developed by Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group Holding, offers a one-stop service for users to access a range of different AI agents. The platform, showcased at the Alibaba Cloud summit on May 20, has been billed as an “always-on AI workforce”... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355175/why-mulerun-could-be-next-craze-new-alibaba-ai-agent-platform-promises-safer-adoption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3355175/why-mulerun-could-be-next-craze-new-alibaba-ai-agent-platform-promises-safer-adoption?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 13:00:06 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Researchers at Peking University have claimed a breakthrough in microchip design software, purportedly offering critical support to Huawei Technologies as the tech giant attempts to build cutting-edge semiconductors despite US-led trade restrictions. The innovation, unveiled on Tuesday, comes in the form of a prototype tool for electronic design automation (EDA), according to an announcement by the university’s School of Integrated Circuits. EDA is the highly specialised software that engineers... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3355066/peking-university-unveils-3d-design-tool-power-huaweis-chip-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3355066/peking-university-unveils-3d-design-tool-power-huaweis-chip-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Iris Deng,Ann Cao Iris Deng,Ann Cao Huawei Technologies’ unveiling of a chip architectural workaround to bypass US sanctions marks a major step towards China’s semiconductor self-sufficiency, giving Beijing powerful new leverage in its tech tug of war with Washington, analysts say. The Chinese tech giant captured global attention on Monday by introducing the new Tau (τ) Scaling Law, which it said lay the groundwork for Huawei to achieve transistor density equivalent to a 1.4-nanometre process in high-end chips by 2031. If proven,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354938/another-deepseek-moment-huawei-milestone-alters-china-trajectory-chip-race-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354938/another-deepseek-moment-huawei-milestone-alters-china-trajectory-chip-race-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2026 03:00:09 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Chinese fintech giant Ant Group is betting its future on a world where smart glasses are able to autonomously order, customise and pay for your coffee before you even step into a cafe. The Hangzhou-based company on Tuesday launched a new suite of artificial intelligence payment tools, aiming to position its ubiquitous Alipay network as the foundational transaction infrastructure for an emerging wave of autonomous AI agents capable of shopping, booking services and completing payments on behalf... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3354876/alipay-launches-payment-tools-ai-agents-shop-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3354876/alipay-launches-payment-tools-ai-agents-shop-you?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 07:31:24 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen On the first leg of his four-day China visit, Pakistan’s prime minister – famed for “Sharif speed”, a term describing his swift execution of development projects – met his match in a leading AI tool. Shehbaz Sharif, keen on accelerating his nation’s digital economy with the help of Chinese firms, issued a surprise request during his visit to Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou on Sunday afternoon. “I want a comprehensive strategic agreement,” Sharif challenged Joe Tsai, Alibaba Group chairman,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354778/alibabas-qwen-catches-sharif-speed-help-forge-pakistan-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354778/alibabas-qwen-catches-sharif-speed-help-forge-pakistan-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 11:30:05 +0000 Ann Cao,Iris Deng Ann Cao,Iris Deng Huawei Technologies has unveiled a new scaling law and chip architecture intended to deliver transistor performance equivalent to a 1.4-nanometre process node – representing the leading edge of semiconductor development – in a few years without relying on advances in lithography tools. The move represents a significant step by the Chinese tech giant to establish a self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem. The company claims the new Tau (τ) Scaling Law, which was presented on Monday by He Tingbo,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3354710/huawei-unveils-new-scaling-law-and-tech-can-develop-14-nm-equivalent-chips-2031?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3354710/huawei-unveils-new-scaling-law-and-tech-can-develop-14-nm-equivalent-chips-2031?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 01:30:20 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Xiaomi is betting on artificial intelligence to future-proof its sprawling hardware empire, pouring massive resources into open-source models to ensure its next generation of smartphones and electric vehicles (EVs) does not get left behind in an AI-driven market. The Beijing-based firm’s latest AI model, MiMo-V2.5-Pro, introduced last month, was ranked by third-party benchmark platform Artificial Analysis as the world’s top open-source model for agentic capabilities – referring to an AI system’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354556/how-xiaomis-push-ai-chips-and-evs-future-proofing-its-hardware-empire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354556/how-xiaomis-push-ai-chips-and-evs-future-proofing-its-hardware-empire?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 01:00:11 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek’s latest flagship model has been ranked as one of the world’s best on an intelligence-per-dollar basis, far exceeding those from US heavyweights OpenAI and Anthropic in cost-efficiency after a 75 per cent promotional price cut was made permanent. The Hangzhou-based start-up announced the permanent price cut for its V4 Pro model on Saturday, a month after it released the long-awaited V4 generation, which comprises the flagship V4 Pro model and its... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3354668/deepseek-v4-pro-tops-global-bang-buck-ranking-after-75-price-cut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3354668/deepseek-v4-pro-tops-global-bang-buck-ranking-after-75-price-cut?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren A liquidity drain caused by SpaceX’s gargantuan US share sale is unlikely to ripple into regional markets, including Hong Kong, thanks to global investors’ push to diversify and their growing interest in future profit stars, according to JPMorgan. Hong Kong could still aim for the runner-up position in fundraising this year despite potentially giving up the global initial public offering (IPO) crown to New York, said Paul Uren, the US bank’s Asia-Pacific investment banking head, on... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354467/liquidity-drain-spacexs-mega-listing-unlikely-ripple-hong-kong-jpmorgan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3354467/liquidity-drain-spacexs-mega-listing-unlikely-ripple-hong-kong-jpmorgan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s top economic planner denied pressuring domestic tech companies to turn down foreign investment amid rising concerns sparked by its recent blocking of Facebook owner Meta Platforms’ proposed buyout of Chinese-founded AI start-up Manus. “We have never required Chinese tech firms not to accept foreign investment,” Li Chao, spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said at a press conference on Friday. “We support Chinese firms to integrate into the global... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3354547/despite-blocking-metas-manus-deal-china-says-door-open-foreign-tech-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3354547/despite-blocking-metas-manus-deal-china-says-door-open-foreign-tech-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 10:30:04 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow For years, Liu Wei was synonymous with Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings’ artificial intelligence efforts. A distinguished scientist at the Shenzhen-based company, Liu was also head of its Hunyuan team, the firm’s foundational model development unit for the generative AI era. But in late 2024, Liu’s departure from Tencent after more than eight years sparked immediate speculation as to why he left. Hunyuan was introduced only a year earlier – so why did Liu suddenly quit one of China’s most... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354394/china-losing-llm-race-it-can-still-win-ai-ex-tencent-ai-lead-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354394/china-losing-llm-race-it-can-still-win-ai-ex-tencent-ai-lead-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Alibaba Group Holding’s heavy investments in artificial intelligence have moved beyond the “initial” phase and entered “full-scale commercialisation”, the Chinese e-commerce and cloud computing giant says in a shareholder letter as it doubles down on AI as its next major growth engine. “We expect the addressable market for companies like Alibaba that provide full-stack AI capabilities is poised to grow exponentially,” chairman Joe Tsai and CEO Eddie Wu Yongming said in a joint shareholder letter... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354324/alibaba-signals-next-phase-ai-growth-investment-commercialisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354324/alibaba-signals-next-phase-ai-growth-investment-commercialisation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 06:00:41 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Alibaba Group Holding unveiled a sweeping suite of new artificial intelligence products spanning models, cloud infrastructure and chips on Wednesday, positioning itself to become China’s “AI factory” as autonomous agents gain prominence. Speaking at the Alibaba Cloud Summit in Hangzhou, Liu Weiguang, senior vice-president of Alibaba’s cloud computing unit, framed AI as a new form of manufacturing that generates revenue through “training and inference factories”. “What we’re building is China’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354212/alibaba-unveils-new-qwen-model-custom-chips-bid-become-chinas-ai-factory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354212/alibaba-unveils-new-qwen-model-custom-chips-bid-become-chinas-ai-factory?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 08:28:04 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese artificial intelligence heavyweight DeepSeek has recruited a former Jane Street star engineer to its new AI “harness” team, as it looks to ensure it does not fall behind in the agentic AI era. Cui Tianyi joined the Hangzhou start-up in March, according to a post on his LinkedIn profile on Tuesday, after four years at Hong Kong-based quantitative trading firm TSY Capital, which he co-founded in 2022. The engineer previously spent nearly nine years as a software developer and researcher at... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354113/deepseek-recruits-former-jane-street-engineer-catch-ai-agents-revenue-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354113/deepseek-recruits-former-jane-street-engineer-catch-ai-agents-revenue-race?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 10:30:28 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee The AI-driven “super cycle” in memory chips may lose momentum by 2028 as Chinese chipmakers aggressively expand production and global tech firms curb spending, a Samsung Electronics executive adviser said. “South Korea’s memory chip industry is performing very strongly this year and some forecasts suggest conditions could improve further next year,” adviser Kyung Kye-hyun said at a forum hosted by the National Academy of Engineering of Korea. “But caution is needed for 2027, particularly... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3354099/chinas-rapid-chipmaking-expansion-threatens-ai-memory-chip-boom-samsung-adviser-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3354099/chinas-rapid-chipmaking-expansion-threatens-ai-memory-chip-boom-samsung-adviser-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 09:30:11 +0000 Coco Feng,Ben Jiang Coco Feng,Ben Jiang Moonshot AI, the Chinese AI unicorn behind the popular Kimi chatbot, has informed shareholders that it intends to dismantle its offshore structure to pave the way for an initial public offering, likely in Hong Kong, according to people familiar with the matter. The Beijing-based start-up, with assets held by a Cayman Islands parent company, has proposed a plan to remove its variable interest entity (VIE) structure. The company sought feedback from investors this week, the two sources said,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354078/chinas-moonshot-ai-moves-unwind-offshore-structure-ipo-pursuit-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3354078/chinas-moonshot-ai-moves-unwind-offshore-structure-ipo-pursuit-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 07:35:47 +0000 Ben Jiang,Iris Deng Ben Jiang,Iris Deng Baidu has reached a historic milestone as its artificial intelligence businesses surged to become its primary revenue driver in the first quarter, despite a 2 per cent dip in overall income, the Chinese tech giant said on Monday. The company’s AI-related businesses, including AI cloud, AI applications and AI marketing services, saw revenue grow to 13.6 billion yuan (US$2 billion), a 49 per cent year-on-year increase. “AI-powered business exceeded half of Baidu’s general business revenue for the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353928/baidu-says-ai-now-primary-revenue-driver-despite-2-drop-first-quarter-revenue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353928/baidu-says-ai-now-primary-revenue-driver-despite-2-drop-first-quarter-revenue?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 09:57:52 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu For years, mobile carriers have billed users by the gigabyte. Now, China’s telecoms giants are seeking to monetise the artificial intelligence boom by introducing a new unit of measurement to monthly bills: the AI token. On Sunday, China Telecom unveiled nationwide, token-based pricing packages aimed at a range of customers – from casual users to developers and businesses – according to information listed on the company’s app. Consumer packages, tailored for everyday tasks, start at 9.9 yuan... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353954/forget-cellular-data-chinas-telecoms-giants-are-selling-ai-token-plans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3353954/forget-cellular-data-chinas-telecoms-giants-are-selling-ai-token-plans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 08:09:08 +0000 Ben Jiang,Iris Deng Ben Jiang,Iris Deng China’s technology titans from Alibaba Group Holding to Tencent Holdings are locked in a race to decide who will own the digital front door of the future, as they pour billions of dollars into generative artificial intelligence, betting that whoever builds the most seamless AI-powered gateway will influence how the country’s 1.4 billion people shop, work, and communicate. Over the past decades, the gateway to the internet has shifted form – from the early web portals to the search engine era,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353869/chinese-tech-giants-alibaba-tencent-race-dominate-ai-powered-digital-gateways?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353869/chinese-tech-giants-alibaba-tencent-race-dominate-ai-powered-digital-gateways?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen China is stepping up construction of a “national computing network”, aiming to turn artificial intelligence infrastructure into a public utility as token usage surges and telecoms operators seek new growth engines beyond mobile data and phone bills. The push was highlighted by national broadcaster China Central Television and state-backed Xinhua news agency, which described the network as a “computing version of the state grid”. The reports likened tokens – the basic units of text, code and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353891/china-ramps-building-national-computing-power-network-ai-token-demand-surges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353891/china-ramps-building-national-computing-power-network-ai-token-demand-surges?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao US President Donald Trump invested millions of dollars in Apple and Nvidia in the first quarter, according to financial disclosures released as he was wrapping up his first state visit to China since 2017. According to a filing disclosed by the US Office of Government Ethics on Thursday, Trump increased investment in Apple and Nvidia, whose CEOs were part of the president’s high-profile business delegation to Beijing this week, during the first three months of 2026. In the first quarter, the US... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353752/trump-poured-millions-nvidia-apple-first-quarter-ethics-filing-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353752/trump-poured-millions-nvidia-apple-first-quarter-ethics-filing-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 12:30:57 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A star Chinese researcher laid off by Facebook owner Meta Platforms has co-founded a start-up focused on self-improving artificial intelligence systems, joining a wave of US and Chinese firms developing models capable of autonomously refining their own code and reasoning. Tian Yuandong, former research scientist director at Meta’s FAIR (Fundamental AI Research) team, launched Recursive Superintelligence alongside seven other co-founders. The company said on Wednesday it had raised more than... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353576/ex-meta-chinese-star-researcher-joins-race-self-improving-ai-us46b-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353576/ex-meta-chinese-star-researcher-joins-race-self-improving-ai-us46b-start?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 13:30:05 +0000 Ann Cao,Howard Liu Ann Cao,Howard Liu China’s leading semiconductor foundries, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) and Hua Hong Semiconductor, expect their second-quarter sales to rise amid a dynamic global market defined by surging artificial intelligence demand and a memory supply crunch, while Hua Hong said it hopes this week’s Xi-Trump meetings could help relax US export controls. SMIC expected its second-quarter revenue to range between US$2.86 billion and US$2.91 billion, up from US$2.51 billion in the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353594/chinese-foundries-smic-hua-hong-forecast-second-quarter-growth-amid-ai-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353594/chinese-foundries-smic-hua-hong-forecast-second-quarter-growth-amid-ai-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 12:27:33 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings are doubling down on a massive artificial intelligence spending spree, betting that a new wave of Chinese-made chips will break the supply bottlenecks stifling their ambitions. While both Chinese tech giants saw revenues trail expectations this past quarter, they pledged an aggressive acceleration in capital expenditure, as home-grown silicon from Huawei Technologies and Alibaba’s in-house labs begins to reach scale. Alibaba was likely to “overshoot”... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353573/alibaba-tencent-signal-ai-spending-surge-despite-earnings-pressure-china-chips-ramp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353573/alibaba-tencent-signal-ai-spending-surge-despite-earnings-pressure-china-chips-ramp?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 10:02:45 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Shares of Alibaba Group Holding opened up 7.8 per cent in Hong Kong, after the firm reported strong growth from its artificial intelligence products and ramped up its commitment to the technology. The Chinese tech giant also saw its New York-listed shares surge 8.2 per cent on Wednesday, closing at US$145.81, after it confirmed that revenues from AI-related products had hit 8.97 billion yuan (US$1.3 billion) in the first quarter. The company said the segment had now registered triple-digit... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353487/alibaba-shares-surge-8-new-york-firm-accelerates-pivot-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353487/alibaba-shares-surge-8-new-york-firm-accelerates-pivot-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 01:19:53 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding expects its annualised recurring revenue from AI models and applications to hit 30 billion yuan (US$4.42 billion) by the year’s end, as the company ramps up its AI commitment. AI products are projected to generate more than 50 per cent of Alibaba’s cloud-computing revenue within the next year, as the tech giant looks to step up its AI monetisation efforts. Alibaba CEO Eddie Wu Yongming said the company was likely to “overshoot” the original capital-expenditure target of 380... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353451/alibaba-ai-revenue-logs-triple-digit-growth-11th-quarter-amid-strategic-reshuffle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353451/alibaba-ai-revenue-logs-triple-digit-growth-11th-quarter-amid-strategic-reshuffle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 10:57:52 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Facing scrutiny and persistent questions over its track record in artificial intelligence, Tencent Holdings’ co-founder and CEO Pony Ma Huateng offered this candid assessment to shareholders on Wednesday: “A year ago we thought we were on the boat, then we found it was leaking.” Speaking at the firm’s annual general meeting at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong, Ma signalled the beginnings of a turnaround, saying that the company had finally found its footing but was “not yet seated”, according... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3353445/tencents-misses-first-quarter-revenue-estimates-bets-ai-new-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3353445/tencents-misses-first-quarter-revenue-estimates-bets-ai-new-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 10:38:25 +0000 Xinmei Shen Xinmei Shen Driven by global appetite for artificial intelligence, China’s computing hardware exports have emerged as a pivotal new engine for growth, providing Beijing with strategic leverage as US tech titans accompany President Donald Trump on a high-stakes visit to the Chinese capital this week, according to analysts. Chinese trade received another significant boost from the technology sector in April, as integrated circuit (IC) export value doubled year on year to US$31.09 billion, according to data... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353300/ai-engine-chinas-booming-tech-exports-give-beijing-wind-its-sails-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353300/ai-engine-chinas-booming-tech-exports-give-beijing-wind-its-sails-trump-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 15:30:05 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao The founder of China’s largest contract chipmaker has urged the country’s semiconductor industry to pursue breakthroughs in niche markets such as mature chips, citing their importance for “supply chain security”. Richard Chang Rugin, 78, former CEO of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), cautioned against blindly chasing industry hype around cutting-edge process nodes. The industry veteran stressed the value of investing in mature nodes and specialty processes, which accounted... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353188/chinese-chip-pioneer-calls-focus-pragmatic-breakthroughs-over-chasing-2nm-hype?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353188/chinese-chip-pioneer-calls-focus-pragmatic-breakthroughs-over-chasing-2nm-hype?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 23:30:06 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen China ranked third in a new global index measuring competitiveness in AI for biotechnology, healthcare and longevity, as the race to apply AI moves from chatbots and general-purpose models into regulated, data-heavy industries such as drug discovery, diagnostics and preventive medicine. The latest edition of the Global AI Competitiveness Index, released on Monday by Deep Knowledge Group, a consortium focused on deep-tech research, analytics and investment, ranked China behind only the US and UK... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353081/china-ranks-third-global-index-ai-competitiveness-life-sciences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3353081/china-ranks-third-global-index-ai-competitiveness-life-sciences?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 07:00:26 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President ⁠Donald Trump’s administration is nearing a US$400 million settlement with TikTok to resolve an ongoing lawsuit over alleged child-privacy violations, ABC News has reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. The White House declined to comment, referring questions to the Justice Department, ‌which did not immediately comment. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment. The settlement monies would be used to fund Trump’s “beautification” projects in Washington, sources... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352963/us-nears-us400-million-settlement-tiktok-child-privacy-violations-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352963/us-nears-us400-million-settlement-tiktok-child-privacy-violations-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 20:38:00 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics said on Wednesday it would end sales of all home appliance products in mainland China, retreating further from a consumer market increasingly dominated by domestic rivals as the group doubles down on its far more profitable semiconductor business. Samsung’s home appliance portfolio in China includes televisions, monitors, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, vacuum cleaners and air purifiers. In a notice published on its official... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3352690/samsung-halts-all-home-appliance-sales-china-pivot-ai-accelerates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3352690/samsung-halts-all-home-appliance-sales-china-pivot-ai-accelerates?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 02:48:28 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang The release of DeepSeek’s latest large language model, V4, has been followed by a wave of adoption among domestic semiconductor manufacturers and artificial intelligence chipmakers, with firms racing to support the model on local hardware platforms. The shift comes amid rising geopolitical tensions over advanced semiconductors. Here are some of the key players enabling the model’s deployment on domestic hardware. Huawei Huawei Technologies was among the first to act, with the V4 fully adapted to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3352644/chinas-chipmakers-rush-embrace-deepseeks-v4-which-names-stand-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3352644/chinas-chipmakers-rush-embrace-deepseeks-v4-which-names-stand-out?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Companies listed in mainland China have reached a historic milestone in their global operations. Total overseas revenues hit a record, with electronic and automobile giants such as Foxconn Technology Group and BYD among the top performers. Total overseas revenues of A-share companies approached 12.4 trillion yuan (US$1.8 trillion) last year, accounting for nearly 17 per cent of their total income – both figures representing all-time highs, according to data from state-backed newspaper Securities... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3352632/foxconn-byd-among-top-exporters-chinese-listed-firms-hit-overseas-revenue-milestone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3352632/foxconn-byd-among-top-exporters-chinese-listed-firms-hit-overseas-revenue-milestone?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 10:05:14 +0000 Wency Chen,Vincent Chow Wency Chen,Vincent Chow China and the United States are taking divergent paths to developing artificial intelligence (AI), putting their technology ecosystems increasingly at odds. This divergence was on show on April 24 when start-up DeepSeek launched its next-generation V4 AI models that were optimised for use with the Ascend chips and associated software tools of tech giant Huawei Technologies. China has for years been pursuing technological self-reliance, a policy reiterated by the Communist Party’s Politburo at... https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3352563/ai-ecosystems-china-and-us-grow-apart-amid-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3352563/ai-ecosystems-china-and-us-grow-apart-amid-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 04:15:04 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu China’s chip champions channelled a larger proportion of revenue into research and development (R&D) than their US peers, first-quarter earnings show, as Beijing presses ahead with its tech self-reliance drive amid an artificial intelligence boom. Beijing-based Moore Threads spent half of its revenue on R&D in the quarter ended March 2026, while Shanghai-based MetaX spent 45 per cent over the same period, according to exchange filings. By contrast, US chipmakers such as AMD and Intel have... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3352533/chinas-chipmakers-pour-revenue-rd-outpacing-us-ratios?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3352533/chinas-chipmakers-pour-revenue-rd-outpacing-us-ratios?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 02:30:05 +0000