AMD CEO Lisa Su pushed back against concerns of an AI bubble on May 22, saying demand is "absolutely real" and that the industry remains in an early phase of growth.
US President Donald Trump abruptly called off a highly anticipated White House signing ceremony for a sweeping executive order intended to establish a federal safety vetting framework for advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models.
Microsoft is in early discussions to provide AI servers powered by its in-house Maia chips to Anthropic, deepening ties between the two companies as cloud providers race to reduce dependence on Nvidia hardware and secure a stronger position in the AI infrastructure market.
Taiwan's cabinet approved three sweeping AI policy initiatives in a single sitting on May 21, signaling a rare moment of whole-of-government alignment on artificial intelligence. The measures span regulation, workforce certification, and school-level education — a coordinated bet that getting the governance right now will determine who leads in AI later.
Amid the continued crowding-out effect of artificial intelligence (AI) demand, IC distributor WPG Holdings said memory shortages and rising prices are weakening end-product sales momentum, and forecast that smartphone and PC production will shift from flat growth to a decline in 2026.
Japan and South Korea have agreed to deepen cooperation on energy security and supply chain resilience, placing crude oil, petroleum products, LNG, and critical industrial materials at the centre of a wider effort to manage geopolitical shocks from the Middle East to North Korea.
Win Win Precision is reshaping its business around semiconductor consumables and overseas renewable energy, a strategic pivot that could tighten global supply chains and accelerate green energy deployment. Investors, manufacturers, and policymakers worldwide stand to be affected by its capacity expansion, raw-material strategies, and growing presence in Europe, Australia, and Taiwan's green-power market.
AI-driven demand and other emerging technologies kept Taiwan's export momentum strong in the first quarter of 2026, with exports reaching US$195.74 billion, rising 51% year on year. Economic growth hit 13.69%, the highest quarterly growth in 39 years. Taiwan's GDP is forecast to reach NT$32 trillion (US$1.02 trillion) in 2026.
Nvidia's record revenue, profit, and margins are masking growing strain across its supply chain, as increasingly compressed product cycles and surging AI demand force suppliers to accelerate development, boost spending, and manage rising quality risks, according to executives and industry observers tracking preparations for the company's next-generation AI platforms.
China's three major telecom operators introduced token-based billing plans in May as they packaged large-model inference resources into standardized products for consumers, developers, and enterprises, signaling a shift toward mass-market AI compute services. China Telecom rolled out a nationwide group-level token package on May 17 with tiered plans for individual and household users, developers, small and medium-sized enterprises, and ecosystem partners; its lowest-priced individual plan costs CNY9.9 (US$1.46) per month for access to 10 million tokens.
Samsung Electronics and its union signed a provisional agreement late at night, about an hour before a scheduled May 21 strike, averting an industry estimate of more than KRW100 trillion (approx. US$66.8 billion) in supply chain disruption. The deal eases an immediate labor crisis but leaves unresolved structural conflicts and rising personnel costs.
More coverage
