As GenAI accelerates, e-commerce is shifting from traditional traffic management toward AI-assisted shopping and intelligent operations. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) e-commerce platform Shopline said its gross merchandise value (GMV) grew 20% in 2026 from 2025, 2.5 times the market average, highlighting strong performance amid intense retail competition.

As interest rates fluctuate, bond yields rise, and Chinese AI models intensify competition, market attention is shifting from technological development and infrastructure expansion to investment returns and long-term debt-servicing capacity. The AI industry continues to attract capital but must also prove that its business models can generate profits.

The focus of the global AI race has shifted from securing advanced chips to securing access to electricity, with electrical power now becoming the deciding factor for computing capacity. As power consumption surges at AI data centers (AIDCs), conventional public grids are increasingly facing bottlenecks, and self-generation and improved grid resilience are now requirements in major data center construction projects worldwide.

Investment in AI data centers remains strong, but semiconductor growth is becoming increasingly concentrated in cloud AI, while the long-running decline in consumer technology prices has come to an abrupt halt. At a SEMICON West 2026 industry outlook session, Duncan Meldrum, an economist at Hilltop Economics, warned that the shift is putting additional pressure on the broader semiconductor market.

As artificial intelligence increasingly blurs the boundary between the digital and physical worlds, complications associated with real-world deployment — particularly the extreme variability of physical environments — are emerging as a subtler configuration challenge in the industry spotlight.

As Manus, one of China's more distinctive AI startups, became entangled in the high-profile unwinding of its acquisition by Meta, the startup's failed attempt to capture opportunities beyond China left the industry speculating about its next steps after an abrupt regulatory reversal.

AI is clearly making an enormous impact on the global economy, with capabilities extending from language chatbots to agentic teams and the physical realm within just a few years. A new report by consulting firm Bain takes stock of AI's effects on businesses so far and projects how it could shape the near future.

Taiwan's optical communications suppliers posted a sharp revenue increase in September 2026, far outpacing major power supply manufacturers in percentage growth as demand for faster data center connectivity continued to expand. The six optical suppliers tracked by DIGITIMES reported combined revenue of NT$3.73 billion (approx. US$116 million), up 90.2% year-over-year and 16.4% from August.

LINE Taiwan marked its 15th year in the market with a strategy shift that signals broader ambitions beyond messaging. The company is expanding into AI-powered daily services, aiming to connect users, brands, and merchants through agentic AI tools, while also strengthening account security and anti-fraud defenses.

Qualcomm has historically provided standard chips primarily through its Snapdragon product line, serving a broad range of end customers. After officially launching its Dragonfly data center product line in June 2026, the company expanded its business to include multiple hyperscalers.

Anthropic plans to place new data centers in Australia away from densely populated areas, using renewable energy and previously developed sites to reduce conflicts with residents. The US artificial intelligence company is evaluating proposals from state and local governments competing for its investment, while expanding computing capacity in the country.