Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping energy systems by enhancing their resilience, efficiency, and sustainability. The relationship between AI and energy is reciprocal: AI relies on reliable and clean electricity, while energy infrastructure increasingly depends on AI for improved forecasting, maintenance, and operational control. This evolving synergy is providing competitive advantages to industries and governments globally
SoftBank's investment in Intel may look routine, but it has sent ripples through tech and geopolitics. The move shows Washington taking a more active hand in the semiconductor race. A country that once championed free-market capitalism now leans on tactics more commonly associated with Beijing's state-driven model
The launch of the Pixel 10 series marks the tenth anniversary of Google's Pixel brand. Over the past decade, the company's smartphone venture has highlighted persistent shortcomings in hardware sales and market execution
History shows that past productivity improvements have always been accompanied by high-density energy conversion and industrial efficiency enhancements: from hydropower, steam, electrification, automobiles and oil, to IT and the internet, and now AI
As automotive computing platforms increasingly demand higher performance, longer lifespans, and near-zero defect rates, chip architecture faces the challenge of balancing system reliability with cost efficiency under stringent automotive standards. Chiplets are emerging as a pivotal pathway to meet these requirements
Reports that Chinese automaker BYD may enter the Taiwanese market through indirect channels have sparked widespread debate, reflecting growing interest—alongside skepticism—toward Chinese electric vehicles (EVs). While some Taiwanese consumers are intrigued by the value proposition, many industry experts remain wary of potential safety and privacy risks
US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick recently stated in interviews that the government should not only offer free subsidies but also acquire non-voting stakes to safeguard American taxpayers' interests. A spokesperson from the White House confirmed that discussions are ongoing with Intel regarding a deal for a 10% equity stake
As the US government seriously considers taking a stake in Intel, the company faces more than just a simple transaction; it has become a strategic industry bet. Once the semiconductor leader, Intel's lagging advanced process technology has gradually eroded its ability to compete with TSMC and Samsung Electronics at the 7nm, 5nm, and even upcoming 2nm nodes. Meanwhile, construction delays at the Ohio wafer fab have hindered the US government's carefully crafted blueprint for domestic advanced manufacturing from materializing
Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors are on the brink of a major transformation. Once hailed as the rising star among third-generation semiconductors, this technology has fallen from grace due to intense price competition in the Chinese market. Now, with global GaN foundry leader TSMC announcing its withdrawal by mid-2027, the entire industry is entering an early era of fragmentation reminiscent of the Warring States period
Like advanced AI processors, high-bandwidth memory (HBM) has been a target of US export curbs under former President Joe Biden. HBM capacity and bandwidth shape the speed and efficiency of AI training and inference. From Nvidia's H100 to the GB200, HBM capacity has grown 2.4 times and bandwidth 2.6 times. Despite that, China still lacks self-developed HBM and cutting-edge AI chips, which have been left exposed to Washington's pressure points
US President Donald Trump recently announced that semiconductor tariffs could reach 300%, yet this has not triggered panic in the chip industry. Supply chain players stress that the market's primary concern is the impact on TSMC, but in reality, whether the tariff rate is 100%, 300%, or even 500%, the US risks mostly harming itself
Rising AI startups, including OpenAI and Perplexity, have shown interest in acquiring the Google Chrome browser, with Perplexity offering US$34.5 billion. Yahoo has also expressed acquisition intentions. However, Google has not indicated any willingness to sell Chrome, despite ongoing antitrust pressures
Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technology has sued US chipmaking equipment leader Applied Materials in a Chinese court, seeking nearly CNY100 million (approx. US$13.9 million) in damages for alleged trade secret misappropriation. Beyond the immediate legal battle, the case signals a strategic shift: Chinese semiconductor equipment firms, once largely reactive in disputes, are now asserting themselves on the global stage
Over the past five years, Huawei's drive to localize smartphone components has shifted from a crisis response into a calculated, strategic effort to build a self-reliant supply chain. With the Kirin 9030 set to debut in the Mate 80, the series is widely seen as a near-fully domestic flagship, a culmination of Huawei's transformation from relying on stopgaps to reshaping its position in the industry
