Computex 2026 closed last week with physical AI among its central themes, and robots emerging as one of the clearest ways to demonstrate it. Yet, unlike CES, where robot makers competed to showcase their hardware, Computex presented a different picture: AI computing platforms, edge inference, physical AI architectures, and the ecosystems behind robots took center stage.

After concluding a meeting with SK Group on the morning of June 8, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang traveled to LG Group's headquarters, the LG Twin Towers in Seoul's Yeouido district, for a formal meeting with LG Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. The discussions underscored a widening strategic partnership between the two companies across robotics, AI infrastructure, mobility technologies, and advanced AI development.

Apple's annual developer conference on June 8 served as a long-awaited stage for the company to lay out its artificial intelligence (AI) roadmap, headlined by a rebuilt Siri called Siri AI and a broader set of Apple Intelligence updates. Reaction from analysts and industry watchers was broadly cautious but not dismissive — a recurring theme being that Apple has moved in the right direction, but the most consequential capabilities remain months away from reaching consumers.

Apple unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its artificial intelligence offering at WWDC 2026 on June 8, but two of its most important markets — China and the EU — will not receive the full suite of new features at launch. The reasons differ significantly between the two regions, and industry watchers say the gap poses a strategic risk for a company whose AI pitch depends on delivering a consistent, platform-wide experience.

On June 8, Apple launched its most ambitious AI initiative to date, integrating the next generation of Apple Intelligence across its entire ecosystem. Featuring a groundbreaking partnership with Google and a privacy-focused architecture, the company introduced Siri AI, an advanced conversational assistant, alongside major software updates like macOS Golden Gate and iOS 27.

Taiwan's leading server manufacturers reported strong May sales, underscoring how global AI infrastructure spending is reshaping demand for data center hardware. The gains point to continued momentum in the second and third quarters, even as notebook markets remain weak and broader personal computer demand remains subdued.

Passive component prices are staying elevated as AI continues to drive demand, with industry sources saying pricing in 2026 will remain at high levels. Panasonic is set to launch a new round of price increases in July, mainly for its SP-Cap capacitor products, with hikes ranging from 5% to 30% depending on the specification.

Microsoft is rethinking how the costs of artificial intelligence (AI) are distributed, with global implications for enterprise software pricing, cloud spending, and device strategy. Satya Nadella said the company wants Windows PCs and edge hardware to absorb more compute work, as rising cloud bills push AI economics toward a hybrid model.

Nvidia's move to expand AI-powered PCs could reshape where global consumers and companies use artificial intelligence, shifting more work onto local devices rather than cloud services. The timing matters because handset demand is weakening rapidly, and the industry is confronting higher costs, weaker upgrade demand, and a more difficult global outlook.

Nvidia and Microsoft have teamed up to launch RTX Spark, an AI PC superchip that could reshape personal computer architecture and intensify competition for AI leadership, according to South Korean media, including Edaily. The partnership is also raising concerns in South Korea about its role in the next phase of the global semiconductor and AI market.

A city in China has begun investigating the connections between its local companies and Dreame Technology, a Chinese company known for its robot vacuum cleaners that has reportedly spun off nearly 1000 affiliated companies within 18 months. The move follows a wave of online scrutiny over Dreame's business model, particularly its reliance on local state-owned funding while it aggressively seeks to expand into an expansive range of technology sectors.

Demand for artificial intelligence (AI) is pushing server chassis manufacturers to expand into the server rack business. Chenming Electronic Tech (Uneec) is optimistic about its rack business in 2026, with plans to enter the IT rack and liquid cooling rack sectors. President Charles Lo added that its double-wide "fat" rack has already completed validation and can be shipped at any time to meet customer demand.

US chipmaker Marvell took a more visible stance at Computex 2026, with CEO Matt Murphy delivering a keynote speech and senior executives visiting Taiwan to lay out the company's outlook for AI data center connectivity technology and market opportunities.

Nvidia and LG Group announced a wide-ranging partnership on June 7 covering AI factory infrastructure, home robotics, autonomous driving components, and sovereign AI model development, making it one of the broadest single-company collaborations Nvidia has announced during Jensen Huang's South Korea visit.

SpaceX's multibillion-dollar cloud agreement with Google underscores a growing shift in the AI industry from building proprietary models to monetizing computing infrastructure. The deal not only secures a major recurring revenue stream ahead of SpaceX's IPO but also highlights persistent demand for AI capacity as technology companies race to meet surging enterprise adoption.

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of June 1-7, 2026:

Nvidia's upcoming Vera Rubin AI server platform has become the focus of intense scrutiny after a late-stage redesign of its thermal architecture.

Naver and Nvidia announced on June 7 that the South Korean internet company will expand its AI infrastructure using Nvidia's DSX platform, starting at 55 megawatts and targeting gigawatt-scale deployment. The expansion begins at Naver's GAK Sejong data center in Sejong, South Korea.

Nvidia and SK Hynix formally announced a multiyear technology partnership on June 7 at SK's Seorin Building in Seoul, during Jensen Huang's third public meeting with SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won on this Korea trip. The agreement covers next-generation memory co-development across Nvidia's full product roadmap and extends into semiconductor design, AI factory infrastructure and digital manufacturing.

Nvidia and Doosan Group are widening their collaboration to develop physical AI, robotics, and AI factory infrastructure that could shape industrial automation worldwide. The effort spans robotics, heavy equipment, power systems, and advanced materials, highlighting how global AI growth is increasingly tied to manufacturing, energy, and data center supply chains.

According to Nvidia's press release, SK Telecom plans to build a gigawatt-scale AI cloud in Korea, with the first AI factory set to go online in 2027. The project signals how telecom operators may evolve into global AI infrastructure providers, shaping access to computing capacity, energy use, and industrial AI deployment.

Hitachi and Intel have agreed to work together on physical AI, advanced computing, and digital infrastructure, a move that could shape manufacturing, energy, and mobility systems used worldwide. The partnership targets efficiency, resilience, and faster industrial innovation, with potential implications for factories, power networks, and other critical operations globally.

KT Cloud is accelerating its artificial intelligence data center rollout in South Korea with modular construction, alternative power sourcing, and a digital twin operations platform. The move highlights how long permitting timelines, grid limits, and evolving GPU demands could shape AI infrastructure availability for users far beyond Korea.

Dassault Systèmes, Quanta Cloud Technology, and Nvidia are advancing industrial digital twins for AI factories, a shift that could shape how companies worldwide build, run, and scale generative AI systems. The effort targets more efficient inference, stronger lifecycle control, and lower energy use as demand for accelerated computing rises globally.