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Thursday 1 January 2026
AI competition moves beyond LLMs into distribution and hardware channels
As frontier AI models reach practical usability, competition is shifting from incremental improvements in model performance to a broader battle over distribution, application integration, and cost-effective deployment, according to DIGITIMES analyst Luke Lin. Developers are now racing to secure access to end users via devices and platforms, marking a new phase in AI competition that is expected to last for the next several years.
Thursday 1 January 2026
2026 AI server demand tied to profitable AI as unmonetizable projects stall
As AI adoption accelerates, global and US economies in 2025 have been increasingly driven by technology companies' investments in AI infrastructure. Analysts warn that next year's AI server demand will depend on whether deployed AI can generate revenue, distinguishing "good AI" from "bad AI" with unclear monetization.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Taiwan government backs AI robots to address labor shortages
Taiwan's aging population and declining birth rates have led to an increasingly pressing labor shortage, a major structural issue uncovered through a National Taiwan University (NTU) study commissioned by the National Development Council (NDC) on how demographic shifts impact policies. Under this backdrop, industry experts see high potential for the robotics sector, but cost reduction and improved intelligence remain key challenges for widespread adoption.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Z.ai illustrates how open-source AI models are influencing commercial adoption
On December 30, Chinese AI company Z.ai launched a share sale to raise HK$4.35 billion (approx. US$560 million), aiming to become the first large language model (LLM) developer listed in Hong Kong amid a tech IPO surge, with a scheduled listing for January 8, 2026. Meanwhile, Z.ai has recently launched its latest open-source model, GLM-4.7, signaling a shift toward enterprise-focused AI and broader global adoption. As the company prepares for a 2026 IPO, the release highlights the growing influence of independent developers in a market increasingly shaped by hyperscale competitors and ecosystem distribution.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Geopolitics reshapes tech landscape as Southeast Asia emerges as data center, manufacturing, and AI hub
In 2025, rising geopolitical tensions reshaped global technology and manufacturing, boosting Southeast Asia as a key hub for data centers, advanced manufacturing, and AI. The Johor-Singapore Economic Zone enhanced cross-border integration, strengthening Singapore's "Singapore+1" strategy, while Johor emerged as a major data center cluster amid sustainability concerns.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Samsung reportedly plans 50% HBM output surge through 2026

Samsung Electronics plans to boost its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production capacity by approximately 50% through late 2026, according to South Korean media outlet ET News, as the company secures key technical milestones with major AI customers.

Wednesday 31 December 2025
Nvidia's robotics chief says the industry is building the wrong brains
Although AI has made tremendous progress in the digital domain, intelligence in the physical world still faces many challenges. Robots need to perceive 3D space, manipulate objects, and understand physical rules, all of which require enormous investments of manpower and resources. Dr. Jim Fan, head of Nvidia's robotics business and co-head of the GEAR lab, recently posted on X criticizing the current state of the robotics industry. Looking back at developments in robotics in the year now coming to an end, he argues that the robotics field remains in a state of chaos, and that its development direction may be wrong.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Top tech topics in 2025 (2): turbulent year for end-device and downstream applications
2025 proved turbulent for downstream applications and end-user devices. Tariffs and geopolitical tensions dominated the first half, while AI gained momentum later in the year. Global market unpredictability pushed many brands—particularly in China, the epicenter of geopolitical tensions—toward domestic markets and self-sufficiency.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Academic research for AI robots to focus on causal reasoning and chain-of-thought
The field of AI robots has now entered a phase of rapid development and iteration, as evidenced by optimistic predictions from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. As noted by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), key technologies for building advanced AI robots in the future include semantic reasoning, task decomposition, causal inference, chain-of-thought, multi-step reasoning, and cross-domain generalization capabilities.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
South Korean PCB industry faces cost challenges as AI drives raw material prices up
The South Korean printed circuit board (PCB) industry is struggling as soaring gold and copper prices, up 50% and 30% respectively since early 2025, increase production costs. Despite high factory utilization due to the AI boom in semiconductors, many companies cannot raise product prices, worsening profitability.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Ericsson forecasts 5G to surpass 4G in 2027; Taiwan nears 2 years of 5G SA rollout
Global 5G penetration is expected to overtake 4G in 2027 to become the dominant network technology, according to the latest Mobility Report from Ericsson. In addition to this pivotal milestone in mobile communications, the report also points to the beginning of the standardization process for 6G, which is expected to reach 180 million users by 2031, with advanced markets such as the US, China, Japan, and South Korea leading the way in terms of adoption.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Weblink bets on memory price surge and AI server boom for double-digit growth in 2026
Taiwan-based tech products distributor Weblink International is riding a surge in memory prices and robust demand for AI servers, positioning the company for strong growth in 2026. President Dave Lin said both segments continue to face supply constraints, but remain among Weblink's most promising growth drivers.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Taipower chairman calls for AI data centers near power sources as demand surges
The rapid expansion of AI data centers is triggering unprecedented electricity demand, placing Taiwan's power grid under growing strain. Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) Chairman Wen-sheng Tseng warns that land scarcity, urban density, and climate risks are converging into a critical infrastructure challenge.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Nvidia in 2025: 10 defining moments that shaped the AI giant
It is difficult to imagine any company exerting greater influence on the AI industry in 2025 than Nvidia. The market closely tracks CEO Jensen Huang's every move—whether he was meeting US President Donald Trump or sharing fried chicken and beer with executives from Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor Group in South Korea.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Tatung eyes AI data centers and new energy opportunities in 2026
Tatung held an extraordinary shareholders meeting on December 30, where its board was comprehensively reshuffled with nine directors (including three independents), and non-compete restrictions on the newly elected directors were lifted.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
The global AI sovereignty race in 2025: How nations poured billions into a new world order
The rise of AI sovereignty is fueling a new global competition, driving countries to invest heavily in AI infrastructure and technologies, akin to an arms race. As nations seek to secure their technological futures and maintain economic and military advantages, this trend is reshaping global dynamics and priorities.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
The chip industry in 2025: Boom, rivalry, and a fragile new order
In 2025, generative AI investments are reshaping the global semiconductor industry. Nvidia, TSMC, and their supply chains emerge as the biggest winners. But the boom brings new challenges. Rising competition in AI chips threatens a market bubble. Meanwhile, China accelerates its push for self-reliance as US export restrictions tighten. The DIGITIMES news team highlights the year's defining trends.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Analysis: America's new 'Manhattan Project' puts AI at the center of power

When the Manhattan Project mobilized the full weight of the American state in 1945 to unlock atomic energy, it revealed something humanity had not fully grasped before: once a scientific breakthrough is absorbed into national strategy, its impact can far exceed any single industry or technology. Eighty years later, the US is attempting to recreate that logic—this time around artificial intelligence (AI).

Wednesday 31 December 2025
ByteDance balances Nvidia, Huawei chips in China's localization squeeze

ByteDance is planning to procure a mix of Nvidia H200 accelerators and Huawei Technologies Ascend chips to meet its growing artificial intelligence needs while adhering to China's push for localized hardware. The move underscores the challenge facing Chinese technology companies that must preserve high-performance training capacity while signaling compliance with domestic industrial policy.

Wednesday 31 December 2025
Data centers turn to jet engine turbines to power AI workloads
Facing multi-year waits for electrical grid connections, data center operators supporting artificial intelligence (AI) workloads are turning to an unexpected supplier: supersonic jet engine manufacturer Boom Supersonic. The Colorado-based company, backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, recently secured an order to deliver 1.2GW of power generation capacity to data center operator Crusoe, pivoting part of its aerospace technology to the energy sector.
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Samsung modernizes 30-year-old Austin fab to serve Apple, high-end chip demand
Samsung Electronics is reportedly beginning upgrades to the core gas infrastructure at its semiconductor fab in Austin, Texas. Industry observers view the move as the start of a broader modernization overhaul, signaling Samsung's intention to position the Austin facility as a long-term strategic hub capable of handling high-value-added manufacturing processes.
Tuesday 30 December 2025
ARTERY Tech eyes drones, high-end MCUs before 2026 IPO

Taiwan-based microcontroller supplier ARTERY Technology is sharpening its focus on edge artificial intelligence and drone-related applications as it prepares for a planned listing on the Taipei Exchange in late January 2026, seeking growth beyond China's crowded MCU market.

Tuesday 30 December 2025
Chinese GPU provider Lisuan Technology begins shipping self-developed 7G100 GPU
Chinese GPU developer Lisuan Technology has started shipping its 7G100 GPU, marking a significant step toward commercialization. Reported by Jiemian News, the GPU uses TSMC's 6nm process and is designed for applications such as gaming, smart cockpits, and digital twins.
Tuesday 30 December 2025
Top tech topics in 2025 (1): a year of strategic realignment for global semiconductors
As 2025 draws to a close, the global semiconductor industry has undergone a fundamental transformation marked by heightened geopolitical tensions, supply chain restructuring, and an unprecedented surge in AI-driven demand. What distinguishes this year from previous cycles is the shift from aspirational roadmaps to hard-edged execution, where manufacturers must deliver not just technological advancement but reliable, scalable production under increasingly complex constraints.
Tuesday 30 December 2025
Commentary: Why China chose multi-accelerator strategy in AI chip development
Facing US restrictions on high-end computing products, China is restructuring its AI chip industry by advancing GPU, TPU, and NPU technologies simultaneously. Domestic firms struggle to match Nvidia's software ecosystem but seek breakthroughs with TPUs for efficiency and NPUs for edge applications.