Apple's US$3,499 Vision Pro mixed-reality (MR) headset has struggled to find a foothold with consumers. Its hefty price tag, bulky design, and a limited number of applications have all been obstacles since its launch. But while it may not be a hit with the average user, the device is quietly finding its niche in the business world, emerging as a new tool for training, design, and retail.

The AI rivalry between Google and OpenAI has reached a new phase as Google's Gemini app recently overtook OpenAI's ChatGPT to claim the top spot on the US App Store's free app chart. This milestone comes after years of Google striving to match OpenAI's breakthroughs, signaling a possible shift in industry momentum. At the same time, Google's growing AI stature has coincided with easing pressures from ongoing antitrust investigations in the US.

Amid robust economic growth in the Philippines and the government's drive for digitalization, Taiwanese companies are seizing new market opportunities there. Leading the charge, Uni-President Group's subsidiary, President Information Corp., officially launched its Philippine branch, UNI-PIPC (UNI-President Information Philippines Corp.), in 2024. The company is initially targeting the country's expansive retail sector, which represents more than 60% of domestic demand.

The US and China are edging toward a framework agreement that would see TikTok's American operations spun into a new joint venture dominated by US investors, according to The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and CNBC.

Quantum computing firm Quantinuum has attracted investment from Nvidia's venture capital arm, signaling renewed investor interest amid evolving industry outlooks. Analysts note that integrating quantum computing with traditional high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) servers could represent a future path to improving energy efficiency beyond conventional CPU and GPU approaches.

The US and China have outlined a framework deal to resolve disputes over TikTok's US operations, officials said after trade talks in Madrid. The agreement marks progress toward easing tensions but faces hurdles over algorithm ownership, compliance with US law, and approval from both governments.

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of September 8–September 14.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an investigation into seven companies developing consumer AI chatbots amid concerns about an increase in suicides among minors. The firms under scrutiny include Alphabet Inc., Character.AI, Instagram, Meta Platforms, OpenAI, Snap, and Elon Musk's xAI.

Shanghai-based Ant Lingbo Technology, a subsidiary of Ant Group, has introduced its first humanoid robot, the R1, at the Inclusion Conference in Shanghai. The robot demonstrated its ability to guide visitors, sort medicines, and cook meals during the event.

Ever since Academia Sinica announced a 5-qubit superconducting quantum computer in January 2024, and National Tsing Hua University unveiled a photonic quantum computer capable of integer factorization using just one photon in October 2024, Taiwan has seen no major breakthroughs in quantum computing research. in addition, no clear results have been obtained from the quantum computer purchased from the Finnish company IQM, and National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) officials have stated that they will soon conduct an on-site inspection of the IQM Spark in Taiwan.

As generative AI matures, the traditional division of labor within enterprises is undergoing a profound transformation. At Taiwan Mobile's D.E.E.P. Tech Day 2025 on September 9, 2025, Chief Information Officer Rock Tsai introduced the concept of "reversing specialization," arguing that AI is not merely a productivity upgrade but a force that will redistribute corporate roles, reshape value chains, and accelerate the rise of an "AI agent" ecosystem in external markets.

Oracle is rapidly shaking off its reputation as a laggard in cloud computing, with new AI contracts and a strong outlook pushing its growth plans into overdrive.

Former Alphabet Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt secretly visited Taiwan in 2025 with a primary focus on scouting AI talent for the US Democratic Party during the presidential election campaign, according to Lee-Feng Chien, former managing director of Google Taiwan. While Schmidt's public remarks emphasized Taiwan's strength in hardware and relative weakness in software, his activities suggest a broader set of interests related to regional technology and defense developments.

Momo reported consolidated revenue of NT$8.49 billion (approx. US$279.9 million) in August, marking a 4.4% month-over-month increase. However, since the beginning of 2025, monthly revenues have consistently shown single-digit year-over-year declines. The team acknowledged that domestic retail conditions remain sluggish and consumer confidence has dipped, but they are optimistic that expansion of their store platform business and the upcoming peak season in the second half of the year will help revive revenue momentum.

As the manufacturing and logistics industries shift from mechanical automation to AI-driven autonomy, South Korea-based digital twin provider UVC has launched a smart manufacturing solution that combines high usability with fast processing speeds. The company aims to challenge the dominance of global heavyweights such as Siemens, AutoCAD, and Altair in process simulation.

South Korean internet giant Kakao has announced a partnership with OpenAI to embed the ChatGPT chatbot into its messaging app, KakaoTalk. The integration aims to provide seamless AI-powered chat services to nearly 50 million South Korean users, enhancing user engagement within the app, according to Seoul Economy Daily and Edaily.

Taiwan's economy has long been anchored in hardware manufacturing, leaving its software sector struggling to scale and offering limited career prospects for engineers. Industry experts warn this creates a difficult cycle to break.

When Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linko, New Taipei, recently offered a monthly salary of NT$650,000 (approx. US$21,145) to recruit a pathologist, it sparked widespread debate about physician shortages. The case underscores a critical challenge in healthcare: staffing gaps are not confined to nursing but extend to highly specialized physician roles.

Taiwan's NT$600 billion (US$19.53 billion) software service industry must shift from project-based contracts to scalable products if it hopes to reach global markets and achieve trillion-dollar output, the newly appointed Minister of Digital Affairs Yi-Jing Lin said in his first media briefing on September 3.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff revealed that the company has reduced its customer support workforce from 9,000 to 5,000 employees in the past eight months by implementing artificial intelligence (AI) agents, according to Business Insider. This change has allowed the company to handle all customer inquiries, including the estimated one hundred million potential clients previously unresponded to due to manpower limitations.

In the biggest US antitrust case in almost three decades, a judge ruled that Google will be required to share online search data with rivals, but avoided harsher penalties, including the forced sale of its Chrome business. This order could offer a blueprint for other judges who may end up weighing similar choices in cases against Meta, Amazon, and Apple.

The growing demand for unmanned vehicles, especially amid the current wave of AI upgrades, heavily relies on advanced image processing capabilities. For drones, various image processing technologies enable rapid switching between commercial and military applications, serving as core modules for dual-use technology in both sectors. This trend has prompted related supply chains to view drone imaging systems as emerging business opportunities following smartphones and automotive markets.

OpenAI has unveiled its latest speech-to-speech artificial intelligence (AI) model, gpt-realtime, designed to generate more vivid and natural voice interactions for real-time applications. Alongside the model, the company updated its Realtime API, primarily targeting customer service and translation sectors.

Alibaba Group is reportedly making progress in its development and supply strategies for AI chips. There are mixed reports regarding the company’s procurement of computing power chips. Some foreign and Chinese media sources have suggested that Alibaba's next-generation AI chip is currently in the testing phase and is compatible with Nvidia products. However, reportedly, this chip may not be manufactured by TSMC anymore and could instead be produced by a domestic Chinese foundry. Alibaba has not publicly confirmed these claims.