China-based start-up Butterfly Effect claims to have launched the world's first General AI agent, Manus. The company aims to capitalize on the momentum of "Chinese-branded AI" following DeepSeek's success. However, industry response over the past week has been muted, as experts believe the startup lacks the crucial components needed to outshine its predecessor
Asus expects to achieve a 30% growth in sales for 2025, driven by increasing demand for personal computers, especially for AI, gaming, and content creation. The company also plans to expand its sales channels to further strengthen its market presence
Despite the relatively stagnant demand for mobile phones and PCs in the first half of 2025, Kioxia, the leader in NAND flash, anticipates that overall NAND shipments in 2025 will increase by 10-15% as consumer clients resume their NAND purchases, coupled with robust demand for AI servers. This could potentially result in a substantial supply shortage in the latter half of the year
Asia Vital Components (AVC) chairman Ching-Hang Shen pointed out that while the entire industry previously discussed liquid cooling solutions, he believed it was still early and not yet at a true maturation stage. However, with recent discussions shifting back to air cooling, he now asserts that the era of liquid cooling is about to commence. In response to the rising demand for liquid cooling, AVC plans to substantially increase its production capacity
Asus declared a significant bad debt over the last quarter of 2024 due to delayed payments for server products sold to Yotta, a company highlighting India's eagerness to build AI infrastructure
Samsung Electronics is ramping up its advanced foundry push, targeting mass production of its fourth-generation 4nm process (SF4X) by late 2024. Designed specifically for high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence applications, SF4X is seen as a critical play in reviving its foundry business
On March 11, Shanghai Guotou Pioneer Fund announced via its official WeChat account that its AI industry fund led a fresh investment round in Biren Technology (Biren), one of China's top GPU startups. Several leading institutional investors and industrial capital firms participated. This marks the fund's first-ever direct investment, signaling Shanghai's push toward a domestically controlled AI computing ecosystem
Following a significant meeting between Narendra Modi and Elon Musk in the US, SpaceX's Starlink has partnered with India's top two telecom companies to introduce satellite communication services, aiming to strengthen India's wireless infrastructure and enhance enterprise applications
China has issued more licenses allowing copper smelters to export metal tax-free, aiding local producers and paving the way for greater overseas sales at a time of upheaval in the global market
The Breakthrough Technology Dialogue held in Singapore at the end of February saw participation from technology experts across various countries. However, the discussions were largely influenced by Asian perspectives, with Chinese viewpoints being particularly prominent. Even in private conversations, there was limited opposition to China's stance
Samsung Electronics' revenue from China soared 53.8% in 2024 to KRW64.9 trillion (US$448 billion), driven by concerns over potential tariffs under President Donald Trump's administration. Chinese manufacturers are ramping up semiconductor stockpiles in anticipation of trade restrictions, South Korea's iNews24 reported, citing Samsung's annual business report
Just six weeks after DeepSeek-R1 launched with open-source model weights and app updates, Alibaba's Qwen (Tongyi Qianwen) AI model is accelerating its efforts to compete. Selected as Apple's AI partner in China, Qwen is now positioning itself as a major challenger to DeepSeek-R1
Samsung Electronics' potential collaboration with Baidu on advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips may have been disrupted due to increased US pressure on China, according to industry sources. The setback could create difficulties for Samsung's business initiatives in China
Recent reports indicate that China plans to issue guidance encouraging nationwide use of RISC-V chips for the first time. The plan will reportedly be drafted by eight relevant departments under Beijing's authority, with policy guidance expected to be released in March at the earliest
Prominent nations worldwide recognize the critical importance of the semiconductor industry and are requesting assistance from foundry leader TSMC. Despite their efforts to improve their domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, countries in the Middle East, South Asia, and ASEAN are compelled to seek assistance from other foundries
