At the 2024 World Internet Conference (WIC), Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized that while AI empowers humanity to better understand and reshape the world, it also presents unpredictable risks and challenges. Xi urged the global community to adopt security as a core principle and collaborate to establish a "shared future in cyberspace," according to the South China Morning Post.

President-elect Donald Trump's proposed 10–20% tariff on all US imports, including those from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, has prompted Taiwan's government to prepare negotiations for exemptions based on its semiconductor and AI industry advantages, according to National Development Council (NDC) deputy minister Shien-quey Kao.

Following its latest financial results on November 20, Nvidia announced that Blackwell shipments are set to accelerate as suppliers scale up production, boosting its gross margin. Despite potential export restrictions under the incoming US administration, Nvidia reaffirmed its commitment to the Chinese market, ensuring compliance with US regulations.

Nvidia issued a revenue forecast that fell short of the most optimistic projections, hinting at potential limits to its rapid growth. Despite this tempered outlook, the company's performance has been remarkable over the past two years. Nvidia is on track to double its sales for the second consecutive year, achieving profits that surpass its former total revenue.

The generative AI (GenAI) trend has been developing for two years, but adoption in Taiwan remains limited. A DIGITIMES Research survey suggests that Taiwanese enterprises will likely reach peak adoption between 2025 and 2030. Budget constraints and a lack of specialized technical expertise are the primary obstacles hindering broader adoption.

Jiang-song Fu, chairman of IC distributor Professional Computer Technology (PCT), projected 2024 to be the trough for their operations. Despite this, the company expects to remain profitable. He highlighted that the AI trend is set to drive substantial growth for various IoT products, including automotive electronics, over 2025-2026.

Taiwanese IT product manufacturers expect AI server demand to drive their growth in the fourth quarter of 2024, as consumer electronics enters the traditional low season. Looking forward to 2025, the manufacturers expect even stronger orders, with AI servers showing the strongest momentum, followed by AI PCs, while automotive electronics will also be a major growth driver.

Huawei's ambitions to create more powerful chips for AI and smartphones have hit major snags because of US sanctions, stalling a major Chinese effort to match American technology.

South Korea's struggle to obtain AI chips has stalled its national supercomputer project, raising concerns about its ability to stay competitive in global scientific and technological advancements. With AI investments soaring worldwide, experts urge the government to bolster its support for the sector.

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has driven unprecedented demand for computing power, spotlighting next-generation AI servers. Among them, the Nvidia GB200 NVL72, powered by the advanced Blackwell architecture, has attracted widespread attention for its anticipated release timeline.

Samsung Electronics' smart glasses project has gained renewed attention, with reports indicating a launch in the third quarter of 2025 and an initial production run of 500,000 units.

MiTAC Group, a prominent technology and IT solutions provider in Taiwan, has played a significant role in supporting the local Ministry of Transportation's initiatives to advance smart cities, transportation systems, and rail networks. At its 50th Anniversary TechDay on November 18, MiTAC Information Technology and MiTAC Digital Technology showcased their latest AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) innovations in smart transportation.

Supermicro has successfully resolved its financial reporting issues by appointing BDO as its new auditor and submitting a comprehensive plan to Nasdaq outlining steps to regain compliance with exchange regulations. This resolution has had a positive ripple effect across the supply chain, easing pressure on assembly ODMs while benefiting component suppliers.

Trump's return to the presidency has drawn significant attention, with his potential appointments already creating waves across the global tech industry. The impact has extended to currency markets as monetary policy tensions between Trump and the Federal Reserve emerged. Bitcoin, known for its sensitivity to market shifts, surged by more than 15%, reaching an all-time high.

Peripheral IC distributor Weikeng Industrial has seen robust growth in 2024 driven by strong AI demand, which is expected to continue into 2025 as prospects for AI servers and PCs remain promising.

Foxconn, collaborating with Nvidia, is leveraging digital twin technology to revolutionize manufacturing and supply chain management. The initiative uses Nvidia's Omniverse to streamline global factory operations, enhance resilience, and ensure consistent quality.

President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in on January 20, 2025. A primary concern in the software sector is the potential tightening of regulations on open-source models and the implications for cloud service providers' operations in China.

Autonomous driving and artificial intelligence are the buzzwords at this week's Guangzhou auto show — the last major gathering of Chinese carmakers for the year.

Nvidia's upcoming Blackwell GPUs, already delayed to market, are reportedly facing severe overheating issues in high-capacity server racks, raising concerns over deployment timelines.

Trump's "America First" agenda will remain central in his imminent second term, with reindustrialization, trade protectionism, corporate tax cuts, and stricter immigration policies at the core. However, Trump 2.0 is expected to take a more radical approach than his first term.

NetApp, Taiwan's leading storage brand, has announced plans to move beyond the manufacturing sector and venture into finance, healthcare, and retail to create more growth opportunities. GM of NetApp Taiwan, Peter Chu, emphasized that Taiwan is a global hub for server manufacturing, and through the integration of servers and storage solutions, there are significant opportunities to jointly explore vertical markets.

Recently, Meta unveiled its new augmented reality (AR) glasses prototype, Orion, alongside the smart glasses, Ray-Ban Meta, which was developed in collaboration with Ray-Ban. This announcement is expected to reignite interest in the metaverse and AR/VR technologies.

Semiconductor Week in Review (Nov 10 - 16): In a week dominated by seismic shifts in the semiconductor landscape, TSMC's suspension of sub-7nm chip supply to Chinese AI firms and postponement of its Arizona fab opening bookended a series of industry-reshaping developments, as geopolitical tensions continue to redraw the global tech supply chain map.

Global supply chains are accelerating their decoupling processes as geopolitical tensions persist, according to DIGITIMES vice president Eric Huang at the recent Tech Forum 2025. Taiwan's technology sector looks to capitalize on AI opportunities while planning for sustainable growth.

Compal expects modest PC market growth in 2025, supported by the Windows 10 end-of-life transition and increasing AI PC adoption. The company is also making strides in the AI server market, with Chairman Ray Chen expressing confidence in becoming a supplier for Nvidia-powered AI servers.