Chinese labs have spent the year arguing that reinforcement learning, not pre-training, holds the next gains. Xiaomi has now put a price on that argument. The company released and open-sourced its MiMo-V2.6 series on September 22, after livestreaming the reinforcement learning post-training run that produced it — publishing step counts, token consumption, and a running cost meter on a public page as the models trained.

As artificial intelligence advances toward greater autonomy, balancing capabilities with safety has become a central challenge for industry leaders. Emerging model behaviors and high-profile security incidents have prompted a continuous evolution of safety initiatives, internal engineering adjustments, and proposed joint testing efforts between major AI developers.

Google has opened preorders for the first Googlebook models, with prices starting at US$899, as it pushes Gemini AI deeper into the notebook experience and links phones, apps, and desktop workflows through a new operating system that blends Android and ChromeOS elements. The launch targets Android users, developers, and the premium notebook market.

Meta Connect 2026 is set to begin on September 23, with the next generation of AI smart glasses expected to be a key focus. Among the products drawing particular industry attention is a device internally code-named "Luna," which is reportedly being designed without a camera.

Demand from high-tech companies for new research and manufacturing sites remains strong, prompting Taiwan to advance plans to expand Longtan Science Park by 104 hectares as the government seeks to accommodate continued growth in AI and semiconductor industries.

Apple is reportedly developing an enterprise AI inference server powered by its in-house M8 Ultra chips. This move could mark its return to the enterprise server market after more than a decade. If the project reaches market, it may also reshape Apple's infrastructure strategy, supplier relationships, and place in AI computing.

Microsoft is expanding its data center footprint in Taiwan from two facilities to four as global demand for artificial intelligence (AI) computing power continues to surge and industry players step up data center expansion. Microsoft Taiwan general manager Sean Pien said the new facilities will prioritize Taiwan customers.

EZconn said global fiber and optical cable supplies remain tight as AI data center demand overtakes demand from traditional telecom applications, pushing up raw material prices and boosting costs for optical passive components. The company expects the shortage to ease gradually from the second half of 2026 into 2027 as upstream suppliers add capacity, while it negotiates for larger allocations and longer-term supply contracts.

China's smart glasses sector is experiencing explosive growth, driven by shifting consumer habits, rapid technological advancements, and strong policy backing. However, beneath the surface lies a fundamental divide: while lightweight AI and AR glasses are surging, the once-popular audio-only glasses market is shrinking.

AI computing is changing how global hardware is designed, built, and deployed, with implications that extend well beyond Taiwan's tech sector. At a September 19 event, Wiwynn chair Emily Hong said the industry now faces three central challenges: power, cooling, and high-speed interconnect, as demand for AI infrastructure rises worldwide.

China's fast-rising AI models are running into a compute supply bottleneck as demand for advanced packaging substrates surges, with ByteDance reportedly preparing to spend CNY100 billion (US$14.9 billion) a year on large-scale chip substrate purchases by 2030. Supply chain sources say the scramble for packaging substrate capacity is intensifying across Huawei HiSilicon, Hygon Information Technology, ByteDance, and major outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) players, even as the industry races to expand output.

Faraday Future used its annual 919 launch event on September 19 to complete what it calls "Robot World 2.0," unveiling nine new embodied AI (EAI) devices and four industry productivity solutions, putting an all-new Futurist humanoid on sale, and pricing a Master Mini from US$9,990. The lineup spans humanoids, quadrupeds, and mobile manipulators in large, medium, and small sizes, which the company claims is the widest range of device forms of any US robotics company.

Acer founder Stan Shih stated that slowing artificial intelligence (AI) growth is not easy, as semiconductor capacity is still insufficient to support the current pace of AI development. He added that Taiwan's tech manufacturers have always been known for their flexibility and speed, and they will only become stronger in the face of fluctuations in technology cycles.