Physical AI is emerging as a new frontier of model development. Any model, however, is only as good as the data used to train it. Because of this, Japanese startup APTO is launching a physical AI infrastructure lab to help plug the data gap needed to create vision-language-action (VLA) models, with a focus on imitation learning.
Samsung Electronics' foundry division chief told employees on June 12 that a return to profitability in the contract chipmaking business looks difficult next year, with 2028 emerging as a more likely timeline, Yonhap, ZDNet Korea, and Chosun reported.
Amid widespread anxiety sparked by foreign media reports about an impending "Tokenpocalypse," Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi signaled that Apple is not pursuing "AI for AI's sake" at WWDC 2026, echoing a growing trend among Silicon Valley tech giants cautioning employees against using AI for the sake of using it.
Taiwanese companies sharply increased enterprise AI investment and adoption in 2026, yet critical gaps in technology architecture and measurable return on investment risk blunting business impact, according to Dun & Bradstreet's latest Enterprise AI Maturity Index. The index surveyed more than 300 Taiwanese firms across 17 industries as part of a global study of over 10,000 C-level executives in 32 advanced countries, finding momentum rising in the second quarter of 2026 but persistent operational hurdles.
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing has historically been the bane of the power electronics industry. Engineers have long approached the compliance phase through trial and error, treating the process as a troublesome obstacle rather than a milestone. This reactive methodology commonly stalls product launches and drags out development, as teams scramble for solutions late in the manufacturing cycle. Adding to the pressure is a demographic shift occurring across modern engineering departments. As senior magnetic components experts retire, an influx of entry-level engineers is being tasked with navigating complex high-frequency board layouts.
China has allowed the release of a fresh supply of indium phosphide (InP) substrates, which are under export controls. A first 2026 batch shipped at the end of May following an earlier release in 2025, easing a capacity bottleneck in the optical communications market. Taiwanese compound semiconductor suppliers including Visual Photonics Epitaxy (VPEC) and Global Communication Semiconductors (GCS) are expected to benefit in the second half of 2026.
While artificial intelligence (AI) server orders remain robust, tight component supplies have raised concerns about shipments across the supply chain. Component makers say customer pull-ins for general-purpose servers have exceeded earlier expectations, mainly due to shortages of memory and CPUs. They estimate growth will return to its normal trajectory in the third quarter of 2026. Original design manufacturers (ODMs) have stated that component supply is indeed tight, and whether complete systems can be shipped depends on the specific server model.
India sees rising global tech investment as Meta, Reliance and Anthropic deepen AI ties, while EV firms expand, Starlink faces delays, and semiconductor and tablet markets show steady structural growth.
As AI moves beyond software and into factories, warehouses, offices, and homes, humanoid robots are emerging as a strategic frontier for smart manufacturing. TM Technology has introduced its first humanoid robot, signaling a shift toward systems that can navigate human-built environments and potentially lower automation barriers for businesses worldwide.
