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China’s massive AI rollout – podcast
Senior China correspondent Amy Hawkins on China’s embrace of AI, from medical avatars to food delivery drones and state surveillance While the spread of AI has been met perhaps with a lot of scepticism in the west, China has fully embraced the technology, explains Amy Hawkins, from millions of users talking to AI doctors, to…
China wants to solve the hardest problem in robotics – making hands
Race to develop ‘embodied AI’ focuses on creating dextrous hands to transform humanoid robots from gimmicks into useful products Human hands – nimble, nerve-filled appendages that are the most flexible part of the human skeleton – are exceptionally complex. Many tasks that most people can do largely without thinking, from tying a pair of shoelaces…
3,000% bonuses but a growing wealth divide: South Korea grapples with its AI chip boom
Powered by chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, South Korea is seeing a surge in wealth, but there are questions over who gets to share in the profits When South Korea’s most high-profile divorce case returned to court last month, the lawyers were arguing not just about the breakdown of a relationship, but also the…
Shares in chipmakers underpinning AI boom rocket in first half of 2026
Value of some chip manufacturers have tripled, or more, driving Asia Pacific stock markets sharply higher Shares in chipmakers have surged in the first half of this year as investors piled into companies that make the hardware underpinning the AI boom, according to analysis. Investors have driven up the value of semiconductor and memory chip…
Inspired by Ukraine, and worried by China: Taiwan teaches its citizens how to fly drones
Ordinary Taiwanese, young and old, are joining courses to learn how to fly drones amid looming China military threat In a small, crowded room in Taipei, Pan Chien-chin is trying to keep a drone hovering steadily. Imagining himself flying a plane, he gently nudges controller joysticks to guide the insect-like device as it hums through…
Nvidia’s Jensen Huang joins other US bosses on Trump trip to China
Invitation to be part of group including Elon Musk and Tim Cook highlights American AI and tech ambitions The billionaire chief executive of the chipmaker Nvidia, Jensen Huang, has joined Donald Trump’s China delegation after a reported last-minute invitation, highlighting the US’s AI and tech ambitions. Huang will join a roster of US bosses including…
Humanoid robots to become baggage handlers in Japan airport experiment
Japan Airlines will introduce the robots for trial run at a Tokyo airport amid country’s surge in inbound tourism and worsening labour shortages Japan’s famously conscientious but overburdened baggage handlers will soon be joined by extra staff at Tokyo’s Haneda airport – although their new colleagues will need to take regular recharging breaks. Japan Airlines…
Inside China’s robotics revolution – podcast
How close are we to the sci-fi vision of autonomous humanoid robots? I visited 11 companies in five Chinese cities to find out By Chang Che. Read by Vincent Lai Continue reading…
‘Look, no hands’: China chases the driverless dream at Beijing car show
As domestic sales slow, manufacturers are investing in AI and seeking growth in technology and in overseas markets At the world’s biggest car fair, which opened in Beijing on Friday, there were hundreds of manufacturers, more than 1,000 vehicles, hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts – and hardly anyone behind a wheel. China’s car companies have…
Hong Kong police can demand phone and computer passwords under amended national security law
Refusing to comply could lead to year in jail and hefty fine, while providing false information carries up to three years in prison Hong Kong police can now demand that people suspected of breaching the city’s national security law provide mobile phone or computer passwords in a further crackdown on dissent. The amendments to the…