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Elon Musk stands on the side as Donald Trump speaks to the media at the White House in September. Photo: AFP
Elon Musk

As political bet fails, what happens now to Musk’s Tesla, SpaceX and China ties?

Billionaire may face congressional scrutiny over SpaceX’s government contracts and Tesla’s China links, analysts say.

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Semiconductors

Chinese chipmaker Hua Hong bets big on silicon photonics amid AI boom

Huawei

No Intel, no Qualcomm: Huawei unveils its first ‘100% domestic’ desktop

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Robotics

Powered by GPT-6, Unitree humanoid robots master painting without prior training

Unitree founder says the industry’s biggest hurdle is no longer digital reasoning or planning but closing a ‘last-millimetre’ mechanical gap.

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Unitree G1 robots perform at the company’s booth at the World Robot Conference in Beijing, August 20, 2026. Photo: Reuters
Unitree G1 robots perform at the company’s booth at the World Robot Conference in Beijing, August 20, 2026. Photo: Reuters
US-China tech war

How Democratic sweep could slow AI growth in US – and help China’s ambitions

Democrats’ congressional victory fuels expectations of tighter scrutiny of AI and the data centres that power it.

Artificial intelligence

DeepSeek engineer defends push for open-source AGI despite higher risks

Some AI pioneers have warned that technology smarter than humans may escape human control.

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Tencent

Tencent launches Hy4 in bid to break into AI’s top tier of open-weight models

Tech giant says the new model introduces visual reasoning and powers a comprehensive update to its workplace AI tool WorkBuddy.

Tencent says the release marks the first time its AI line-up has become one of the strongest open-weight models available today. Photo: Reuters
Tencent says the release marks the first time its AI line-up has become one of the strongest open-weight models available today. Photo: Reuters
Artificial intelligence

From cyclists to wild dogs: Baidu’s new AI preps robotaxis for rare road hazards

Baidu is using an AI-driven simulator to train its Apollo robotaxis to deal with hazards such as reckless cyclists running red lights.

Artificial intelligence

Open-source AI is the ‘only’ sustainable way forward, says Alibaba’s Joe Tsai

Alibaba co-founder says open-source systems are the ‘only’ way to build a sustainable, inclusive AI industry.

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Artificial intelligence

Video | SCMP Plus’ fireside chat about AI with Professor Alan Macfarlane

Watch British anthropologist and historian Alan Macfarlane’s exclusive conversation with SCMP Plus about the impact of AI on society.

SCMP Plus’ fireside chat about AI with Professor Alan Macfarlane
Artificial intelligence

China’s ‘Lipstick King’ hawks tokens as AI gets Singles’ Day push

Li Jiaqi helps sell 100,000 AI subscriptions in 30 minutes amid push by AI developers to promote the technology as an everyday utility.

Li Jiaqi (left) and QwenWork CEO Chen Yusen during the live stream on Tuesday. Photo: Handout
Li Jiaqi (left) and QwenWork CEO Chen Yusen during the live stream on Tuesday. Photo: Handout
Semiconductors

China’s top EDA firm buys start-up to boost tools, back Huawei’s Tau Scaling Law

Empyrean’s purchase of Easy-Logic highlights efforts by Chinese firms to reduce reliance on Western chip-design software providers.

Artificial intelligence

China’s AI milestone: models generate more tokens than used in training

Average daily token calls exceed 175 trillion, government-backed report says, indicating growing demand for AI services.

Artificial intelligence

Self-improving AI the key step towards AGI but safety is key: Z.ai founder

Tang says RSI represents a ‘new paradigm’ of R&D that will accelerate AI development even more than it has been.

Z.ai co-founder Tang Jie says RSI is the main research problem for achieving AGI. Photo: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images
Medicine

China joins global race to reawaken brain-injury patients through ultrasound therapy

Chinese researchers have reported early promising results, as scientists worldwide explore ways to restore consciousness without invasive surgery.

A new brain-computer interface technology developed by researchers in Shenzhen offers a non-invasive way to communicate with the brain. Photo: CCTV
A new brain-computer interface technology developed by researchers in Shenzhen offers a non-invasive way to communicate with the brain. Photo: CCTV
Semiconductors

AI, fuelled by advanced chips, set to power their manufacture: industry veteran

Not only is AI driving up demand for semiconductors, it is also becoming integrated into their manufacture, corporate leaders say.

Amazon

After brutal sell-off, what comes next for the titans of Big Tech?

Following disappointing quarterly earnings, tech giants face wide-ranging challenges, even as AI revenue builds.

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Artificial intelligence

Chinese AI optical suppliers slump despite upbeat third-quarter earnings

Innolight on Thursday posted a 174 per cent surge in third-quarter net profit to US$1.29 billion, as revenue jumped 172 per cent.

The Zhongji Innolight logo is seen at the launch of its initial public offering in Hong Kong on July 30, 2026. Photo: AFP
The Zhongji Innolight logo is seen at the launch of its initial public offering in Hong Kong on July 30, 2026. Photo: AFP
Tencent

Cutthroat rivalry at home prompts Tencent to look overseas for AI growth

Tencent is stepping up data centre investment overseas, expanding its cloud footprint to serve clients from more than 150 countries and regions.

Semiconductors

Short-term cash burn overshadows AI revenue boom at China’s Biwin, Moore Threads

The market retreat overshadows eye-catching earnings, as investors weigh near-term margin pressures against long-term AI promises.

Tencent

China’s microdrama war heats up as Tencent, ByteDance fight for eyeballs

Tencent’s new short-video mini-app is rapidly winning over users with free microdramas, sparking concern among ByteDance executives.

People gaze at their phones at a tourist site in Beijing. Photo: EPA
Robotics

Unitree sees quarterly profit jump, but AI investment weighs on core earnings

Unitree reports a 70 per cent revenue jump in the third quarter, but surging research and development costs weigh on core profits.

A Unitree G1 robot enters the ring at a humanoid combat competition in Singapore on October 7. Photo: Reuters
A Unitree G1 robot enters the ring at a humanoid combat competition in Singapore on October 7. Photo: Reuters
Artificial intelligence

With Musk and Huang at odds on AI neoclouds, can China weather the storm?

Musk warns of AI neocloud failures, but Huang says robust demand would solve the sector’s growing liquidity crunch.

Artificial intelligence

How Lao Gan Ma, China’s iconic chilli brand, got caught in an AI storm

Viral claims of AI-driven job cuts at the Guizhou-based firm have brought anxieties about automation into sharp focus.

Artificial intelligence

Beijing pushes for UN-led governance of artificial intelligence at global forum

China also advocates for open-source AI cooperation and a greater role for Global South at the three-day meeting.

The opening ceremony of the 2026 Global Governance Forum in China’s Hebei province.
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