https://www.scmp.com/rss/172764/feed SoftBank is a Japanese telecommunications and internet company with operations spanning broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-commerce, the internet, finance, media and marketing, and other businesses.<br /> en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan is reeling from a Russian espionage scandal that has laid bare how easily industrial secrets can slip through the country’s grasp, just as Tokyo is pushing to strengthen its laws against spying. Police in the Japanese capital referred a case to prosecutors on January 20 involving a former Russian trade official suspected of violating Japan’s laws on unfair competition. While neither he nor the Japanese employee accused of selling data for cash has been publicly named, the details of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3342169/why-russian-spies-find-japan-such-easy-target-people-are-so-polite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3342169/why-russian-spies-find-japan-such-easy-target-people-are-so-polite?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 04:03:56 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China’s government-led push into artificial intelligence (AI) contrasts with the US’ private sector-led approach, with the world’s two largest economies advancing along divergent paths, according to China International Capital Corp (CICC). Chinese investments in AI had focused on underlying technologies, including advanced semiconductors, to address a shortage of computing resources resulting from the country’s restricted access to advanced chips, the state-backed investment management firm said... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340551/china-wants-chips-us-needs-power-divergent-ai-growth-paths-emerge-amid-bubble-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340551/china-wants-chips-us-needs-power-divergent-ai-growth-paths-emerge-amid-bubble-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 01:15:10 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The Japanese government will provide roughly 1 trillion yen (US$6.34 billion) in support over five years to help a planned new company develop home-grown artificial intelligence, a source close to the matter said on Sunday. The company will be established by around 10 firms including SoftBank Group Corp, aiming to develop the country’s largest base AI model through public-private cooperation, the source said. The five-year support scheme is set to begin in fiscal 2026, which starts next April,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3337243/japan-announces-us6-billion-support-home-grown-ai-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3337243/japan-announces-us6-billion-support-home-grown-ai-development?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 13:16:46 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen While humanoid robots from China and the US have captured the imagination of people for their skill at serving drinks, taking part in boxing matches and running marathons, and entertaining through dance moves on stage, their counterparts in Japan – the long-time leader of the robotics world – are mostly confined to factories. Japan’s early forays into humanoids date back to the 1960s, so what happened along the way? At the 26th International Robot Exhibition (IREX), a four-day, biennial industry... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3336327/stuck-factory-how-robotics-pioneer-japan-missed-ai-driven-humanoid-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3336327/stuck-factory-how-robotics-pioneer-japan-missed-ai-driven-humanoid-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 06:00:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group and OpenAI on Friday announced an agreement to design and build artificial intelligence data centre hardware, the latest in a string of infrastructure deals for the US creator of ChatGPT. Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer, has seen profits soar after shifting its focus from low-margin iPhone assembly to AI servers that are now in huge demand, as firms plough hundreds of billions of dollars into the technology. Optimism over AI has... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3333657/taiwans-foxconn-expands-ai-hardware-push-openai-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3333657/taiwans-foxconn-expands-ai-hardware-push-openai-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 06:52:44 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Wall Street will get a sense of where the billions of dollars being spent on artificial intelligence are going when Nvidia Corp reports its earnings after the bell on Wednesday. How the sinking stock market will react is another question. “This is a ‘so goes Nvidia, so goes the market’ kind of report,” said Scott Martin, chief investment officer at Kingsview Wealth Management, which owns shares of Nvidia and several of its Big Tech peers. Analysts expect the Nasdaq-listed semiconductor behemoth... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333371/nvidias-latest-earnings-run-market-suddenly-afraid-ai-spending?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3333371/nvidias-latest-earnings-run-market-suddenly-afraid-ai-spending?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 06:36:23 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg SoftBank Group sold its entire stake in Nvidia for US$5.83 billion to help bankroll artificial intelligence investments, even as investors question the amount of capital pouring into a technology with uncertain returns. Founder Masayoshi Son has been unwinding positions to pay for a plethora of AI projects, from Stargate data centres with OpenAI and Oracle to robot manufacturing sites in the US. The Nvidia exit coincides with a growing debate about whether spending by Big Tech firms like Meta... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3332409/softbank-shares-dive-after-nvidia-sale-spooks-ai-wary-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3332409/softbank-shares-dive-after-nvidia-sale-spooks-ai-wary-market?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 02:10:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters Intel beat expectations for September-quarter profit as CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s drastic cost-cutting measures helped the chipmaker shore up its finances amid a slew of high-profile investments in the company. Shares were up 7 per cent in after-hours trading. This marks the Santa Clara, California-based company’s first earnings announcement after multibillion-dollar investments from Nvidia and Japan’s SoftBank as well as an unprecedented US government stake, with investors anticipating a major cash... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3330140/intel-beats-third-quarter-profit-estimates-cost-cuts-investments-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3330140/intel-beats-third-quarter-profit-estimates-cost-cuts-investments-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 03:30:13 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow When Alibaba Group Holding’s CEO Eddie Wu Yongming took the stage at the company’s annual Apsara conference in Hangzhou on September 24, few people expected the media-shy executive to deliver anything shocking, especially since he read from prepared statements at last year’s event. Wu, however, immediately outlined a clear road map for Alibaba’s AI development, with a goal towards so-called artificial superintelligence (ASI) – when the firm’s Qwen open-source models and cloud services would... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3328568/chinas-lesson-us-it-takes-more-chips-win-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3328568/chinas-lesson-us-it-takes-more-chips-win-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Oct 2025 04:00:13 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Intel, the embattled chipmaker now backed by the US government, introduced new products and manufacturing technology that are central to its turnaround bid. The company announced Thursday that its Panther Lake processor designs were in full production and would go on sale in laptops early next year. The new chips are made with 18A technology, which Intel said offered advantages that none of its competitors could match yet. The unveiling follows a furious six-month stretch for CEO Tan Lip-bu.... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328457/intel-debuts-first-chip-built-18a-process-make-or-break-moment-turnaround-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328457/intel-debuts-first-chip-built-18a-process-make-or-break-moment-turnaround-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 02:07:52 +0000 Reuters Reuters SoftBank Group Corp on Wednesday said it has agreed to buy the robotics business of Swiss engineering group ABB in a US$5.4 billion deal. The deal marks a major push by SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son into robotics, as he expands investment activity after a period of retrenchment. SoftBank, whose forays into robotics include the humanoid Pepper, has investments in the segment, including in Berkshire Grey and AutoStore. The deal means ABB has abandoned its original decision to spin off and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328219/softbank-strikes-deal-acquire-abbs-robotics-business-us54-billion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328219/softbank-strikes-deal-acquire-abbs-robotics-business-us54-billion?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 07:46:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg OpenAI has completed a deal to help employees sell shares in the company at a US$500 billion valuation, propelling the ChatGPT creator past Elon Musk’s SpaceX to become the world’s largest start-up. Current and former OpenAI employees sold about US$6.6 billion of stock to investors including Thrive Capital, SoftBank Group Corp, Dragoneer Investment Group, Abu Dhabi’s MGX and T Rowe Price, a person familiar with the transaction said. That boosted San Francisco-based OpenAI’s price tag well past... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3327625/openai-valuation-reaches-us500-billion-vaults-past-spacex-worlds-largest-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3327625/openai-valuation-reaches-us500-billion-vaults-past-spacex-worlds-largest-start?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 08:16:31 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg OpenAI plans to invest roughly US$400 billion to develop five new US data centre sites in partnership with Oracle and SoftBank Group, marking the biggest push yet to fulfil an earlier pledge to spend a half-trillion dollars on artificial intelligence infrastructure in the country. The new locations, spread across Texas, New Mexico and Ohio, will eventually have a capacity of 7 gigawatts of power, or as much as some cities, the companies said Tuesday. The plans were announced by executives from... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3326619/openai-expands-stargate-five-new-data-centre-sites-across-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3326619/openai-expands-stargate-five-new-data-centre-sites-across-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 03:06:22 +0000 Reuters Reuters Nvidia said on Thursday it would invest US$5 billion in Intel, throwing its heft behind the struggling US chipmaker just weeks after the White House engineered an extraordinary deal for the federal government to take a massive stake in the company. The stake will instantly make Nvidia one of Intel’s largest shareholders, giving it roughly 4 per cent of the company after new shares are issued to complete the deal. Nvidia’s support represents a new opening for Intel after years of turnaround... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3326048/nvidia-bets-big-intel-us5-billion-stake-chip-partnership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3326048/nvidia-bets-big-intel-us5-billion-stake-chip-partnership?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 18:42:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump said on Friday the United States would take a 10 per cent stake in Intel under a deal with the struggling chipmaker and is planning more such moves, the latest extraordinary intervention by the White House in corporate America. The US agreed to purchase a 9.9 per cent stake in Intel for US$8.9 billion at a price of US$20.47 a share, which is a discount of about US$4 per share from Intel’s closing share price of US$24.80 on Friday. The government will purchase the 433.3... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322891/trump-says-intel-has-agreed-deal-us-take-10-equity-stake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3322891/trump-says-intel-has-agreed-deal-us-take-10-equity-stake?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 18:31:26 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg OpenAI is considering eventually helping other businesses tap into the data centres and physical infrastructure needed for artificial intelligence, potentially creating a new revenue line that could offset some of the ChatGPT maker’s immense costs. The service would be loosely inspired by the success Amazon.com found renting out its spare cloud computing capacity to companies, OpenAI chief financial officer Sarah Friar said in an interview Wednesday. OpenAI was not “actively looking” at such an... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3322589/openai-finance-chief-sees-firm-selling-ai-data-centre-services-offset-chatgpt-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3322589/openai-finance-chief-sees-firm-selling-ai-data-centre-services-offset-chatgpt-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg After months of turbulence, Intel Corp bulls are finally being rewarded for their patience. But the stock’s sudden rebound comes with a worrying side effect: a valuation so high its most recent precedent is from the dotcom era more than two decades ago. Shares of the struggling chipmaker have rallied 28 per cent this month, adding about US$24 billion in market value, on reports that the US government is in talks for a potential equity stake, as well as plans for a US$2 billion investment from... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322476/struggling-chipmaker-intels-us24-billion-rally-sends-valuation-dotcom-levels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322476/struggling-chipmaker-intels-us24-billion-rally-sends-valuation-dotcom-levels?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 06:38:15 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg SoftBank Group agreed to buy US$2 billion in Intel stock, a move that extends its US investment effort and offers a vote of confidence in the struggling chipmaker. SoftBank will pay US$23 a share for Intel ordinary share, according to a joint statement on Monday. The agreement, which the companies described as a move to “deepen their commitment” to US chip innovation, will be subject to customary closing conditions. Intel shares jumped about 5 per cent in late trading after the announcement.... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322296/japans-softbank-invest-us2-billion-intel-part-us-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3322296/japans-softbank-invest-us2-billion-intel-part-us-push?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 01:43:30 +0000 Reuters Reuters Perplexity AI said it had made a US$34.5 billion unsolicited all-cash offer for Alphabet’s Chrome browser, a low but bold bid that would need financing well above the start-up’s own valuation. Run by Aravind Srinivas, Perplexity is no stranger to headline-grabbing offers – it made a similar one for TikTok US in January, offering to merge with the popular short-video app to resolve US concerns about TikTok’s Chinese ownership. Buying Chrome would allow the start-up to tap the browser’s more than... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3321652/ai-start-perplexity-makes-bold-bid-googles-chrome-browser?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3321652/ai-start-perplexity-makes-bold-bid-googles-chrome-browser?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 02:47:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters SoftBank Group has selected investment banks to help organise a potential initial public offering (IPO) in the US for its Japanese payments app operator PayPay, according to two people familiar with the matter. The banks leading preparations for the listing were Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Mizuho Financial Group and Morgan Stanley, the sources said. The PayPay offering may raise more than US$2 billion from investors when it takes place, which the sources said could be as soon as the final... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3321399/softbank-selects-banks-us-ipo-payments-app-paypay-amid-tech-rebound-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3321399/softbank-selects-banks-us-ipo-payments-app-paypay-amid-tech-rebound-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 02:31:17 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg OpenAI is in early talks about a potential sale of stock for current and former employees at a valuation of about US$500 billion , people briefed on the investment discussions said, marking an enormous gain in value for the artificial intelligence (AI) leader. The company is targeting a secondary stock sale in the billions of dollars, the people said, asking to remain anonymous because they weren’t authorised to discuss the matter publicly. Existing investors including Thrive Capital have... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3320900/openai-may-sell-employees-shares-investors-us500-billion-valuation-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3320900/openai-may-sell-employees-shares-investors-us500-billion-valuation-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 04:18:52 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Shanghai aims to complete at least five new large-scale data centres by the end of the year to meet rising demand for computing power, as China enhances its digital infrastructure to support its artificial intelligence ambitions. The initiative is expected to elevate the city’s AI computing capacity beyond 100 exaflops, according to a recent plan from the Shanghai Communications Administration, made public on Friday. Exaflop is a measuring unit for computer speed, equivalent to 1 quintillion... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3320813/shanghai-targets-5-new-data-centres-2025-china-boosts-ai-computing-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3320813/shanghai-targets-5-new-data-centres-2025-china-boosts-ai-computing-capacity?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 11:00:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg SoftBank Group Corp is building up stakes in Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), showing founder Masayoshi Son’s focus on the tools and hardware underpinning artificial intelligence. The Japanese technology investor raised its stake in Nvidia to about US$3 billion by the end of March, up from US$1 billion in the prior quarter, according to regulatory filings. It bought around US$330 million worth of TSMC shares and US$170 million in Oracle Corp, the filings show. That was... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3320820/softbanks-growing-stakes-nvidia-tsmc-show-founder-masayoshi-sons-focus-ai-gear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3320820/softbanks-growing-stakes-nvidia-tsmc-show-founder-masayoshi-sons-focus-ai-gear?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 09:07:48 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Indonesian police have detained the co-founder of eFishery, investigating a start-up whose collapse shook up Southeast Asia’s investment and tech community. Gibran Huzaifah was detained last week by the white-collar crimes division, the police said. He and two other former eFishery executives have remained in custody since July 31, according to a text message from Helfi Assegaf, director of special economic crimes at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency. The three have been... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3320768/indonesia-arrests-founder-high-flying-fish-start-over-fraud-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3320768/indonesia-arrests-founder-high-flying-fish-start-over-fraud-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 04:22:28 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg OpenAI has agreed to rent a massive amount of computing power from Oracle data centres as part of its Stargate initiative, underscoring the intense requirements for cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) products. The AI company will rent additional capacity from Oracle totalling about 4.5 gigawatts of data centre power in the US, according to people familiar with the work who asked not to be named discussing private information. That is an unprecedented sum of energy that could power... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3316730/openai-rent-more-computing-power-oracle-data-centres-part-stargate-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3316730/openai-rent-more-computing-power-oracle-data-centres-part-stargate-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jul 2025 03:45:09 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son is seeking to team up with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to realise what could be his biggest bet yet – a trillion-dollar industrial complex in Arizona to build robots and artificial intelligence. Son envisions a version of the vast manufacturing hub of China’s Shenzhen that would bring back high-tech manufacturing to the US, according to people familiar with the billionaire’s thinking. The park may comprise production lines for AI-powered... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3315222/softbank-pitches-us1-trillion-us-ai-robot-hub-tsmc-trump-team-eyes-arizona?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3315222/softbank-pitches-us1-trillion-us-ai-robot-hub-tsmc-trump-team-eyes-arizona?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 08:29:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse For Silicon Valley venture capitalists, the world has split into two camps: those with deep enough pockets to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) behemoths, and everyone else waiting to see where the AI revolution leads. The generative AI frenzy unleashed by ChatGPT in 2022 has propelled a handful of venture-backed companies to eye-watering valuations. Leading the pack is OpenAI, which raised US$40 billion in its latest funding round at a US$300 billion valuation – unprecedented largesse in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3312693/silicon-valley-venture-capitalists-sit-back-investing-ai-start-ups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3312693/silicon-valley-venture-capitalists-sit-back-investing-ai-start-ups?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jun 2025 04:09:49 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Nvidia chief Jensen Huang blasted the “failure” of US restrictions intended to help contain China’s technological ascent, calling on the White House to lower barriers to AI chip sales before American firms cede that market to up-and-coming rivals such as Huawei Technologies. Huang called for policymakers to propel US AI technology by lowering export barriers aimed at curtailing the rise of a geopolitical rival. Some corners of Washington are receptive to that argument when it applies to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3311207/nvidia-ceo-blasts-us-ai-chip-restrictions-china-failure-calls-policy-reversal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3311207/nvidia-ceo-blasts-us-ai-chip-restrictions-china-failure-calls-policy-reversal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 08:13:36 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese on-demand service giant Meituan has signed a US$1 billion deal to expand its Keeta food delivery platform to Brazil, following successful launches in Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. The company said it would introduce Keeta to Brazil “in the coming months” and invest US$1 billion in the South American country over the next five years. The agreement was signed at an event on Monday in Beijing, where Meituan is headquartered. Visiting Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attended the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3310112/chinas-meituan-bring-keeta-food-delivery-service-brazil-after-saudi-arabia-launch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3310112/chinas-meituan-bring-keeta-food-delivery-service-brazil-after-saudi-arabia-launch?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 May 2025 06:00:10 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A US federal judge set a March trial in Elon Musk’s challenge to Sam Altman’s plans to overhaul OpenAI’s business structure, setting the stage for a high-stakes clash between the two billionaires. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland, California, put the trial on her calendar for March 16 during a hearing on Friday after previously pledging to fast-track it rather than let it linger until 2027. Gonzalez Rogers last month rejected Musk’s request to temporarily pause the ChatGPT... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3305320/elon-musk-sam-altman-fight-over-openai-overhaul-set-march-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3305320/elon-musk-sam-altman-fight-over-openai-overhaul-set-march-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Apr 2025 03:38:11 +0000 Artificial intelligence powerhouse OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, on Monday announced it is building a more open generative AI model as it faces growing competition in the open-source space from Chinese rival DeepSeek and Meta. The announcement marks a strategic shift by OpenAI, which until now has been a fierce defender of closed, proprietary models that do not allow developers to modify the basic technology to make AI more adapted to their goals. OpenAI and defenders of closed models - which... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3304648/openai-build-open-ai-model-it-faces-competition-meta-and-chinas-deepseek?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3304648/openai-build-open-ai-model-it-faces-competition-meta-and-chinas-deepseek?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Mar 2025 22:06:07 +0000 SoftBank Group said on Wednesday it would acquire Ampere Computing, a US chip start-up founded by the former president of Intel that is increasingly focused on artificial intelligence, in a US$6.5 billion all-cash deal. Ampere makes data centre central processing unit (CPU) chips based on a computing architecture from Arm Holdings that are used by firms such as Oracle in their cloud computing infrastructure. As part of the deal, Ampere’s biggest investors, Oracle and Carlyle Group, will sell... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3303085/softbank-group-acquire-ampere-computing-us65-billion-ai-focused-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3303085/softbank-group-acquire-ampere-computing-us65-billion-ai-focused-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Mar 2025 02:52:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters Full Truck Alliance (FTA), China’s “Uber for trucks”, could revisit plans for a second listing in Hong Kong following a rebound in investor sentiment and an escalation in US-China geopolitical tensions, according to a top executive. The company, also known as Manbang in China, had initially planned a dual primary listing in Hong Kong in 2022 due to stricter audit requirements for US-listed Chinese companies. But it scrapped the plan in December that year after the US audit watchdog said it... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3301798/chinas-full-truck-alliance-eyes-secondary-hong-kong-listing-hedge-against-us-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3301798/chinas-full-truck-alliance-eyes-secondary-hong-kong-listing-hedge-against-us-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Mar 2025 09:20:24 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he was negotiating with four different possible buyers for TikTok’s operations in America and that a deal for the social video app could come “soon”. “We’re dealing with four different groups, and a lot of people want it,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. He did not specify the contenders nor say which way he was leaning, instead saying “all four are good”. ByteDance-owned TikTok faces a deadline of April 5 to strike a deal for its US... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3301764/trump-says-four-bidders-play-tiktoks-us-business-deal-expected-soon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3301764/trump-says-four-bidders-play-tiktoks-us-business-deal-expected-soon?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Mar 2025 06:24:16 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg SoftBank Group Corp tumbled to a loss in the December quarter, weighed down by a drop in the value of Vision Fund’s public holdings, just as founder Masayoshi Son campaigns to raise US$500 billion for artificial-intelligence (AI) infrastructure under the Stargate Project. The Tokyo-based company reported a net loss of ¥369.2 billion (US$2.4 billion) for its financial third quarter, compared with a profit of ¥950 billion a year ago. The firm’s Vision Fund unit logged a ¥309.9 billion loss,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3298415/japans-softbank-swings-loss-ahead-big-ai-infrastructure-bet-stargate-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3298415/japans-softbank-swings-loss-ahead-big-ai-infrastructure-bet-stargate-project?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:22:54 +0000 Bolivian-American billionaire Marcelo Claure has floated the idea of offering a US$1 million reward for ex-president Evo Morales, who is the subject of an arrest warrant. Claure, in a post on X late on Saturday, said he would think about the reward, above a photograph of a wanted poster for Evo Morales, implying, but without saying as much, that the reward would be for information leading to the former president’s arrest. Claure, a former COO of SoftBank, now manages his own investment fund and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3297994/billionaire-proposes-us1-million-reward-bolivias-ex-president-evo-morales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3297994/billionaire-proposes-us1-million-reward-bolivias-ex-president-evo-morales?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Feb 2025 02:58:46 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg SoftBank Group and OpenAI will create a joint venture to develop and sell artificial intelligence (AI) services to businesses across Japan, establishing one of the broadest efforts yet to sell the fast-growing start-up’s tools to enterprise customers outside the US. Billionaire SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son and OpenAI chief Sam Altman took to a Tokyo stage Monday to outline their 50-50 collaboration. The venture, which will operate under SoftBank’s telecoms arm, will hire 1,000 people from... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3297162/softbank-openai-tie-develop-ai-japan-deepseek-rises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3297162/softbank-openai-tie-develop-ai-japan-deepseek-rises?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Feb 2025 08:09:44 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China is expected to step up digital infrastructure development to drive its artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions, according to analysts, after the Trump administration unveiled the US$500 billion Stargate Project to further advance the United States’ lead in the vital technology. The Stargate Project – a venture initially led by SoftBank Group, ChatGPT creator OpenAI, Oracle and Emirati investment firm MGX – plans to plough up to US$500 billion in the US over the next four years into an... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3296018/tech-war-china-poised-expand-ai-infrastructure-keep-pace-us-stargate-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3296018/tech-war-china-poised-expand-ai-infrastructure-keep-pace-us-stargate-project?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jan 2025 12:36:30 +0000 Tech titan Elon Musk cast doubt on Wednesday on a US$500 billion AI project announced by US President Donald Trump, saying the money promised for the investment actually was not there. The comments marked a rare instance of a split between the world’s richest man and Trump, with Musk playing a key role in the newly installed administration after spending US$270 million on the election campaign. In his first full day in the White House, Trump on Tuesday announced a major investment to build... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295872/musk-slams-trump-backed-ai-megaproject-rare-split-us-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3295872/musk-slams-trump-backed-ai-megaproject-rare-split-us-president?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:31:58 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Alibaba Group Holding is planning to sell bonds denominated in US dollars and Chinese yuan to help repay debt and fund stock repurchases, as the e-commerce leader bets on declining interest rates to replenish its capital. The principal amount, interest rates, maturity dates and other terms of the notes would be determined at the time of pricing of the offering, the company said in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing on Monday. Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post, aims to raise US$5... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3287038/alibaba-sell-bonds-repay-debt-fund-stock-buy-back-amid-low-interest-rates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3287038/alibaba-sell-bonds-repay-debt-fund-stock-buy-back-amid-low-interest-rates?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Nov 2024 08:00:53 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Arm Holdings is cancelling a licence that allowed long-time partner Qualcomm to use Arm intellectual property to design chips, escalating a legal dispute over vital smartphone technology. Arm, based in the UK, has given Qualcomm a mandated 60-day notice of the cancellation of their so-called architectural licence agreement, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. The contract allows Qualcomm to create its own chips based on standards owned by Arm. The showdown threatens to roil the smartphone... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283457/qualcomm-may-lose-licence-design-its-own-chips-arm-standards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3283457/qualcomm-may-lose-licence-design-its-own-chips-arm-standards?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Oct 2024 02:30:44 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Arm Holdings approached Intel Corp about potentially buying the ailing chip maker’s product division, only to be told that the business is not for sale, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. In the high-level inquiry, Arm did not express interest in Intel’s manufacturing operations, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were private. Intel has two main units: a product group that sells semiconductors for personal computers, servers and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3280189/intel-rebuffs-arm-after-softbank-owned-firm-asked-buy-us-chip-makers-product-unit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3280189/intel-rebuffs-arm-after-softbank-owned-firm-asked-buy-us-chip-makers-product-unit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Sep 2024 06:52:44 +0000 President Joko Widodo has delayed relocating his office to Indonesia’s new 500 trillion rupiah (US$32 billion) planned capital city, citing missed deadlines for critical infrastructure, in a move observers say signals that development on his legacy project is significantly behind schedule. Widodo last month said he would start working from the new capital – Nusantara – in July, hoping to restore confidence in the costly megaproject plagued by delays and insufficient funding. “If the water is... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270707/indonesias-jokowi-delays-move-new-capital-amid-prabowos-potential-shift-nusantara?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270707/indonesias-jokowi-delays-move-new-capital-amid-prabowos-potential-shift-nusantara?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jul 2024 04:30:09 +0000 SoftBank Group has acquired British semiconductor start-up Graphcore, as the Japanese firm seeks to strengthen its investments in chips and artificial intelligence. The companies announced the deal on Friday without disclosing financial terms. Bristol-based Graphcore will operate as a SoftBank subsidiary and keep its management team, Nigel Toon, Graphcore’s chief executive officer, told reporters in a briefing. It is the second UK semiconductor company that SoftBank has snapped up, and follows... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3270178/softbank-buys-struggling-uk-chip-start-graphcore-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3270178/softbank-buys-struggling-uk-chip-start-graphcore-ai-race?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2024 04:29:58 +0000 Japanese tech conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp’s big-talking founder Masayoshi Son is back, this time with plans to bring about an era of artificial superintelligence (ASI). Son sketched out ambitions to help create artificial intelligence (AI) thousands of times smarter than any human, making his most grandiose pronouncements since the SoftBank began taking steps to shore up its finances following a series of ill-timed start-up bets. Sounding both more energised and more reflective than he has... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3267511/softbank-founder-masayoshi-son-aims-foster-era-super-ai-new-investment-drive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3267511/softbank-founder-masayoshi-son-aims-foster-era-super-ai-new-investment-drive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 07:05:45 +0000 Japanese tech giant SoftBank Corp. is easing the worsening problem of “customer harassment” with the development of voice-altering phone technology that employs AI to make even the most irate callers sound serene. According to the Tokyo-based company, the aim is to reduce soaring stress levels among call-centre operators who are having to deal with sharp increases in unhappy customers losing their temper. SoftBank engineers have been working on the “emotion-cancelling” system for three years... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3266515/japan-softbanks-emotion-cancelling-ai-filter-aims-protect-workers-angry-customers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3266515/japan-softbanks-emotion-cancelling-ai-filter-aims-protect-workers-angry-customers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jun 2024 03:51:17 +0000 Investors have piled into the initial public offering (IPO) of QuantumPharm, oversubscribing the retail tranche 75 times and putting the pre-revenue pharmaceutical company on track to price the shares at the top of the range. The Tencent-backed artificial intelligence (AI) drug researcher will raise HK$1.13 billion (US$145 million) if the offer is priced at the top end of the HK$5.03 to HK$6.03 band, making it the second-biggest IPO in Hong Kong this year after Chinese tea shop giant Sichuan... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3265818/tencent-backed-quantumpharm-track-become-hong-kongs-second-biggest-ipo-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3265818/tencent-backed-quantumpharm-track-become-hong-kongs-second-biggest-ipo-year?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Jun 2024 10:42:47 +0000 Nvidia’s Jensen Huang will informally kick off Computex 2024 with a speech this Sunday, inaugurating what will be the biggest-ever iteration of Taiwan’s annual electronics showcase event. The Tainan-born chief executive frequently visits the island of his birth, and this year he will be accompanied by almost all the heads of major US semiconductor companies, as they race to close the gap on Nvidia in the artificial intelligence (AI) chip race. Lisa Su of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Pat... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3264790/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-leads-us-chip-bosses-taiwans-computex-tech-expo-ai-focus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3264790/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-leads-us-chip-bosses-taiwans-computex-tech-expo-ai-focus?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 May 2024 01:57:55 +0000 SoftBank Group reported its second straight quarter of profitability as the Japanese tech investor benefited from an artificial intelligence (AI) investment boom that has buoyed assets like Arm Holdings. The Tokyo-based company earned a better-than-expected net income of 231.1 billion yen (US$1.5 billion) in the March quarter, compared with a net loss of 57.6 billion yen a year earlier, helped by investment gains at the holding company and on derivative contracts. For the full year, SoftBank... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3262489/softbank-posts-second-quarter-profit-ai-boom-lifts-shares-chip-designer-arm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3262489/softbank-posts-second-quarter-profit-ai-boom-lifts-shares-chip-designer-arm?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 May 2024 09:00:11 +0000 Japan is a popular tourist destination with rich cultural heritage, incredible food and stunning nature in equal measure. But the land of the rising sun is also notoriously expensive, with CEOWorld Magazine ranking it the fourth most expensive country to live in for 2024. Recently, its currency – the Japanese yen – has taken a dive due to a variety of factors, resulting in a deeper economic turndown in the country. While that means more challenging times for its citizens, tourists are enjoying... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3261958/who-are-5-richest-billionaires-japan-net-worths-ranked-uniqlos-tadashi-yanai-and-softbank-groups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3261958/who-are-5-richest-billionaires-japan-net-worths-ranked-uniqlos-tadashi-yanai-and-softbank-groups?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 May 2024 09:00:16 +0000