https://www.scmp.com/rss/325332/feed Latest news features and opinion on technology, covering everything from AI innovation to smartphone makers and apps. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The sound of tinkling bells drifts through an alley in central Seoul, an unmistakable sign that a shaman is near – although in this case the mystic is a robot powered by artificial intelligence. Many South Koreans still place great value in shamanic traditions, which purport to divine a person’s future based on the day and time they were born. Practitioners, known as mudang, wear long, colourful robes and perform dances and chants to commune with the gods – sometimes even walking on sharp blades... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350556/south-koreas-ai-shamans-foretell-new-take-old-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350556/south-koreas-ai-shamans-foretell-new-take-old-tradition?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:20:27 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee Hong Kong is better placed than many of its Asian peers to turn stablecoins into commercially viable products at scale, underpinned by its early lead in tokenisation and growing experience in moving financial infrastructure on-chain, according to HSBC’s head of digital assets research. “Hong Kong already has examples of deploying the technology and can now look towards commercial applications and scaling,” said Daragh Maher, HSBC’s head of digital assets research, in an interview on the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3350498/hong-kong-seen-leading-asia-push-scale-stablecoins-hsbc-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3350498/hong-kong-seen-leading-asia-push-scale-stablecoins-hsbc-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 02:30:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Trump administration and Anthropic’s CEO on Friday discussed working together for the first time since a dispute earlier this year between the Pentagon and the artificial intelligence firm over how that company’s models should be used. The meeting between CEO Dario Amodei and White House staff, which took place amid growing ‌fears the AI start-up’s latest model will supercharge cyberattacks, suggests the two sides might be on a path to rebuilding trust. The Trump administration, central... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350546/white-house-and-anthropic-ceo-discuss-working-together-amid-mythos-ai-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350546/white-house-and-anthropic-ceo-discuss-working-together-amid-mythos-ai-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:17:51 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu China’s leading LED chipmaker and its Malaysian partner have abandoned their US$239 million cash offer to purchase Dutch technology company Lumileds Holding after opposition from US authorities, marking the latest setback for Chinese tech investment overseas following the high-profile Nexperia saga. Sanan Optoelectronics, listed in Shanghai, said in a disclosure announcement on Friday that despite multiple rounds of discussions, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350520/chinese-led-chipmakers-purchase-dutch-firm-collapses-after-us-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350520/chinese-led-chipmakers-purchase-dutch-firm-collapses-after-us-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Industry estimates suggest that heavy-duty cargo traffic in China is on track to become nearly 100 per cent electric, a transition that could halve the country’s road transport oil consumption. Speaking at a forum on intelligent electric vehicle development in Beijing on April 11, Liang Linhe, chairman of Sany Truck – a subsidiary of the Changsha-headquartered multinational Sany Group – said China’s heavy truck sector could eventually be almost entirely electrified, although he did not put a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350463/chinese-trucks-could-go-100-electric-halving-road-transport-oil-use-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350463/chinese-trucks-could-go-100-electric-halving-road-transport-oil-use-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Vivian Au Vivian Au Hong Kong authorities will seek half of the HK$440 million (US$56.2 million) investment for a planned national innovation centre in Yuen Long from the private sector, while setting performance benchmarks that an analyst has called ambitious. The target was announced after Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po revealed the plan in his latest budget in February, which earmarked funds to establish the first national manufacturing innovation centre outside mainland China as part of efforts to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350515/hong-kong-eyes-hk220-million-private-investment-national-innovation-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3350515/hong-kong-eyes-hk220-million-private-investment-national-innovation-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:16:03 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on a recent podcast that if Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek optimised its new models on chips from Huawei Technologies, it would be “a horrible outcome” for the US. If “future AI models are optimised in a very different way than the American tech stack”, and as “AI diffuses out into the rest of the world” with Chinese standards and technology, China “will become superior to” the US, Huang said on the Dwarkesh Podcast on Wednesday. The conversation... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350460/nvidias-jensen-huang-warns-huawei-chips-deepseek-ai-models-would-be-horrible-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350460/nvidias-jensen-huang-warns-huawei-chips-deepseek-ai-models-would-be-horrible-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:00:14 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian A 32-year-old investor in central Hunan never expected a routine phone call about stock tips would leave him nursing heavy losses. In a post on RedNote, he said a caller claiming ties to private equity firms offered daily stock recommendations, urging him to buy within fixed quotas in exchange for sharing half the profits. “It was sketchy – I’m now trapped in the market and down almost 20 per cent,” he said on Thursday. His experience reflects a broader surge in scams targeting retail investors,... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3350447/hot-tips-cold-reality-china-targets-online-stock-scams-hitting-retail-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3350447/hot-tips-cold-reality-china-targets-online-stock-scams-hitting-retail-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:45:08 +0000 Josiah Ng Josiah Ng The record-breaking 66 brands exhibiting at Watches and Wonders this year gave us plenty of exotic complications, materials and designs, but as market share between top, middle and smaller scale brands continues to shift wildly amid universal price increases, this year’s biggest releases seem geared to making watches more universally wearable, durable and modernised. Brands experimented with familiar materials like platinum or titanium, but began to expand possibilities for ceramic, forged... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3350452/best-watches-and-wonders-2026-launches-cartier-and-hublot-patek-philippe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3350452/best-watches-and-wonders-2026-launches-cartier-and-hublot-patek-philippe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 08:44:13 +0000 SCMP Style Reporter SCMP Style Reporter IWC Schaffhausen takes to the skies this year as the Swiss luxury watch brand celebrates 90 years of one of its most seminal designs, the Pilot’s Watch. For this year’s festivities, the brand goes literally above and beyond, as two of its major Pilot’s Watch releases take watchmaking “beyond the sky and into space”. The Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive takes IWC’s 90 years of aviation watch excellence to the extreme, especially after the manufacturer’s participation in the Inspiration4 and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3350131/style-edit-iwc-schaffhausen-celebrates-its-pilots-watchs-90th-anniversary-cosmic-new-designs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/watches/article/3350131/style-edit-iwc-schaffhausen-celebrates-its-pilots-watchs-90th-anniversary-cosmic-new-designs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 02:00:15 +0000 Wency Chen,Yulu Ao Wency Chen,Yulu Ao Manycore Tech, a design software developer hailed as one of Hangzhou’s “Six Little Dragons”, made its trading debut in Hong Kong on Friday, with shares rising 172 per cent at the open, as the company positions itself at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the physical world. The stock opened at HK$20.70, surging 172 per cent from its HK$7.62 offer price before ending the day at HK$18.60, up 144 per cent. The firm raised HK$1.09 billion (US$160 million) from its initial public... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3350387/manycore-one-hangzhous-six-little-dragons-surges-hong-kong-ipo-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3350387/manycore-one-hangzhous-six-little-dragons-surges-hong-kong-ipo-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:32:52 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow In China’s hyper-competitive and lucrative tech industry, releasing cutting-edge artificial intelligence models for free may seem counter-intuitive – but it has become a core business strategy. At the University of Hong Kong last November, Alibaba Group Holding chairman Joe Tsai was asked why the tech giant open-sourced its AI models. Addressing a room full of students, Tsai said he believed open-source AI would bring global benefits by lowering costs, making it a natural fit for talent- and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350340/chinas-ai-firms-scaled-open-source-models-next-phase-may-be-different?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350340/chinas-ai-firms-scaled-open-source-models-next-phase-may-be-different?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:00:17 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin At a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday, lawmakers and experts accused China of buying “what they can” and stealing “what they cannot” in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race, while warning the United States’ immigration and research policies could be hindering innovation necessary to stay ahead. “The pattern is clear. China is dependent on our tech stack to continue their AI development. China is willing to buy what they can, and steal what they cannot, to advance their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350380/china-willing-buy-or-steal-us-tech-get-ahead-ai-race-congress-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350380/china-willing-buy-or-steal-us-tech-get-ahead-ai-race-congress-told?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 22:26:36 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Ganfeng Lithium, the world’s largest producer of lithium metal, has issued a strong profit forecast for the first quarter of this year as soaring demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage system (ESS) batteries lifted earnings. The company, based in China’s central Jiangxi province, said in an exchange filing on Thursday that increasing orders had driven up prices of lithium – a key material for EV and ESS batteries – helping it post an estimated profit of 1.6 billion yuan (US$234... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3350364/chinas-lithium-giant-ganfeng-sees-profit-jump-demand-evs-and-ess-batteries-soars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3350364/chinas-lithium-giant-ganfeng-sees-profit-jump-demand-evs-and-ess-batteries-soars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:40:24 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US artificial intelligence start-up Anthropic’s move to introduce real-name identity verification has triggered alarm in China, raising the prospect that access to its tools could be cut off entirely and prompting black-market vendors to scramble for workarounds. The shift highlights the strong demand for Anthropic’s Claude models in China, despite an official ban that also covers Hong Kong and Macau. The company said the restrictions were necessary for national security reasons amid... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350321/black-market-workarounds-claude-scale-anthropic-tightens-id-checks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350321/black-market-workarounds-claude-scale-anthropic-tightens-id-checks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Julie Zhang Julie Zhang Non-invasive brain-computer interfaces (BCI) that read neural signals through the skin could help patients manage symptoms for some brain conditions, according to BrainCo, a Harvard-incubated start-up. BrainCo’s BCI technology could “read brain neural signals and translate them into commands to control machines to modulate brain function and help cure some brain diseases”, said Nyx He, a partner and senior vice-president of BrainCo, at the HSBC Global Investment Summit on Thursday. The... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3350315/braincos-brain-computer-interface-wows-hsbc-summit-mind-controlled-hand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3350315/braincos-brain-computer-interface-wows-hsbc-summit-mind-controlled-hand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:10:34 +0000 Xiaofei Xu Xiaofei Xu Dutch chipmaker ASML upgraded its 2026 sales outlook on Wednesday, citing strong demand, even as China’s share of global shipments continued to decline and the firm braced for a potential new round of US export controls targeting China. The company projected net sales for the year to fall between €36 billion (US$42.5 billion) and €40 billion, as it released its first-quarter results, up from its previous forecast of between €34 billion and €39 billion made in January. The semiconductor... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350243/asml-boosts-2026-sales-forecast-despite-shrinking-china-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3350243/asml-boosts-2026-sales-forecast-despite-shrinking-china-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 03:29:22 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), China’s electric vehicle (EV) battery king, plans to earmark 30 billion yuan (US$4.4 billion) to establish a subsidiary to manage and expand mining assets, after the global energy shock paved the way for a quicker entry into the world’s automotive and energy storage system (ESS) markets. The investment arm, in line with CATL’s long-term growth strategy, would integrate existing mining assets, pursue high-quality mineral projects at home and abroad, and... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3350213/chinas-catl-invest-us44-billion-mining-arm-secure-ev-battery-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3350213/chinas-catl-invest-us44-billion-mining-arm-secure-ev-battery-supply-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:50:49 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Billionaire Elon Musk seems to have embraced TikTok, the world’s most popular short video site, more than two years after he said he stopped using the platform, as he felt its artificial intelligence algorithm was “probing” his mind. A verified @elonmusk handle recently posted a video on the site run by China’s ByteDance, signalling a truce – or perhaps a strategic surrender – to the platform’s massive global reach. The account features the same profile picture as Musk’s account on X, the social... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350003/probing-minds-verified-account-how-elon-musks-stance-tiktok-shifted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350003/probing-minds-verified-account-how-elon-musks-stance-tiktok-shifted?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Silicon photonic computing chips – long overlooked in the artificial intelligence hardware stack – are emerging as a new focal point in mainland China’s semiconductor push, as domestic companies move towards public listings amid intensifying US-China competition and surging demand for next-generation computing infrastructure. Shanghai-based Lightelligence, the first company globally to achieve large-scale deployment of hybrid optical-electronic computing, passed its Hong Kong listing hearing on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350183/lightelligence-track-ipo-plans-chinas-ai-photonics-race-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350183/lightelligence-track-ipo-plans-chinas-ai-photonics-race-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:00:31 +0000 Jeffrey Wu Jeffrey Wu A quiet but consequential shift is reshaping the global artificial intelligence competition, and it has little to do with which country builds the most powerful model. Jensen Huang did not mean to describe a geopolitical strategy. But when Nvidia’s chief executive declared, “Your workload is inference, your tokens are your commodity, and that compute is your revenue,” he was articulating, from the supply side, something China had concluded from the other direction. To understand why, start with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349947/us-controls-chips-ai-race-china-controls-scoreboard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349947/us-controls-chips-ai-race-china-controls-scoreboard?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong authorities should consider the impact of technological developments when drafting policies, observers have said, noting the government’s decision to halt plans for basketball betting reflected a lack of thorough discussion. Their remarks on Tuesday followed the government announcing the suspension over concerns about new “prediction market” gambling while warning that it was illegal for Hongkongers to bet on sports events on such trading platforms. An amendment bill to the Betting... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350095/call-check-tech-trends-when-drafting-policies-after-basketball-betting-u-turn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3350095/call-check-tech-trends-when-drafting-policies-after-basketball-betting-u-turn?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:01:05 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu For Hong Kong’s 3.3 million PayMe users, everyday transactions such as buying coffee or splitting bills with friends could soon involve stablecoins, with HSBC preparing to introduce the digital currency in the second half of this year. That comes after HSBC Holdings, together with a Standard Chartered-led joint venture, became the first to obtain a stablecoin issuer licence from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority on Friday, marking a breakthrough in the city’s digital finance development. HSBC,... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3350089/how-paymes-33-million-users-and-hong-kong-firms-could-start-using-stablecoins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3350089/how-paymes-33-million-users-and-hong-kong-firms-could-start-using-stablecoins?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:37 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil will require foreign partners to process rare earth minerals domestically as a condition for access to its reserves, a senior government official said this week, setting terms that could reshape how Chinese and Western firms compete for resources the country has long exported raw. “Our doors of Brazil to foreign investment are open, but our position has matured,” Leonardo Durans, a senior official at Brazil’s industry ministry, said at a press conference with international media on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350094/brazil-demands-rare-earths-be-processed-home-us-and-china-compete?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350094/brazil-demands-rare-earths-be-processed-home-us-and-china-compete?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:37:42 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory, its largest production base, has the potential to build humanoid robots in future, the company’s China president says, with its manufacturing efficiency and innovative capability seen as potential drivers of CEO Elon Musk’s hopes of commercialising the technology swiftly. Allan Wang Hao said in a media briefing on Tuesday that the Shanghai Gigafactory could provide a “golden key” to the mass production of robots designed to resemble and move like humans. “Like other... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3350076/shanghai-gigafactory-has-potential-construct-humanoid-robots-tesla-china-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3350076/shanghai-gigafactory-has-potential-construct-humanoid-robots-tesla-china-president?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:02:53 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang China’s world models are benefiting from early integration with the country’s strong industrial base, which gives the domestic ecosystem greater momentum than that of the US, according to an executive at a leading Chinese world model start-up. World models simulate 3D environments and physical dynamics, and are expected to help train the next generation of physical artificial intelligence applications, including robots and autonomous vehicles. Wang Xiaofeng, an algorithm partner at GigaAI, said... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350062/chinas-edge-over-us-ai-world-models-abundant-data-faster-deployment-executive-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3350062/chinas-edge-over-us-ai-world-models-abundant-data-faster-deployment-executive-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese chip start-up Dishan Technology has achieved a breakthrough in designing a 2-nanometre artificial intelligence chip, according to local media reports. Shanghai-based Dishan, which focuses on the development of high-performance computing chips and sensor chips, was now in the crucial prototype verification stage for its first 2nm AI graphics processing unit (GPU), the Shanghai Morning Post reported recently. The GPU was unveiled by the company last July. The company then said it had... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350050/chinas-dishan-technology-nears-2nm-ai-chip-breakthrough-reports-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350050/chinas-dishan-technology-nears-2nm-ai-chip-breakthrough-reports-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:59:56 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang China is gaining from America’s trillion-dollar artificial intelligence spending spree despite Washington’s efforts to curb Chinese technology ties, as the US data centre boom ripples through Asian technology supply chains, according to research by Oxford Economics. Roughly US$2 trillion worth of data-centre projects are planned or under way in the US, according to a report by the consultancy, with as much as three-quarters of the cost tied to equipment such as semiconductors and servers. That... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350010/china-quietly-profits-us-ai-boom-despite-washingtons-tech-curbs-research?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350010/china-quietly-profits-us-ai-boom-despite-washingtons-tech-curbs-research?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:00:08 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words The second quarter of 2026 has commenced with an overpowering scent of steampunk industriousness. ChatGPT, Gen AI (generative artificial intelligence) and LLM (large language model) have become the latest buzzwords of this epoch. Hong Kong and mainland China are ardently embracing... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3349899/ai-twister-brewing-legal-horizon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3349899/ai-twister-brewing-legal-horizon?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Asia’s technology industry is bracing for longer and deeper disruptions from the Middle East turmoil as analysts warn that prolonged hostilities could throttle semiconductor production and the buildout of artificial intelligence data centres. The Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a quarter of global seaborne crude oil trade and 20 per cent of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, remained effectively closed after US President Donald Trump said he would block the channel following the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349895/how-prolonged-iran-war-could-disrupt-asia-tech-industry-chipmaking-ai-data-centres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349895/how-prolonged-iran-war-could-disrupt-asia-tech-industry-chipmaking-ai-data-centres?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:10 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial These days, it seems everything is artificial intelligence, but only the technically proficient and well-funded organisations can take advantage of AI’s full power. Therefore, the Hong Kong government must democratise its use lest people be left behind, missing out on its potential for enrichment and employment. The Hong Kong government is moving in the right direction by setting up a new AI research institute, along with multiple initiatives and funding channels to develop “AI for... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3349873/ai-all-efforts-must-not-leave-any-hongkonger-behind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3349873/ai-all-efforts-must-not-leave-any-hongkonger-behind?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Governments, industry and the public are in “common ignorance” about the present and future of artificial intelligence, making both international collaboration and coordination between industry and policymakers necessary, experts have said. In a panel discussion at the inaugural Hong Kong Global AI Governance Conference at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) on Saturday, Alibaba Group Holding policy lead Fu Hongyu said that China was now at the front lines of global efforts to introduce guardrails... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349871/common-ignorance-how-china-took-lead-global-efforts-govern-ais-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349871/common-ignorance-how-china-took-lead-global-efforts-govern-ais-future?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Sylvia Ma Sylvia Ma The economist famously dubbed “Doctor Doom” for predicting the 2008 financial crisis has seemingly morphed into a bullish “Doctor Boom” with his latest economic outlook. Nouriel Roubini now predicts that a “Cambrian explosion” of technological advances – including artificial intelligence – could propel the US’ potential economic growth to 4 per cent by 2030, and as high as 10 per cent in less than a quarter-century, overshadowing Middle East oil shocks and other near-term headwinds. Framing AI... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349920/us-china-seen-top-ai-beneficiaries-new-growth-forecast-doctor-doom-economist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349920/us-china-seen-top-ai-beneficiaries-new-growth-forecast-doctor-doom-economist?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:06:00 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong authorities have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with mainland China’s top internet regulator to promote the digital economy, with the city’s leader pledging to contribute to building a strong technological nation. The MOU was signed on Sunday by Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong and Wang Jingtao, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), and covers topics including artificial intelligence (AI) promotion, cross-boundary data... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349815/hong-kong-mainland-china-sign-milestone-mou-promoting-digital-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349815/hong-kong-mainland-china-sign-milestone-mou-promoting-digital-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:18:43 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang A Chinese company has tried to use AI analysis to track US aerial refuelling missions to detect the strike patterns of bombers over Iran. MizarVision, a private geospatial intelligence firm, published a report earlier this month analysing the activities of US KC-135 and KC-46 tanker aircraft during Operation Epic Fury. The report detailed critical links between known tanker movements and strikes against Iranian targets. Analysts said the tankers could be tracked through Automatic Dependent... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349788/how-chinese-company-said-it-used-ai-track-us-bomber-movements-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349788/how-chinese-company-said-it-used-ai-track-us-bomber-movements-over-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong and Shanghai have taken a significant step in the digital integration of the two financial hubs by linking authentication systems, while five mainland Chinese enterprises have established operations in the city, officials have said. Both sides highlighted the progress on Sunday during the first annual meeting of the Working Group on Shanghai and Hong Kong Digital Cooperation. They gathered in Hong Kong to review a deepening partnership over the past year aimed at tackling technical... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349811/progress-hailed-hong-kong-shanghai-link-digital-authentication-systems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349811/progress-hailed-hong-kong-shanghai-link-digital-authentication-systems?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 12:25:53 +0000 Sheheryar Bilal Sheheryar Bilal No Ethiopian, Pakistani, Indian, Brazilian or other serious policymaker believes artificial intelligence will solve corruption or improve governance overnight. National policies such as Digital Ethiopia 2030, Pakistan’s National AI Policy 2025 or other initiatives in Chile, Argentina and Colombia consider AI as a means to enhance service delivery in healthcare, education, agriculture, taxation and disaster management, rather than as institutional reform. These are practical applications.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349302/ai-pessimism-luxury-global-south-cannot-afford?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349302/ai-pessimism-luxury-global-south-cannot-afford?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Chinese scientists say they have developed a wafer-scale 2D semiconductor growth method with 1,000 times faster growth, paving the way for industry advances. The surging demand for high‑performance, low‑power chips driven by AI and large-language models has intensified the search for next‑generation semiconductor technologies. Moore’s Law predicted a doubling of semiconductor capacity every two years but as chip dimensions continue to shrink, physical limitations make further performance scaling... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349677/semiconductor-leap-china-looks-next-gen-2d-chip-1000-fold-growth-speed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3349677/semiconductor-leap-china-looks-next-gen-2d-chip-1000-fold-growth-speed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:00:14 +0000 Denise Tsang Denise Tsang Hong Kong has struck a balance between financial security and innovation in its strategic roles as a “testing ground” and “firewall” for the nation’s reform and opening up, the city’s finance chief has said. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Sunday that security was core to the goal of achieving high-quality development as geopolitical tensions created risks in global financial markets and energy supplies. As Hong Kong rolled out the first batch of stablecoin licences last week, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349786/hong-kong-balancing-financial-security-innovation-nations-firewall-paul-chan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3349786/hong-kong-balancing-financial-security-innovation-nations-firewall-paul-chan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 07:41:09 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi The chairmen of China’s battery and solar giants have called for more top-down regulations to rein in cutthroat competition, warning that unchecked overcapacity is squeezing profits and threatening the industry’s stability. Despite tailwinds including the Middle East conflict that could increase demand for renewable products, overcapacity remains a major challenge for industry players. Zhang Tianren, chairman of Tianneng Holding Group – ranked second behind Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd... https://www.scmp.com/business/climate-and-energy/article/3349627/chinas-battery-solar-bosses-urge-top-down-rules-overcapacity-clouds-industry-outlook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/climate-and-energy/article/3349627/chinas-battery-solar-bosses-urge-top-down-rules-overcapacity-clouds-industry-outlook?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 06:00:15 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Hyundai Motor has spearheaded a comeback among foreign marques vying for a slice of the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) market, launching a new brand built around local technologies and partnerships. The South Korean carmaker, which reversed a six-year sales decline in 2025, said it would soon introduce production models under the Ioniq brand tailored for Chinese consumers, as it steps up its push into the world’s largest automotive market. “The newly launched Ioniq brand in China evolves beyond a... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349776/hyundai-spearheads-foreign-ev-comeback-push-china-ioniq-brand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3349776/hyundai-spearheads-foreign-ev-comeback-push-china-ioniq-brand?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 05:20:54 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Remember the iPod? It is making a quiet comeback. Four years after Apple killed off its digital music player, second-hand sales are surging – fuelled in part by young people interested not just in its retro looks but in listening to music in a focused way and with playlists not determined by algorithms. “There’s a growing trend, particularly among younger users, to mitigate the ease with which they can be distracted by smartphones, often driven by mental health and well-being concerns,” says Ben... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3349514/how-get-ipod-and-set-it-apples-music-device-makes-comeback?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3349514/how-get-ipod-and-set-it-apples-music-device-makes-comeback?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek is ramping up recruitment in Inner Mongolia, signalling a potential expansion of its data centre footprint ahead of the much-anticipated release of its V4 model. The Hangzhou-based company is recruiting for two new roles – server maintenance engineers and delivery managers to oversee data centre launches – in Ulanqab, in Inner Mongolia, according to recent job postings. The move marks the first time DeepSeek has publicly advertised on-site roles... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349741/deepseek-ramps-hiring-ahead-v4-launch-questions-swirl-over-chip-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349741/deepseek-ramps-hiring-ahead-v4-launch-questions-swirl-over-chip-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:37:34 +0000 Teng Bingsheng Teng Bingsheng As China enters its 15th five-year plan, policymakers face a structural constraint that cannot be eased with another round of infrastructure spending or property stimulus. The demographic dividend that powered four decades of expansion is fading. Industrial competition has intensified. The central economic question is no longer how fast China can grow, but how productively. Artificial intelligence, specifically the rise of AI agents, may offer part of the answer. Deployed at scale, these systems... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349389/chinas-next-growth-engine-ai-powered-intelligence-dividend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3349389/chinas-next-growth-engine-ai-powered-intelligence-dividend?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Yang Zhilin, founder of fast-rising start-up Moonshot AI, has become the latest artificial intelligence entrepreneur to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang, as Beijing steps up its push to accelerate the digital transformation of manufacturing. The 32-year-old was among a select group of business leaders and experts invited to a high-level symposium on Friday, where participants offered views on China’s economic resilience and future growth drivers. Li acknowledged that the external environment had... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349707/chinas-li-qiang-urges-faster-industrial-ai-adoption-meeting-moonshot-ai-founder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349707/chinas-li-qiang-urges-faster-industrial-ai-adoption-meeting-moonshot-ai-founder?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:30:08 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Vincent Chow Sylvia Ma,Vincent Chow With US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell reported to have held urgent talks over Anthropic’s latest artificial intelligence model, experts are warning that immediate cybersecurity assessments are needed to avert potential economic damage running into the hundreds of billions of US dollars. Across the Pacific, however, analysts said China’s banks were taking a more cautious approach, as Beijing prioritises financial stability and intensifies monitoring of... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349685/china-banks-buffer-against-ai-contagions-us-sweats-over-anthropics-mythos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3349685/china-banks-buffer-against-ai-contagions-us-sweats-over-anthropics-mythos?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Tencent Holdings’ super app WeChat has updated its content governance rules to ban non-human automated publishing, including the use of artificial intelligence and scripts, amid a surge in technologies that can replace human creators. “Official accounts and service accounts must not use AI, scripts, APIs or other automated methods to replace human involvement in content production and distribution,” WeChat said on Thursday via its official platform. The super app, marketed as Weixin on the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349696/tencent-moves-rein-ai-content-flood-wechat-stricter-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349696/tencent-moves-rein-ai-content-flood-wechat-stricter-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:31:11 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Last week, on April 1 to be exact, Apple reached the grand old age of 50 (almost exactly a year younger than Microsoft), one of a tiny proportion of S&P-listed companies that have stayed the course for half a century. It is a company with which I have had a special connection and a love-hate relationship for most of my adult life. Not that I have ever owned an Apple product (I have always been a loyal Android man) nor any Apple shares; heavens, I wish I had. No. My special connection is more... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349541/my-love-hate-relationship-apple-android-user?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349541/my-love-hate-relationship-apple-android-user?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Alibaba Cloud captured more than 50 per cent of global open-source model downloads as of March following the release of its Qwen 3.5 model series, a new report has found. The finding underscores the dominance of Chinese models in the global open-source artificial intelligence landscape, though some US companies including OpenAI and Nvidia are also making early gains. Qwen reached nearly 1 billion cumulative downloads by March, far surpassing rivals like Meta Platforms’ Llama and DeepSeek,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349552/alibabas-qwen-family-captures-over-50-global-open-source-downloads-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349552/alibabas-qwen-family-captures-over-50-global-open-source-downloads-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:00:14 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Unitree Robotics, one of China’s largest robot makers, will debut the R1, its cheapest humanoid model, on the international market via Alibaba Group Holding’s AliExpress marketplace next week, according to two sources familiar with the matter on Thursday. The launch would cover major overseas markets including North America, Europe, Japan and Singapore, one of the sources said. The product would later be available on other channels, the second person said. The R1, launched in mainland China last... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349489/chinas-unitree-debut-cheapest-humanoid-robot-globally-alibaba-site-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349489/chinas-unitree-debut-cheapest-humanoid-robot-globally-alibaba-site-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:30:11 +0000