https://www.scmp.com/rss/501369/feed Kelly Le is a multimedia reporter and producer who covers a range of topics including technology, China policies and culture. She graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a master's degree in journalism. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ann Cao,Iris Deng,Kelly Le Ann Cao,Iris Deng,Kelly Le Tucked away in the southwest corner of the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, security staff stand guard at a few nondescript four-storey villas to dissuade tourists from taking photos. The 24/7 security detail is tasked with an important mission: ensure the developers for the video gaming studio Game Science remain undisturbed. Since the release of Black Myth: Wukong on August 20, the once little-known Tencent Holdings-backed start-up has become a national champion, attracting fans and news... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3276611/black-myth-wukong-good-omen-some-small-chinese-game-developers-see-obstacles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3276611/black-myth-wukong-good-omen-some-small-chinese-game-developers-see-obstacles?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Aug 2024 05:00:11 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Chinese regulators plan to ban sales of certain types of wireless chargers, including some from Apple, in the latest example of growing compliance risks for foreign electronics products in China. The updated radio frequency management regulations from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which come into effect on September 1, state that only three frequency bands will be recognised for mobile and portable wireless charging equipment: 100-148.5kHz, 6765-6795kHz, and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3276115/chinas-new-radio-frequency-rules-will-block-sale-some-wireless-chargers-apple?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3276115/chinas-new-radio-frequency-rules-will-block-sale-some-wireless-chargers-apple?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Aug 2024 12:00:11 +0000 Kelly Le,Ann Cao Kelly Le,Ann Cao The popularity of Black Myth: Wukong has Chinese investors and video game developers looking at ways to replicate its success, but industry insiders say that might be a decade away. The blockbuster game, developed by Tencent Holdings-backed start-up Game Science, became an overnight sensation in China after its release on Tuesday and has been well received in global markets. Sales of Black Myth topped 8.4 million copies within three days, sending total revenue from the title on video gaming... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3275709/black-myth-wukong-increasing-chinas-appetite-aaa-games-next-one-could-take-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3275709/black-myth-wukong-increasing-chinas-appetite-aaa-games-next-one-could-take-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Aug 2024 01:00:24 +0000 Ann Cao,Kelly Le Ann Cao,Kelly Le As Black Myth: Wukong took the global gaming community by storm, the low-profile studio behind China’s first AAA video game has quickly become the centre of attention, fanning heated discussions in China’s gaming industry over the secret to its success. Set up in 2014 in China’s southern tech hub of Shenzhen by Feng Ji, a former game designer at Tencent Holdings, Game Science this week realised the founder’s dream of making a home-grown blockbuster title. After six years of development, the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3275526/black-myth-wukongs-popularity-brings-unexpected-windfall-fame-low-profile-developer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3275526/black-myth-wukongs-popularity-brings-unexpected-windfall-fame-low-profile-developer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2024 13:59:59 +0000 Ann Cao,Kelly Le Ann Cao,Kelly Le Mainland China’s Black Myth: Wukong mania has boosted domestic sales of video gaming-related hardware, with Sony Interactive Entertainment’s PlayStation 5 console in particularly high demand, according to local vendors and gamers. The hit action role-playing game – developed by Tencent Holdings-backed studio Game Science and based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West – has sold at least 4.5 million copies since its release on Tuesday for the PS5 console and personal computers. “This... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3275373/chinas-black-myth-wukong-mania-lifts-sales-sonys-ps5-console-other-gaming-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3275373/chinas-black-myth-wukong-mania-lifts-sales-sonys-ps5-console-other-gaming-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Aug 2024 13:00:22 +0000 Kunlun Tech, an online game publisher, has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that it says can produce short dramas, the latest example of a Chinese business hoping to profit from AI-generated content. Skyreels, the “world’s first AI reels platform”, is able to generate scripts, characters, plots, storyboards, dialogue and music to create a short video, according to a demo showing the product’s operating interface and a statement published by Shenzhen-listed Kunlun Tech on its WeChat... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3275186/china-ai-game-company-launches-tool-creating-3-minute-dramas-music-and-plot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3275186/china-ai-game-company-launches-tool-creating-3-minute-dramas-music-and-plot?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2024 10:00:23 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Ahead of Tuesday’s release of China’s first AAA video game, Black Myth: Wukong, Chinese brands are rushing to link themselves to the highly anticipated title through partnerships and product tie-ins. Lenovo Group, Luckin Coffee and Didi Bike are among those giving their products a design makeover drawing inspiration from what could become China’s first blockbuster game to become a global hit, generating excitement among domestic gamers. Inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3275044/chinas-first-aaa-game-black-myth-wukong-has-both-fans-and-brands-excited?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3275044/chinas-first-aaa-game-black-myth-wukong-has-both-fans-and-brands-excited?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Aug 2024 11:00:15 +0000 Growing adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) could help empower the video gaming industry in Hong Kong, according to delegates at this year’s edition of the Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum at tech hub Cyberport on Friday. “We have seen the trend that users are more willing to interact with AI, which means virtual characters are an important direction in the entertainment and gaming industry,” Zhang Ji, a senior algorithm engineer at Alibaba Group Holding’s Institute for... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3274822/hong-kongs-video-gaming-sector-get-boost-growing-adoption-genai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3274822/hong-kongs-video-gaming-sector-get-boost-growing-adoption-genai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2024 13:00:17 +0000 Ann Cao,Ben Jiang,Kelly Le Ann Cao,Ben Jiang,Kelly Le Alibaba Group Holding saw revenue grow 4 per cent in the June quarter, missing estimates, as the tech giant navigates an economic slowdown after seeing e-commerce growth during the 618 shopping festival and rising demand for its cloud services. Alibaba’s revenue rose to 243.2 billion yuan (US$34 billion), slower than the previous quarter’s 7 per cent growth. Revenue from the cloud computing business, which was the online broadcasting partner for the 2024 Paris Olympics, rose 6 per cent to 26.5... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3274635/alibaba-revenue-edges-us335-billion-misses-estimates-second-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3274635/alibaba-revenue-edges-us335-billion-misses-estimates-second-quarter?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Aug 2024 10:55:28 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Lenovo Group, the world’s largest personal computer (PC) maker, reported a 20 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue for the June quarter, a sign of continuing recovery in the computer market after two years of weak demand. The Beijing-based company achieved better-than-expected revenue of US$15.4 billion in the quarter ending June, exceeding the estimated US$14.1 billion number expected by analysts. It marks Lenovo’s third consecutive quarter of revenue growth after a period of sluggish... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3274578/lenovos-net-income-65-june-quarter-intelligent-devices-see-strong-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3274578/lenovos-net-income-65-june-quarter-intelligent-devices-see-strong-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Aug 2024 07:35:01 +0000 The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and tech hub Cyberport have launched a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) sandbox to help foster adoption of the technology in the city’s banking industry, while mitigating potential risks. HKMA chief executive Eddie Yue Wai-man, who is serving a second five-year term as the city’s de facto central banker, said at the launch on Tuesday – via his AI-generated avatar – that the sandbox “will empower banks to pilot their novel GenAI use cases within a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3274489/hkma-cyberport-collaborate-genai-sandbox-foster-adoption-citys-banking-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3274489/hkma-cyberport-collaborate-genai-sandbox-foster-adoption-citys-banking-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Aug 2024 13:00:16 +0000 TikTok and Amazon.com have entered into a deal that enables users of the ByteDance-owned platform to directly buy goods from the United States-based e-commerce giant via the popular short video app. “We’re excited to collaborate with Amazon to offer a seamless and fun shopping experience,” TikTok wrote in a post on Thursday, which did not provide details on how many international markets are covered by this collaboration. TikTok users will see Amazon product recommendations on the app’s “For... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3274006/tiktok-amazon-collaborate-online-shopping-heating-competition-shein-temu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3274006/tiktok-amazon-collaborate-online-shopping-heating-competition-shein-temu?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Aug 2024 08:55:25 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le In the second of a two-part series, Kelly Le looks at how cybersecurity firms are using AI to fight back against the increasingly sophisticated digital scams plaguing Hong Kong. On a quiet Saturday morning in mid-July, Angeline Lian received a WhatsApp message from her landlord about a lease renewal deal that looked too good to refuse: save HK$20,000 if she pays HK$100,000 for the next year up front. The 25-year-old from Shanghai, who has been working in Hong Kong for a year after completing a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3273935/byte-sized-bandits-ai-levelling-scammers-also-helping-hongkongers-fight-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3273935/byte-sized-bandits-ai-levelling-scammers-also-helping-hongkongers-fight-back?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Aug 2024 04:00:16 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Ant Group has led a new round of investment in a low-profile Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up with a focus on search engines and writing assistance, marking the fintech giant’s latest move in this field. Shanghai Mita Network Technology raised over 100 million yuan (US$13.9 million) in a new funding round led by Ant Group, an affiliate of South China Morning Post owner Alibaba Group Holding, according to a report published by local media Latepost on Thursday. That put the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3273912/ant-group-invests-writing-assistant-start-mita-chinese-tech-firms-keep-betting-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3273912/ant-group-invests-writing-assistant-start-mita-chinese-tech-firms-keep-betting-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Aug 2024 12:00:08 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Scams powered by new technologies are on the rise and as a global finance hub, Hong Kong has proven particularly vulnerable. The city’s police force recorded 16,182 technology-related criminal cases in the first half of the year, a 3.5 per cent increase over the same period in 2023. Losses in these cases amounted to HK$2.66 billion (US$341.1 million), according to Police Chief Superintendent Raymond Lam Cheuk-ho. But how have scammers been able to perpetrate ever more convincing fraud? Here are... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3273753/hi-tech-fraud-here-are-technologies-changing-face-scams-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3273753/hi-tech-fraud-here-are-technologies-changing-face-scams-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Aug 2024 02:00:10 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Hengqin, an island in the southern city of Zhuhai that serves as the gateway to the gambling hub of Macau, has opened its entire road network to driverless car road tests, becoming the latest Chinese district to embrace autonomous driving technology. The Hengqin Cooperation Zone, a priority development area aimed at fostering economic cooperation between Macau and Guangdong province, made 330 kilometres of road available for autonomous driving tests as it joins efforts to turn the Greater Bay... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3272350/chinas-robotaxi-bet-all-roads-island-connecting-macau-open-self-driving-cars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3272350/chinas-robotaxi-bet-all-roads-island-connecting-macau-open-self-driving-cars?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2024 11:30:09 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le A top Apple executive has paid a visit to China’s southern tech hub Shenzhen to speak with the city’s party secretary about supply chains, underscoring China’s importance for the US consumer giant as other tech firms seek to “de-risk” from the country. According to official statements from Shenzhen, Apple chief operating officer Jeff Williams met on Wednesday with Meng Fanli, the city’s Communist Party secretary. Williams reportedly told Meng that Shenzhen is an important market for Apple, which... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3271741/apple-coo-meets-shenzhen-official-discuss-supply-chain-ahead-iphone-16-launch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3271741/apple-coo-meets-shenzhen-official-discuss-supply-chain-ahead-iphone-16-launch?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 11:17:21 +0000 Alibaba Group Holding aims to supercharge the business of clothing merchants on Chinese shopping platforms Taobao and Tmall with overseas shipment subsidies, as the e-commerce giant intensifies competition against Shein and Temu. Eligible merchants on Taobao and Tmall can enroll in Alibaba’s new pan-clothing global free shipping plan, so they can sell their products directly to consumers in several markets outside the mainland, the Hangzhou-based company said in a statement in response to the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3271610/alibaba-bets-taobao-tmall-clothing-merchants-compete-overseas-against-shein-temu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3271610/alibaba-bets-taobao-tmall-clothing-merchants-compete-overseas-against-shein-temu?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 02:00:17 +0000 Alibaba Group Holding reported significant improvements in reducing carbon emissions over the past year, with “clean” electricity accounting for more than half of all power consumption in its cloud data centres, as the company pursues its commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 in line with China’s 2060 net-zero emissions goal. The e-commerce giant cut carbon dioxide emissions by 2.32 million tonnes in the latest fiscal year, marking a 63.5 per cent improvement compared to the previous... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3271301/alibaba-reports-big-drop-carbon-emissions-more-clean-electricity-usage-data-centres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3271301/alibaba-reports-big-drop-carbon-emissions-more-clean-electricity-usage-data-centres?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2024 02:00:23 +0000 One of China’s original artificial intelligence (AI) champions, iFlytek, on Friday unveiled a five-year, HK$400 million (US$51.2 million) investment plan in Hong Kong, where the company has opened its international headquarters. Shenzhen-listed iFlytek, known for its voice-recognition technology, and subsidiary Xunfei Healthcare have moved into their new offices in Cyberport, the Hong Kong government-backed technology hub in the city’s Southern district. The company said the investment plan will... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3271188/ai-giant-iflytek-invest-hk400-million-hong-kong-opens-international-headquarters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3271188/ai-giant-iflytek-invest-hk400-million-hong-kong-opens-international-headquarters?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2024 14:00:15 +0000 An artificial intelligence (AI) expert is expected to soon depart Alibaba Group Holding and start his own business, according to sources and Chinese media reports, amid mainland China’s growing investor interest in start-ups that could potentially become the next OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT. Algorithm engineer Zhou Chang, who worked on the Tongyi Qianwen large language models (LLMs), has decided to leave Alibaba’s cloud computing unit after seven years at the firm, according to two people... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3271000/alibaba-sees-ai-talent-depart-start-own-business-amid-chinas-unicorn-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3271000/alibaba-sees-ai-talent-depart-start-own-business-amid-chinas-unicorn-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2024 00:00:13 +0000 Huawei Technologies has made a rare price cut for its Pura 70 smartphones, three months after the series hit the shelves, following a strong performance by the brand during China’s 618 midyear shopping festival. All models in the Pura 70 series are on sale for a nearly 10 per cent discount, meaning the top-of-the-line Ultra model is available for 1,000 yuan (US$138) less, according to a statement from Huawei’s official Weibo account on Thursday. The Pura 70 Pro and Pura 70 Pro+ have had their... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3270998/huawei-offers-rare-price-cut-latest-smartphones-after-strong-showing-shopping-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3270998/huawei-offers-rare-price-cut-latest-smartphones-after-strong-showing-shopping-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jul 2024 23:00:10 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Nearly every Hong Kong company in a new survey has been a victim of identity-related breaches such as phishing and deepfake attacks in the past year, according to a new report. The 2024 Identity Security Threat Landscape Report, from Nasdaq-listed information security company CyberArk, showed that 98 out of 100 Hong Kong companies surveyed admitted to facing such breaches in their systems, compared with 93 per cent globally, underscoring the city’s ongoing vulnerability to such scams. CyberArk... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3270677/nearly-all-hong-kong-companies-vulnerable-identity-deepfake-attacks-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3270677/nearly-all-hong-kong-companies-vulnerable-identity-deepfake-attacks-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2024 11:00:18 +0000 Microsoft defended its request for all mainland China-based employees to use iPhones at work, saying it is necessary due to the absence of Google’s Android services there, after the decision triggered speculation over the company’s intent. As part of its global cybersecurity initiative to fend off worldwide hackers, the US tech giant has started requiring all employees in mainland China to verify their identities through the Microsoft Authenticator password manager and Identity Pass apps,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3269940/microsoft-defends-iphone-only-order-china-employees-amid-online-backlash-patriots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3269940/microsoft-defends-iphone-only-order-china-employees-amid-online-backlash-patriots?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jul 2024 11:00:21 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le US technology giant Microsoft is showing a long-term commitment to providing generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) services Hong Kong with educational initiatives as its investee OpenAI restricts access in the city and mainland China. In its latest push into classrooms, Microsoft worked with the Education University of Hong Kong Jockey Club Primary School to provide AI services starting from last academic year that ended in June. About 220 pupils in grades 5 and 6 were given access to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3269557/microsoft-puts-ai-hong-kong-primary-school-commits-expansion-openai-pulls-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3269557/microsoft-puts-ai-hong-kong-primary-school-commits-expansion-openai-pulls-back?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jul 2024 10:00:14 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Baidu co-founder and CEO Robin Li Yanhong said China has too many large language models (LLMs) and called for tech leaders to focus more on building real-world applications powered by artificial intelligence (AI). “In 2023, intense competition among over 100 LLMs has emerged in China, resulting in a significant waste of resources, particularly computing power,” Li said during a panel discussion at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on Thursday. Li called on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3269338/too-many-ai-models-china-baidu-ceo-warns-wasted-resources-lack-applications?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3269338/too-many-ai-models-china-baidu-ceo-warns-wasted-resources-lack-applications?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jul 2024 13:00:10 +0000 China’s ability to develop infrastructure quickly and boost its talent pool can help the nation compete with the United States in the global artificial intelligence (AI) race, industry experts said on Thursday at the China Conference organised by the South China Morning Post. While Chinese tech giants are unable to match their American counterparts in terms of budget and access to advanced AI chips designed by industry leader Nvidia, speedy infrastructure development on the mainland has provided... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3269204/chinas-talent-and-infrastructure-are-strengths-ai-race-us-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3269204/chinas-talent-and-infrastructure-are-strengths-ai-race-us-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jul 2024 13:00:18 +0000 Hong Kong enterprises remain “cautious” about building and deploying artificial intelligence (AI) applications, owing to the challenges of acquiring high-quality data and uncertainties in the technology’s return on investment, according to a survey. Conducted by Paris-based digital consultancy fifty-five during the Google Cloud Summit in Hong Kong last month, the survey showed that many local firms have not yet initiated any AI-driven projects. There were 138 survey respondents at the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3269061/hong-kong-firms-cautious-deploy-ai-amid-challenges-data-acquisition-survey-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3269061/hong-kong-firms-cautious-deploy-ai-amid-challenges-data-acquisition-survey-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jul 2024 23:00:08 +0000 Alibaba Group Holding’s cloud computing unit plans to shut down its data centres in Australia and India, as the company prioritises infrastructure spending in other markets. Citing the move as part of its “infrastructure strategy update”, Alibaba Cloud said the decision was made after a “careful assessment” amid new efforts to “expand investment in Southeast Asia and Mexico”, the company said in a statement on Thursday. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. Alibaba Cloud plans to suspend... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3268522/alibaba-close-data-centres-australia-india-amid-expansion-southeast-asia-mexico?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3268522/alibaba-close-data-centres-australia-india-amid-expansion-southeast-asia-mexico?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jun 2024 12:38:18 +0000 Generative artificial intelligence (AI) start-up HeyGen has raised US$60 million in its series A funding round, months after dissolving its mainland Chinese operation amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing. Founded in Shenzhen in 2020 and previously known as Surreal, HeyGen’s latest funding exercise valued the company at US$500 million, according to a Bloomberg report. The firm – renamed Movio after relocating to Los Angeles, California, in 2022 – rebranded itself as HeyGen in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3267861/ai-start-heygen-raises-us60-million-after-pivoting-away-mainland-china-investors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3267861/ai-start-heygen-raises-us60-million-after-pivoting-away-mainland-china-investors?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2024 12:11:54 +0000 The Chinese city of Chengdu is known by many Chinese millennials as the country’s unofficial “gay capital”, even sometimes dubbed “Gaydu”. Although probably more famous for pandas, Chengdu also has a reputation for its inclusive and laid-back culture. While such prevailing attitudes may have paved the way for a relatively more visible LGBTQ presence, the community must also contend with censorship from Beijing. https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3267700/how-chengdu-became-chinas-unofficial-gay-capital-despite-uncertain-lgbtq-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/family-relationships/article/3267700/how-chengdu-became-chinas-unofficial-gay-capital-despite-uncertain-lgbtq-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2024 03:23:07 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Alibaba Group Holding’s cloud unit has introduced its first “AI programmer” powered by the company’s self-developed large language model (LLM), as the tech giant explores monetisation of the business. Introduced by Alibaba Cloud, the AI programmer aims to help developers shorten development time for applications, in some cases down to minutes, the company said in a statement on Friday. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. Functioning as a “multi-intelligence agent”, the AI programmer... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3267638/alibaba-clouds-ai-programmer-gets-mixed-reactions-real-programmers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3267638/alibaba-clouds-ai-programmer-gets-mixed-reactions-real-programmers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jun 2024 23:00:16 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Huawei Technologies, which was forced to divest its traditional server subsidiary three years ago under pressure from US sanctions, has regained its influence in that sector on the mainland, thanks to the popularity of its artificial intelligence (AI) chips, according to industry analysts. Shares of Digital China Group, one of the major players in China’s server market, fell by their daily limit of 10 per cent on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on Monday and continued their weak performance through... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3267274/tech-war-huawei-wields-growing-influence-chinas-server-industry-ai-chip-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3267274/tech-war-huawei-wields-growing-influence-chinas-server-industry-ai-chip-success?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2024 14:00:14 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Chinese social media giant Tencent Holdings plans to ban digital hosts powered by artificial intelligence (AI) on its live-streaming commerce platforms, as Beijing tightens controls over AI-generated content. Weixin Channel, WeChat’s video platform, has published a draft of new rules covering “low-quality content”, which noted that the use of “plug-ins, AI and other tools to generate avatars for live streaming” was not allowed. “Teaching and selling virtual human software” will also be regarded... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3266951/tencents-wechat-breaks-ranks-ban-digital-influencers-live-streaming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3266951/tencents-wechat-breaks-ranks-ban-digital-influencers-live-streaming?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2024 13:00:15 +0000 A loss-making firm that applies artificial intelligence (AI) to drug research has become a new darling for both old-money and new-money investors in Hong Kong, drawn by the impressive credentials of its three founders, who trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), as well as the endorsement of Tencent Holdings’ billionaire founder Pony Ma Huateng. Nine-year-old QuantumPharm, which began trading on Thursday, raised nearly HK$1 billion (US$128 million) in an initial public... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3266648/how-three-mit-scientists-and-tencents-backing-created-hong-kongs-new-investor-darling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3266648/how-three-mit-scientists-and-tencents-backing-created-hong-kongs-new-investor-darling?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jun 2024 12:00:18 +0000 Chinese autonomous driving firm Minieye Technology, backed by Alibaba Group Holding CEO Eddy Wu Yongming, has submitted to go public on the Hong Kong stock exchange, becoming the latest mainland self-driving tech firm looking to float on the city’s bourse. The company had gone through at least 17 rounds of fundraising before submitting its prospectus on May 27. It is looking to raise US$150 million, the International Financial Review reported. The company has not revealed a target valuation,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3265964/chinese-autonomous-driving-firm-minieye-backed-alibaba-ceo-files-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3265964/chinese-autonomous-driving-firm-minieye-backed-alibaba-ceo-files-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jun 2024 23:30:13 +0000 In the 18 months since Microsoft-backed OpenAI launched ChatGPT, Chinese tech firms large and small have rallied around a singular goal – besting the San Francisco-based start-up with their own Chinese-language chatbots. The results have been mixed, with some tech giants claiming to have better results than GPT-4, OpenAI’s most advanced model, with Chinese queries. But with a deluge of more than 200 Chinese large language models (LLMs) – the tech powering these chatbots – from a slew of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3264909/new-ai-battle-adopts-old-price-war-strategy-chinese-tech-giants-keep-start-ups-bay-behind-great?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3264909/new-ai-battle-adopts-old-price-war-strategy-chinese-tech-giants-keep-start-ups-bay-behind-great?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jun 2024 04:00:28 +0000 TikTok owner ByteDance has again denied that it considered divesting the US operations of its popular short video platform, in response to a report by The Washington Post on Wednesday that such a plan existed in 2022. In a brief statement on Thursday, Beijing-based ByteDance called on Chinese social media not to spread such misinformation after declaring the report as untrue. This marked the third public denial from ByteDance after rejecting a report by US digital publication The Information in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3264753/bytedance-rejects-us-report-about-its-purported-plan-2022-divest-tiktoks-operations-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3264753/bytedance-rejects-us-report-about-its-purported-plan-2022-divest-tiktoks-operations-america?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 May 2024 12:28:45 +0000 SenseTime, one of China’s artificial intelligence (AI) pioneers, is aiming for profitability within the next two years as revenue from its generative AI business tripled last year, and is expected to become the company’s new profit engine, according to CEO and co-founder Xu Li. Hong Kong-listed SenseTime reported revenue of 1.184 billion yuan (US$163.4 million) from its generative AI-related business for 2023, marking a 199.9 per cent year-on-year increase, according to its latest annual... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3264498/sensetime-ceo-says-generative-ai-will-help-firm-turn-profit-within-two-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3264498/sensetime-ceo-says-generative-ai-will-help-firm-turn-profit-within-two-years?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 May 2024 04:10:07 +0000 Lenovo Group, the world’s largest personal computer (PC) maker, reported a 9 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue for the March quarter, marking its second consecutive quarterly revenue growth. The company, with dual headquarters in Beijing and Raleigh in North Carolina, posted a better-than-expected quarterly revenue of US$13.8 billion, exceeding the estimated US$13.09 billion consensus figure from analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. It marks Lenovo’s second consecutive quarter of growth after... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3263844/lenovo-beats-expectations-revenue-profit-march-quarter-eyes-ai-pcs-future-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3263844/lenovo-beats-expectations-revenue-profit-march-quarter-eyes-ai-pcs-future-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 May 2024 13:00:09 +0000 Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, China’s biggest cloud computing service provider, slashed the fees for using its generative artificial intelligence (AI) models by up to 97 per cent, a salvo in a price war that comes a week after ByteDance launched a rival service that costs less than most competitors. The price cuts apply to nine of Alibaba’s Qwen self-developed large language models (LLMs), also known as Tongyi Qianwen, said Liu Weiguang, president of public cloud business, at the firm’s AI summit... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3263512/alibaba-baidu-bytedance-heat-price-war-chinas-ai-market-steep-llm-discounts-putting-pressure-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3263512/alibaba-baidu-bytedance-heat-price-war-chinas-ai-market-steep-llm-discounts-putting-pressure-start?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 May 2024 10:00:24 +0000 Moonshot AI’s Kimi Chatbot has started charging fees in return for faster responses, joining a growing list of Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) companies testing the waters of profiting from mass users. The chatbot, also known in Chinese as Yuezhi Anmian, launched the new features to offer users faster responses, Chinese media Jiemian News reported on Sunday. Beijing-based Moonshot AI is offering six tiers of “top-up” plans, ranging from 5.2 yuan (US$0.72) for four days to 399 yuan for a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3263374/moonshot-ais-kimi-chatbot-chinas-answer-chatgpt-offers-premium-service-mass-users?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3263374/moonshot-ais-kimi-chatbot-chinas-answer-chatgpt-offers-premium-service-mass-users?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 May 2024 11:30:24 +0000 Chinese video gaming and social media giant Tencent Holdings launched an upgraded version of its large language model (LLM) with text-to-image generation that is open source for enterprises and individuals. The eight-month-old Hunyuan large language foundation model developed by Tencent underwent a major upgrade earlier this year, which enhanced its text-to-image model’s overall performance by 20 per cent compared with the previous version, according to a statement posted on Tuesday on the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3262800/tencents-upgraded-llm-text-image-generation-released-open-source-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3262800/tencents-upgraded-llm-text-image-generation-released-open-source-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 May 2024 23:00:25 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Police in China’s northeastern Jilin province have arrested six people in connection with a money-laundering case involving the movement of 2.14 billion yuan (US$296 million) in cryptocurrency to South Korea. Jin and Shen, the surnames of two suspects, allegedly carried out an illegal currency exchange business, according to a statement issued by police in the city of Panshi, the state-run China News Service reported on Friday. Some people were defrauded out of their money, according to police,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3262521/six-arrested-cryptocurrency-money-laundering-scheme-northeast-china-amid-focus-crypto-related?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3262521/six-arrested-cryptocurrency-money-laundering-scheme-northeast-china-amid-focus-crypto-related?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 May 2024 13:00:21 +0000 The US is expected to triple its domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity by 2032 and dwarf China’s output in advanced chips, according to a report published by the US-based Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The US would grow its share of advanced chips, those below 10-nanometres for applications such as the latest smartphones, to 28 per cent by 2032, while mainland China is expected to account for just 2 per cent of that category in the same time... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3262220/tech-war-us-dwarf-china-advanced-chip-making-capacity-2032-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3262220/tech-war-us-dwarf-china-advanced-chip-making-capacity-2032-report-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 May 2024 23:00:23 +0000 Canaan, a Singapore-based cryptocurrency-mining equipment maker, has unveiled in Hong Kong an energy-saving machine designed to help miners stay competitive after the rewards for mining bitcoin were reduced by 50 per cent after the recent “halving” event. The Nasdaq-listed company launched the latest A1566 model of its flagship Avalon A15 series on Thursday at the Bitcoin Asia 2024 conference. The debut of the new mining rigs came weeks after bitcoin’s fourth halving event. Occuring roughly... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3262072/canaan-unveils-new-bitcoin-mining-machine-hong-kong-old-equipment-becomes-less-profitable-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3262072/canaan-unveils-new-bitcoin-mining-machine-hong-kong-old-equipment-becomes-less-profitable-after?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 May 2024 23:30:16 +0000 China’s strengthened push to use RISC-V, an open-source chip-design architecture, to reduce reliance on foreign technologies is facing new challenges amid scrutiny by the United States and Google’s move to stop supporting the standard on Android. As its tech war with the US escalates, China has been investing heavily on RISC-V as an alternative to the ecosystems of British semiconductor design giant Arm and US firm Intel for designing specialised chips used in artificial intelligence (AI) and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3261889/tech-war-chinas-use-risc-v-chip-standard-faces-headwinds-amid-us-scrutiny-and-googles-end-android?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3261889/tech-war-chinas-use-risc-v-chip-standard-faces-headwinds-amid-us-scrutiny-and-googles-end-android?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 May 2024 01:00:27 +0000 Kelly Le Kelly Le Zhipu AI, one of China’s top emerging generative artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups, plans to release its answer to OpenAI’s text-to-video service Sora as early as this year, according to a Chinese media report. Known formally as Beijing Zhipu Huazhang Technology, the unicorn started to develop its own text-to-video large language model (LLM) before OpenAI revealed video clips made by Sora in February, according to a report from TMTPost on Monday. Zhipu AI is expecting an explosion of LLMs... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3261770/chinese-unicorn-zhipu-ai-launch-sora-rival-early-2024-amid-local-race-catch-openai-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3261770/chinese-unicorn-zhipu-ai-launch-sora-rival-early-2024-amid-local-race-catch-openai-report?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 May 2024 01:00:48 +0000 A first-of-its-kind nationwide contract for truck drivers in mainland China has been completed by Logory Logistics Technology, a Hong Kong-listed digital freight-transport platform operator, years after regulators issued guidelines aimed at protecting the rights and interests of these workers. The collective contract was initiated under the guidance of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) – which answers to the Chinese Communist Party and the only legal labour alliance in the country... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3261393/chinas-state-trade-union-and-logory-logistics-initiate-first-collective-contract-truck-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3261393/chinas-state-trade-union-and-logory-logistics-initiate-first-collective-contract-truck-drivers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 May 2024 13:00:19 +0000 Apple reported the biggest drop in iPhone sales since late 2020 during Thursday’s earnings call, in one of the biggest signs yet of weakening demand for the US tech giant’s products in the world’s largest smartphone market amid strong competition from Chinese brands such as Huawei Technologies. Revenue from iPhones, Apple’s bread-and-butter business, fell 10 per cent from a year ago to US$45.7 billion in the three months through March, according to the company’s latest earning report. In Greater... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3261305/china-apples-most-competitive-market-says-ceo-tim-cook-after-biggest-iphone-sales-drop-nearly-4?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3261305/china-apples-most-competitive-market-says-ceo-tim-cook-after-biggest-iphone-sales-drop-nearly-4?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 May 2024 06:31:29 +0000