https://www.scmp.com/rss/519737/feed Explore cutting-edge AI developments in China that are transforming various industries and reshaping the future. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ann Cao Ann Cao Alibaba Group Holding’s cloud and artificial intelligence unit is expected to remain a prime engine for the March quarter, with the growth rate forecast to accelerate as the company steps up AI monetisation and reshuffles its AI businesses, according to analysts. Cloud revenue growth was projected to increase to around 40 per cent during the period, up from 36 per cent in the December quarter, analysts said. The growth momentum was expected to be supported by “a robust surge in token usage”,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349508/alibaba-cloud-growth-forecast-accelerate-ai-push-higher-service-charges-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349508/alibaba-cloud-growth-forecast-accelerate-ai-push-higher-service-charges-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:30:13 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Artificial intelligence has emerged as the driving force behind global trade growth, fuelled by a surge in data-centre buildouts at a time when geopolitical tensions are redrawing trade flows, according to McKinsey & Company. Global trade grew 6.5 per cent last year, outpacing the world economy, with AI-linked goods accounting for about one-third of that increase, McKinsey’s research showed. The category – including semiconductors, graphics cards, routers and servers – has been propelled by the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349424/ai-fuels-global-trade-growth-china-us-flows-shift-mckinsey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349424/ai-fuels-global-trade-growth-china-us-flows-shift-mckinsey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:00:08 +0000 Minxiao Chang Minxiao Chang Chinese artificial intelligence company Zhipu AI open-sourced its latest flagship model, GLM-5.1, on Wednesday while raising application programming interface prices by 10 per cent, signalling a shift towards monetising advanced AI capabilities as competition with US rivals intensifies. The move marked Zhipu’s second price increase this year, following a broader overhaul in February that lifted rates for its coding subscription plans by more than 30 per cent. While the latest adjustment was more... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349422/chinas-zhipu-ai-open-sources-flagship-model-raises-prices-narrow-gap-us-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349422/chinas-zhipu-ai-open-sources-flagship-model-raises-prices-narrow-gap-us-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:00:27 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow DeepSeek has introduced new “instant” and “expert” modes to its chatbot, the most significant update to its user interface since the Hangzhou-based start-up gained global recognition. The changes come ahead of the much-anticipated release of DeepSeek’s next-generation flagship model V4 this month, more than a year after its R1 version made it a household name. On Tuesday, the company added the two modes to its website and mobile app, giving users the choice of settings. Instant mode was designed... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349345/chinas-deepseek-adds-instant-and-expert-chatbot-modes-ahead-much-awaited-v4-release?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3349345/chinas-deepseek-adds-instant-and-expert-chatbot-modes-ahead-much-awaited-v4-release?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:00:09 +0000 Iris Deng,Ann Cao Iris Deng,Ann Cao China is ramping up efforts in the AI race, as tech giants Alibaba Group Holding and Huawei Technologies deploy massive computing clusters in the push to develop home-grown infrastructure. E-commerce giant Alibaba has announced the deployment of a 10,000-card intelligent computing cluster powered by the Zhenwu AI chips developed by its T-Head semiconductor design arm. Launched in collaboration with China Telecom in the Shaoguan data centre in Guangdong province, the “fully domestic” cluster was... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349335/ai-race-us-intensifies-chinas-alibaba-launches-10000-card-computing-cluster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3349335/ai-race-us-intensifies-chinas-alibaba-launches-10000-card-computing-cluster?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:30:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese tech companies are engaged in a public war of words as they compete to capitalise on US start-up Anthropic’s decision to pull its industry-leading Claude models from open-source AI agent tool OpenClaw. The development comes as AI agents have triggered a huge increase in demand for AI tokens – the core metric of AI usage – raising questions about the long-term ability of industry players to meet this demand amid a growing global crunch in computational power. On Sunday, Anthropic... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349146/chinese-ai-rivals-clash-over-anthropics-openclaw-exit-amid-global-token-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349146/chinese-ai-rivals-clash-over-anthropics-openclaw-exit-amid-global-token-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:58:08 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Andrew Tilton, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Goldman Sachs, speaks to the South China Morning Post about the long-term future of China’s economy after the “two sessions” in Beijing and ahead of an expected Xi-Trump summit – all during an oil crisis sparked by the US-Israel war against Iran. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. What impact will the oil shock arising from the Iran war have on the growth of Asian economies this year? Asia is greatly affected by the war... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348903/andrew-tilton-chinas-growth-prospects-economic-trajectory-wake-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348903/andrew-tilton-chinas-growth-prospects-economic-trajectory-wake-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 22:00:29 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu Traditional corporate culture and hierarchies are slowing down artificial intelligence adoption in Chinese enterprises, leaving them trailing their US peers, even as China’s savvy consumers embrace AI agents at a breakneck pace, says Zack Kass, former head of go-to-market at OpenAI. China has a very “techno-centric consumer”, while the US has a very “techno-centric enterprise”, Kass told the South China Morning Post in a recent interview. Highlighting this contrast, Kass said typical Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348956/chinese-firms-trail-us-peers-ai-adoption-due-corporate-culture-ex-openai-executive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348956/chinese-firms-trail-us-peers-ai-adoption-due-corporate-culture-ex-openai-executive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow There was a surprise guest speaker at Nvidia’s widely watched GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in San Jose, California, last month: Yang Zhilin, the founder of Beijing-based Moonshot AI, the developer behind the Kimi family of foundational artificial intelligence models. Amid heated rhetoric about US-China AI competition, which some have likened to an “arms race”, the participation of a Chinese AI start-up’s CEO at the flagship event of American chipmaking giant Nvidia might have struck some as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348973/competition-or-co-opetition-how-convergence-shaping-ai-race-between-china-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348973/competition-or-co-opetition-how-convergence-shaping-ai-race-between-china-and-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese companies engaging in artificial intelligence activities are required to set up internal “AI ethics review committees” under new rules released by Beijing on Thursday, effective immediately. The notice comes as policymakers look to ensure that fast-paced AI progress can continue in a “healthy” manner amid growing consumer and enterprise adoption. Jointly released by 10 government bodies and institutions including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, National Development... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348995/beijing-mandates-internal-ai-ethics-reviews-ensure-controllable-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348995/beijing-mandates-internal-ai-ethics-reviews-ensure-controllable-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:54:53 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Tencent Holdings has launched a new OpenClaw tool for enterprises that promises easy deployment of the artificial intelligence agent as part of the Chinese internet giant’s efforts to capitalise on the “lobster” frenzy in the country. ClawPro, launched in public beta by Tencent’s cloud unit on Thursday, works as an AI agent management platform for enterprises, allowing them to deploy OpenClaw templates, select models and agents, track token consumption and manage security settings. Tencent said... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348942/tencent-expands-openclaw-suite-enterprise-tool-amid-chinas-lobster-craze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348942/tencent-expands-openclaw-suite-enterprise-tool-amid-chinas-lobster-craze?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang The US government has unveiled an AI export initiative designed to cement American technological leadership while countering China’s growing influence in the sector. Washington is inviting US companies to form “preset” consortiums to offer full-stack artificial intelligence solutions around the world. Applications will be accepted until the end of June, the International Trade Administration (ITA), an agency under the US Department of Commerce, said in a news release issued on Wednesday. The... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348951/washington-launches-export-initiative-ensure-future-ai-led-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348951/washington-launches-export-initiative-ensure-future-ai-led-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:00:19 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese companies including Alibaba Cloud and Zhipu AI have opted not to open-source some of their latest artificial intelligence models as they look to capture the full value of their usage through official revenue generating channels. While none of the companies have said that they are moving away from their open-source strategies, the development reflects an industry trend where the most powerful models are growing in size, making them increasingly difficult to host on local hardware. This... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348844/chinese-ai-giants-pivot-toward-proprietary-models-drive-revenue-performance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348844/chinese-ai-giants-pivot-toward-proprietary-models-drive-revenue-performance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:07:42 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Less than a year after US artificial intelligence start-up Anthropic called out China as an “adversarial nation” and vowed to restrict the country’s access to its technologies, the company inadvertently released coding secrets, triggering a frenzy among Chinese developers. The leak occured after an Anthropic employee accidentally included the modified source code of Claude Code, the company’s sensational AI coding tool popular among developers worldwide, in a file within a software package... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3348817/anthropics-ai-code-leak-ignites-frenzy-among-chinese-developers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3348817/anthropics-ai-code-leak-ignites-frenzy-among-chinese-developers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:17 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As global supply volatility intensifies, Premier Li Qiang has called for faster development of a “new-type power system” to accelerate the green transition and expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the sector. During a three-day visit to the southwestern province of Sichuan, Li stressed the need to expand green electricity supply and optimise the energy mix to bolster security and support economic growth. He urged market players to explore new grid architectures, improve system-wide... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348764/premier-li-qiang-pushes-ai-powered-next-gen-energy-system-amid-global-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348764/premier-li-qiang-pushes-ai-powered-next-gen-energy-system-amid-global-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 06:10:42 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu China’s southern tech hub Shenzhen began operations of the country’s first 10,000-card intelligent computing cluster, built with advanced chips made by Huawei Technologies, in the latest sign of how the country is deepening its push for home-grown computing capabilities. Featuring a computing capacity of 11,000 petaflops, the new cluster, activated last week, is the country’s first 10,000-card intelligent computing cluster built with Huawei’s Ascend 910C AI chips, according to Shenzhen Special... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348502/shenzhen-activates-chinas-first-10000-card-ai-cluster-domestic-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348502/shenzhen-activates-chinas-first-10000-card-ai-cluster-domestic-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese artificial intelligence company Zhipu AI posted worse-than-expected annual revenue growth in its first earnings report since its initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong in January. Revenue rose 131.9 per cent year on year to 724.33 million yuan (US$104.8 million) for the year ended December 2025, the Beijing-based company said on Tuesday, lagging an estimate of 756 million yuan by analysts polled by Bloomberg. Zhipu, the first foundational AI model start-up in the world to launch an... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3348555/zhipu-ai-revenue-jumps-132-first-post-ipo-report-missing-estimates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3348555/zhipu-ai-revenue-jumps-132-first-post-ipo-report-missing-estimates?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:36:26 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese tech giants Xiaomi and Alibaba Group Holding have launched spring recruitment drives amid fierce competition for the talent driving the global artificial intelligence boom. The campaigns come as the smartphone and e-commerce giants, respectively, look to increasingly position themselves as AI-first firms, amid growing commercial pressures in their traditional businesses. In a Weibo post on Monday, Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun said the company’s global recruitment campaign would target... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348434/xiaomi-alibaba-ramp-ai-recruitment-amid-global-talent-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348434/xiaomi-alibaba-ramp-ai-recruitment-amid-global-talent-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:00:14 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek suffered a prolonged outage overnight that extended into early Monday morning, disrupting service for hundreds of millions of users, according to a company notice and user feedback. The Hangzhou-based AI lab’s namesake chatbot website and app were offline from Sunday evening, with the company continuing to investigate while issuing fixes from between 1am and 9am on Monday, according to service maintenance records the company published online. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348345/deepseek-outage-leaves-millions-cut-and-sparks-complaints-rivals-gain-ground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348345/deepseek-outage-leaves-millions-cut-and-sparks-complaints-rivals-gain-ground?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 03:41:43 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Yuanjie Semiconductor Technology, a Chinese maker of laser chips for optical communications, has emerged as one of the mainland exchanges’ biggest beneficiaries of the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom – with its shares rising nearly ninefold over the past year as it pursues a Hong Kong listing. The Shaanxi-based integrated device manufacturer, whose shares closed at 1,100 yuan on Friday, now ranks second by share price among mainland-listed companies, trailing only Kweichow Moutai at... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348311/what-makes-yuanjie-chinese-optical-chip-star-and-hong-kong-ipo-candidate-stand-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348311/what-makes-yuanjie-chinese-optical-chip-star-and-hong-kong-ipo-candidate-stand-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:00:06 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen A string of Chinese analogue chipmakers have announced price increases in step with their international peers, as a broader pricing wave sweeps across the semiconductor supply chain – a shift that analysts say could hand China’s mature-node producers a rare window to gain ground. Novosense Microelectronics, SG Micro, Fortior Technology, Halo Microelectronics, Silan Micro and Kiwi Instruments are among the domestic firms recently raising prices, in line with global leaders including Texas... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348284/chinese-analogue-chipmakers-join-wave-global-price-rises-mature-node-firms-eye-gains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348284/chinese-analogue-chipmakers-join-wave-global-price-rises-mature-node-firms-eye-gains?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow ByteDance has bolstered its controversial video-generation model Seedance 2.0 with “advanced” watermarking and intellectual property (IP) protection guardrails ahead of its global roll-out, the TikTok owner has said. The much-anticipated international release comes amid intense scrutiny from Hollywood studios over alleged IP theft after numerous Seedance-generated videos featuring famous Hollywood actors and characters went viral in February. On Wednesday, ByteDance said its global safety and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348290/bytedance-bolsters-seedance-20-watermarking-ip-safeguards-ahead-global-roll-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3348290/bytedance-bolsters-seedance-20-watermarking-ip-safeguards-ahead-global-roll-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 09:00:13 +0000 Ke Meng Ke Meng In January, a top Chinese AI researcher told an industry summit in Beijing there was less than a 20 per cent chance of any Chinese company surpassing a leading US artificial intelligence firm in the next three to five years. The remark by Lin Junyang, until recently a technical leader working on Qwen, one of China’s most capable open-source AI models under Alibaba (which owns the South China Morning Post), made headlines. But much of the commentary missed a more important question Lin posed:... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347763/how-assess-chinas-real-chance-winning-ai-race-against-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347763/how-assess-chinas-real-chance-winning-ai-race-against-us?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow The organisers of a leading artificial intelligence conference have apologised after a new policy that appeared to bar US-sanctioned entities from participating sparked a backlash in China, saying the ban was more limited than initially indicated. The apology came after several major Chinese professional bodies urged domestic researchers to boycott the event, amid concerns that prominent tech groups such as Huawei Technologies would be excluded. In a statement on Friday, the Conference on Neural... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348199/top-us-ai-conference-apologises-after-sanctions-policy-sparks-backlash-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348199/top-us-ai-conference-apologises-after-sanctions-policy-sparks-backlash-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:34:14 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) is lagging behind China’s national average in basic research, despite showing strong potential in sectors such as semiconductors and smart manufacturing, according to Deloitte. The cluster of cities in southern China, which included Shenzhen, spent about 28.9 billion yuan (US$4.2 billion) on basic research in 2024, accounting for just 5.67 per cent of total spending in research and development (R&D), the consulting firm said in a report... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347992/greater-bay-area-trails-peers-basic-research-despite-strong-tech-potential-deloitte?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347992/greater-bay-area-trails-peers-basic-research-despite-strong-tech-potential-deloitte?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 23:00:08 +0000 Andy Xie Andy Xie The Iran war’s oil shock has dramatically increased the security risk for oil-dependent countries, incentivising a turn towards renewable energy. This impact will outlast the war and oil price spikes because the world knows this war will recur. China will be the biggest beneficiary and its exports are likely to do very well this year, offsetting losses from buying higher-priced oil. A fifth of the global supply of oil and liquefied natural gas plus a third of seaborne fertilisers traditionally... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347634/oil-shocked-world-turns-renewables-china-will-reap-rewards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347634/oil-shocked-world-turns-renewables-china-will-reap-rewards?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese computer scientists and researchers have been urged to boycott a major artificial intelligence conference after its organisers barred submissions from US-sanctioned institutions, including leading Chinese tech groups such as Huawei Technologies. The move by the China Computer Federation (CCF) is the latest flashpoint in deepening US-China tensions over AI, a fast-evolving field with far-reaching economic, social and military implications. The influential professional body said on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348006/ai-rift-widens-china-urges-boycott-top-us-conference-over-sanctions-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348006/ai-rift-widens-china-urges-boycott-top-us-conference-over-sanctions-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Daniel Ren Daniel Ren Chinese self-driving technology firm Pony AI plans to launch robotaxi services with partners Uber Technologies and Verne in Zagreb, Croatia, spearheading commercialisation of autonomous cabs in Europe amid an accelerated go-global drive. The three companies aimed to operate a fleet of thousands of robotaxis in various European cities over the next few years after achieving consistent performance and safety, Guangzhou-based Pony said on Thursday. Neither the starting date for the service nor the... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348026/chinas-pony-ai-launch-robotaxi-service-europe-uber-local-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3348026/chinas-pony-ai-launch-robotaxi-service-europe-uber-local-start?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:31:20 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Chinese government advisers are calling for government-set “red lines” in artificial intelligence development and applications, as mounting threats of job displacement and data security challenges spark concerns in the country. Jiang Xiaojuan, former deputy secretary general of the State Council, said at the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan province that precaution was needed when using AI simply to reduce labour costs. “Those that do not improve service quality or promote... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347940/job-fears-security-risks-spark-call-chinese-government-red-lines-ai-applications?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347940/job-fears-security-risks-spark-call-chinese-government-red-lines-ai-applications?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:00:08 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China Mobile has invested nearly HK$10 billion (US$1.28 billion) over five years to help turn Hong Kong into a global computing hub, integrating the city into China’s national network. The world’s largest telecoms operator by subscribers on Wednesday opened a new data centre in northern Hong Kong and said it would step up investment in next-generation submarine cables. The state-owned group aims to bring Hong Kong into China’s national computing network, which has the world’s second-largest... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3347877/china-mobile-bets-hong-kong-gateway-global-computing-flows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3347877/china-mobile-bets-hong-kong-gateway-global-computing-flows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:30:08 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu As leading Chinese chip executives predict that autonomous AI agents will trigger an unprecedented explosion in computing demand, Hong Kong is accelerating efforts to expand its artificial intelligence computing capacity. Calling token consumption in the era of AI “far beyond our imagination”, Zhang Jianzhong, founder and CEO of graphics processing unit designer Moore Threads, said at an AI summit in Hong Kong on Saturday that the exponential surge in demand had made it impossible for anyone to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347609/surging-demand-ai-agents-fuels-hong-kongs-race-expand-computing-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347609/surging-demand-ai-agents-fuels-hong-kongs-race-expand-computing-power?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 02:30:09 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang The international commerce unit of Alibaba Group Holding on Monday introduced an enterprise-focused artificial intelligence agent platform to automate complex cross-border e-commerce operations for small businesses worldwide, as companies rush to adopt AI agents to boost efficiency. The Accio Work agent platform unveiled by Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group (AIDC) was designed to give small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and solo founders access to an AI task force by deploying a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347539/alibaba-unveils-ai-agent-platform-automate-global-e-commerce-small-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347539/alibaba-unveils-ai-agent-platform-automate-global-e-commerce-small-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:00:11 +0000 Emma Zang Emma Zang China is betting artificial intelligence will solve its labour shortage, as policymakers ramp up a nationwide push to deploy AI and robotics across the economy. But it may be worsening a different problem: the erosion of stable jobs for young workers. China’s push has accelerated investment in industrial automation, installing more than half of the world’s robots in 2024 alone and doubling down on AI-enabled production. The strategy is presented as a necessary response to the demographic... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347386/why-chinas-ai-automation-push-risky-social-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347386/why-chinas-ai-automation-push-risky-social-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Steven Li sells cosmetics to overseas customers from the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu. This month, amid the popularity of the OpenClaw AI agent framework, he expanded the business by “hiring” four “AI employees”. On the front lines, the AI customer service manages real-time inquiries 24/7 on WhatsApp, while a “digital sales” agent provides price quotes. Behind the scenes, a third role ensures operational transparency by providing tracking status for every order, while an “operations... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347416/openclaw-government-support-fuels-rise-one-person-companies-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347416/openclaw-government-support-fuels-rise-one-person-companies-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:00:26 +0000 Ann Cao Ann Cao Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says the US robotics industry will have to rely on China’s supply chain despite the US pioneering the market, as the company bets on physical AI and looks to return to the Chinese market. “I think China is formidable,” Huang said when asked about the country’s rise in the robotics industry during a podcast hosted by Silicon Valley tech executives. “The reason for that is because their microelectronics, motors, rare earth and magnets – which are foundational to robotics –... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347427/nvidias-huang-calls-china-formidable-robotics-company-bets-physical-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347427/nvidias-huang-calls-china-formidable-robotics-company-bets-physical-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 10:18:16 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Alibaba Group Holding unveiled the preview version of its most powerful artificial intelligence model to date, solidifying its position as China’s leader in the race to catch American giants like Anthropic, Google and OpenAI. Qwen3.5-Max-Preview, the flagship model of Alibaba’s Qwen 3.5 family, is now available on Arena, formerly known as LMArena, a model performance community created by researchers from UC Berkeley. Alibaba, which owns the South China Morning Post, unveiled the model on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347272/preview-alibabas-strongest-ai-model-tops-chinese-peers-ranking-lags-us-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347272/preview-alibabas-strongest-ai-model-tops-chinese-peers-ranking-lags-us-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:00:08 +0000 Themis Qi Themis Qi Xiaomi’s updated SU7 electric vehicle (EV) is expected to bite into the market share of Tesla and some domestic rivals in China, as demand weakens and regulators tighten oversight. Founder and CEO Lei Jun on Thursday announced official pricing for the new-generation smart sedan, with the standard edition starting at 219,900 yuan (US$31,900) and the pro and max variants set at 249,900 yuan and 303,900 yuan, respectively. The figures are 10,000 yuan lower than pre-sale estimates, but 4,000 yuan... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3347259/xiaomis-new-generation-su7-launch-sparks-fresh-ev-fight-tesla-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3347259/xiaomis-new-generation-su7-launch-sparks-fresh-ev-fight-tesla-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 05:29:50 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Tencent Holdings pledged to double its investment in artificial intelligence products and models in 2026, a bigger bet from the tech giant as it gains greater confidence in the technology’s capability to drive future growth across its businesses. The Shenzhen-based company dedicated 18 billion yuan (US$2.6 billion) to the development of new AI products in 2025, including 7 billion yuan in the fourth quarter alone, said Tencent president Martin Lau Chi-ping at a media briefing on Wednesday. “We... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347023/chinas-tencent-meets-expectations-fourth-quarter-results-ai-wave-lifts-all-boats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347023/chinas-tencent-meets-expectations-fourth-quarter-results-ai-wave-lifts-all-boats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:52:11 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings has integrated its QClaw AI agent as a mini-program in its flagship WeChat app as it pushes to expand adoption of its OpenClaw-based tool. It said QClaw was now accessible as a mini-program inside WeChat after an upgrade on Wednesday that allowed users to transfer files to their personal computers. QClaw was launched last week as an OpenClaw-based artificial intelligence agent for personal computers that users could control remotely from WeChat on their... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346994/lobster-fever-grips-china-tencent-makes-openclaw-based-tool-available-wechat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346994/lobster-fever-grips-china-tencent-makes-openclaw-based-tool-available-wechat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 06:58:57 +0000 Coco Feng,Yeon Woo Lee Coco Feng,Yeon Woo Lee Nvidia’s latest language processing chip, unveiled at the company’s annual artificial intelligence conference, has opened a new frontier in the AI inference arms race, as the booming market for AI agents like OpenClaw presents a complex new reality for China’s semiconductor industry, according to analysts. The Nvidia Groq 3 Language Processing Unit (LPU), introduced on Monday at GTC 2026 in San Jose, California, was described by the company as an accelerator with fast memory and low latency... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346880/how-nvidias-inference-bet-gtc-poses-challenge-and-opportunity-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346880/how-nvidias-inference-bet-gtc-poses-challenge-and-opportunity-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Eunice Xu Eunice Xu Hong Kong is poised to launch the world’s first open-source human-AI agent collaboration network, along with a series of everyday artificial intelligence products to assist citizens with activities such as applying for schools and analysing horse racing. The Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Centre (HKGAI) said it would soon offer on an open-source basis a human-AI agent collaboration network named “ClawNet”, designed to ensure AI agents “only do things that are allowed”,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346777/hong-kong-launch-worlds-first-governed-ai-agent-network-amid-openclaw-frenzy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346777/hong-kong-launch-worlds-first-governed-ai-agent-network-amid-openclaw-frenzy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 23:00:10 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Alibaba Group Holding has reshuffled its artificial intelligence operations, creating a new top level business group and placing CEO Eddie Wu Yongming in charge as the AI and e-commerce powerhouse accelerates its push into the emerging token economy. The company said on Monday it had established the Alibaba Token Hub (ATH) Business Group, which brings all its core AI teams and products together under one umbrella. This includes Tongyi Laboratory – the developer of Alibaba’s Qwen series of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3346789/alibaba-reshuffles-ai-units-new-token-hub-group-led-ceo-eddie-wu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3346789/alibaba-reshuffles-ai-units-new-token-hub-group-led-ceo-eddie-wu?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 13:19:03 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng An undercover investigation by state-run China Central Television (CCTV) has cast a harsh light on a controversial practice in a nascent industry: the “poisoning” of artificial intelligence models with fabricated information. The report showed how techniques of generative engine optimisation (GEO) – the AI version of search engine optimisation (SEO) – could be used to manipulate AI chatbots, provoking widespread public concern and debate as both industry insiders and observers anticipated... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346761/ai-poisoning-fake-fitness-tracker-fools-chatbots-china-sparking-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346761/ai-poisoning-fake-fitness-tracker-fools-chatbots-china-sparking-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Wency Chen,Zhang Tong Wency Chen,Zhang Tong China is counting on artificial intelligence (AI) to help the 450 million people living in rural areas left behind by the nation’s economic boom. Farmers are already benefiting from the technology, using AI offerings such as DeepSeek or ByteDance’s Doubao for help with issues like pig rearing, pest control and government subsidies. The State Council’s “No 1 document” of 2026, extended a push for the “digital upgrading” of farming, with an emphasis on the greater integration of AI, drones, robots... https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3346713/ai-narrow-chinas-rural-urban-economic-divide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-trends/article/3346713/ai-narrow-chinas-rural-urban-economic-divide?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:00:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Moonshot AI is seeking to raise as much as US$1 billion in an expanded funding round that would value the start-up at about US$18 billion, more than quadrupling its valuation in just three months and underscoring growing interest in Chinese artificial intelligence developers racing to rival Silicon Valley leaders. The company behind the Kimi chatbot kicked off discussions for the latest round, people familiar with the matter said, after securing more than US$700 million earlier this year, which... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3346659/china-ai-start-moonshot-snags-funds-us18-billion-valuation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3346659/china-ai-start-moonshot-snags-funds-us18-billion-valuation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 10:00:25 +0000 Reuters Reuters TikTok’s ⁠Chinese parent, ByteDance, has put ⁠on hold the global ⁠launch of its latest video-generation model, Seedance 2.0, after copyright disputes with major Hollywood studios and streaming platforms, The Information reported on Saturday, citing two people with direct knowledge of the situation. Reuters could not ‌immediately verify the report. ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ByteDance said last month it would take steps to prevent the unauthorised use of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3346654/bytedance-reportedly-suspends-launch-seedance-video-ai-model-after-copyright-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3346654/bytedance-reportedly-suspends-launch-seedance-video-ai-model-after-copyright-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:10:52 +0000 Ben Jiang Ben Jiang By the time software programmer Guo Cancan realised something had gone horribly wrong with OpenClaw – the task-executing AI agent that has ignited a fervour across China – the damage was already done. While on holiday over the Chinese New Year, Guo was tinkering with the autonomous open-source program. When he attempted to resolve an error that it had made, OpenClaw responded by deleting nearly everything on his computer’s D: drive – a major storage partition – wiping out years of personal data... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346513/inside-openclaw-mania-gripping-china-security-fears-surge-alongside-enthusiasm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346513/inside-openclaw-mania-gripping-china-security-fears-surge-alongside-enthusiasm?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 22:00:14 +0000 Yeon Woo Lee Yeon Woo Lee Declining fertility rates have long been viewed as a drag on economic growth, but the outlook may not be entirely bleak for Asian economies such as China, South Korea and Japan, analysts said. Demographic pressure was accelerating investment in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in these rapidly ageing yet technologically advanced countries, helping offset labour shortages and sustain productivity even as populations shrank, they argued. Analysts at Bank of America (BofA) Global Research... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346475/chinas-ai-adoption-may-limit-economic-fallout-its-rapidly-ageing-population-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346475/chinas-ai-adoption-may-limit-economic-fallout-its-rapidly-ageing-population-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:58:35 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China’s central bank has called for heightened cybersecurity awareness and caution in the use of artificial intelligence in the financial sector, adding to a chorus of warnings over security risks amid the nationwide buzz surrounding the OpenClaw AI agent. At its annual technology conference in Beijing on Wednesday, the People’s Bank of China called for further efforts to “enhance the resilience of cybersecurity and data security”, according to a readout of the meeting posted on its website. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346352/amid-openclaw-frenzy-chinas-central-bank-adds-cybersecurity-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346352/amid-openclaw-frenzy-chinas-central-bank-adds-cybersecurity-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:00:15 +0000 Clarissa Lui Clarissa Lui In late February, Hong Kong’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data co-signed, alongside 60 overseas organisations, a statement to bring attention to the rising misuse of deepfakes. With rapid technological developments, growing AI integration and lower barriers to access, swift action is needed to safeguard women and girls against growing forms of technology-facilitated violence. Technology-facilitated violence is not new; it has simply evolved. What began as pre-internet... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346126/make-ai-safe-put-women-and-girls-heart-technology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346126/make-ai-safe-put-women-and-girls-heart-technology?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 01:30:07 +0000