https://www.scmp.com/rss/520122/feed Vincent Chow is a technology reporter covering frontier AI models, AI governance and US-China competition. He previously covered Chinese society and was awarded a SOPA award for his culture reporting. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Vincent Chow Vincent Chow While leading US artificial intelligence developers such as Anthropic and OpenAI unveil new models with enhanced cybersecurity capabilities, China is also aggressively scaling up its own AI-driven cyber defence market. Anthropic’s Mythos, launched in April, sparked a rapid global response due to its ability to discover and exploit cybersecurity vulnerabilities with unprecedented speed and efficiency. “Our assessment is that China’s own Mythos will definitely emerge, though currently the overall... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352978/china-scrambles-close-ai-security-gap-anthropic-openai-pull-ahead-new-models?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3352978/china-scrambles-close-ai-security-gap-anthropic-openai-pull-ahead-new-models?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 03:00:22 +0000 Wency Chen,Vincent Chow Wency Chen,Vincent Chow China and the United States are taking divergent paths to developing artificial intelligence (AI), putting their technology ecosystems increasingly at odds. This divergence was on show on April 24 when start-up DeepSeek launched its next-generation V4 AI models that were optimised for use with the Ascend chips and associated software tools of tech giant Huawei Technologies. China has for years been pursuing technological self-reliance, a policy reiterated by the Communist Party’s Politburo at... https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3352563/ai-ecosystems-china-and-us-grow-apart-amid-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/tech/tech-war/article/3352563/ai-ecosystems-china-and-us-grow-apart-amid-tech-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 04:15:04 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek has added multimodal capabilities to its flagship chatbot for the first time – meaning that it can process images and video in addition to text – bringing it in line with rivals that already offer the function. The limited release to select users comes just days after the Hangzhou-based company released its new flagship model V4, which was followed by extensive price cuts. According to DeepSeek multimodal team leader Chen Xiaokang, who made the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351892/whale-can-now-see-deepseek-adds-ai-vision-major-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3351892/whale-can-now-see-deepseek-adds-ai-vision-major-move?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:00:12 +0000 Coco Feng,Wency Chen,Vincent Chow Coco Feng,Wency Chen,Vincent Chow It could be “time-consuming”, “complex” and “difficult” for Meta Platforms to unwind its acquisition of Manus, an artificial intelligence start-up that originated in China, given how far the deal has gone, according to analysts. Beijing’s order on Monday blocking the US$2 billion deal came roughly four months after the acquisition was announced. During that time, Manus – developer of what it described as the world’s first general AI agent – provided Meta employees with unlimited-usage accounts,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351718/meta-manus-ai-deal-difficult-undo-how-will-beijing-exert-its-authority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351718/meta-manus-ai-deal-difficult-undo-how-will-beijing-exert-its-authority?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:30:09 +0000 Vincent Chow,Minxiao Chang Vincent Chow,Minxiao Chang The potential emergence of a new DeepSeek spokesman has sparked intrigue as speculation over the whereabouts of founder and CEO Liang Wenfeng continues, more than a year after his last public appearance. While the Hangzhou start-up’s latest V4 model did not make the same waves as its breakout moment a year earlier, the much-anticipated release still grabbed headlines through a collaboration with domestic tech giant Huawei Technologies and its remarkably low prices. For the traditionally... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351700/deepseek-mystery-who-speaking-start-ceo-liang-wenfeng-remains-out-sight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351700/deepseek-mystery-who-speaking-start-ceo-liang-wenfeng-remains-out-sight?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:00:15 +0000 Coco Feng,Vincent Chow Coco Feng,Vincent Chow Beijing has blocked the proposed purchase by Meta Platforms of artificial intelligence firm Manus, a start-up that is officially registered in Singapore but developed its products in mainland China. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s top economic planner, announced the ruling in a statement on Monday, and asked the parties involved in the deal to cancel the transaction. Neither Meta nor Manus immediately responded to requests for comment on Monday. A... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351552/china-blocks-metas-manus-deal-after-months-long-probe-thwarting-purchase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351552/china-blocks-metas-manus-deal-after-months-long-probe-thwarting-purchase?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 08:18:45 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow In the third of a three-part series on Anthropic’s powerful Mythos AI model, we look at how China is responding to the growing threat of AI-powered cyberattacks and what it means for the country’s cybersecurity. China is not immune to any fallout that might result from AI-powered cyberattacks, according to experts, although a sense of panic may not be as high due to the country’s strict scrutiny of its artificial intelligence industry. In the weeks since US start-up Anthropic announced its new... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351485/scepticism-concern-mythos-panic-slowly-starting-reach-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351485/scepticism-concern-mythos-panic-slowly-starting-reach-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 02:00:31 +0000 Vincent Chow,Wency Chen Vincent Chow,Wency Chen Huawei Technologies’ newest Ascend 950PR and 950DT chips enjoyed “day zero” adaptation to DeepSeek’s latest V4 model, the Shenzhen-based tech giant said in a livestream on Friday, just hours after the model’s release. The hardware-software collaboration between the two Chinese firms underscores the progress China has made in tech self-reliance, a top national priority for Beijing amid US efforts to block its access to advanced semiconductor chips and chipmaking equipment. During the livestream... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351349/huawei-deepseek-strengthen-chinas-ai-self-reliance-collaboration-v4-model?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351349/huawei-deepseek-strengthen-chinas-ai-self-reliance-collaboration-v4-model?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:30:08 +0000 Vincent Chow,Wency Chen Vincent Chow,Wency Chen DeepSeek has finally released its much-anticipated next-generation foundational artificial intelligence model, the open-source V4, which it said was competitive with leading US closed-source models from the likes of OpenAI and Google DeepMind. The Hangzhou-based AI start-up released two versions of the model on Friday, with the V4-pro model boasting 1.6 trillion parameters, making it the company’s biggest-ever model by that metric, while the smaller V4-flash model has 284 billion parameters. A... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351239/deepseek-releases-next-gen-ai-model-world-leading-efficiency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351239/deepseek-releases-next-gen-ai-model-world-leading-efficiency?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:25:33 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US lawmakers have advanced 20 new export control measures – including the controversial Match Act – to further restrict Chinese access to US technology and bar Chinese chipmakers from gaining access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In the latest salvo in the US-China tech war, the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday passed the measures through the committee stage to be deliberated by the rest of the House, describing the action as the “largest significant export... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351199/tech-war-us-congress-rolls-out-largest-export-control-upgrade-against-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3351199/tech-war-us-congress-rolls-out-largest-export-control-upgrade-against-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:26 +0000 Vincent Chow,Ben Jiang Vincent Chow,Ben Jiang Tencent Holdings has released a new flagship artificial intelligence model, the first since former OpenAI researcher Yao Shunyu joined the Chinese tech giant to lead its foundational AI development efforts. The Shenzhen-based company said on Thursday that the new model, an open-source program called “Hy3 preview”, was its most powerful yet, on par with top Chinese models but still lagging flagship products from US leaders such as OpenAI and Google DeepMind. Notably, the model is relatively small... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351101/tencent-unveils-first-flagship-ai-model-former-openai-researcher-helm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3351101/tencent-unveils-first-flagship-ai-model-former-openai-researcher-helm?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:05:17 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow In the first of a three-part series on Anthropic’s new powerful Mythos AI model, we look at its impact on Chinese AI, cybersecurity and competition with the US. US start-up Anthropic announced its latest artificial intelligence model Claude Mythos Preview on April 7, sparking an unprecedented global response among policymakers and regulators due to its powerful ability to identify and exploit cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Instead of a public release, Anthropic released Mythos to a consortium of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350987/anthropics-mythos-stoking-cybersecurity-fears-what-does-it-mean-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350987/anthropics-mythos-stoking-cybersecurity-fears-what-does-it-mean-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:00:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow China’s artificial intelligence model companies are unlikely to “eat up” the domestic software market because they lack the deep industry know-how and experience to meet enterprise needs, according to an HSBC analyst. Unlike the US, China’s less developed software-as-a-service (SaaS) market stands to gain even as AI models continue to improve, with the most likely outcome being a collaborative approach where model companies and legacy software firms serve enterprises in tandem, said Yiran Liu,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350586/ai-not-eating-chinas-software-market-turbocharging-it-hsbc-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3350586/ai-not-eating-chinas-software-market-turbocharging-it-hsbc-analyst?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 01:00:19 +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 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 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,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 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 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 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Facebook owner Meta Platforms has recruited a Chinese industry veteran with experience across artificial intelligence, humanoid robots and extended reality to lead a new hardware team in its superintelligence unit. Xu Rui, a former product manager at Tencent Holdings and TikTok owner ByteDance, would lead a team developing AI devices separately from Meta’s Reality Labs division, which was responsible for the company’s popular smart glasses and virtual reality headsets, US outlet Business Insider... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349081/who-xu-rui-ex-bytedance-executive-tapped-meta-lead-ai-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3349081/who-xu-rui-ex-bytedance-executive-tapped-meta-lead-ai-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 08:52:22 +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 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 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese artificial intelligence start-ups Zhipu AI and MiniMax have shown early signs of sustainable commercialisation of their AI models, analysts said, as investors continue to pump up their Hong Kong stocks despite widening losses. That assessment comes as the companies reported their first earnings since their respective initial public offerings in early January, providing a glimpse into the business models of an industry still in its infancy globally. The South China Morning Post takes a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3348699/what-zhipu-and-minimaxs-first-post-ipo-earnings-say-about-2-chinese-ai-start-ups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3348699/what-zhipu-and-minimaxs-first-post-ipo-earnings-say-about-2-chinese-ai-start-ups?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 02:00:09 +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 Nasdaq-listed iQiyi, a Chinese online entertainment video provider backed by Baidu, has submitted a confidential application for a listing in Hong Kong, the company said on Monday. Details of the proposed listing have yet to be finalised, the company said, pending regulatory approvals from the Hong Kong stock exchange and the China Securities Regulatory Commission, as well as the company’s own final decision. “There is no assurance that the proposed listing will take place or when it may take... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348450/streaming-giant-iqiyi-joins-homecoming-wave-proposed-us300m-hong-kong-listing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348450/streaming-giant-iqiyi-joins-homecoming-wave-proposed-us300m-hong-kong-listing?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:14:47 +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 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 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 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A new artificial intelligence algorithm developed by Google that could reduce demand for memory chips triggered a slump in global memory stocks, but analysts said it presented an opportunity for investors to “buy the dip”. Shares in memory giants including Samsung and SK Hynix fell after Google said in a blog post on Tuesday that the algorithm, called TurboQuant, reduced the memory demands of key-value (KV) caches – a crucial component of how AI models are served to users – by six times through... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348038/googles-turboquant-ai-advance-dents-memory-chip-stocks-analysts-say-buy-dip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348038/googles-turboquant-ai-advance-dents-memory-chip-stocks-analysts-say-buy-dip?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:24:11 +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 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow A “ChatGPT moment” for China’s humanoid robots – the tipping point at which the technology becomes widely usable – remains years away as persistent challenges in adapting to new tasks and training efficiency continue to hold back the industry, leading experts said on Wednesday at the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan. Despite rapid advances in recent years, humanoid robots were still far from large-scale deployment, with both hardware and software limitations yet to be fully resolved, panellists... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347864/why-chinas-humanoid-robots-are-still-waiting-their-chatgpt-moment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347864/why-chinas-humanoid-robots-are-still-waiting-their-chatgpt-moment?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 01:15:07 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Tencent Holdings is rolling out a “ClawBot” plug-in for China’s most popular app WeChat as it seeks to capitalise on the OpenClaw craze, even as authorities continue to warn about risks. The move announced on Sunday will allow WeChat’s more than 1 billion monthly active users to command their OpenClaw artificial intelligence agents directly through the app, which is deeply embedded in daily life in China. In recent weeks, almost every Chinese tech giant has announced new offerings based on... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347590/tencent-adds-clawbot-plug-wechat-amid-openclaw-boom-and-privacy-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347590/tencent-adds-clawbot-plug-wechat-amid-openclaw-boom-and-privacy-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Vincent Chow,Wency Chen,Enoch Yiu Vincent Chow,Wency Chen,Enoch Yiu Beijing has emphasised the safe and orderly development of artificial intelligence amid growing global anxiety about the disruptive impact of the rapidly advancing technology, as the country’s leaders put the final stamp of approval on China’s next five-year plan at this year’s “two sessions”. The 15th five-year plan elevates China’s AI Plus initiative as a top national priority, according to a draft version of the document submitted for review to the National People’s Congress, China’s top... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3345586/chinas-five-year-plan-emphasises-orderly-ai-development-amid-global-tech-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3345586/chinas-five-year-plan-emphasises-orderly-ai-development-amid-global-tech-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 15:30:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Alibaba Group Holding is forming a dedicated internal task force headed by CEO Eddie Wu Yongming in a bid to funnel greater resources into its foundational AI model development efforts. On Thursday, Wu said in a letter to members of the company’s artificial intelligence research lab Tongyi that the task force would “jointly coordinate group-wide resources to accelerate foundational model development”. “In technology, standing still means falling behind,” Wu said in the letter, which was provided... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345524/alibaba-sets-new-task-force-led-ceo-eddie-wu-focus-ai-model-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345524/alibaba-sets-new-task-force-led-ceo-eddie-wu-focus-ai-model-development?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 06:00:12 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Alibaba Group Holding has recruited a research scientist from Google DeepMind to bolster development efforts for its Qwen artificial intelligence models, in an internal restructuring that has seen the departure of previous technical lead Lin Junyang. While no successor to Lin was announced, former Google senior staff research scientist Zhou Hao was joining Alibaba as head of post-training research, replacing Yu Bowen, who also departed this week, two sources said. Zhou, who holds a PhD from the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345471/alibaba-recruits-google-deepmind-contributor-join-qwen-ai-team-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345471/alibaba-recruits-google-deepmind-contributor-join-qwen-ai-team-sources-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:36:39 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese artificial intelligence company MiniMax Group posted better-than-expected annual revenue growth in its first earnings report since its blockbuster Hong Kong listing, as its CEO predicted a doubling in revenue this year. Revenue rose nearly 159 per cent year on year to US$79 million for the year ended December 2025, the Shanghai-based company said on Monday, beating an estimate of US$71.39 million by analysts polled by Bloomberg. Meanwhile, CEO Yan Junjie said in a post-earnings call that... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345116/chinese-ai-firm-minimaxs-revenue-jumps-159-us79-million-strong-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345116/chinese-ai-firm-minimaxs-revenue-jumps-159-us79-million-strong-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 10:39:54 +0000 Vincent Chow,Dannie Peng Vincent Chow,Dannie Peng Chinese companies are leading the way in personalised medicine, the development of healthcare treatments tailored for individual patients. MGI Tech last year unveiled the world’s fastest gene sequencing machine, while BGI Genomics has become the world’s biggest generator of data about human genes. Chinese biomedicine companies also have a world-leading pipeline of novel targeted therapies used in personalised or precision medicine (see previous China Future Tech). New technology, including... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/science/article/3345088/china-ai-boosts-cancer-screening-rare-disease-diagnosis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/science/article/3345088/china-ai-boosts-cancer-screening-rare-disease-diagnosis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow WeRide, one of China’s big three robotaxi companies, has cut research and development (R&D) costs by “millions” of US dollars by using artificial intelligence to train its fleet in virtual worlds, its CEO said. While rivals had also developed AI models simulating the physical world, WeRide’s efforts stood out as it was using its world model Genesis to support its global expansion strategy, said Tony Han. “It’s the first real marriage between physical AI and generative AI,” Han told the South... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344817/breakthrough-or-hype-how-weride-aims-steer-past-rivals-crowded-robotaxi-field?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3344817/breakthrough-or-hype-how-weride-aims-steer-past-rivals-crowded-robotaxi-field?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 02:00:38 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies has joined hands with US companies OpenAI and Google, among others, to advance global open-source standards in the rapidly advancing field of agentic artificial intelligence. The development marks a rare collaboration between a US-sanctioned Chinese heavyweight and its US counterparts in global AI standards setting amid US-China geopolitical and tech competition. On Tuesday, the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF) announced Huawei as one of 97 new members joining... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344667/huawei-joins-openai-google-global-push-advance-ai-standards-rare-china-us-collab?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344667/huawei-joins-openai-google-global-push-advance-ai-standards-rare-china-us-collab?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 02:31:40 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow US private equity firm General Atlantic is selling an equity stake in TikTok owner ByteDance in a deal that raises its valuation of the private Chinese company to US$550 billion, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing two unnamed sources. The deal, still pending, confirms a previous report by the South China Morning Post in December that ByteDance’s valuation had surged to US$500 billion on the private market, up from US$400 billion as recently as the second quarter of 2025. General Atlantic... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344631/bytedance-valuation-said-hit-record-us550-billion-proposed-equity-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344631/bytedance-valuation-said-hit-record-us550-billion-proposed-equity-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:00:17 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese analysts and investors have expressed scepticism about a viral report by a small US research outfit that triggered a major sell-off on Wall Street, saying China could be largely immune to major artificial intelligence disruption, given the low level of digital penetration in the country’s traditional institutions. Citrini Research’s report, published on Sunday, included references to the impact of China’s AI advances. The translated version of the report was widely circulated in Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344476/chinese-investors-and-analysts-shrug-ai-fears-after-citrini-report-sparks-us-sell?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344476/chinese-investors-and-analysts-shrug-ai-fears-after-citrini-report-sparks-us-sell?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:15:07 +0000 Vincent Chow,Ben Jiang Vincent Chow,Ben Jiang US artificial intelligence lab Anthropic’s allegation that Chinese AI firms were “distilling” its Claude models has exposed a widely used AI training technique, sparking heated debate over its accepted boundaries, an analyst said. Anthropic said in a blog post on Monday that DeepSeek, Moonshot AI and MiniMax AI used roughly 24,000 fraudulent accounts to generate more than 16 million exchanges with its Claude models. The US firm said the activity amounted to unauthorised “distillation” of its... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3344499/anthropics-distilling-charges-against-chinese-firms-expose-ai-training-grey-area?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3344499/anthropics-distilling-charges-against-chinese-firms-expose-ai-training-grey-area?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:05:35 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Chinese artificial intelligence company Zhipu AI’s shares fell nearly 23 per cent on Monday, wiping out more than HK$70 billion (US$9 billion) in market capitalisation as concerns mount over the Hong Kong-listed firm’s computing resources constraints. The stock slump came as Zhipu issued public calls last week to partner with computing resources providers globally, as user complaints about service quality continue to dog the firm despite frenzied investor interest in recent weeks. The shares... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344344/chinese-ai-firm-zhipus-shares-tumble-nearly-23-computing-woes-user-complaints?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344344/chinese-ai-firm-zhipus-shares-tumble-nearly-23-computing-woes-user-complaints?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:30:07 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow China’s “big tech” giants – including Alibaba Group Holding, ByteDance and Tencent Holdings – released preliminary figures showing impressive gains for their new flagship artificial intelligence offerings during this year’s Spring Festival Gala marketing blitz. While red packet giveaways and extensive advertising campaigns have been a fixture of past Lunar New Year holidays, this year’s multi-billion-yuan competition surrounding a crop of new artificial intelligence products was so intense that... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344017/chinas-tech-giants-report-huge-gains-spring-festival-marketing-blitz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344017/chinas-tech-giants-report-huge-gains-spring-festival-marketing-blitz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Moonshot AI, the Chinese start-up behind the powerful Kimi artificial intelligence models, has added at least another US$700 million to its war chest after launching another funding round that could value it at up to US$12 billion. The new round, which comes just over a month after its last one, could almost triple Moonshot’s previous valuation of US$4.3 billion amid exploding investor interest in China’s AI enterprises. It was jointly led by existing investors including Alibaba Group Holding,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3343927/moonshot-ai-targets-us12-billion-valuation-overseas-revenue-surges-kimi-models?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3343927/moonshot-ai-targets-us12-billion-valuation-overseas-revenue-surges-kimi-models?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Consumer interest in robots has surged in China since several leading models appeared on stage at Monday’s Spring Festival Gala, with delivery dates pushed as far back as late April. This development follows the featuring of robots from four domestic firms – Unitree Robotics, Magiclab, Galbot and Noetix – at the event after they signed partnerships reportedly worth around 100 million yuan (US$14 million). One of the biggest beneficiaries was Hangzhou-based Unitree, whose G1 humanoid robots... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3343908/robotics-firms-see-backlog-orders-after-humanoids-steal-show-spring-festival-gala?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3343908/robotics-firms-see-backlog-orders-after-humanoids-steal-show-spring-festival-gala?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow China’s Unitree Robotics plans to ship as many as 20,000 humanoid robots this year, up from about 5,500 in 2025, according to chief executive Wang Xingxing, after the company drew global attention with its appearance at Monday night’s Spring Festival Gala. Speaking to domestic tech outlet 36Kr after the show, Wang said global humanoid robot shipments could reach “tens of thousands” this year, with Unitree accounting for roughly 10,000 to 20,000 units of that total. The projection follows another... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343825/kung-fu-somersaults-and-scale-unitree-eyes-20000-robot-output-2026-after-gala?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343825/kung-fu-somersaults-and-scale-unitree-eyes-20000-robot-output-2026-after-gala?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 09:32:46 +0000 Vincent Chow Vincent Chow Alibaba Cloud has unveiled its next-generation open artificial intelligence model, Qwen-3.5, in a move set to have major implications for the global AI race between China and the US. The much-anticipated release, timed on the eve of the Lunar New Year, capped a frenetic week in which nearly every major Chinese AI developer rolled out new flagship models. The two new 3.5-series models were made available on Alibaba’s cloud platform Model Studio on Monday afternoon. The new Qwen-3.5-Open-Source... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343738/alibaba-unveils-qwen-35-sharpening-global-race-spread-ai-models?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343738/alibaba-unveils-qwen-35-sharpening-global-race-spread-ai-models?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Feb 2026 09:19:44 +0000 Wency Chen,Vincent Chow Wency Chen,Vincent Chow China’s leading humanoid robotics companies dominated the opening of this year’s Spring Festival Gala, the annual variety spectacle staged by state broadcaster CCTV that offers a rare nationwide marketing platform akin to the US Super Bowl, highlighting the central role of the industry in Beijing’s industrial policy. Four robotics firms – Hangzhou-based Unitree, Wuxi-based Magiclab, Beijing-based Galbot and Noetix – had announced partnerships with this year’s gala in deals said to be valued at... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343634/chinas-tech-companies-vie-attention-cctvs-festival-gala-years-biggest-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343634/chinas-tech-companies-vie-attention-cctvs-festival-gala-years-biggest-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 22:00:15 +0000