News/Asia
Wedbush analyst doubles down on AI investments after Asia trip
Dan Ives, managing director at Wedbush Securities, has reinforced his bullish stance on artificial intelligence investments after witnessing strong AI demand across Asian markets. His latest assessment comes as investors seek clarity on AI's global growth trajectory and regional adoption patterns. What you should know: Ives appeared on CNBC's "Fast Money" to discuss his continued optimism about AI sector investments, specifically highlighting robust demand he's observed in Asia. Why this matters: Asian markets represent a crucial growth driver for AI companies, and strong regional demand signals could validate current AI valuations and investment strategies. Institutional investor sentiment around AI remains...
read Oct 14, 2025Award-winning director to create AI-powered Hanuman film for 2026 release
National Film Award-winning director Rajesh Mapuskar has been hired to direct "Chiranjeevi Hanuman – The Eternal," which is being promoted as one of India's first theatrical films created using generative AI technology. The Hindi-language project about Hindu deity Lord Hanuman will be produced by Abundantia Entertainment and Collective Media Network's Historyverse, with a worldwide theatrical release planned for Hanuman Jayanti in 2026, making it a significant test case for AI's role in feature filmmaking. What you should know: The film represents a major experiment in AI-driven filmmaking backed by substantial technical resources and industry expertise. More than 50 engineers from...
read Oct 10, 2025India launches world’s first chatbot payment system through United Payments Interface
India is launching a pilot program allowing consumers to make payments directly through AI chatbots using its government-backed Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the country's dominant instant payment platform. This initiative marks the world's first government-supported chatbot transaction system, positioning India as a global testing ground for AI-powered commerce that could set precedents for other major markets. What you should know: The payment system will initially roll out through ChatGPT before expanding to other major AI platforms. Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude will follow as the next platforms to integrate the payment capability. Bengaluru-based fintech company Razorpay developed the technical integration...
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a16z calls India office expansion reports “entirely fake news”
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has firmly denied reports claiming the venture capital firm plans to open an office in India, with general partner Anish Acharya calling the claims "entirely fake news" on X. The denial comes as multiple Indian media outlets reported Thursday that a16z was preparing to establish a Bengaluru office and hire local partners, highlighting the firm's limited presence in one of the world's largest startup ecosystems. What you should know: The fake news reports suggested a16z was actively planning a physical expansion into India's tech hub. Several Indian media outlets cited unnamed sources claiming the firm was setting...
read Oct 9, 2025SoftBank acquires ABB robotics for $5.38B to accelerate physical AI ambitions
SoftBank has agreed to acquire ABB's robotics business for $5.38 billion, marking the Japanese conglomerate's largest strategic move into the AI robotics sector. The deal positions SoftBank to accelerate its "Physical AI" ambitions by combining ABB's established robotics platform with its existing portfolio of AI and automation companies, targeting what CEO Masayoshi Son calls the next frontier toward artificial super intelligence. What you should know: This acquisition represents SoftBank's most significant investment in its AI robotics strategy, building on its mission to realize artificial super intelligence (ASI). SoftBank will acquire all shares of a newly carved-out ABB robotics holding company...
read Oct 9, 2025Consent of the AI-governed: Indian film studios push for copyright protections
Hollywood and Bollywood film studios are lobbying an Indian government panel to establish stricter copyright protections that would prevent AI companies from using their content to train AI models without proper licensing. The push comes as India reviews whether its current copyright laws are adequate for addressing AI-related intellectual property disputes, with the film industry arguing that blanket training exceptions could undermine creative incentives and revenue streams. What you should know: India's government formed a panel this year to examine whether existing copyright law sufficiently addresses AI-related disputes and make recommendations for potential changes. The panel consists of lawyers, government...
read Oct 7, 2025India Mobile Congress showcases 1,600 tech use cases across 6G and AI
India is positioning itself as a global technology powerhouse, and this week's India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 serves as a comprehensive showcase of that ambition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the ninth edition of Asia's largest telecom, media, and technology event on October 8 at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi, highlighting the country's rapid digital transformation and its vision for next-generation connectivity. The four-day event, running through October 11 under the theme "Innovate to Transform," represents more than just a technology exhibition. With over 150,000 visitors from more than 150 countries expected, IMC 2025 demonstrates India's emergence as a critical...
read Oct 3, 2025Nvidia and Fujitsu partner to build Japan’s AI infrastructure by 2030
Nvidia and Fujitsu announced a strategic partnership to develop AI infrastructure and smart robotics technology in Japan, with CEO Jensen Huang declaring that "the AI industrial revolution has already begun." The collaboration aims to establish comprehensive AI infrastructure across Japan by 2030, initially targeting the Japanese market before potential global expansion. What you should know: The partnership will focus on building foundational AI systems across multiple industries using Nvidia's graphics processing unit (GPU) technology. The companies plan to develop AI applications for healthcare, manufacturing, environmental solutions, next-generation computing, and customer services. Fujitsu will leverage its decades of experience in the...
read Oct 2, 2025Meanwhile, a half world away, Telegram founder unveils decentralized AI lab serving 1B+ users
Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced the opening of a new AI lab in Astana at Kazakhstan's Digital Bridge forum, marking a significant expansion of the messaging platform's AI capabilities. The lab will focus on developing decentralized AI technology that combines artificial intelligence with blockchain, potentially serving Telegram's billion-plus users while positioning Kazakhstan as a central hub for East-West technological collaboration. The big picture: The Digital Bridge forum showcased Kazakhstan's emergence as a major AI development center, with world leaders and tech executives emphasizing the country's strategic position to bridge Eastern and Western innovation.• Hungary's President Tamás Sulyok highlighted how Kazakhstan...
read Oct 2, 2025Korean AI startup quality surges as US infrastructure boom creates opportunities
JP Lee, CEO and managing partner of South Korean venture capital firm SBVA, says the quantity of Korean AI startups has decreased but their quality has dramatically improved. Lee views the massive US investment in AI infrastructure as a significant opportunity for Korean startups to capitalize on, particularly as SBVA focuses on investing across the broader AI ecosystem beyond just large language models and applications. What you should know: SBVA is positioning itself to leverage the AI infrastructure boom happening in the United States to benefit Korean startups. The venture capital firm is taking a strategic approach by investing across...
read Oct 1, 2025Bollywood super couple sues Google over AI-generated deepfakes
Bollywood power couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have filed a legal petition asking Indian courts to protect their "personality rights" and prevent AI-generated content that uses their likenesses. The case specifically targets YouTube's parent company Google, demanding safeguards to prevent their images from being used to train AI models, potentially setting a significant precedent for celebrity image rights in the AI era. What you should know: The actors are challenging YouTube's policy that allows certain videos to be used as training material for third-party AI generation models.• They argue this practice contributes to the spread of false information...
read Sep 30, 2025Bit Gulp: Seven-Eleven Japan to deploy AI humanoid robots in stores by 2029
Seven-Eleven Japan and Telexistence have announced a partnership to develop and deploy humanoid robots powered by generative AI in convenience stores, with commercial rollout planned for 2029. The collaboration aims to address Japan's severe labor shortages while transforming retail operations through "Astra," a humanoid robot equipped with Vision-Language-Action foundation models that can handle routine store tasks. What you should know: The partnership combines Seven-Eleven's massive retail footprint with Telexistence's robotics expertise to create practical AI-powered humanoids for commercial deployment. Astra robots will be designed to handle routine in-store operations, allowing human employees to focus on customer service tasks that require...
read Sep 30, 2025Samsung goes silver-collar with robots for shipyard welding amid labor shortages
Samsung Heavy Industries has successfully tested Diden Robotics' quadrupedal welding robot at its shipyard, marking a significant milestone in automating South Korea's labor-intensive shipbuilding industry. The trials validate the potential for widespread deployment of walking robots that can navigate complex ship structures using magnetic feet and autonomous systems, with commercial rollouts planned for 2026. What you should know: The Diden 30 robot demonstrated its ability to perform welding tasks on actual ship blocks under construction, proving its readiness for real industrial applications. The quadrupedal robot uses magnetic feet to traverse steel walls and ceilings, successfully crossing shipyard structures like longitudinal...
read Sep 30, 2025Kazakhstan launches first women’s venture fund at AI Week 2025
Kazakhstan has launched its first Women's Venture Fund, announced during AI Week 2025 in Astana by Women in Tech Kazakhstan, a local organization promoting female participation in the technology sector. The fund represents a significant milestone for the country's entrepreneurship ecosystem, offering women entrepreneurs access to capital, mentorship, and international opportunities while remaining open to investors of all contribution sizes. What you should know: AI Week 2025 is transforming Astana into a regional hub for artificial intelligence and digital innovation through a comprehensive week-long program. The event runs from September 26 to October 4 as part of the Digital Bridge...
read Sep 29, 2025Cybercriminals use fake copyright notices to swap crypto wallet addresses
Cybercriminals are exploiting copyright fears to distribute malware through fake legal takedown notices, according to new research from Cofense Intelligence, a cybersecurity firm. The Vietnamese threat actor "Lone None" has been sending multilingual copyright violation messages that appear to come from legitimate law firms, but actually deliver malware when victims click on supposed "resolution" links. Why this matters: This campaign represents a sophisticated evolution in social engineering tactics, leveraging people's fear of copyright violations to bypass traditional security measures. Attackers are using AI tools and machine translation to create convincing takedown notices in multiple languages, expanding their global reach. Instead...
read Sep 26, 2025LG’s TV for senior citizens costs $127 more but misses core usability issues
LG has launched the Easy TV in South Korea, targeting senior citizens with a $1,964 65-inch smart TV that includes a simplified remote and adjusted interface features. The device represents LG's attempt to create a dedicated "senior TV market," though it comes with a significant price premium over the standard model it's based on and includes questionable additions like an AI button. What you should know: The Easy TV is essentially LG's existing QNED85A model with senior-focused modifications and a $127 markup.• The 65-inch version costs 2,769,000 won (about $1,964) compared to 2,590,000 won ($1,837) for the standard model.• LG...
read Sep 25, 20256-year-old Indian prodigy displays prowess in coding, robotics and more
A 6-year-old Indian prodigy named AgniV has captured the internet's attention with his advanced skills in coding, robotics, and quantum physics discussions. The young boy, dubbed "India's smartest kid," has amassed a million social media followers and recently shared his ambitious dreams of becoming an astronaut and F1 racer in a podcast with Ranveer Allahbadia, a popular Indian podcaster. What makes him unique: AgniV demonstrates technical abilities far beyond his age, confidently discussing complex programming concepts and scientific principles. He codes in Scratch (a visual programming language designed for children) and can program Arduino electronic boards to control lights, sensors,...
read Sep 24, 2025Alibaba boosts AI spending beyond $53B, stock surges 107%
Alibaba's Hong Kong-listed shares surged over 6% on Wednesday after CEO Eddie Wu announced plans to increase AI spending beyond the company's existing $53 billion three-year investment commitment. The rally pushed Alibaba's year-to-date gains above 107%, reaching the stock's highest level since 2021 as investors responded positively to the company's expanded artificial intelligence ambitions. What you should know: Alibaba is doubling down on AI infrastructure and development with additional investments on top of its previously announced spending plan. The company initially committed 380 billion yuan ($53 billion) over three years in February for AI infrastructure development. CEO Eddie Wu said...
read Sep 23, 2025Perplexity launches AI-powered Comet browser in India with Pro-only access
Perplexity has launched its AI-powered Comet browser in India on September 22, 2025, marking the company's expansion into the competitive browser market. The launch brings AI-enhanced browsing capabilities to Indian users, though availability remains limited to specific platforms and user tiers. What you should know: The browser is currently available with significant platform restrictions across different user categories. Android users can pre-register for Comet on the Google Play Store, though no specific launch date has been announced for actual usage. Windows and macOS users with Perplexity Pro subscriptions can already download and use the browser. iOS availability has been delayed...
read Sep 19, 2025AI beats human producer in J-pop song contest as fans choose machine-written single
Japanese girl band AKB48 has released an AI-generated single after fans chose it over a song written by renowned J-pop producer Yasushi Akimoto in a head-to-head competition. The AI victory highlights how machine learning tools trained on existing creative works can resonate with audiences, potentially reshaping how the music industry approaches songwriting and production. How the competition worked: The songwriting battle took place on Nippon TV's "Akimoto Yasushi vs AI Akimoto Yasushi: AKB48 New Song Production Contest," where an AI version of Google's Gemini was trained on Akimoto's lyrics library and interview statements. The AI's song "Omoide Scroll" ("Memory Scroll"),...
read Sep 19, 2025Kim Jong Un declares AI “top priority” for North Korea’s military drone program
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared artificial intelligence a "top priority" for modernizing his military's weapons technology and expanding drone capabilities, according to state media reports. This announcement underscores North Korea's accelerating efforts to enhance its military arsenal through advanced technology, positioning the regime to potentially threaten US forces and allies in Northeast Asia from what intelligence officials describe as its "strongest strategic position in decades." What you should know: Kim presided over performance tests of multipurpose drones and unmanned surveillance vehicles during a visit to Pyongyang's Unmanned Aeronautical Technology Complex on Thursday. The North Korean leader emphasized...
read Sep 18, 2025Korean tech giants move AI research to Silicon Valley amid work restrictions
Korean AI robotics companies are relocating their research operations to Silicon Valley to access top-tier talent, with Samsung, LG, and Hyundai establishing or expanding facilities in the region. This exodus reflects growing concerns about Korea's restrictive research environment, which industry experts say could undermine the government's ambitious goal to become a global leader in "physical AI" despite plans to invest $4.3 billion over five years. The talent exodus: Major Korean conglomerates are betting their robotics future on Silicon Valley expertise rather than domestic capabilities. Samsung Research America hired Kris Hauser, a University of Illinois professor with awards from IEEE and...
read Sep 17, 2025Hong Kong goes long on AI, plans for deployment in 200 public services by 2027
Hong Kong plans to integrate artificial intelligence into at least 200 public service procedures by the end of 2027, marking one of the city's most ambitious digital transformation initiatives. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the sweeping reform as part of his policy address, positioning AI development as both an industry priority and a tool for creating more efficient, tech-driven government services. The timeline: Hong Kong will deploy AI tools across 100 different government procedures by 2026 alone, before expanding to 200 procedures by 2027. The technology will target areas including data analysis, customer service, and expediting approval processes for...
read Sep 12, 2025Malaysia restricts US AI chips for Chinese data centers
Malaysia has implemented new restrictions on data center expansion and U.S. chip exports, creating significant barriers for Chinese companies seeking access to advanced AI semiconductors. The policy changes come as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with infrastructure constraints and mounting pressure from Washington to prevent Chinese firms from using the region as a backdoor to access restricted American-made AI chips. What you should know: Malaysia has become a critical hub for Chinese data center operations, hosting the majority of Chinese-owned facilities outside mainland China. More than two-thirds of data center capacity under construction in Southeast Asia's five main growth markets...
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