News/Asia
Hon Hai’s revenue soars 24% as AI server demand boosts tech manufacturer
Hon Hai's first quarter 2025 revenue jumped 24.2% year-over-year to NT$1.64 trillion ($49.8 billion), marking its fastest growth since 2022 amid strong data center demand. As a key supplier for both Nvidia's AI servers and Apple's iPhones, the company's performance offers a bright spot in the artificial intelligence sector even as global markets grapple with expanding tariff-induced losses. This revenue surge signals continued momentum in AI infrastructure spending despite broader economic headwinds. The big picture: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. outperformed expectations with substantial first-quarter growth, highlighting the resilience of AI-related demand while other tech segments face challenges. The company's...
read Apr 3, 2025India’s AI regulation for securities markets falls short, putting retail investors at risk
Dabba-Dabba-Do...something, about the state of Indian finance. India's securities market regulator SEBI has shifted responsibility for AI outcomes to market participants, but this regulatory approach falls far short of addressing the enormous risks in a market where retail investors lose billions and "dabba" trading flourishes outside regulatory oversight. The sheer scale of India's derivatives market—with NSE being the world's largest derivatives exchange—combined with poor retail investor outcomes creates a volatile environment where AI-driven disruptions could significantly impact India's economic growth and stability. The big picture: SEBI's February 2025 amendment to its Intermediaries Regulations holds regulated entities accountable for outcomes generated...
read Apr 1, 2025New framework prevents AI agents from taking unsafe actions in enterprise settings
Singapore Management University researchers have developed a promising solution to a critical challenge facing AI agents in enterprise settings. AgentSpec presents a new approach to improving agent reliability and safety by creating a structured framework that constrains AI agents to operate only within specifically defined parameters—addressing a major barrier to enterprise adoption of more autonomous AI systems. The big picture: AgentSpec is a domain-specific framework that intercepts AI agent behaviors during execution, allowing users to define structured safety rules that prevent unintended actions without altering the core agent logic. The approach has proven highly effective in preliminary testing, preventing over...
read Apr 1, 2025Singapore researchers create “ambient agents” framework to control agentic AI with 90% safety improvement
Singapore Management University researchers have created a framework that significantly improves AI agent safety and reliability, addressing a critical obstacle to enterprise automation. Their approach, AgentSpec, provides a structured way to control agent behavior by defining specific rules and constraints—preventing unwanted actions while maintaining agent functionality. The big picture: AgentSpec tackles the fundamental challenge that has limited AI agent adoption in enterprises—their tendency to take unintended actions and difficulty in controlling their behavior. The framework acts as a runtime enforcement layer that intercepts agent behavior and applies safety rules set by humans or generated through prompts. Tests show AgentSpec prevented...
read Mar 31, 2025AI transforms Hong Kong’s Golden Age cinema in artist’s massive facade installation
Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen's latest commission for Hong Kong's M+ museum represents a fascinating convergence of cutting-edge AI technology with nostalgic cinema. His work "Night Charades" transforms the museum's massive 110-metre facade into a canvas for reimagined scenes from Hong Kong's cinematic Golden Age, using artificial intelligence to create multiple versions of iconic moments from films by directors like John Woo and Wong Kar-wai. This project exemplifies how AI tools can be harnessed to explore cultural heritage while simultaneously creating something distinctly contemporary. The big picture: Ho's installation continues his artistic approach of using the past to explore the...
read Mar 31, 2025Enchantment Under the Sea: Meta’s 50,000-km cable project to boost connectivity across continents
Meta's Project Waterworth, poised to become the world's longest undersea cable at 50,000 km, represents a significant advancement in global internet infrastructure. The company is strategically negotiating with Indian telecom operators including Airtel, Jio, Tata Communications, and Lightstorm to establish landing points in India, creating a critical digital connection between India, the US, Brazil, South Africa, and other regions that will enhance connectivity for billions of users across multiple continents. The big picture: Meta's massive undersea cable initiative aims to bolster internet speeds and reliability across multiple continents while strategically navigating geopolitical considerations. The 50,000-km cable system will connect India,...
read Mar 28, 2025North Korea unveils AI-equipped suicide drones amid deepening Russia ties
North Korea's revelation of AI-equipped suicide attack drones represents a significant escalation in the hermit kingdom's military technology ambitions and reflects the strategic benefits of its deepening alliance with Russia. The development of autonomous weapons by one of the world's most isolated regimes raises alarming questions about proliferation of AI warfare capabilities among authoritarian states and potential destabilization of the already tense Korean peninsula. The big picture: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected what state media claims are AI-equipped suicide attack drones, signaling Pyongyang's advancement into autonomous weapons technology. Kim reportedly approved plans to expand production of these...
read Mar 27, 2025AI-generated Trump portraits in Studio Ghibli style spark artistic controversy
The AI-generated "Studio Ghibli-style" Trump portraits are the latest example of how OpenAI's new image generation capabilities are rapidly inspiring creative and controversial applications. The trend highlights ongoing tensions between AI developers, traditional artists, and public figures as generated content increasingly blurs stylistic boundaries. This collision of cutting-edge AI technology with beloved artistic styles raises important questions about creative attribution, consent, and the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and human artistic expression. Why it matters: OpenAI's most advanced image generator, built into GPT-4o, has demonstrated surprising visual fluency in replicating Studio Ghibli's distinctive anime style, prompting users to reimagine political...
read Mar 27, 2025Mazda leverages AI to give its dealers an education in sales effectiveness, electrification
Mazda is leveraging artificial intelligence to transform its automotive business from manufacturing to sales education, following a record-breaking 2024 in North America. The Japanese automaker is implementing comprehensive technology innovation across its organization, with a particular focus on using AI to enhance dealer training and knowledge, ultimately aiming to improve customer experiences and sales effectiveness while addressing the knowledge gap surrounding electrified vehicles. The big picture: Mazda is deploying a multi-pronged technology strategy that includes manufacturing innovation, new powertrains, and AI-enhanced dealer training programs. The company is adopting a mixed-flow production approach that enables simultaneous production of different models regardless...
read Mar 27, 2025From Mumbai to Chennai: A who’s who of data centers in India promoting digital innovation
India's rapid growth in AI infrastructure is creating a sophisticated network of high-performance data centers to power its expanding digital economy. These specialized facilities provide the robust computational capabilities needed for AI and machine learning applications across healthcare, finance, and smart city initiatives. As domestic and international companies invest in these advanced data centers, they're positioning India as an emerging global hub for AI innovation and helping bridge the technological divide in one of the world's fastest-growing digital markets. 1. Yotta NM1 data center (Maharashtra) Located in Navi Mumbai, this facility stands as India's largest data center, spanning 820,000 square...
read Mar 26, 2025Krisp’s AI accent converter transforms speech to American English, aiding call center communication
Krisp's new AI Accent Conversion tool represents a significant development in audio processing technology, allowing users to transform their accents into American English during real-time conversations. While addressing legitimate communication challenges in global workplaces, the technology raises important questions about cultural identity, authenticity in communication, and the broader implications of AI-mediated speech modification in professional environments. How it works: Krisp's new AI tool converts a speaker's accent to American English in real time with a 200ms latency across major video conferencing platforms. The technology preserves the speaker's natural voice while modifying their accent, though demo versions showed somewhat robotic-sounding speech....
read Mar 21, 2025SAP unveils AI strategy for Korean market with data integration focus
SAP's CEO Christian Klein has unveiled the company's AI strategy for the Korean market, highlighting its Business Data Cloud platform and Joule AI assistant as cornerstones of the company's vision. The announcement targets a market where SAP already serves major conglomerates like Samsung and LG, positioning its AI solutions as critical infrastructure for companies seeking to transform their operations while maintaining data integrity and driving productivity. The big picture: SAP is aggressively expanding its AI offerings in Korea with a focus on data integration capabilities that the company argues are essential for successful enterprise AI implementation. Klein emphasized that "LLM...
read Mar 19, 2025The 6 data center wonders of the Asian world herald a strong AI infrastructure
Asia is rapidly establishing itself as a powerhouse for AI infrastructure, with major tech companies developing sophisticated data centers optimized for artificial intelligence workloads. These facilities are not merely storage warehouses, but computational hubs designed specifically for the intense processing demands of AI model training and inference. The strategic positioning of these centers across China, Japan, Singapore, and India reflects both the region's growing technological ambitions and its evolving role in the global AI landscape. 1. Alibaba Cloud Zhangbei data center (China) This advanced facility supports Alibaba's extensive AI model training and cloud services operations through cutting-edge liquid cooling technology...
read Mar 19, 2025Gates and Modi partner on AI solutions for India’s development goals
Bill Gates' meeting with Prime Minister Modi represents a significant milestone in the growing technology collaboration between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and India. Their discussions focused on leveraging artificial intelligence and innovation to address pressing challenges in agriculture, healthcare, and climate change, aligning with India's development goals for becoming a developed nation by 2047. This partnership highlights how public-private collaborations are shaping the future of technology implementation in developing economies. The big picture: Bill Gates met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India to discuss advancements in health, agriculture, and artificial intelligence as part of broader cooperation between...
read Mar 14, 2025SoftBank to build $677 million AI data center with OpenAI for Japanese market
SoftBank's plan to transform a former Sharp LCD plant into a massive AI data center marks a significant step in Japan's AI infrastructure development. The $677 million acquisition of the Osaka facility represents a strategic collaboration with OpenAI to commercialize AI agents specifically for the Japanese market, potentially triggering a new wave of localized AI deployment and customization in Asia's advanced economies. The big picture: SoftBank intends to convert Sharp's closed TV LCD factory in Osaka into one of Japan's largest data centers through a ¥100 billion ($677 million) investment, according to a Nikkei report. The facility will power AI...
read Mar 13, 2025East Asia embraces AI companions more readily than the West, animism a possible explanation
Cultural beliefs shape our attitudes toward technology in surprisingly deep ways. New research reveals that East Asians display significantly more positive attitudes toward AI companions and robots than Westerners, with fundamental religious and philosophical differences driving this divide. This finding helps explain why humanoid robots and AI chatbots have gained much wider acceptance in Japan and China than in North America, offering important insights for companies developing AI companions for global markets. The big picture: Recent experiments published in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology demonstrate that cultural background significantly influences how people perceive and interact with AI companions and robots....
read Mar 10, 2025Beyond vacuums: Move Digital expands with home robotics for the affluent, AI manufacturing push
Move Digital is expanding beyond its blockchain and AI expertise to enter the home robotics market, signaling a significant diversification for the B2B technology firm. This strategic pivot represents a growing trend of technology companies leveraging their AI capabilities to develop physical products for consumer markets, potentially reshaping how households interact with automation technology. The company's dual focus on manufacturing in Asia while targeting high-net-worth clients in global financial centers highlights its ambitious approach to market penetration. The big picture: Move Digital, primarily known for blockchain-based business solutions, is launching AI-powered robots for home use that will be manufactured in...
read Mar 10, 2025Real news, real time: Indian event draws 5k+ participants to build AI fact-checking for live broadcasts
The TruthTell Hackathon represents a significant milestone in India's effort to combat misinformation through AI-powered fact-checking during live broadcasts. This collaboration between government ministries and the technology sector demonstrates India's commitment to becoming a global leader in AI-powered media solutions, addressing a critical need in an era of widespread digital misinformation. With over 5,650 participants including international competitors, the initiative showcases how public-private partnerships can drive technological innovation in ethical journalism. The big picture: The TruthTell Hackathon, part of the Create in India Challenge – Season 1, aims to revolutionize real-time fact-checking by developing AI-powered tools for use during live...
read Mar 6, 2025Tech Mahindra unveils AI model for autonomous telecom networks using Llama 3.1
Tech Mahindra's new AI model for network automation represents a significant milestone in telecom infrastructure management, combining Meta's Llama 3.1 architecture with Nvidia and AWS capabilities. This development arrives as telecommunications companies increasingly seek autonomous solutions to manage their complex network operations, marking a shift from traditional manual oversight to AI-driven systems capable of handling both structured and unstructured network data. The big picture: Tech Mahindra has unveiled a Multi-Modal Network Operations Large Language Model that aims to transform traditional telecom networks into fully autonomous systems. The model leverages Meta's Llama 3.1 8b Instruct architecture, running on Nvidia AI Enterprise...
read Feb 28, 2025Singapore files fraud charges against 3 in Nvidia chip scandal
Singapore's arrest of three men for alleged fraud has exposed a potential pipeline for smuggling Nvidia's advanced AI chips into China, highlighting the growing challenge of enforcing U.S. export controls on critical technology. The case involves DeepSeek, a Chinese AI firm whose recent model's performance sparked industry buzz, and underscores Singapore's crucial position as Nvidia's second-largest market, where it functions primarily as an invoicing hub rather than a final destination for shipments. The big picture: Singapore authorities charged two citizens and one Chinese national with making false declarations about the end users of server equipment in 2023 and 2024. The...
read Feb 28, 2025India’s G20 sherpa says the AI race belongs to tech democratizers, not pricey models
India's former NITI Aayog CEO and G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant has outlined a vision for artificial intelligence that emphasizes democratization and accessibility over costly, proprietary models. His remarks, delivered at the launch of a comprehensive digital economy report, highlight India's unique position as a global leader in digital transactions and ICT services exports, while acknowledging critical areas where the nation needs to improve its AI capabilities to remain competitive. The big picture: The race to dominate artificial intelligence will be won by those who make the technology accessible and cost-competitive, not those who build expensive models. Success in AI requires...
read Feb 27, 2025Multimodal Mosaic: Hugging Face and IISc team up to boost AI for diverse Indian languages
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Hugging Face have formed a strategic partnership to make Vaani, India's largest open source multilingual dataset, more accessible to developers worldwide. This collaboration builds upon Project Vaani's initial launch in 2022 with Google, which aims to create a comprehensive dataset representing India's vast linguistic landscape. Project overview: The Vaani dataset represents a groundbreaking effort to capture India's linguistic diversity through a geo-centric approach that includes remote dialects and languages often overlooked in mainstream datasets. The project targets collecting over 150,000 hours of speech and 15,000 hours of transcribed text from 1 million people...
read Feb 25, 2025Reliance to build northeast India’s largest AI data center
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), India's largest private sector company, has been steadily expanding its technological footprint across India's northeastern states. The company's latest focus on Assam marks a significant shift in bringing advanced digital infrastructure to this historically underserved region. Major investment announcement: RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani has committed Rs 50,000 crore (approximately $6 billion USD) in investments to Assam over the next five years, substantially increasing the company's previous Rs 12,000 crore investment in the state. The centerpiece of this investment will be an AI-ready data center, designed to support various sectors including education, healthcare, and agriculture The initiative...
read Feb 25, 2025DBS Bank to cut 4,000 jobs as AI adoption accelerates
Like fintech firm Klarna in recent days, Singapore's largest bank is shedding a whopping number of employees in its adoption of AI. The banking industry is undergoing a significant transformation as financial institutions increasingly adopt AI technologies to streamline operations. DBS, Singapore's biggest bank, is at the forefront of this shift, having invested in AI development for over a decade with more than 800 AI models currently in use. Major workforce changes ahead: DBS Bank plans to reduce its workforce by 4,000 positions over the next three years as AI technology assumes more responsibilities traditionally handled by human workers. The...
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