Daren Tang, director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization. (Keystone via AP)
Artificial intelligence

China leads in generative AI patent applications, U.N. agency says

U.S. a distant second by this yardstick but No. 1 by some others

4 July 2024
Thailand's Lanta supercomputer has been deployed to develop the country's native-language generative AI project. (Thailand's National Science and Technology Development Agency)
Artificial intelligence

Thailand's homegrown AI project aims to resist U.S. tech giants

Open ThaiGPT, using the native language, intended to avert foreign control of market

3 July 2024
South Korea's SK Group is betting big on artificial intelligence. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Reuters) 
Artificial intelligence

SK Group aims to secure $56bn by 2026 to invest in AI and chips

Tech giant bets on AI value chains as competition with Samsung heats up

1 July 2024
Supporters of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi wear masks at a March campaign rally in Meerut, India. Modi's party used AI to translate and stream campaign speeches into multiple local languages.
Artificial intelligence

From Indonesia to India to U.S., AI creeps into elections

Avatars and interpreters help candidates connect with voters, but deepfakes pose risk

1 July 2024
Electric vehicle maker BYD is opening a new factory in Thailand as Chinese EV producers face the prospect of stiff EU tariffs.
Your Week in Asia

Tokyo picks next governor, Shanghai AI conference, BYD opens Thai factory

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

30 June 2024
Japanese self-driving startup Turing is developing its own AI chips as no existing options meet its needs. (Source photos by Rie Ishii and Turing)
Semiconductors

Japan's auto industry has an AI chip problem, says self-driving startup

Turing's chip chief cites high prices and heavy reliance on overseas tech

28 June 2024
AI-related power demand has fueled Hitachi's grid business. (Hitachi)
Companies

Hitachi tops Sony in market cap, lifted by AI stock fervor

Company's grid business cashes in on power demand from data centers

28 June 2024
Donald Trump, right, began the U.S. push to decouple from China, while Joe Biden pursues a policy of "derisking." (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images and AP)
U.S. elections 2024

Biden-Trump debate: Where they stand on AI, TikTok and chips

Both agree on need to outcompete China in tech, but differ on means

26 June 2024
Investors in Mantra include Shueisha, the publisher behind "Dragon Ball" and "Jujutsu Kaisen," as well as other big publishers like Shogakukan and Square Enix. (Photo by Annu Nishioka)
Media & Entertainment

Japan's top manga publishers invest $4.9m in AI translation startup

Mantra to hone quality with backing from Shueisha, Kadokawa and more

26 June 2024
SoftBank Group President and Chairman Masayoshi Son is set to explain further details of the AI medical data joint venture this week. (Photo from SoftBank homepage)
Artificial intelligence

SoftBank Group to launch AI service analyzing medical data

Tech group to team up with U.S. health care company on Japan-based venture

25 June 2024
U.S. President Joe Biden, center, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, fourth from left, and other officials attend a panel on artificial intelligence in San Francisco in 2023.
Artificial intelligence

U.S. proposes targeted restrictions for AI, tech investment in China

Rules aimed at stopping know-how from helping Beijing dominate global markets

22 June 2024
KDDI said in June that it will help turn Sharp's LCD panel factory in Sakai, Osaka prefecture, into a data center for artificial intelligence. (Source photos by Kyodo)
Business Spotlight

The AI scramble: Why SoftBank, KDDI and others are racing for Sharp's LCD factory

As Japan aspires to be a major player in AI it is desperate for data centers

21 June 2024
Stream article image
#techAsia

Can TSMC bring a new shape to AI?

The inside story on the Asia tech trends that matter, from Nikkei Asia and the Financial Times

20 June 2024
Big semiconductor makers are exploring new methods of chip packaging to place more chipset on each piece of substrate. (Photo by Cheng Ting-Fang)
Semiconductors

TSMC explores radical new chip packaging approach to feed AI boom

Rectangular substrates to unlock more power are also being tested by Intel and Samsung

20 June 2024
U.S. memory chip maker Micron is looking to rapidly expand its presence in the market for HBM chips.
Supply Chain

Micron plans HBM expansion in U.S. and mulls production in Malaysia

Memory chip maker is chasing South Korean rivals SK Hynix and Samsung

19 June 2024
Japan is looking to encourage AI-related investment to shore up its own relatives weaknesses in that area. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Konosuke Urata) 
Artificial intelligence

Japan goes light on AI regulation to court investment

How business-friendly can Tokyo be as public concerns rise?

19 June 2024
Nvidia, known for its graphics chips used in data centers for AI, is now the most valuable public company in the world.
Semiconductors

Nvidia eclipses Microsoft as world's most valuable company

AI chip firm's market cap reaches over $3.3tn as its shares rally

19 June 2024
The new servers from Hewlett Packard Enterprise will feature Nvidia's new H200 graphics processor. (Hewlett Packard Enterprise)
Artificial intelligence

HPE to supply $200m in Nvidia-powered servers for Japan AI supercomputer

Upgrade will help develop models for generative artificial intelligence, CEO says

19 June 2024
The operating rate has returned to 100% at Kioxia's Yokkaichi plant as the memory chip market recovers. (Photo by Nikkei)
17 June 2024
Apple's Vision Pro goes on sale in Japan on June 28.
Interview

Apple leans on Japan partners to promote Vision Pro: lead developer

Canon 3D lens and new apps will help widen headset's appeal, says Mike Rockwell

15 June 2024
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the summit host, invited the pope and other heads of state and government in an effort to show the G7 was not an aloof, exclusive club.
International relations

G7 warns China on 'unfair practices' but says it won't thwart Chinese growth

Summit statement also warns of further action against Russia over Ukraine invasion

15 June 2024
Japan faces a shortage of 100,000 chip professionals, according to an industry group. (Photo by Pierre Jayet)
Semiconductors

Japan to send 200 engineers to U.S. for AI chip training at Tenstorrent

Rapidus-led group seeks to revive semiconductor industry with new talent

15 June 2024
Sakana AI's anticipated funding round would value the startup at over $1 billion, achieving the fastest jump to unicorn status by a Japanese company. (Nikkei montage)
Artificial intelligence

Japan's Sakana AI by Google alums to become unicorn in under a year

Startup with evolution-inspired development model set to raise $125m this month

15 June 2024
A presentation at the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence's annual conference shows how AI can be integrated into robots. (Photo by Wataru Suzuki)
Artificial intelligence

Chinese AI academy vows startup support to take on U.S. rivals

Institute's dean aims to relieve 'pain points' like lack of computing power

14 June 2024
Industrial cooling fans thermally regulate a CryptoUniverse data center in Nadvoitsy, Russia. Coolling systems account for around 40% of electricity use in data centers. 
Editor-in-Chief’s Picks

Letter from Nikkei Asia's editor: AI's looming climate cost

Shin Nakayama shares his weekly reflections and recommendations

14 June 2024