Taiwan's Commerce Ministry has added Huawei Technologies and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp to its list of entities subject to export controls, citing strategic high-tech commodities. The move comes as tensions between Taiwan, China, and the US escalate. Both Huawei and SMIC have been sanctioned by the US, and are producing advanced AI chips in response to export curbs. Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC supplies Nvidia, a US-based company, highlighting the complex web of global technology trade relationships.
https://apnews.com/article/china-taiwan-huawei-smic-export-restrictions-semiconductor-6f43d0b9f34d39258ca3e3c1406d9055The United Nations has issued a warning about the rapid development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), citing concerns over its potential risks. A report emphasizes the need for global coordination to address these risks, which could lead to harmful outcomes if not addressed promptly. The UN is urging immediate international action to mitigate AGI's risks and prevent negative consequences.
https://www.ndtv.com/feature/un-sounds-alarm-on-ai-nearing-human-like-intelligence-agi-urges-action-8672009?pfrom=home-ndtv_lateststories_topstoriesImgLabelbox expects a significant surge in revenue as demand for its service triples overnight, driven by growing needs for high-quality data to train machine learning models. Scale AI, founded in 2016, is well-positioned to capitalize on this trend with its labeled training data essential for applications like generative AI, autonomous driving, and government defense.
https://www.ibtimes.sg/google-breaks-ties-scale-ai-following-metas-power-move-ai-data-war-escalates-80360Several US media outlets report that Meta and OpenAI are making significant investments in AI-infused hardware, following the failure of the AI Pin, a gadget worn like a badge that was marketed by startup Humane but discontinued due to lack of buyers. OpenAI has partnered with Apple's Ive's startup, while Google is working on mixed-reality glasses with AI smarts and Amazon is enhancing Alexa capabilities in its Echo speakers and displays. Futurum research director Olivier Blanchard envisions an AI interface that allows users to interact with AI without being connected to the internet, citing concerns about reliability, security, cost, and environmental impact. OpenAI has recently hired former Facebook executive Fidji Simo as head of applications to address the hardware question, while Google chief Sundar Pichai advocates for "ambient computing" where technology blends into the world, waiting to be called upon through spoken dialogues.
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/nation/big-tech-on-a-quest-for-ideal-ai-device/article_d803c03e-0968-5e08-b7f8-6b86ad43ca26.htmlA recent TestGorilla survey found that nearly two-thirds of hiring decision-makers use AI to generate job descriptions and screen applications. However, a smaller proportion are utilizing AI for actual interviews. According to Chamorro-Premuzic, the focus is shifting from credentials to potential, with employers prioritizing skills over traditional qualifications. He believes AI can help evaluate candidates' hard work, curiosity, and people skills, rather than just their current skills, which may become obsolete in six months.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1321301-ai-s-arrival-at-work-reshaping-employers-hunt-for-talentKorea's economy contracted by 0.2% in the first quarter due to weak domestic demand. President Lee hopes an extra budget will boost the stagnant economy, but a long-term plan is needed for sustainable growth. The new president has pledged support for creative business activity and a regulatory environment that encourages entrepreneurship, with artificial intelligence identified as a key growth driver.
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-06-16/opinion/columns/Government-support-should-focus-on-small-firms-and-lowincome-households/2330299The unglamorous world of data infrastructure has become a hot target for tech companies in the AI race. Companies like Meta, Salesforce, and ServiceNow are seeking to acquire data processing firms that build advanced AI models, with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic leading the competition. This trend is driven by the crucial role data plays in building AI, with experts stating that "data is having a zeitgeist moment right now driven by AI."
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/unglamorous-world-of-data-infrastructure-driving-hot-tech-ma-market-in-ai-race?utm_source=most-popular-businessAmazon is investing at least $20 billion in Pennsylvania to expand its data center infrastructure, building on previous investments of $10 billion in North Carolina and over $5 billion in Taiwan.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/06/16/business/foreign-business/amazon-to-invest-13b-in-australias-data-infra/2133620AMD has acquired Untether AI's team of AI hardware and software engineers, focusing on compiler and kernel development, as well as System-on-Chip (SoC) design. This move signals AMD's push into inference-specific technologies, a growing area in the industry due to declining GPU revenue from training-based applications. Justin Kinsey, president of SBT Industries, believes this acquisition proves that GPU vendors recognize the shift towards energy efficiency and inference performance over raw processing power. However, Nvidia still holds a lead in hardware efficiency and software ecosystem, with its Blackwell benchmark remaining the standard for AI workloads.
https://www.techradar.com/pro/amd-made-key-acquisitions-to-close-the-widening-gap-between-its-instinct-gpus-and-nvidias-blackwell-accelerators-but-will-it-be-enough