Breaking the inference barrier requires a rethink of the whole system architecture, not just faster compute. This was the key takeaway from a recent panel discussion at SuperAI Singapore, which brought chip makers and an AI model accelerator together to address how to overcome inference bottlenecks at a time when compute workloads are hitting up against physical limits

China's export controls on the key semiconductor material indium phosphide (InP), imposed since February 2025, are threatening global AI data-center buildouts and squeezing the optical supply chain across the US and Taiwan. The restrictions have triggered shortages and delayed export licenses, while sending prices soaring for a material with no substitute in photonics. InP is a core material for high-speed optical chips and is irreplaceable in photonics technologies that transmit signals over fiber, making it a potent "materials choke point" weapon in Beijing's US-China trade war

Robotics has progressed rapidly in the past few years, but major obstacles — including data collection and trust infrastructure — remain barriers to widespread deployment. This was the takeaway from a recent panel of robotics experts at SuperAI Singapore, where they discussed the present and future of the industry

Taiwan's drone supply chain is notching fresh wins, with downstream players such as Thunder Tiger and Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) continuing to secure orders while upstream suppliers, especially chipmakers, are quietly expanding their deployments and market share. For military and commercial drones in particular, Taiwanese chip vendors are now working closely with local customers as well as customers in Europe and the US to integrate a range of on-board image-processing and AI recognition modules, plus applications such as flight control and ground control stations

Amkor Technology Korea is considering investing about KRW1 trillion (approx. US$650 million) to expand its chip packaging and testing facilities in the South Korean city of Gwangju, according to Korean media reports and city officials. The company has not officially announced the plan

China's tighter scrutiny of foreign capital is forcing more companies to unwind red-chip structures, the offshore ownership model that powered a decade of overseas listings by Chinese technology groups

Meta and Reliance Industries are expanding their partnership with plans for an AI-enabled data center in India. The move could strengthen digital infrastructure for one of the world's fastest-growing internet markets. The agreement also includes major clean energy contracts, highlighting how global tech investment is increasingly tied to power, water, and sustainability