OpenAI said its first custom inference chip, Jalapeño, delivered faster responses and better power efficiency than competing systems in tests across several large language models. The findings could matter for global users, as cheaper, lower-latency AI infrastructure may help expand access, improve reliability, and support more capable agents worldwide.

Apple unveiled new Mac mini and Mac Studio desktops on August 25 in what Reuters called "likely the final product launch of Tim Cook's tenure as CEO." The machines read less like a farewell than like a handover note. Cook becomes executive chairman on September 1, when John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering, becomes chief executive under a succession Apple announced in April.

Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs outlined four strategies to scale up the island's biotech industry at a strategy meeting under the Executive Yuan on August 24. The plan centered on artificial intelligence integration, stronger critical-drug supply chains, broader clinical validation, and deeper global market ties.

As robotaxi services expand beyond individual cities into wider regions, the growing appeal of AI-assisted driving and the technological vision that AV developers are eager to realize have raised industry expectations for the economic viability of full autonomy.

The surprising convergence at the intersection of two fundamental applications of embodied AI — EVs and robotics — has given rise to an intensifying trend across both sectors. The supply chain is witnessing a major power imbalance unfold, alongside increasingly blurred lines in product lifecycles and, ultimately, an economic restructuring of broader supply-chain dynamics.

India is emerging as a new battleground for South Korea's two electronics giants, with Samsung Electronics using the country as a production and supply-chain base for AI data center cooling equipment and LG Electronics investing hundreds of billions of won to build a third home appliance plant. But whether India's fast growth and huge population will translate into real earnings remains the biggest test.

The Chinese National Federation of Industries (CNFI), an industrial association representing the majority of manufacturing businesses in Taiwan, has released its 2026 white paper, putting forward seven proposals aimed at building a resilient national economic security line amid the current trade and economic climate. In response, the National Development Council (NDC) said the white paper's core demands closely align with the government's current policy direction.

Anthropic confirmed on August 5 that it is building an internal silicon team to design custom chips for its Claude models, signaling a sharper push into self-developed AI hardware. The move is set to influence the company's compute procurement plans and could reshape order shares among ASIC vendors.

Luxshare Precision posted a 40.16% rise in first-half 2026 revenue as rapid growth in automotive electronics, communications and data-centre products reduced its reliance on consumer electronics.

The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games put China's rapid advances in robotics on full display — but beyond the record-breaking sprints and human-robot sports demonstrations, the event raised a tougher question for the industry: can humanoid robots move past the highlight reel and become reliable, economically viable workers?

Global demand for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) has lifted investment returns for Taiwan-listed companies in China, with Foxconn continuing to lead the pack. According to CRIF, Foxconn's total China investment returns in the first half of 2026 reached NT$117.6 billion (US$3.7 billion).