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Dec 24, 11:31
Taiwan's AI Basic Act passed, but poses further questions about AI regulations
The Legislative Yuan has passed the AI Basic Act in its third reading, designating the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) as the competent authority (CA). However, questions remain over how the executive branch will interpret and implement this law, how the NSTC will shoulder the heavy responsibilities of AI governance, and whether the relevant subordinate regulations should be managed by the Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) or the NSTC.
Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) is expanding its AI and infrastructure footprint by establishing a shared AI exhibition space and research and development office at Kaohsiung's Pier F on December 22, 2025. The company will also assist Kaohsiung in building Taiwan's first city-level generative sovereign AI demonstration base.
Connector maker U.D. Electronic revealed at an investor briefing on March 23, 2025, that it expects significant growth momentum in 2026, driven by the commissioning of its Vietnam manufacturing plant and the integration of Linkpower Electronics. The company highlighted that AI servers and edge computing are pushing transmission speed upgrades, with products supporting speeds above 2.5G projected to exceed 30% of sales next year.
FIC Group reported strong demand from its optical communication customers amid ongoing supply shortages. The company's new Johor Bahru, Malaysia production facility recently passed customer certification. It is slated to begin mass production in the first quarter of 2026. FIC also announced plans for continued capacity expansion at the Johor plant throughout 2026 while exploring semiconductor precision manufacturing growth opportunities.
Following the launch of its first AI glasses, Vive Eagle, HTC has continued to expand its sales channel footprint. Beyond its official rollout in Hong Kong, the company has increased physical demo locations and after-sales service points in Taiwan. HTC is also expected to hold an event in China in January 2026. If AI glasses are introduced in the country, market attention will center on local partnerships, AI function localization, as well as sales targets and go-to-market strategy.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has openly criticized the integration performance of the company's AI assistant, Copilot, especially its connection with email platforms such as Gmail and Outlook. According to PYMNTS, which cited a report by The Information, Nadella personally reviewed the product and has demanded accelerated improvements from the engineering team.
Taiwanese cable giant Ta Tun Electric Wire and Cable (TEWC) held a pre-listing performance briefing on December 23, 2025, revealing that revenue for the first 11 months of 2025 reached NT$5.99 billion (US$190.62 million), surpassing its full-year 2024 revenue and setting a new record.
The rapidly increasing electricity demand from global artificial intelligence (AI) data centers is placing significant pressure on power grids worldwide. Chinese battery, energy storage, and transformer manufacturers are well-positioned to benefit from their technological expertise, cost efficiency, and rapid delivery capabilities. As data center operators seek solutions to upgrade aging power infrastructure, the reliance on Chinese suppliers is growing sharply.
In mid-December 2025, a China-based assembler for Apple was reportedly targeted in a cyberattack, potentially compromising production-line information linked to the tech giant's operations. This situation has raised concerns among customers regarding supply stability and cybersecurity risks.
A recent report from Stanford University reveals that Chinese open-source artificial intelligence (AI) models are rapidly catching up to, and, in some cases, surpassing their US closed-source counterparts. This shift highlights changes in the global technology landscape, as Chinese models gain popularity among developers worldwide.
AI chips run too hot: Engineers race to reinvent cooling
Dec 24, 07:41
The rapid growth of generative AI and large-scale models has significantly increased power consumption in computing chips, pushing thermal management into critical focus. High-end AI accelerators now consume power at kilowatt levels, producing concentrated heat fluxes that challenge existing cooling methods, potentially limiting performance and reliability across data center systems.
Backed by South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), a new cohort of Korean startups are accelerating their push into global markets, highlighting how "digital content" now extends far beyond traditional games and films into generative AI, extended reality (XR), human-machine interface (HMI), digital healthcare, and educational technology.