OpenAI has acquired medical technology startup Torch to enhance its AI capabilities in healthcare, following the recent launch of its ChatGPT Health platform. Torch's founders, including CEO Ilya Abyzov, announced on the social media platform X that they will join OpenAI as part of the acquisition. The terms of the deal have not been officially disclosed, though reports vary on the purchase price.
The rapid evolution of robots with stable gait and agile manipulation—spotlighted at CES 2026—signals that robots integrated into daily life are moving from vision to reality. Seizing this momentum, Taiwan is launching a national, mission-driven initiative to accelerate smart robot research, industry development, and talent cultivation.
At CES 2026, physical AI emerged as a central theme as real-world deployments gathered pace. Industry discussions shifted away from isolated performance metrics toward system-level and infrastructure requirements. Compared with the earlier focus on GPU specifications and process nodes, attention turned to power supply, cooling capacity, and how infrastructure constraints shape compute expansion.
Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) announced on January 14 that the 2026 Taiwan Foxconn Ladies Golf Tournament, which it sponsors, has officially been elevated to a main tour event on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) tour. Japan's SoftBank Group is also participating as a sponsor for the first time, highlighting that the collaboration between the two companies extends beyond AI and robotics into brand and corporate culture integration.
Samsung Electronics is projecting a "positive and bright" business outlook for India in 2026, citing improving consumer sentiment and stronger spending momentum, according to JB Park, president and CEO of Samsung Southwest Asia. Speaking on the sidelines of CES 2026, Park said the company plans to expand its artificial intelligence ecosystem across appliances, mobile devices, and other premium consumer electronics in the country.
At CES 2026, Samsung Electronics revealed the R95H, the world's first 130-inch Micro RGB TV, highlighting its integration of AI in R&D, product development, and user experience. The 130-inch Micro RGB TV uses micron-scale red, green, and blue LEDs as independent light sources and features the Micro RGB AI Engine Pro for color control. It incorporates a narrow bezel design to reduce visual distractions and integrates Vision AI Companion (VAC) technology, enabling cross-device operations such as sending information to The Freestyle's new devices or kitchen appliances.
Dan Cui, head of US business development at Jorjin Technology, stated that as a designer and system integrator for various augmented reality (AR) devices, the company must continuously seek new technologies, components, and suitable partners to build systems and products that best meet the needs of the company, its clients, and end users. Jorjin's Innovix products, featuring 100% active silicon batteries with very high energy density, are particularly suited for boosting device power, especially for always-on AI devices.
Despite AR devices and smart glasses moving towards more specialized and precise vertical applications, Chinese startup Llvision is moving in a different direction. CEO Fei Wu said that the future of smart glasses is not tied to all-in-one functionality, but rather depends on accurately addressing users' specific needs. He expects that as technology matures, smart glasses could gradually replace smartphones within the next five years, becoming the primary interface for human-AI interaction.
Apple Inc.'s service division continued to break records through 2025, with strong performance from the App Store, Apple Pay, Apple Music, and Apple TV supporting the company's expanding revenue base, according to statements from the company and TechCrunch reports.
The Taiwanese government has launched a cross-ministerial initiative to advance its "Ten Major AI Infrastructure Projects," focusing on smart applications, critical technologies, and digital infrastructure.
Generative AI is reshaping TSMC's customer structure. While Apple remains TSMC's largest single customer by revenue share, the rapid growth of high-performance computing (HPC) businesses led by Nvidia, AMD, and hyperscale data centers is gradually diluting Apple's influence. Smartphones accounted for 49% of TSMC's revenue in the first quarter of 2020, while HPC contributed 30%. By the third quarter of 2025, HPC's revenue share had surged to 57%, with smartphones falling to a secondary growth driver.
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