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Jun 18
SpaceX acquires Cursor to bolster xAI and court AI developers

SpaceX has agreed to acquire AI coding tool developer Cursor for US$60 billion, in a deal that underscores how competition in the AI industry is extending beyond foundation models into the application layer and developer ecosystems. The purchase gives SpaceX direct access to enterprise customers, developer communities, and high-value code data instead of rebuilding a product from scratch. Markets see it as a key addition to Elon Musk's AI strategy.

AI-driven memory price spikes are presenting a challenge for Samsung's smartphone business, with rising component prices eroding the affordability of its budget phones. At the same time, Samsung is seeking to use its new AI features to encourage new device purchases as memory prices dampen smartphone sales globally.

Japanese bathroom fixture maker Toto is deepening its commitment to the semiconductor industry, unveiling plans to invest JPY80 billion (approx. US$495.3 million) over the next five years to expand production of advanced ceramic materials used in chip manufacturing. According to a Nikkei Asia report, the company aims to support future-generation semiconductor processes in the 1nm range, extending a business that has become a major profit driver amid the AI boom.

Among the highlights of COMPUTEX 2026 was a color-changing e-paper concept car jointly developed by BMW and E Ink Holdings. With its surreal, sci-fi appearance, the vehicle drew the attention of tech enthusiasts in droves.

China has announced restrictions on government procurement of products made by 46 US companies, a move that could affect cross-border business ties and supply chains, with implications beyond China and the United States. The measure applies to public purchasing activities and excludes US-invested firms operating in China, according to the notice.

Intel and AMD have jointly introduced AI Compute Extensions (ACE), a new x86 instruction set specification designed to accelerate AI workloads on CPUs, marking one of the clearest signs yet that the x86 ecosystem is mounting a coordinated response to the rise of Arm-based processors in AI computing.

Microsoft is reportedly considering introducing a fine-tuned version of the Chinese open-source model DeepSeek V4 into its enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) tool Copilot Cowork, as a lower-cost alternative to models from OpenAI and Anthropic. According to a report by Axios, the company is expected to finalize and announce its decision in the coming weeks.

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from the week of June 15-21, 2026:
China's Huawei Technologies is deepening its presence in Vietnam through a series of partnerships spanning digital energy, artificial intelligence (AI), telecommunications infrastructure, and industrial digitalization, highlighting the company's growing role in the country's modernization efforts.

According to an announcement published by China's Ministry of Commerce on June 22, China has added 10 US entities to its export control list, prohibiting the export of dual-use items to these companies and banning any organization or individual from transferring China-origin dual-use items to them.

India is accelerating its electronics manufacturing ambitions through AI infrastructure, semiconductor packaging, rare earth development, and foreign investment, even as regulatory compliance, traceability, and supply chain resilience remain key challenges.

Agentic AI is entering the financial sector, and a future where agents make purchases and manage wealth on people's behalf is appearing on the horizon – but is the financial system ready for this?