Alphabet Inc. has executed a financial maneuver that fundamentally alters the landscape of the AI arms race.

Facing challenges from soaring memory prices, inflation, and geopolitical risks, the global smartphone demand is widely expected to decline by 2-3% in 2026. However, Samsung Electronics, as one of the world's largest memory suppliers, holds an advantage this year in securing mobile memory supply and controlling costs compared to competitors.

Power semiconductor maker Panjit International is positioning itself to capitalize on the booming demand from AI data centers, targeting fast growth in AI, cooling, and power supply markets. The company expects shipments of its hot-swap products to surge in 2026, with AI-related products accounting for up to 15% of sales this year. Currently, Panjit has secured design wins with two major cloud service providers (CSPs), and is seeking to win orders from additional customers while laying out plans for next-generation hot-swap technology.

South Korean IoT startup NUCODE is leveraging ultra-low-power communication technology to streamline hardware development and bridge the gap between prototyping and mass production. The company, which has already drawn interest from industry leaders Nordic Semiconductor and Infineon Technologies, is now pivoting toward Taiwan's semiconductor ecosystem with a strategic focus on Realtek as its primary partner.

Anthropic's quiet move to secure massive computing capacity marks a strategic escalation that could reshape competition among leading AI labs, intensifying pressure on rivals such as OpenAI and raising the stakes in the global race to control AI infrastructure.

Asustek Computer Inc. reported group revenue of NT$67.936 billion (US$2.15 billion) for January 2026, a 2.55% decline from December 2025 but a 79.97% increase year over year.

PCB giant Zhen Ding Technology (ZDT) reported that despite the traditional consumer electronics off-season in the first quarter of 2026, strong demand for advanced AI products propelled server, optical communication, and IC substrate sales to grow over 60% year-over-year. This surge set new monthly records and pushed January revenue to an all-time high.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang reportedly hosted a "fried chicken and beer" meeting in Silicon Valley on February 5, 2026, with SK Group chairman Tony Choi, according to industry sources cited by Yonhap News Agency and The Hankyung. The informal dinner in Santa Clara took place at the restaurant "99 Chicken" and followed a similar high-profile gathering Huang held in Seoul in October 2025 with Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Eui-sun.

Alphabet is tapping global debt markets at an unprecedented scale to bankroll its aggressive AI expansion, signaling how far Big Tech is willing to go to secure computing power, data centers, and cutting-edge chips.

Notebook ODMs reported mixed January 2026 shipment results, with Quanta declining year-over-year while Wistron and Inventec showed growth. The industry expects a first quarter seasonal decline and overall 2026 shipments to face challenges due to memory shortages and price hikes.