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Aug 19
Baidu's AI cloud engine accelerates as advertising drag deepens

Baidu's second-quarter 2026 results confirm a business in the midst of a wrenching handover: an AI-powered core that is scaling faster than almost any other line item at the company, while the total revenue base is still shrinking. Group revenue fell 4% year-on-year to CNY31.3 billion (US$4.63 billion), the fifth straight quarter of annual decline, even as Baidu's AI-powered businesses grew 25% and accounted for half of Baidu General Business revenue for the second consecutive quarter, exceeding legacy-business revenue.

Taiwan's government expects central tax revenue to reach NT$3.522 trillion in 2027, up 42% from the 2026 budget estimate, driven by continued growth in AI-related manufacturing and investment. The forecast, released by the Ministry of Finance, reflects rising revenue from a stronger industrial base, robust capital spending and increased market activity tied to the island's role in global AI hardware production.
Two days after visiting LG Electronics' robotics hub in Seoul, Nvidia executive Madison Huang was in Beijing on August 20 for the 2026 World Robot Conference (WRC), highlighting the increasingly visible role she is playing in Nvidia's physical AI and robotics partnerships across Asia.

Unitree Robotics' August 19 listing on China's STAR Market brought the humanoid robot maker into the public-market spotlight, but attention quickly spread beyond its share price. The company's listing reception that evening drew investors, technology figures and venture capital executives, reflecting how Unitree has accumulated interest across technology, capital markets and the broader public.

Industrial computer (IPC) maker Nexcom International on August 19 officially unveiled its RoboWIZ AI Robotics Open Platform concept at the 2026 Automation Taipei exhibition, bringing together Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Compal Electronics, German technology partner Synapticon, and dozens of key component partners from Taiwan and overseas to pursue commercialization opportunities in artificial intelligence (AI) robotics.
AI data center expansion and rising demand for enterprise network upgrades continue to lift the network equipment market, giving several vendors better order visibility. But surging prices for key components such as memory and PCBs, along with hyperscalers drawing heavily on supply-chain resources, are squeezing parts availability for other electronics and adding another layer of uncertainty to second-half operations.
Qualcomm is moving into the entry-level PC market with its Snapdragon C platform as Apple's US$599 MacBook Neo and surging DRAM and NAND costs squeeze low-priced Windows laptops from both ends. The chipmaker is aiming to give PC brands a lower-cost alternative and help them defend a segment that has become increasingly hard to profit from.

Delta Electronics outlined a broader AI strategy at the Taipei International Industrial Automation Exhibition on August 19, unveiling robotics and smart manufacturing applications designed to speed deployment across machinery, electronics, and semiconductors. The Taiwan-based industrial technology company also introduced its first Embodied AI Dual-Arm Robot Platform as it sharpened its focus on factory automation and production autonomy.

OpenAI told employees it could go public in 2027, though an earlier listing remains possible if operating conditions improve. According to CNBC, the company framed an initial public offering as another funding round, not an endpoint, and said its US$122 billion capital raise in March gave it flexibility on timing.

Unitree Robotics' August 19 debut on Shanghai's STAR Market did more than crown China's first mainland-listed humanoid robot maker. It marked a shift in the industry from competition between robot brands to a harder contest over supply-chain cost, AI capability, and mass production.

LG acquires Mexico TV parts plant to cut production costs
Aug 20, 11:04
LG Electronics has acquired a local TV parts factory in Mexico. The move strengthens cost competitiveness and tightens control over its supply chain at one of its key North American production bases. It also gives the company an existing manufacturing facility and inventory already suited to its TV operations, bringing production of selected components closer to final assembly.

Intelligent Asia 2026 opened on August 19 at TaiNEX 1 and TaiNEX 2 in Taipei, with industry and government speakers repeatedly returning to one theme: Taiwan should use its manufacturing depth to anchor more production locally while connecting domestic suppliers more closely with global markets.