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A US Postal Service employee sorts mail at a processing and distribution centre in Los Angeles. Photo: AFP
E-commerce

China’s online sellers mull price hikes to offset US tariffs

Chinese merchants face fresh challenges after new US tariffs and a suspension of postal package deliveries from China to the US.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial Einstein: ByteDance’s viral AI video model brings photos to life

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Artificial intelligence

What’s next for DeepSeek? AI start-up stays mum amid post-holiday plaudits

Alibaba

Alibaba’s updated Qwen AI model overtakes DeepSeek’s V3 in chatbot ranking

Alibaba Cloud’s Qwen2.5-Max comes in seventh on Chatbot Arena, beating out DeepSeek-V3 in ninth place, but trailing DeepSeek-R1 in third.

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Alibaba put out Qwen2.5-Max during the Lunar New Year holiday, pitting its performance against the popular DeepSeek-V3 AI model. Photo: Reuters
Alibaba put out Qwen2.5-Max during the Lunar New Year holiday, pitting its performance against the popular DeepSeek-V3 AI model. Photo: Reuters
Artificial intelligence

Lights, camera, no AI action: Hollywood hesitates on OpenAI’s Sora video tool

OpenAI has spent months talking to the industry’s largest studios such as Disney and Warner Bros but faces a hard sell after 2023 labour strikes.

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Artificial intelligence

Google removes language on weapons from public AI principles

Removing the ‘harm’ clause may have implications for the type of work Google will pursue, said a former Google AI researcher.

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DeepSeek

China’s chip firms embrace DeepSeek in AI self-sufficiency drive

From Moore Threads to Iluvatar Corex, China’s leading chip designers are rushing to adopt DeepSeek’s latest models.

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Moore Threads CEO Zhang Jianzhong. The chip designing company says it will open its KUAE platform to support the distribution of DeepSeek’s V3 and R1 models. Photo: Handout
Moore Threads CEO Zhang Jianzhong. The chip designing company says it will open its KUAE platform to support the distribution of DeepSeek’s V3 and R1 models. Photo: Handout
DeepSeek

Is DeepSeek’s AI that efficient? Chinese firm’s computing power in the spotlight

Big spending on GPUs from the hedge fund that spawned DeepSeek has some casting doubt on the company’s true expenditures while acknowledging innovation.

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US-China tech war

China launches antitrust probe into Google after Trump tariffs

The State Administration for Market Regulation initiated the investigation into the internet search giant after the US imposed 10 per cent tariffs.

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Artificial intelligence

Alphabet faces scrutiny on AI spending as Google cloud growth slows

Alphabet’s capital expenditure is estimated to have been US$50 billion for last year, with more planned for 2025.

The Google logo, a keyboard, and robot hands are seen in this illustration taken January 27, 2025. Photo: Reuters
DeepSeek

World’s top AI brains debate if DeepSeek’s model is a game changer

Experts weigh in on how quickly China is catching up on the US in AI, as DeepSeek takes an open-source approach.

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DeepSeek has been making waves in the global AI community. Photo: Reuters
DeepSeek has been making waves in the global AI community. Photo: Reuters
DeepSeek

Alibaba offers DeepSeek on cloud service after Microsoft, Amazon and Huawei

Alibaba Cloud users can log into its PAI Model Gallery, where DeepSeek’s latest models and ‘distilled’ versions of these products are found.

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Artificial intelligence

SoftBank, OpenAI tie up to develop AI for Japan as DeepSeek rises

SoftBank Group companies will spend US$3 billion a year on OpenAI’s tools, despite the arrival of cheaper products from China’s DeepSeek.

Semiconductors

TSMC shares in focus on return from holiday after DeepSeek jolt

The US-listed shares of TSMC fell 13 per cent last Monday on the DeepSeek news before recouping some of the losses later in the week.

The TSMC logo seen on its building in Tainan, Taiwan December 29, 2022. Photo: Reuters
DeepSeek

DeepSeek AI models debut on platform powered by Huawei

Huawei’s cloud unit teamed up with Beijing-based AI infrastructure start-up SiliconFlow to make the models available to end users.

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The Deepseek logo is seen in an illustration taken on January 29, 2025. Photo: Reuters
The Deepseek logo is seen in an illustration taken on January 29, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Alibaba

Alibaba named most admired Chinese internet company by Fortune

The e-commerce giant trails only Amazon and Alphabet in the internet service and retailing category.

TikTok

How Trump 2.0’s embrace of TikTok has given the app a new lease on life in US

Trump’s new-found love for TikTok, born out of his popularity on the Chinese app, has opened a path for a new deal with ByteDance despite legal hurdles.

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Digital currencies

Tencent-backed WeBank eyes Web3 expansion in Hong Kong

WeBank chief information officer Henry Ma said the virtual bank will be “deeply involved” in developing Hong Kong’s Web3 infrastructure.

WeBank’s headquarters in Shenzhen. Photo: Handout
WeBank’s headquarters in Shenzhen. Photo: Handout
DeepSeek

OpenAI says DeepSeek stole its AI data, but how common is ‘distillation’?

Experts say AI model distillation is likely widespread and hard to detect, but DeepSeek has not admitted to using it on its full models.

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Meta Platforms

Meta sends mixed signals as quarterly sales beat estimates but outlook muted

Meta shares were flat after the market closed but rose, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke optimistically about firm's AI initiatives.

Microsoft

Microsoft cloud growth constrained by shortage of data centres

The company's Azure cloud division will grow at up to 32 per cent in its third quarter, not much faster than during the last three months of 2024

Microsoft signage at its corporate offices in Mountain View, California. Photo: EPA-EFE
Artificial intelligence

Lunar New Year travellers try to outsmart algorithms for cheaper fares

Concerns of algorithm abuse, such as unfair pricing targeting different demographics, have prompted users to try creative solutions.

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Crowds at Shanghai’s Hongqiao railway station during the Lunar New Year travel rush. Photo: Reuters
Crowds at Shanghai’s Hongqiao railway station during the Lunar New Year travel rush. Photo: Reuters
Artificial intelligence

Alibaba springs a Lunar New Year surprise on DeepSeek, global AI market

Alibaba touts that its new Qwen 2.5-Max AI model had ‘comprehensively outperformed’ DeepSeek-V3 in certain benchmark tests.

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Robotics

Unitree humanoid robots, backed by Alibaba tech, delight Spring Gala show

The Lunar New Year eve broadcast saw 16 H1 robots join a troupe of human dancers in a unique performance of Chinese folk dance Yangge.

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Artificial intelligence

Explainer | How start-up DeepSeek emerged as the unlikely game changer in US-China AI war

From visionary founder Liang Wenfeng to a young team of dedicated scientists, DeepSeek is taking the road less traveled in AI.

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DeepSeek’s team of young scientists is made up almost exclusively of Chinese nationals from some of the top schools in the country. Photo: Shutterstock
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Big Tech

China’s most popular AI app gets facelift with ByteDance’s Doubao 1.5

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ByteDance’s ChatGPT-like Doubao bot has emerged as the most popular AI app for Chinese consumers. Photo: Simon Song

Big Tech

Artificial Einstein: ByteDance’s viral AI video model brings photos to life

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ByteDance has rapidly become one of the leading artificial intelligence players in China. Photo: Shutterstock

Science

DeepSeek ‘is biggest shock to come out of China in 185 years’

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DeepSeek’s announcement sent shockwaves through US tech firms and stock markets. Photo: Dreamstime/TNS

Big Tech

What’s next for DeepSeek? AI start-up stays mum amid post-holiday plaudits

DeepSeek employees are staying vigilant on guarding sensitive corporate information amid the Chinese company’s rising global recognition. Photo: Shutterstock

Tech

China Future Tech webinar | How is DeepSeek shaping the race for AI supremacy?

MORE IN China Future Tech
OPINION
Brian Y. S. Wong

Opinion | DeepSeek success shouldn’t be seen as a win for China or loss for US

Brian Y. S. Wong
Bert George

Opinion | Why DeepSeek caught so many in the West by surprise

Bert George
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Nicholas Spiro

Macroscope | Why DeepSeek disruption is the China risk Wall Street can’t ignore

Nicholas Spiro
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Rachel Yu

Opinion | How AI giants can help Asian suppliers make a clean energy transition

Rachel Yu
Syed Munir Khasru

Opinion | How world can ensure AI revolution doesn’t worsen inequality

Syed Munir Khasru
Abhishek Sharma

Opinion | Why export controls are the weapon of choice in US-China tech war

Abhishek Sharma
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