Tech & AI News
AI deals and funding, how people are making money with AI tools, new model launches, everyday AI use, and what's happening in Chinese AI.
China’s ByteDance discovers new scaling law that could sustain AI boom
Researchers at TikTok parent ByteDance have discovered a new scaling law governing how fast artificial intelligence agents can improve by performing real-world tasks, a finding that could help prolong the AI boom just as traditional development methods hit a wall. In a research p…
By Smaran · Jul 3, 2026SCMP TechAlibaba bans staff from using Claude Code over Anthropic spyware concerns
Alibaba Group Holding has banned its employees from using Anthropic’s Claude Code for work, citing security risks related to the US artificial intelligence firm’s previous use of hidden code to track Chinese users – a move that has sparked widespread backlash in recent days. “As…
By Smaran · Jul 3, 2026SCMP TechAlibaba’s Elements Claw AI agent unearths 4 new superconductors
Alibaba Group Holding’s Damo Academy has unveiled what it calls the industry’s first artificial intelligence agent for discovering superconducting materials, saying that the tool has already found four previously unknown compounds that were later verified in laboratory experiment…
By Smaran · Jul 3, 2026SCMP TechUnitree IPO to test valuations as venture capital floods China robotics
Unitree Robotics has secured approval from China’s securities regulator for a Shanghai initial public offering that is poised to set a valuation benchmark for China’s sizzling embodied AI sector. The nod from the China Securities Regulatory Commission came about a month after the…
By Smaran · Jul 3, 2026SCMP TechAI computing stock panic over Meta cloud rumour ‘erroneous’, analysts say
A panic over excess computing capacity for artificial intelligence was “erroneous”, according to a report by research firm SemiAnalysis, after a global sell-off erased billions of dollars in value from semiconductor stocks on Thursday. Spooked investors interpreted a potential pi…
By Smaran · Jul 3, 2026SCMP TechKuaishou files US$3 billion Kling AI funding round to Hong Kong stock exchange
Chinese short video giant Kuaishou said on Thursday evening that its artificial intelligence video arm, Kling AI, was seeking to raise around US$3 billion in its first external fundraising round, according to a filing to Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing. The funding round, first…
By Smaran · Jul 3, 2026TechCrunchMark Zuckerberg tells staff that AI agents haven’t progressed as quickly as he’d hoped
At an internal meeting, the Meta CEO reportedly said that AI development efforts were not moving as quickly as anticipated.
By Smaran · Jul 2, 2026TechCrunchJersey Mike’s IPO illustrates how bad the AI hype has become
Just for kicks, I took a look at Jersey Mike's IPO documents. Surely a sandwich shop would have no need to mention AI. But lo and behold.
By Smaran · Jul 2, 2026TechCrunchMeta quietly launches vibe-coded gaming app Pocket
Meta has quietly launched Pocket, an experimental AI app that lets users generate and share interactive mini games using text prompts.
By Smaran · Jul 2, 2026TechCrunchAnthropic is discussing a new custom chip with Samsung
The news comes about a week after OpenAI announced its own custom AI chip in a partnership with Broadcom.
By Smaran · Jul 2, 2026TechCrunchMicrosoft launches its own AI deployment company with $2.5 billion commitment
Microsoft follows Amazon, OpenAI, and Anthropic with its new AI deployment group.
By Smaran · Jul 2, 2026TechCrunchYep, we’re using OpenClaw to date now
Ben Guez has "a bunch of potential international wives in [his] DMs," thanks to an automated script he set up using OpenClaw, Claude code, and Instagram trials.
By Smaran · Jul 2, 2026SCMP TechZhipu AI releases harness for GLM-5.2 model as Chinese firm takes aim at Anthropic
Zhipu AI has launched a new tool to help developers build autonomous coding assistants, heating up its rivalry with US firm Anthropic as the latter removes a hidden code tracking Chinese users of its Claude Code platform. Beijing-based Zhipu, known as Z.ai overseas and listed in…
By Smaran · Jul 2, 2026SCMP TechInside CXMT’s US$4.3b IPO: soaring profits meet US export threat and high-stakes HBM race
As China’s leading DRAM maker ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) prepares for its expected 29.5 billion yuan (US$4.3 billion) Shanghai Star Market listing, the critical question facing investors is whether the firm can convert its cyclical windfall into permanent industry leader…
By Smaran · Jul 2, 2026SCMP TechShanghai unveils quantum computing hub as China races for tech supremacy
Shanghai is stepping up its push into quantum computing by launching a dedicated industrial hub in the city, bringing together a group of companies to accelerate the development of the emerging technology and compete with other Chinese cities that have established quantum industr…
By Smaran · Jul 2, 2026SCMP TechChina’s AI-defined vehicles make smart motoring human-centred
How does an electric vehicle (EV) stand out in China’s ultra-competitive market when batteries, behaviours and functions are so similar? Through its intelligence: how well is this robot on wheels going to get to know you, adapt to your habits and moods and anticipate your needs?…
By Smaran · Jul 2, 2026SCMP TechPDD embraces China’s ‘city of the future’ after bruising regulatory clash and record fine
The operator of budget online marketplaces Temu and Pinduoduo is ramping up its commitment in a state-backed development zone – dubbed a “city of the future” in official discourse – months after the e-commerce group was hit by the heaviest penalty in a record food-safety crackdow…
By Smaran · Jul 2, 2026SCMP TechWill share buy-backs help Chinese big tech companies rescue battered valuations?
Chinese tech giants including Tencent Holdings, Alibaba Group Holding, Meituan, and Xiaomi have launched aggressive share buy-back programmes to revive investor confidence amid continuing scepticism towards the sector, while analysts suggest that a bottoming out could soon be in…
By Smaran · Jul 2, 2026