Global memory markets are expected to remain tight through 2026 as aggressive spending by cloud service providers (CSPs) on AI infrastructure continues to outstrip supply growth for both DRAM and NAND flash, pushing prices higher, according to industry estimates.

The PCB industry is making large upgrades. The largest beneficiaries of the AI boom are IC substrate makers that are part of the advanced chip packaging supply chain, such as Unimicron and Kinsus, which have gradually emerged from the oversupply bottleneck caused by large-scale post-pandemic capacity expansion. The surge in orders has spread to multiple networking and server PCB manufacturers, including Gold Circuit Electronics (CGE), Allied Circuit Co. (ACCL), and First Hi-tec, driving double-digit year-over-year growth in Taiwan’s PCB manufacturing output value in 2025.

Meta announced on December 30, 2025, that it had acquired Butterfly Effect, the company behind the AI application, Manus. Compared to nearly two years ago, when ByteDance attempted to acquire Manus for US$30 million but was rejected, Meta has now brought Manus into its fold at a price that has reportedly surpassed several billion dollars.

As AI moves from labs to everyday applications, 2025 is emerging as the year AI Agents begin transforming human interaction with technology, shifting from simple assistants to autonomous executors of complex tasks. Google DeepMind’s recent research offers a fresh perspective on how true Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) might develop—not as a single dominant AI, but through a decentralized network of specialized Agents working together.