Chinese AI start-up MiniMax launched MiniMax H3 on July 31, expanding its position in multimodal generative AI as competition among China’s model developers spreads beyond large language models into video, audio, and AI agents.

DIGITIMES Intelligence said its observations from the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) show that AI is rapidly reshaping the automotive industry, with smart-car competition shifting from software-defined vehicles (SDV) toward AI-defined vehicles (AIDVs), as the sector moves beyond software upgrades into a new stage driven by AI.

Memory costs have moved ahead of smartphone system-on-chip (SoC) costs, and Counterpoint Research said the shift was already reshaping handset pricing and demand. The research firm expects global smartphone SoC shipments to fall 14% in 2026, with the entry-level segment taking the biggest hit and declining by more than 30%.

Taiwanese electronics companies listed on the stock exchange posted a combined 33.7% increase in pre-tax profits for 2025, outpacing the 12.86% growth for all listed companies, while their employees saw an average pay rise of 10%. However, a survey conducted by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics has found signals of a pronounced K-shaped economy, as two-thirds of Taiwan’s salaried workers earn below the average wage.