Japanese fiberglass cloth giant Nitto Boseki (Nittobo) announced plans to invest JPY15 billion(US$101.87 million) to expand its production facilities to meet surging demand from AI server customers. The group will build a new factory equipped with advanced fiberglass fabric manufacturing capabilities. Production is expected to begin gradually, starting from the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 at the earliest, which ends March 2027.

Physical AI has become a key focus in the manufacturing and IT industries, as AI applications extend from online environments into the physical world, leading companies to begin deploying robots in real-world settings through significant improvements in training efficiency. However, considerable challenges remain in achieving high precision in applications such as autonomous driving.

Apple is experiencing a continued departure of key artificial intelligence researchers, with some joining major competitors including Meta Platforms Inc., OpenAI, and Anthropic. The recent wave of resignations raises concerns about Apple’s AI division’s stability and future direction.