Phison and Intel go hybrid to keep China’s AI lobster craze from burning out

The recent craze for OpenClaw “lobster raising” in China has sparked massive token consumption, with Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) calling it the first killer app of AI agents. In response, Phison teamed up with Intel to introduce a “hybrid lobster solution” that addresses soaring cloud costs and security risks, selling out its initial batch on Chinese e-commerce platforms.

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China’s semiconductor capacity share to reach 32% by 2030

The global semiconductor industry is undergoing a structural transformation. SEMI estimates that in 2025, capital expenditures (CapEx) by the four largest US cloud service providers (CSPs) will reach US$400 billion, more than twice the total semiconductor industry CapEx. When including Chinese cloud providers and sovereign AI investments, global AI infrastructure spending could surpass US$1 trillion by 2027.

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SoftBank secures US$40 billion loan to fund OpenAI investment

SoftBank Group Corp. has secured a US$40 billion bridge loan to support its ongoing investment in US artificial intelligence developer OpenAI, marking one of the largest dollar-denominated borrowings in the Japanese conglomerate’s history. The unsecured loan, arranged with JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., and MUFG Bank, is set to mature on March 25, 2027, according to Jiji Press, The Japan Times, Reuters, and TechCrunch.

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Sony raises PlayStation 5 prices amid memory costs spike

Sony Group’s gaming subsidiary, Sony Interactive Entertainment, announced on March 27 that it would raise the global retail price of its flagship home console, the PlayStation 5, effective April 2. In Japan, the suggested retail price of the standard model will climb to JPY97,980 (approx. US$613), a steep increase of roughly 23%. A Japan-only version, introduced in 2025 without a disc drive and limited to the Japanese language, will remain unchanged at JPY55,000.

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Samsung’s 2026 strike poses bigger challenges despite economic shift and tripled scale

Samsung Electronics is facing a looming labor strike in May as its memory and foundry businesses take off, marking a more complex challenge than the initial 2024 walkout. The upcoming strike reflects significant changes in industry conditions and union size, highlighting Samsung’s structural difficulties with labor issues amid evolving laws and its broad business portfolio.

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