Stargate initiative reveals tensions between OpenAI and Microsoft

The Stargate project, a landmark US$500 billion joint venture announced by US President Donald Trump in early 2025, has exposed growing tensions between OpenAI and Microsoft. While initially co-developed by the two companies, Microsoft’s role has been significantly reduced, shifting from an expected leadership position to only a technology partner, raising questions about the implications of their partnership in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

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Price war looms large for Chinese new energy vehicle vendors despite reclaiming market share

In the past two years, China’s independent car brands have gained dominance in the Chinese automobile market, thanks to the rapidly rising popularity of new energy vehicles. Chinese independent brands are still expecting an increase in sales for 2025, but the outlook of China’s new energy vehicle sector may not be as promising as they expect.

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SoftBank founder shifts investment focus from China to US

SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son has made a strategic pivot toward the US market, appearing alongside President Donald Trump twice since his November election victory to unveil major investment plans. Previously, nearly half of SoftBank’s investments were concentrated in Asia, with a significant focus on China, where Son achieved remarkable success with his early investment in Alibaba in 2000.

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Lower barriers in software development: DeepLearning.AI founder predicts soaring demand for AI PMs

DeepLearning.AI founder Andrew Ng recently stated that with the decreasing criteria for software development, the role of deciding what to develop becomes more crucial, making AI product management (AI PM) talent highly sought after. He predicts that engineers who traditionally focused on programming may shift towards more product management responsibilities

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China’s market uncertainty makes Japanese toolmakers bet on AI

Amid uncertainties in the Chinese market and reduced spending by automotive chip and power semiconductor manufacturers, Japanese semiconductor equipment makers have revised their sales forecast for fiscal year 2025 (April 2025 – March 2026). Nevertheless, demand for advanced process chips, especially those needed for artificial intelligence (AI), is anticipated to lead to a 5% year-over-year sales growth in 2025.

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