DeepSeek fuels affordable AI, sparking cloud price wars in China and beyond

China’s cloud service providers (CSPs) have been engaged in fierce price competition since 2024, deploying aggressive cost-cutting strategies to expand market share. This battle is set to intensify in 2025 as major CSPs integrate the low-cost DeepSeek AI model, which blends artificial intelligence (AI) with open-source frameworks on cloud computing platforms. The ongoing price war is expected to drive service fees even lower.

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IBM CEO backs open-source small models to cut AI inference costs

The low-cost open-source AI model from Chinese startup DeepSeek has ignited widespread debate, drawing responses from major American tech giants. IBM, which has recently prioritized hybrid cloud and AI, underscores the growing momentum behind open-source, smaller-scale models, and the democratization of AI—trends that are impossible to ignore. However, the company also cautions against AI development being controlled by a select few, particularly those who may overlook data privacy and transparency.

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Allan Ko: Tariff wars won’t derail Kymco’s Southeast Asia expansion

Kymco Group chairman Allan Ko believes that rapidly shifting US tariff policies will mostly impact four-wheel vehicles, leaving the electric scooter segment relatively unscathed. Moreover, since Kymco’s main focus is on the markets in Europe and Southeast Asia, the current tariff wars will have little effect on the company, as it continues to expand investments in Thailand and Indonesia.

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Samsung likely to reduce foundry investments amid competitors’ expenditure boost

International foundry players including TSMC, SMIC, and GlobalFoundries (GF) are expected to either maintain or increase their capital expenditure in 2025, focusing on expanding capacity and investing in next-generation technologies such as advanced packaging and silicon photonics. In contrast, Samsung Electronics is prioritizing cost reduction amid ongoing losses in its foundry business, sparking concerns about a potential decline in its market share.

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Samsung chair’s nine-year legal battle ends, signals return to decisive management

Samsung Electronics Chairman Jae-Yong Lee’s recent acquittal in a merger and accounting fraud trial marks the end of the company’s decade-long “judicial crisis,” according to South Korean media. Industry observers expect Lee to revive his “speedy management” style to tackle crucial challenges in decision-making and semiconductor competitiveness.

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