Technology News
Latest technology news and updates
Total: 301
Ant’s AI Push Enters Life Insurance: Partnership with Tongfang Global Life to Rework Underwriting and Claims
Ant Data Technology and Tongfang Global Life have signed an agreement to deploy AI across life-insurance operations, combining Ant’s modelling and platform tools with Tongfang’s regulatory licence and balance sheet. The deal highlights both opportunities for faster, cheaper insurance services and the regulatory and consumer-protection challenges of algorithmic underwriting in China.
Pony Ma Rolls Out RMB1bn ‘Red Packets’ for Yuanbao as Tencent Pushes AI Social Play
Tencent is deploying a RMB1 billion Lunar New Year red‑packet campaign to drive users to Yuanbao, an AI‑focused social app, while accelerating internal AI reorganisations and hiring. The company hopes the promotion and a new feature called Yuanbao Pai will reproduce the viral network effects of WeChat’s early red‑packet phenomenon and bind content, communications and generative AI.
China Demonstrates First Direct Link Between Humanoid Robot and High‑Throughput LEO Satellite, Pushing Robot Mobility Beyond Terrestrial Networks
Beijing researchers have successfully linked a humanoid robot directly to a GalaxySpace LEO phased‑array internet satellite, streaming visual data without ground‑based infrastructure. The test demonstrates a practical path for robots to operate with resilient, wide‑area connectivity and underscores China’s advances in commercial LEO broadband technology.
China Tests First Direct Link Between a Humanoid Robot and a LEO Internet Satellite, Paving Way for Net-Independent Field Autonomy
Chinese researchers report the first successful direct link between a humanoid robot and a low‑Earth‑orbit internet satellite, streaming robot vision data without ground network support. The test combines embodied robotics with phased‑array flat‑panel satellite technology, enabling potential autonomous operations in remote or infrastructure‑sparse areas while raising verification, security and dual‑use concerns.
China’s StepFun Taps Qianli Chief and Raises >RMB5bn to Push Foundation Models into Devices
StepFun has appointed Qianli Technology chairman Yin Qi as its own chairman and closed a B+ round exceeding RMB 5 billion to accelerate development of foundation models and commercialise AI on devices. The funding and leadership change underscore a strategic push in China to embed large models into cars, smartphones, wearables and robots through close hardware partnerships.
China Loses a Leading Chip Investor: Zhu Xudong, Architect of State‑Backed Semiconductor Deals, Dies Aged 62
Zhu Xudong, a veteran Chinese semiconductor investor and former Pudong science bureau chief who led state‑backed deals to build domestic chip capability, died suddenly at 62 while on a business trip. His passing leaves a practical leadership gap at a major investment vehicle and removes a seasoned architect of China’s strategy to translate state capital into industrial capacity in semiconductors.
China’s Robot Start‑Ups Take Center Stage: Two Embodied‑AI Firms Land Spots on the Spring Festival Gala
Two Chinese embodied‑AI start‑ups, Galbot and Magic Atom, have been chosen for prominent roles on the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, signalling a shift from technical demonstration to mass visibility. Galbot has secured large industrial orders and more than $300 million in financing, while Magic Atom — spun out of a Xiaomi‑linked robotics team — has shown rapid product development and fundraising momentum.
Samsung’s HBM4 Push Could Reset the High‑Bandwidth Memory Race — and Tighten Supply for AI Chips
Samsung plans to begin HBM4 production in February and has passed validation for Nvidia and AMD, signalling a sharper contest with SK Hynix for AI‑grade memory. The move could ease supply constraints for next‑generation GPUs, affect pricing and market share, and has contributed to a notable re‑rating of Samsung’s financial outlook.
Red-Envelope Arms Race: China’s Tech Giants Make Lunar New Year the Battleground for AI Entrypoints
Chinese tech giants are using traditional Lunar New Year red‑envelope campaigns to fight for dominance over consumer AI entry points, with Baidu and Tencent pledging hundreds of millions to a billion yuan in giveaways. These promotions aim to convert festival virality into long‑term control of AI interfaces and datasets, but they also carry high cost, regulatory and competition risks.
Tencent and Baidu Spray RMB1bn and RMB500m in Lunar-New-Year Red Packets to Push AI Adoption
Tencent has pledged RMB1 billion in Lunar-New-Year cash red packets via its Yuanbao app, and Baidu followed with a RMB500 million giveaway tied to its Wenxin AI assistant. The promotions are designed to drive engagement, accelerate AI adoption and cement payment and app ecosystems, but they carry costs and regulatory and long-term monetization risks.
Old Guard Returns: Yin Qi’s Dual Chairmanship and a RMB5bn Vote of Confidence Reshape China’s AGI Race
Yin Qi has been appointed chairman of StepFun while retaining the chairmanship of Qianli Technology, as StepFun closes a B+ round exceeding RMB5 billion. The move pairs deep foundation-model R&D with a hardware-centred commercialization strategy — notably automotive — and signals a new phase of consolidation and specialization in China’s AI landscape.
Samsung Doubles NAND Prices as AI‑Fueled Storage Supercycle Tightens Supply
Samsung has raised NAND flash prices by over 100% in Q1 2026 as AI‑driven demand for high‑performance storage outstrips supply. Analysts say the industry has entered a storage‑chip "supercycle," with tight capacity likely to persist until at least 2027 and meaningful new supply not expected until 2028.