Technology News
Latest technology news and updates
Total: 1446
Meta Prepares for Another Massive Layoff as AI Spending Swells
Meta is reportedly preparing a large layoff of up to 20% of its workforce to help fund massive AI infrastructure spending and to capture efficiency gains from advanced models. The move reflects a wider industry trend of tech firms slimming workforces as they invest heavily in compute and AI talent, but it carries risks to morale, institutional knowledge and product development timelines.
Beijing Trials Autonomous Humanoid Robots on a Tough Half‑Marathon Course — A Test of Real‑World Mobility
Beijing staged a night trial for the humanoid‑robot category of the 2026 Yizhuang Half‑Marathon, with over 20 autonomous teams from industry and academia testing on a deliberately challenging urban course. The exercise advances a shift from human‑guided robots to fully autonomous navigation in complex, public environments and will yield practical performance data ahead of the April race.
From a Douyin Sketch to 400,000 Sales: Haier’s Bet on Human‑Centered AI
Haier CEO Zhou Yunjie used a viral Douyin sketch and the rapid development of a three‑drum washing machine to argue that AI’s value lies in answering real user needs. Haier is embedding AI across operations, touting crowdsourced product ideas and pushing for embodied intelligence and ethical guardrails at the national policy level. The company’s approach highlights both the commercial promise and governance challenges of human‑centred AI in consumer appliances.
At AWE, Chatting With Humanoids Felt Real — but the ‘Open‑Book’ Robot Is Still Work in Progress
At AWE this year humanoid robots demonstrated more convincing conversational skills by combining physical embodiments with retrieval‑based agent systems. The demos show practical gains — fewer factual errors and task‑oriented tool use — but hardware limits, orchestrated presentations and regulatory gaps mean wide consumer adoption is not yet assured.
Haier’s Human‑First AI Play: From a Douyin Sketch to a 400,000‑Unit Hit and an Industry Roadmap
At an AI launch in Shanghai, Haier chairman Zhou Yunjie showcased a user‑driven innovation model: a consumer sketch on Douyin prompted engineers to build a three‑drum washing machine that has sold over 400,000 units. Haier is pushing AI across operations and product lines while arguing that the future value of technology lies in addressing real human needs and preserving human traits like empathy and responsibility.
Tencent’s Enterprise WeChat Adds One‑Click QR Integration for OpenClaw, Easing Rollout of AI Agents to Businesses
Tencent has added a one‑click QR integration in Enterprise WeChat to connect with OpenClaw, enabling businesses to create intelligent bots quickly from the Tencent Cloud console. The change lowers deployment friction for enterprise AI agents, draws major cloud and model vendors into the OpenClaw ecosystem, and strengthens Tencent’s role as a distribution hub while raising governance questions.
Qihoo 360 Debuts a ‘Safe’ AI Agent as China Scrutinises Autonomous Tools
Qihoo 360 has launched a security-branded intelligent agent amid growing regulatory and institutional warnings about autonomous AI assistants in China. The product seeks to capitalise on safety concerns, but broader questions about data access, auditability and regulatory treatment will determine whether such agents gain institutional acceptance.
From White Goods to Thinking Machines: How AWE 2026 Recast the Home as a Networked, Embodied AI Ecosystem
AWE 2026 in Shanghai showcased a pivotal transformation: consumer appliances are evolving into centrally orchestrated, AI‑driven systems with embodied robotics and on‑device NPUs. The show highlighted gains in responsiveness and autonomy alongside new questions about data concentration, safety and regulatory readiness.
Packed Halls and Pricey Phones: How AWE 2026 Exposed China’s Cross‑Industry Pivot in Consumer Tech
AWE 2026 drew more than 100,000 visitors and showcased a bold cross‑industry shift among Chinese consumer‑tech companies. Appliance incumbents and robotics start‑ups alike are embedding AI, screens and services into products — and some exhibitors even promoted ultra‑luxury smartphones — signaling a move toward ecosystem play and premiumisation.
China’s Homegrown Reusable Rocket Debuts at Inaugural Shanghai Commercial Space Fair
A domestically produced reusable rocket was showcased at the inaugural Shanghai Commercial Space Conference, which hosted 300 exhibitors across 15,000 square metres. The display highlights China’s move from prototype to commercialisation in reusable launch technology, with implications for costs, market structure and strategic competition in space access.
Alibaba’s Qianwen Unveils G1 Smart Glasses with Voice‑Cloning Translation and Hot‑Swap Battery at AWE 2026
Alibaba’s Qianwen introduced the G1 AI glasses at AWE 2026, featuring a dual‑chip dual‑system architecture, 64GB of local storage, a hot‑swap battery in the right temple, and forthcoming features including voice‑cloning translation and expanded life‑service AI functions. The launch signals a push to marry large‑model AI services with consumer hardware while navigating privacy, power and supply‑chain constraints.
Meta Prepares to Cut Up to a Fifth of Staff as It Reprioritises for an AI Arms Race
Meta is planning a new round of layoffs affecting up to 20% of staff to free resources for aggressive investment in artificial intelligence. The move reflects pressure on advertising revenue and a wider industry pivot toward generative AI, but it also raises risks around talent loss and execution capacity.