The Business Times

Catherine Thorbecke

The installation Dynamics of a Dog on a Leash shows a chained four-legged robot dog. Though artificial, its movements trigger empathy and blur the line between machine and life. Photo: Ars Electronica / Martin Hieslmair

Why do we feel empathy for robots?

The hardest governance problems may not be what these systems can do, but how they make us feel

After a quiet removal from Chinese app stores, "Are You Dead" has been launched internationally as "Demumu".

Forget DeepSeek, dying alone is China’s latest tech obsession

The new breakout app that asks ‘Are you dead?’ says much about society

Building foundation models and massive AI systems trained on enormous amounts of data requires billions of dollars, scarce chips and vast engineering talent.

Is Asia’s sovereign AI push an exercise in futility?

Countries trying to develop their own foundation models may end up wasting a lot of money

The World AI Conference has convened thousands of people – as well as scores of robots – and brought to life all the passions and pitfalls of the current state of AI in China.

China’s AI strategy relies on frenzy and frenemies

Beijing is calling for solidarity while Washington favours ‘America First’

FILE PHOTO: A message reading "AI artificial intelligence", a keyboard, and robot hands are seen in this illustration taken January 27, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

AI ‘agents’ aren’t matching up to the buzzwords

We should cool off comparing the technology to gods or even humans

The outsize role that Chinese talent play in developing AI systems for its geopolitical rival isn’t likely lost on Beijing.

Can China compete in the AI talent war?

Half of DeepSeek’s team never left China for education or work, and those who did ultimately return to pursue AI development, say Stanford...

Son has built his career on taking long-shot gambles. It hasn’t always worked out. But such a mentality has propelled his rise from Japanese slum to the single-largest foreign investor in the US.
THE BOTTOM LINE

The magical thinking of Masa Son

The SoftBank founder has a long-shot ambition to create an AI robot hub in the US desert

Although President Donald Trump’s trade war has brought turmoil to global markets, the hits won’t knock China’s AI development off-course.  Not only does the industry’s domestic focus shield it from tariff blows, the sector is also buoyed by government support.

Chinese AI’s secret to withstanding the trade war

The government set up a 60b yuan investment fund to buoy the sector amid market volatility as it throws its entire might...

FILE PHOTO: NVIDIA logo is seen in this illustration taken February 16, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
THE BOTTOM LINE

Nvidia chips don’t belong on the bargaining table

News that Nvidia Corp will not be able to sell its customised artificial intelligence (AI) chips in China caught both the company...

An engineer works on humanoid robots at an Agibot factory in Shanghai, China, March 12, 2025.
THE BOTTOM LINE

Silicon Valley’s loss will be China’s gain

This is where the trade war meets the tech war

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