43 h. ago China AI plan offers hope for robot companions and kids by 2035

When the Chinese government launched the “AI+” initiative in August, it was widely perceived as a new economic stimulus. However, observers may have underestimated Beijing’s true ambition. On October 10, senior officials and experts published a series of analyses in the official journal E-Government, offering the public its first comprehensive look at the initiative’s deeper strategic intent. Far from being merely an economic policy, “AI+” is a decade-long national blueprint designed to propel...

Politics

5 d. ago US Chamber of Commerce sues Trump administration over US$100,000 H

The largest American business lobbying group filed a lawsuit on Thursday challenging US President Donald Trump’s US$100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers. The lawsuit by the US Chamber of Commerce, which says it represents 300,000 businesses, is the group’s first against the Trump administration since the Republican president took office for a second term in January. The chamber says in the lawsuit that Trump’s September proclamation imposing the fee on new H-1B visa...

Politics

6 d. ago China’s Honor teases ‘Robot Phone’, a new AI handset with gimbal

Honor, the Chinese smartphone maker spun off from Huawei Technologies, on Wednesday teased a concept artificial intelligence-enabled handset featuring a fold-out gimbal-attached camera, as the firm looks to differentiate itself from rival Android device makers in the global market. The “Robot Phone” was unveiled by Honor online in a promotional video that showed the gimbal-stabilised camera unfurl from the back camera module and appear to pivot while tracking its subject’s movement. Honor...

Technology

6 d. ago China’s Honor teases ‘Robot Phone’, new AI handset with gimbal

Honor, the Chinese smartphone maker spun off from Huawei Technologies, on Wednesday teased a concept artificial intelligence-enabled handset featuring a fold-out gimbal-attached camera, as the firm looks to differentiate itself from rival Android device makers in the global market. The “Robot Phone” was unveiled by Honor online in a promotional video that showed the gimbal-stabilised camera unfurl from the back camera module and appear to pivot while tracking its subject’s movement. Honor...

Technology

7 d. ago Apple taps China’s BYD to build HomePod with screen, tabletop robot

Apple is preparing to expand its manufacturing operations in Vietnam as part of a push into the smart home market and an ongoing effort to lessen its dependence on China. The company is developing a range of new home devices for next year, including indoor security cameras and a display designed to control appliances and serve as a house command hub. A more advanced tabletop robot – capable of using motors and sensors to move – is slated to follow in 2027. All three products are on track to be...

Politics

8 d. ago Tearful China girl says goodbye to broken AI robot after it teaches word ‘memory’

A six-year-old girl’s tearful farewell to her broken AI robot moved millions in China when the tiny machine gently taught her one last word – “memory,” moments before shutting down. The girl, nicknamed Thirteen, lives in Hunan province, central China, with her father while her parents are separated. Her father, who enjoys buying her educational toys, gifted her a mini AI robot that she affectionately named “Sister Xiao Zhi.” The palm-sized, ball-shaped robot, sold for around 169 yuan (US$24),...

Politics

1 week ago China's humanoid robot industry grows, but core processors remain foreign

China's humanoid robot industry grows, but core processors remain foreign-controlled  digitimes

Politics

2 w. ago In a first, China launches commercial underwater data centre to power data future

The world’s first commercial underwater data centre is now operational in China’s Hainan, as the island province pushes to attract foreign investment by expanding the blue economy in the country’s largest pilot free-trade zone. The servers manage digital services from restaurant recommendations to travel hacks, and will be installed in a 1,300-tonne underwater data cabin – equivalent to the weight of 1,000 passenger cars – after the first phase of construction was completed in Lingshui county...

Politics

2 w. ago China’s factory robot army; a ‘new global energy system’: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. 1 dead in Qinghai, hundreds evacuated as China’s rescue in Everest area continues One person has been reported dead in the wake of the sudden blizzard that engulfed Tibet and Qinghai over the weekend, as rescuers continue to evacuate hundreds of hikers from the eastern slopes of Mount Everest, according to official media. 2. As China’s population falls,...

Politics

2 w. ago The Electric: In a Big Month, China's XPeng Will Unveil a Humanoid Robot and a Flying Car

The Electric: In a Big Month, China's XPeng Will Unveil a Humanoid Robot and a Flying Car  The Information

Science

2 w. ago China’s shrinking population met with surge in automation as 300,000 new robots keep factories powered

China’s shrinking population met with surge in automation as 300,000 new robots keep factories powered  Firstpost

Culture

2 w. ago China tests robot dogs to unlock moon’s best kept secrets, could help build lunar base

China tests robot dogs to unlock moon’s best kept secrets, could help build lunar base  Interesting Engineering

Technology

2 w. ago South Korean celebrities lose millions to online fraud as scams get smarter

As South Korea steps up efforts to protect its citizens from online fraud, celebrities in the country are warning against increasingly sophisticated phishing and phone scams by relating their personal encounters with such cases. Entertainer Ji Seok-jin said one of his celebrity acquaintances lost 300 million won (US$213,000) to a voice phishing scam, The Korea Times newspaper reported on Thursday. “They’re very smart, but they were told to click a website link – and once they did, it looked...

Politics

2 w. ago ‘Maga loyalty test’, China’s robot dogs get moon training: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘Maga loyalty test’: Chinese weigh in on Hegseth and Trump’s military meeting A rare meeting of top US military leaders in Quantico this week sparked heated discussion on the other side of the Pacific, with Chinese media and online commenters pointing to chaos and political division. 2. US government frozen after shutdown, but China talks still in motion:...

Technology

2 w. ago China deploys robot dogs in simulated moon conditions ahead of lunar mission

Chinese researchers are testing and training robotic dogs in preparation for future exploration of the moon’s underground, an area of great scientific interest that is considered ideal for establishing human lunar bases. According to a September 28 post on Peking University’s social media account, a team from the university’s school of computer science has developed two specialised robotic dogs for the exploration mission, and they have been tested in a cave in northeastern China that simulates...

Events

3 w. ago AI is reshaping childhood in China, from robot tutors to chatbots

AI is reshaping childhood in China, from robot tutors to chatbots  Rest of World

Politics

3 w. ago How China’s robotics push is clearing path to tech independence

Factories in China installed nearly 300,000 new robots last year, more than the rest of the world combined. This figure suggests that China is building leadership in robotics not merely for industrial efficiency, but as a direct path to achieving independence in core artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The prioritisation of embodied intelligence, or AI-powered robots, at events such as last week’s AI Computing Conference in Beijing signals that the country views robotics as critical...

Politics

3 w. ago China’s AI Robot Surge: Over 2 Million Units Lead Global Industry

China’s AI Robot Surge: Over 2 Million Units Lead Global Industry  WebProNews

Politics

3 w. ago China to build robot ‘boot camps’ as training centers to power next

China to build robot ‘boot camps’ as training centers to power next-gen humanoids  Interesting Engineering

Politics

3 w. ago China aims to leapfrog the US in robotics. Its latest tactic: robot boot camps

China is going all out to outpace the United States in the race to develop advanced humanoid robots. Its latest strategy: sending its bots to boot camp. Cities across the country are opening huge humanoid robotics training bases, which put robots through their paces in a variety of different scenarios and harvest training data to help manufacturers accelerate their product development. The biggest of these facilities, located in Beijing’s Shijingshan district, covers an area of more than 10,000...

Politics