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Your weekday morning AI briefing — 3 must-know stories before your 9am coffee.

Monday

16 March 2026

1.Nvidia will unveil its new Vera Rubin platform GPU, featuring up to 288GB of HBM4 memory, at the GTC conference, signifying advancements in AI chip technology.
2.Korean memory makers SK hynix and Samsung are central to the AI hardware race, as they are the sole producers of HBM4 at scale, granting them significant influence.
3.Chinese tech giants Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu have launched consumer-focused mobile apps utilising OpenClaw, an open-source agentic AI framework, for automating daily tasks.

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Friday

13 March 2026

1.Google concluded its $32 billion acquisition of cloud security firm Wiz, marking its largest purchase ever.
2.Wiz will operate under Google Cloud, retaining its brand and providing multicloud protection across various providers, including AWS, Azure, and Oracle Cloud.
3.The acquisition's final regulatory approvals came from Singapore and Japan, highlighting increased scrutiny of tech consolidations in the APAC region.

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Thursday

12 March 2026

1.China's 15th Five-Year Plan formally adopts an AI-first strategy, dedicating a chapter to computing infrastructure and targeting 7% annual R&D growth.
2.The plan introduces a new 'model-chip-cloud-application' strategic term, indicating a comprehensive approach beyond just chip manufacturing.
3.This state-backed AI push will reshape regional supply chains and competitive dynamics, with offshore infrastructure already being deployed in Southeast Asia.

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Tuesday

10 March 2026

1.Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI), co-founded by Yann LeCun, secured over $1 billion in seed funding to develop AI systems that reason from real-world data, with initial applications in healthcare, robotics, and industrial automation.
2.AMI has established offices in Paris, New York, Montreal, and Singapore, with the Singapore hub strategically positioned to serve future Asian clients and leverage regional investment.
3.Japanese government has prioritised 61 goods and technologies for state investment, including physical AI, signifying a strategic move to bolster national technological capabilities and economic growth.

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Tuesday

10 March 2026

1.The Trump administration is pressuring US states to align their AI regulations with a national deregulatory agenda through today's Department of Commerce and Federal Trade Commission reports.
2.States face the potential loss of up to $21 billion in federal broadband infrastructure funds if their AI laws are deemed inconsistent with the federal framework.
3.The US government seeks to establish a singular federal AI standard, replacing disparate state laws, but short-term uncertainty remains as existing state laws persist until court challenges are resolved.

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Monday

9 March 2026

1.OpenAI's head of robotics resigned due to the company's decision to deploy its AI models on the Pentagon's classified cloud networks, citing a lack of clear guardrails for domestic surveillance and lethal autonomy.
2.This high-profile departure highlights growing internal dissent within OpenAI regarding ethical governance and the rapid implementation of AI technologies in sensitive sectors.
3.The incident underscores that governance concerns are not merely external criticism but represent a significant internal operational risk for AI vendors and enterprise buyers alike.

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Friday

6 March 2026

1.GPT-5.4 offers native computer use, achieving 75% on the OSWorld-Verified benchmark, surpassing human performance.
2.It boasts a 1 million token context window, direct integrations with Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, and a 47% reduction in token usage for specific agentic tasks.
3.OpenAI’s new model matches or exceeds human professionals in 83% of 44 evaluated occupations, according to their GDPval benchmark.

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Thursday

5 March 2026

1.Apple launched the MacBook Neo, a new budget-friendly laptop priced from $599, featuring the A18 Pro chip and a 13-inch Liquid Retina display.
2.OpenAI released GPT-5.3 Instant, an updated ChatGPT model designed to be less preachy, with reduced moralising and fewer conversational preambles.
3.This update also reportedly decreased hallucinations by 26.8% when utilising web search, suggesting an improvement in model accuracy and user experience.

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Wednesday

4 March 2026

1.Anthropic's refusal to allow military use of its AI led to a US government ban, prompting industry-wide calls for ethical AI limits and boosting consumer support for Claude.
2.Apple is launching its most affordable Mac to date, powered by an A18 Pro chip, targeting students and emerging markets with a competitive price point and colourful designs.
3.NVIDIA invested $4 billion in photonics companies Lumentum and Coherent, securing critical supply for its next-generation data centre interconnects.

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Tuesday

3 March 2026

1.Claude experienced a significant global outage yesterday, affecting various services including its app, Code, console, and government platforms.
2.Anthropic attributed the outage to "unprecedented demand" and confirmed that while the core enterprise API was mostly stable, some methods malfunctioned.
3.This incident highlights the critical need for enterprise AI buyers to implement robust failover strategies and consider multi-provider fallbacks to mitigate supply-side reliability risks.

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Monday

2 March 2026

1.Vietnam has implemented a new AI Act, becoming the first Southeast Asian nation with a comprehensive regulatory framework for artificial intelligence.
2.The legislation, closely mirroring the EU AI Act, mandates human oversight for generative AI, requires deepfake labelling, and supports national AI infrastructure development.
3.Businesses operating in Vietnam must now comply with these new legal obligations, setting a potential precedent for other ASEAN countries to follow.

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Friday

27 February 2026

1.Anthropic has refused the Pentagon's ultimatum to remove AI safeguards, citing concerns over autonomous weapons and mass surveillance.
2.The Pentagon threatens to use the Defense Production Act or blacklist Anthropic, while xAI has agreed to the government's terms.
3.Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S26, promoted as the first agentic AI smartphone, integrating three AI engines for autonomous multi-step task execution.

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Thursday

26 February 2026

1.Nvidia reported Q4 FY2026 revenue of $68.1 billion, a 73% year-on-year increase, driven largely by its Data Centre division.
2.ByteDance's new AI video model, Seedance 2.0, is generating hyper-realistic celebrity videos, causing intellectual property disputes with Hollywood studios.
3.Google and Sea Ltd are collaborating to build an agentic AI shopping prototype for Shopee, aiming to automate product discovery and transactions.

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Wednesday

25 February 2026

1.Nvidia reports Q4 earnings today with high anticipation around Blackwell chip demand, China sales, and the next-gen Rubin architecture amidst significant AI infrastructure spending.
2.ByteDance's new AI video model, Seedance 2.0, is generating hyper-realistic celebrity clips, causing anxiety in Hollywood regarding China's rapid AI advancements in creative fields.
3.Google and Sea are partnering to develop an agentic AI shopping prototype for Shopee, aiming to automate product discovery and transactions across their platforms in Southeast Asia.

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Tuesday

24 February 2026

1.A Chinese AI startup reportedly trained its advanced model on Nvidia's most powerful chips, potentially breaching US export controls.
2.Anthropic stated that three Chinese AI companies utilised its Claude model outputs to enhance their own AI systems through millions of interactions.
3.Asian stock markets anticipate early declines due to fresh investor anxiety regarding AI's impact on corporate profitability.

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Monday

23 February 2026

1.Taiwan forecasts 7.7 per cent economic growth for 2026, primarily driven by robust demand for technology and AI-related products.
2.India is hosting a significant international AI summit in New Delhi to establish itself as a leader in global AI governance and attract investment.
3.A report indicates that Southeast Asian youth and institutions are eager to adopt AI but lack clear policy guidance and governance frameworks.

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Friday

20 February 2026

1.Global and Indian companies are investing tens of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure in India.
2.Google and Sea Ltd are expanding their partnership to develop AI tools for e-commerce, gaming, and digital services in Southeast Asia.
3.An Asia-based survey reveals that most business leaders view AI as a significant disruptor and growth driver, with concerns regarding workforce impact and governance.

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Thursday

19 February 2026

1.The India AI Impact Summit 2026 commenced in New Delhi, focusing on collaboration, investment, workforce transformation, and policy frameworks for responsible AI.
2.Asian stock markets rose despite ongoing concerns about AI's economic effects, showcasing resilient investor sentiment amidst volatility.
3.Singapore will establish a National AI Council, chaired by the prime minister, to guide AI strategy across key sectors as part of Budget 2026.

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Thursday

12 February 2026

1.Singapore is establishing a National AI Council to develop its AI strategy and ensure beneficial outcomes.
2.A report highlights that Southeast Asian nations are keen on AI but lack clear guidance and governance expertise.
3.The US is funding AI and maritime technology at APEC meetings to bolster its regional influence amidst competition.

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Thursday

12 February 2026

1.Foreign investors withdrew US$9.8 billion from Asian stock markets in early February due to concerns about AI-related capital expenditure.
2.Singapore's economy grew by 6.9 per cent in Q4 2025, exceeding expectations, driven by strong electronics and manufacturing performance linked to AI demand.
3.Singapore will invest over S$1 billion in public AI research by 2030 to bolster responsible AI development, research capabilities, and talent acquisition.

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Tuesday

10 February 2026

1.South Korean AI entertainment startup Wrtn plans US expansion and an IPO by 2028 after strong revenue growth in Asia.
2.A Visa survey reveals 74% of Asia-Pacific consumers use AI for shopping, yet trust and transparency at checkout remain significant concerns.
3.The Asia AI Infrastructure Malaysia Summit 2026 will convene leaders to advance regional AI infrastructure, focusing on cloud, data centres, and sustainable compute.

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Tuesday

10 February 2026

1.UNESCO completed an AI Readiness Assessment in the Philippines, focusing on ethical and responsible AI governance.
2.Japan's Digital Agency is advancing government guidance on generative AI procurement and usage for public administration.
3.ASEAN finalised a regional semiconductor supply chain framework to enhance resilience and investment attractiveness.

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Monday

9 February 2026