Regional

AI news brief: Japanese startup investors are getting more selective, with large funding rounds concentrating on a handful of tech companies with proven track records, and self-driving startup Turing standing out as one of the biggest winners. Large-scale startup funding deals in Japan hit a record high in the first half of this year (January-June). The original summary is fairly brief, noting only that investors have turned more cautious, capital is flowing toward a small pool of tech startups with real results, and self-driving startup Turing is one of the biggest winners of this funding wave — without giving specific figures on deal size, funding rounds, participating investors, or details on other beneficiaries like Sakana AI. See the original article for full details.

AI news brief: Demand for high-skilled foreign professionals in Japan has cooled noticeably due to the spread of AI, with new arrivals slowing since last fall. Over the past decade, the number of foreigners holding Japan’s ‘Highly Skilled Professional’ visa grew more than threefold, but that steady growth trend has reversed over the past year for two reasons.

AI News Flash: Data from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange shows that equity raised by Chinese companies through follow-on share sales hit a five-year high in the first half of 2026, a boom driven by tech companies seeking capital to expand their AI businesses. Chinese AI company Z.AI raised billions of dollars through share placements and convertible bonds, becoming one of the most closely watched cases recently. The report notes that as Hong Kong’s IPO market heats up and China’s AI industry race intensifies, more Chinese companies are choosing follow-on deals over traditional IPO channels to raise equity capital, signaling continued strong demand for AI-related funding.

AI News Brief: OpenAI announced it will delay its initial public offering (IPO) plans and joined calls to slow down development of more powerful AI models, and following the news, SoftBank Group’s stock plunged on Monday Tokyo time. Rising concerns over AI safety have dragged down Asian tech stocks broadly, while climbing oil prices further dampened investor sentiment. Anthropic CEO Dario Amod…

AI news brief: OpenAI is in talks with the Australian government about training AI models on Australian soil, with discussions covering legal and policy arrangements including copyright protection. The news was revealed by OpenAI’s VP of Global Policy Ann O’Leary during a public speech in Sydney on September 14, suggesting both sides have moved into substantive discussions on the matter. For the Australian government, this is seen as a chance to gain negotiating leverage in setting AI industry standards — if it can get OpenAI to build training infrastructure locally, Australia could gain more influence over the US AI giant on issues like data localization and copyright rules…

AI News Brief: TDK announced plans to expand production of electronic components for AI servers to capture the explosive demand from the AI industry for related parts. The company plans to invest around $260 million over the next three years to expand capacity at two plants, mainly producing miniature electronic components called thin-film inductors. These components reduce energy loss during AI server operation, and as AI servers demand ever-higher power efficiency, demand for these parts is expected to keep climbing.

AI News Flash: Applied Materials’ semiconductor memory wafer fabrication process is nearing its scaling limit — in an interview with Nikkei, the head of Applied Materials’ Japan operations said the semiconductor industry needs to embrace new materials to keep advancing, and the company is using AI to help drive breakthroughs in materials science. The original summary only covers the executive’s high-level remarks, without specific technical details, numbers, or use cases — see the original article for more.

AI News Brief: Fujitsu plans to start exporting AI semiconductors developed using technology related to its Fugaku supercomputer to the US and Asian markets as early as next year. The move is part of Fujitsu’s strategic push to capture growing demand for AI inference CPUs, using its logic semiconductor products to expand its footprint and visibility in the global semiconductor market. The original summary only covers high-level export plans and timing, without disclosing specific chip specs, production capacity, partners, or order details — see the original article for more.

AI news brief: Huawei has rolled out BoGuan, a large language model trained on regional history, in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, to help generate tourism content and attract visitors. According to reports, the model was trained on historical and cultural data from China’s Shaanxi province, home to well-known attractions like the ancient capital of Xi’an. Its applications target the practical output side of tourism marketing, including helping brainstorm and produce souvenir merchandise and design travel itineraries…

AI news brief: Daikin Industries is developing an AI-assisted air conditioning maintenance inspection training tool, driven by rising global cooling demand and a shortage of experienced on-site repair technicians. The company plans to partner with startup Fairy Devices to launch a wearable device powered by agentic AI to help train technicians, with a target rollout in 2027. The move aims to address Japan’s shortage of experienced engineers…