Happy new year and welcome to our first issue of #techAsia in 2025. I’m sending this newsletter from Las Vegas where my colleagues and I are covering the first tech extravaganza of the year as always: the CES tech trade show.
AI Takes Center Stage at CES
As you might’ve guessed, artificial intelligence is once again the main attraction. Every company remotely related to the field is showcasing some kind of AI product at the show, which officially kicked off on Tuesday. While there are a lot more actual use cases this year compared to last, chipmakers are arguably still the only companies that have unveiled AI products that are ready for market and able to make money.
Nvidia’s Keynote and New Products
Nvidia’s high-profile CEO, Jensen Huang, made a splash on Monday night when he unveiled in his keynote speech a series of new products, including a $3,000 personal AI computer that will be powered by the highly sought-after Blackwell chip.
AI PC Game
Nvidia has undoubtedly dominated the data centre chip game in the AI era. Now the US chip giant is kicking off a new phase in the AI PC race by bringing its powerful Blackwell chips to personal computers.
At a keynote speech on Monday, Jensen Huang unveiled the GB10 chipset that turns PCs into AI supercomputers, according to Nikkei Asia’s Yifan Yu and Cissy Zhou.
Tencent Pushes Back
Chinese social media and gaming giant Tencent woke up to a nasty shock as it discovered it had been labelled a “Chinese military party” by the Pentagon on Monday, writes the Financial Times’ Eleanor Olcott and Zijing Wu.
Tencent said it was planning legal action to challenge its inclusion on an annually updated list of companies determined to have links with China’s military machine if it could not reach an agreement with the US Department of Defense.
Crunch Time for Japan’s Chip Dreams
In December, Rapidus began moving cutting-edge EUV chipmaking machines into its plant in Hokkaido. Now, the Japanese government-backed start-up is gearing up for a moment of truth: test production is set to begin around April, and a lot is riding on its success.
Lift-off Economy
While CES used to be a consumer electronics-focused trade show, it has increasingly become a popular platform for automakers to show off their latest and sometimes far-fetched innovations. Flying cars might have sounded more like the latter just a few years ago, but they could become a reality as soon as next year.
Suggested Reads
- China’s Honor to enter Indonesian market amid iPhone ban (Nikkei Asia)
- KKR urges Fuji Soft to take legal action against Bain in $4bn takeover fight (FT)
- Chinese venture capitalists force failed founders on to debtor blacklist (FT)
- Lenovo to bring Saudi PC plant onstream by 2026 (Nikkei Asia)
- Magic monkey tale inspires China’s gaming industry to seek blockbuster success (FT)
- Rapidus aims to supply cutting-edge 2-nm chip samples to Broadcom (Nikkei Asia)
- Toyota’s futuristic Woven City to get first residents this year (Nikkei Asia)
- Why China’s industrial giants won’t be damaged by the latest US blacklisting (FT)
- Samsung’s Q4 profit tumbles 30% amid memory downturn, labour costs (Nikkei Asia)
- Tech groups to pay premium for energy for Malaysia data centres, says minister (FT)
Conclusion
The CES tech trade show has kicked off, and AI is once again the main attraction. From Nvidia’s new AI products to Tencent’s response to being labelled a "Chinese military party", there is a lot to keep an eye on. Meanwhile, Japan is gearing up for a moment of truth with its chip dreams, and flying cars might become a reality as soon as next year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the main theme of the CES tech trade show?
A: AI is once again the main attraction at the CES tech trade show.
Q: What new products did Nvidia unveil at the show?
A: Nvidia unveiled a series of new products, including a $3,000 personal AI computer powered by the highly sought-after Blackwell chip.
Q: What is the significance of Japan’s chip dreams?
A: Japan is looking to get back into the global chipmaking game after decades on the sidelines, and the government is pouring billions into the effort.
Q: What is the significance of flying cars?
A: Flying cars could become the latest front in the US-China tech race, as Washington has paved the way for companies to launch consumer flying cars by updating related regulations.
