China's £100bn robotics revolution is accelerating at breakneck speed, with 140 firms deploying AI-powered humanoid robots in factories and retail settings worldwide, as experts warn hundreds of millions of factory jobs could vanish by the mid-2030s.
Samsung announces a record $73.3 billion investment in chip capacity and research for 2026, a 22% spending surge designed to wrestle AI semiconductor dominance away from SK Hynix and outpace TSMC's $50 billion capex plan.
NVIDIA is partnering with robotics giants ABB, FANUC, KUKA, Medtronic, and others to deploy physical AI at industrial scale, unveiling powerful new tools including Cosmos 3, Isaac Lab 3.0, and GR00T N2—currently ranked No. 1 on multiple robotics benchmarks—spanning manufacturing, warehousing, and surgical robotics.
Yann LeCun launches Paris-based AI startup Advanced Machine Intelligence, raising over $1 billion at a $3.5 billion valuation to build world models grounded in physical reality, challenging the dominance of large language models and targeting industries like manufacturing, robotics, and biomedical with open source AI solutions.
DeepSeek, Tencent, and the University of Hong Kong unveil Pointer-CAD, a groundbreaking open-source AI framework built on Alibaba's Qwen 2.5 model that dramatically improves 3D design precision by reducing segmentation errors and streamlining complex entity selection in computer-aided design.
Industry 5.0 promises a human-centered manufacturing revolution blending AI, robotics, and sustainability, but a survey of 250 global leaders reveals most companies remain trapped in cost-cutting mode, failing to invest in the higher-value, human-centric use cases needed to unlock its full potential.
Google absorbs Alphabet's robotics software company Intrinsic, signaling a major push into physical AI and factory automation by integrating it with Google DeepMind and Gemini AI to transform real-world manufacturing.
Gen Z founder Kiara Nirghin launches Emanate, an AI startup backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Peter Thiel, and Alexis Ohanian, deploying autonomous revenue agents to modernize the $5 trillion industrial materials sector and promising customer revenue boosts of up to 80%.
Efficient Computer secures $60 million in Series A funding to develop revolutionary AI processors that enable battery-powered devices to run for months or years using spatial dataflow architecture that eliminates energy waste.
China displays advanced humanoid robots performing flawless martial arts and dance routines on national television during the Spring Festival Gala, signaling technological dominance as the country's robotics industry reaches $932 billion with experts calling it strategic propaganda against US competition.