Tencent Plans to Double AI Investment to $5B in 2026
Tencent's 2025 results beat estimates, with the company spending $2.6B on AI last year and planning to at least double that in 2026 despite ongoing GPU supply constraints from US export controls.
Geopolitics
North Korea Targets Europe with AI Deepfake Workers
DPRK operatives use real-time deepfake video and LLM-generated CVs to pass European hiring pipelines, funneling income back to Pyongyang's weapons programs.
Iran Targets US Tech Facilities - What It Means for AI
Iran's IRGC designated facilities of Amazon, Nvidia, Microsoft, Google, Oracle, IBM, and Palantir across Israel and the Gulf as legitimate targets - with AWS data centers already struck by drones.
China Unveils $70B AI and Chip Subsidy to Counter US Controls
China announced up to $70 billion in semiconductor and AI subsidies during the Two Sessions - one of the largest government chip programs in history, aimed at full self-sufficiency as US export controls tighten.
US Drafts Rules Requiring Permits for All AI Chip Exports
The Commerce Department has drafted regulations requiring government approval for all AI chip exports worldwide - not just to China - giving Washington unprecedented gatekeeper power over global AI development.
Rubio Orders U.S. Diplomats to Lobby Against Foreign Data Sovereignty Laws - Citing AI and Cloud Risks
A State Department cable signed by Secretary Rubio directs U.S. embassies worldwide to oppose data localization mandates, calling the EU's GDPR 'unnecessarily burdensome' and framing unrestricted cross-border data flows as critical AI infrastructure.
