Weekly Roundup: Key Developments in Tech, Politics, and Global Affairs in Taiwan
2 August 2024
Technology
AMD to establish R&D center in Taiwan; Ministry of Economic Affairs plans to subsidize over NT$3.3 billion
The American semiconductor giant AMD will establish a research and development center in Taiwan. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has approved AMD's application for the "A+ Global R&D and Innovation Partnership Program," with a total budget of NT$86.4 billion, of which the ministry will provide a subsidy of NT$33.1 billion. This move is part of a broader trend of major semiconductor companies, such as NVIDIA, setting up R&D centers in Taiwan to leverage the country's strong talent pool and technological capabilities in the industry.
Source: SETN
https://www.setn.com/News.aspx?NewsID=1505695
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ChatGPT Introduces Voice Interaction Mode, Currently Open for Testing by Paid Users
OpenAI has started rolling out an advanced voice interaction mode for a small group of ChatGPT Plus users. This new mode allows for more natural, real-time conversations, where users can interrupt at any time, and the system can sense and respond to the user's emotions.
The mode utilizes a single model to handle the entire process, from speech-to-text, text analysis, and text-to-speech, enabling faster response times compared to the previous GPT-4 Turbo model. OpenAI plans to make this new voice interaction mode available to all ChatGPT Plus users later this year.
Source: UDN News
https://tech.udn.com/tech/story/123454/8131980
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China Can't Get Its Hands on AI Memory Chips! Bloomberg: U.S. to Impose New Restrictions by Late August at the Earliest
The U.S. is considering new measures to prevent China from obtaining advanced AI memory chips, such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips made by major producers like Micron, SK Hynix, and Samsung. The restrictions would cover not only the chips themselves but also the equipment needed to manufacture them.
This move is seen as the latest escalation in the technology competition between the U.S. and China. The new restrictions could be announced as early as late August, further limiting China's access to cutting-edge semiconductor technology.
Source: Liberty Times News
https://ec.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/4755171?utm_medium=APP&utm_campaign=SHARE&utm_m edium=APP
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Politics & Business
AI Arms Race! This Country is the Global Supercomputing Power Leader, Taiwan Only Ranks 17th, Lagging Behind China, Japan and South Korea
The global race for supercomputing power is intensifying as countries and tech giants accelerate the deployment of powerful supercomputers to gain an advantage in the era of generative AI. The U.S. leads the world in computing power, while Taiwan ranks 17th, lagging behind China, Japan, and South Korea. This "arms race" for computing power reflects the notion that "he who controls the computing power, controls the world."
Source: Storm News
https://www.storm.mg/article/5211502
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TSMC and Samsung's different approaches to setting up factories in the US: An analyst reveals 2 key differences - TSMC can't skimp on this cost
TSMC and Samsung have taken different approaches in setting up their US factories. TSMC chose to build a factory in Phoenix, Arizona, but the high costs and talent management challenges have made some skeptical of this decision.
In contrast, Samsung opted to build its factory in Texas, which has better conditions in terms of talent pool and technology ecosystem. Analyst Yang Ying-chao points out that Samsung's site selection in 1996 was more strategic, and it has actively lobbied in Washington DC, giving it an advantage over TSMC in terms of global vision and talent factors. TSMC faces challenges in Phoenix with water, electricity, and labor issues.
Source: Storm News
https://www.storm.mg/article/5210283
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Education Bureau Received 24 Cases, Legislator: Taipei City Government Only Recognized 8 Cases as Sexual Assault
The Taipei City private kindergarten Peinu Mida Xinyi case involving the director's son's alleged sexual assault of children has escalated. Legislator Jian Shu-pei revealed that the prosecutor found over 20 victim children and more than 600 private videos, but the city government only recognized 8 children as actual victims of sexual assault.
Jian criticized the city government for quickly convening a recognition committee that told victims' families there was "insufficient evidence," and for its attempts to shirk responsibility in its progress reports, with the review being mere lip service.
Source: Liberty Times News
https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/4755194?utm_medium=APP&utm_campaign=SHARE&ut m_medium=APP
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International
Hamas Leader Killed! Officially Confirmed: Assassinated in Iranian Capital
Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and one of his bodyguards were assassinated in Tehran, the capital of Iran. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed the incident, stating that Haniyeh and his associate were killed in their residence in Tehran.
Hamas has also acknowledged the incident and accused Israel of being behind the assassination. The details surrounding the time and circumstances of the attack remain unclear.
Source: SETN
https://www.setn.com/News.aspx?NewsID=1507444
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Middle East Situation Risks Spiraling Out of Control - U.S. Urgently Announces Suspension of Flights to Israel
The U.S. has urgently announced the suspension of flights to Israel, signaling the heightened tensions and the potential for the conflict to escalate further in the Middle East. This comes in the wake of the reported assassination of the Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, the capital of Iran. The regional situation has become increasingly volatile, raising concerns about the potential for a wider confrontation in the Middle East.
Source: Yahoo News
https://tw.news.yahoo.com/中東局勢恐失控-美2航空緊急宣布-停飛以色列航班-011645041.html
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Powell Hints Possible Rate Cuts in September, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Post Best Performance Since February
The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged as expected, but signaled progress in taming inflation. This led to a rally in the stock market, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices posting their best single-day performances since February.
Investors also piled back into large tech stocks as chip prices surged. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also gained, though at a more modest pace. Powell suggested the Fed may be prepared to take action if the data continues to indicate that inflation is slowing down.
Source: UDN News
https://udn.com/news/story/6811/8132408