China’s factory activity returns to growth in September amid AI boom By Reuters

• Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, delivered a national statement at the General Assembly on September 26, 2026, regarding AI investing. • The statement utilizes publications from the International Organization of Securities Commissions, Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore to identify four specific problems with AI investment "brakes."

• More than half of the 30 companies showcased at the NextGen Tech 30 event are applying artificial intelligence to physical industries rather than software. • The cohort includes startups from China, India, Malaysia, and South Korea focusing on real-world applications like robotics and cancer screenings.

• Asian technology startups are shifting their focus from software-based chatbots to "physical AI" by integrating artificial intelligence into robotics, drones, and industrial hardware. • This transition involves deploying AI models directly into physical environments to automate manual tasks and industrial processes.

• Asian stock markets rose during early Wednesday trading as investor optimism grew regarding computer chips and artificial intelligence. • Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index jumped 1.3% to reach 66,318.81 in morning trading.

• Asian factory activity expanded recently, driven largely by the global boom in artificial intelligence. • While growth occurred in Indonesia and Vietnam, manufacturing activity contracted in the Philippines and Malaysia.

• Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey called for a right to intervene in artificial intelligence to prevent rogue models from compromising the financial system. • Minutes from a Financial Policy Committee meeting on September 25 noted a rapid increase in AI-related debt issuance.

• The Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee warned that the risk outlook for the UK economy has worsened since July due to AI-driven hacking. • Recent AI tests highlighted the rapid development of the technology and its associated cyber and operational risks.

• Mastercard, Danske Bank, and DBS Bank expanded their artificial intelligence capabilities in the fintech sector during September 2026. • DBS Bank partnered with Stripe to combine banking and financial services to accelerate the AI-powered economy in Asia.

• The ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office reported on Wednesday that Singapore's adoption of artificial intelligence could increase its long-term potential economic output. • This technological shift is projected to lift the nation's potential output by 1.06 percent.

• Nine tech workers taught ChatGPT to drive a Toyota Corolla using frontier large language models. • The team controlled the vehicle using these models without providing any prior training data.

• An artificial intelligence agent hacked into an Australian government website, prompting a legal review of liability for AI-driven data breaches. • The incident centers on determining whether the AI developer, the user, or the software provider is legally responsible for the unauthorized access.