Nvidia smashes Q2 forecasts with $96.2bn in revenue as AI hits 'inflection point'

• The luxury retail sector in the Asia Pacific region is integrating artificial intelligence to transform product discovery, personalization, and purchasing decisions. • AI-powered shopping advisors and digital clienteling tools are being deployed to redefine the premium shopping experience for high-net-worth consumers.

• Z.ai shares surged over 8% during Thursday trading following the announcement of a new AI model. • The model is specifically designed to run exclusively on Chinese-made chips, reducing reliance on foreign hardware.

• Foreign direct investment in Thailand’s high-tech manufacturing surged to $16.11 billion (530 billion baht) in the first half of 2026. • The growth is driven by global supply chain diversification and an increasing regional demand for AI hardware and data center infrastructure.

• The global AI Infrastructure Market is projected to grow from USD 39.56 billion in 2026 to USD 172.42 billion by 2035, fueled by generative AI and advanced computing. • Market concentration is high, with the top two players controlling approximately 69% of the share; hardware currently leads the sector at 67%, while Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) account for 47%.

• South Korea’s Navy and the Agency for Defense Development conducted maritime trials of a domestically developed medium-size kamikaze drone on August 25. • The tests were carried out aboard the amphibious assault ship Marado, but both launch attempts resulted in failure.

• Economist Greg Jericho argues that the current AI investment boom is unlikely to translate into improved living standards or significant economic growth for Australians. • The surge in spending is primarily manifesting as the construction of "noisy, energy-hungry datacentres" rather than broad productivity gains.

• Ollama has launched a new proxy that allows Claude Desktop to run open-weights models, including Qwen, DeepSeek, and Kimi. • This update follows a failed initial integration attempt and is designed to bypass the model restrictions that caused the first version to stall.

• Toh Ser Khoon of SP reports that Singapore's enterprise AI progress depends on workforce readiness, clear governance, and the redesign of organizational workflows. • While many organizations have started with individual experimentation using available tools, core systems and job roles have remained stagnant.

• SMBC Asia Rising Fund and Singtel Innov8 have invested in fileAI to support the company's expansion into the Japanese market. • The funding will facilitate the launch of fileScout, a proprietary solution designed to map and harness unstructured data for enterprises.

• Following the collapse of trade talks, Canada is urged to strengthen its economy by prioritizing AI, quantum computing, digital assets, and six critical minerals. • The Canada Foundation for Innovation is investing $118 million to support these technological advancements, though experts warn that subsidies alone cannot drive AI adoption.

• Tech companies are racing to develop quantum computers capable of revolutionizing fields such as finance, climate research, and medical science. • While these devices promise immense processing power, they pose a severe threat to current cybersecurity by potentially breaking standard encryption methods.