First they came for the lawyers, then the runners
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First they came for the lawyers, then they came for the runners
Welcome to Computing's weekly roundup of tech news in Asia. This time we look at giant sporting steps taken by Asian robots, Infosys’ shares slide, and Singapore’s efforts to standardise AI governance.
In the space of a few days, robots have crossed two sporting milestones that underline how quickly “physical AI” is advancing beyond the lab. In Beijing, a bipedal humanoid robot completed a half marathon in just over 50 minutes. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, a robot built by Sony outplayed elite human table tennis players.
In the Chinese race, a robot named Flash, created by smartphone maker Honor, finished the 13-mile course in less than 51 minutes - easily beating the human world record (57:20). Humans may take some small comfort in that it did so under remote control rather than being fully autonomous. Nevertheless, compared with last year’s event, when most robots fell over or veered off course, with the winner taking more than two and a half hours to finish, the improvements are clear.
In more bad news for sporting folks, researchers at Sony AI revealed that their table tennis robot, Ace, had beaten elite players in a series of matches. Equipped with high‑speed vision sensors and trained through reinforcement learning, the robot was able to respond to spin, smashes, slices, and chops at high speed, adjusting its tactics and gameplay in real time. This is something that’s very difficult for machines because of the demands on perception and motor control.
AI has been moving into white collar work like law, finance and programming, and now it’s entering the field of sports too. Ah well, there’s still plumbing - for now.
Australia
Datacentre operator NEXTDC has announced a A$2.2 billion capital plan to expand its infrastructure and support growing demand for cloud and digital services. Source
Meanwhile Microsoft is to invest $18 billion in Australia to expand its AI and cloud computing capabilities, one of the largest tech investments in the country’s history. Source
The Australian government is working with Anthropic to address its cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Source
A group representing technology companies has criticised the effectiveness of Australia’s social media ban for under-16s, noting inadequate platform checks and enforcement. Source
Australian authorities have requested Roblox and Minecraft to provide detailed information on their child safety measures. Source
China
A bipedal humanoid robot completed a half marathon in China in under 51 minutes, highlighting significant progress in the country's physical AI sector. Source
China is deploying robot dogs and drones for various applications across the Asia-Pacific. Source
DeepSeek has launched a preview of a new model designed to work with Huawei chips. Source
Huawei has launched the Pura X Max, its latest flagship smartphone, with new features and competitive pricing aimed at the premium market. Source
China's solar panel exports to Africa surged in 2025 as the country extends its leadership in the global renewable energy supply chains. Source
ByteDance’s profit dropped by over 70% as the company increased its investment in artificial intelligence, signalling a major strategic shift for the TikTok owner. Source
Researchers have discovered 26 malicious apps on China’s Apple App Store that impersonate popular crypto wallets to steal users’ recovery phrases and drain their cryptocurrency assets. Source
A China-linked group known as GopherWhisper has infected 12 Mongolian government systems with backdoors, using legitimate services for command-and-control and exfiltration. Source
Chinese hackers inadvertently exposed their operations by hardcoding credentials into backdoors, making it easier for security researchers to track and neutralise their activities. Source
Cybersecurity firm 360 in China is using artificial intelligence to hunt for software vulnerabilities, mirroring approaches by the likes of Anthropic. Source
China is investing in data centres in space, aiming to support its growing digital economy and reduce reliance on terrestrial infrastructure. Source
India
Infosys shares fell to their lowest level in three years after the IT and services giant forecast disappointing fiscal 2027 revenue growth. Source
HCLTech reported a 3.9% rise in revenue for FY26, driven by increased demand for advanced AI solutions across its service portfolio. Source
Tech Mahindra surpassed Q4 revenue expectations, with sales for the quarter up 12.6% year-on-year. Source
Apple has failed submitted information to India's antitrust body after an investigation found it abused its dominant position in the iPhone apps market. Apple could be fined up to $38 billion if it loses the case. Source
AI startup Sarvam is in talks with Glade Brook for a funding round that could value the company at $1.5 billion, highlighting continued investor interest in India’s AI sector. Source
The Election Commission of India has mandated a three-hour takedown rule for AI-generated fake content during elections, aiming to curb misinformation swiftly. Source
The state of Odisha has launched a glass substrate packaging unit by 3D Glass Solutions at the Info Valley in Khorda. Source
Fintech firm Groww reported an 87% surge in operating revenue to Rs1,505 crore ($160 million) for Q4 FY26, with net profit more than doubling to Rs686 crore, reflecting strong growth in its financial technology platform. Source
Japan
An AI-powered robot built by Sony AI has achieved a milestone by defeating elite table tennis players. Source
A local government in Japan is offering subsidies on dating apps to try to boost the birth rate. Source
Japan is to set up a task force to address cybersecurity risks in the finance sector amid worries about Anthropic's Mythos Preview. Source
Singapore
Singapore is leading new global efforts for AI testing and standardisation, proposing frameworks to foster trusted GenAI development and international consensus on governance. Source
The Monetary Authority of Singapore has said it's working with the country’s cyber agency to help banks strengthen defences, amid concerns over Anthropic’s Mythos model. Source
MAS said financial institutions should close vulnerabilities, patch systems quickly, and tighten cyber hygiene.
Neptune Robotics, based in Singapore, plans to invest $12 million in a new factory, aiming to expand its production capacity for marine robotics. Source
South Korea
Up to 40,000 unionised workers at Samsung have been protesting over pay, saying it compares poorly with that at SK Hynix. Source
A former Samsung researcher has been jailed for leaking advanced chip technology to Chinese entities. Source
SK Hynix’s AI-driven memory chip boom has led the company to pay a $477,000 bonus to each employee, reflecting the surge in demand for advanced memory solutions. Source
SK Hynix has started mass production of its latest HBM3E memory chips, targeting the growing demand for high-performance memory in AI and data centre applications. Source
SK Hynix will invest about $13 billion in a new South Korean plant to boost production of AI memory chips in response to rising global demand. Source
SK Hynix has also started construction on a $4 billion advanced memory packaging facility in Indiana, USA, to manufacture and test high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI accelerators. Source
US Republicans have criticised the Korean government for alleged discrimination against Coupang and other American firms. Source
Hyundai's CEO reports that high petrol prices, driven by the war with Iran, have contributed to a 40% increase in US EV sales between February and March. Source
Elsewhere in Asia
Indonesia: The Communication Ministry is investigating a potential data breach in the IGRS game rating system, raising concerns about user privacy and digital security. Source
Malaysia: Malaysia’s rare earths sector is drawing renewed attention as China’s influence grows, with Japanese and Chinese interests competing for access and investment. Source
North Korea: North Korean hackers are blamed for a $290 million cryptocurrency theft in the latest of the country’s activities targeting global financial assets. Source
Sri Lanka: Hackers infiltrated Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance, diverting nearly $2.5 million intended for foreign debt repayment, prompting an official investigation. Source
Taiwan: TSMC, the world's largest semiconductor contract manufacturing company, plans to mass-produce 1.4-nanometer process semiconductors starting in 2028. Source
Vietnam: Huawei has signed a deal with Vietnamese bank SHB to expand its presence in Vietnam, focusing on digital banking and technology collaboration. Source
