Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group, speaks during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute Priority Asia conference in Tokyo in December. SoftBank Group has halted talks about an acquisition of U.S. data center operator Switch, a setback to founder Masayoshi Son's ambition to roll out Stargate artificial intelligence infrastructure, according to people familiar with the matter. For months, Son pursued a deal of around $50 billion for Switch, convinced that direct control of the latter's network of energy-efficient data centers would help the $500 billion Stargate push to generate computing power for partner OpenAI. But earlier this month, Son conceded that a full acquisition was off the table and scrapped a planned January announcement, the people said, asking not to be named because the matter is private. The two sides remain in active discussions about a partial investment or a partnership, they said. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.

Without much fanfare, robotaxis have been plying the streets of Tokyo. You can't hail one or order one on an app, and when exactly that will be possible remains a mystery. Nihon Kotsu, the old-school Japanese taxi company running the tests with Mountain View, California's Waymo, isn't saying, and analysts are left guessing. What is clear is that 2026 will be a key year if Japan wants to play catch up, said Mai Niizoe, a senior researcher at Sompo Institute Plus, a Tokyo-based think tank. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

Shanghai-based AI startup MiniMax's CEO Yan Junjie (right) and Co-founder and COO Yun Yeyi attend the firm's listing ceremony at the Hong Kong stock exchange on Jan. 9. | AFP-JIJI Hong Kong - Investor confidence in Chinese AI startups is riding high, but obstacles to their long-term success range from U.S. export controls to the puzzle of how to become profitable. This month, two leading players in China's artificial intelligence industry, Zhipu AI and MiniMax, made dazzling debuts on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The pair are part of a wave of rapidly growing Chinese AI tigers spurred by another startup, DeepSeek, whose low-cost AI model, on par with U.S. rivals, stunned the world a year ago. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories.

Musk's Grok created 3 million sexualized images within days, research says The recent rollout of an editing feature on Grok, developed by Elon Musk's startup xAI and integrated into X, allowed users to alter online images of real people with simple text prompts such as put her in a bikini or remove her clothes. WASHINGTON - Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, generated an estimated 3 million sexualized images of women and children in a matter of days, researchers said Thursday, revealing the scale of the explicit content that sparked a global outcry. The recent rollout of an editing feature on Grok, developed by Musk's startup, xAI, and integrated into social media platform X, allowed users to alter online images of real people with simple text prompts such as "put her in a bikini" or "remove her clothes." A flood of lewd deepfakes exploded online, prompting several countries to ban Grok and drawing outrage from regulators and victims. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

SEOUL - South Korea introduced on Thursday what it says is the world's first comprehensive set of laws regulating artificial intelligence, aiming to strengthen trust and safety in the sector, but startups fretted that compliance could hold them back. Seoul is hoping that the new AI Basic Act will position the country as a leader in the field. It has taken effect in South Korea sooner than a comparable effort in Europe, where the EU AI Act is being applied in phases through 2027. Global divisions remain over how to regulate AI, with the U.S. favoring a more light-touch approach to avoid stifling innovation. China has introduced some rules and proposed creating a body to coordinate global regulation. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.

A Mos Food Services employee places an order via a microphone at an artificial intelligence drive-thru facility, which was unveiled to members of the media in Yoshikawa City, Saitama Prefecture, on Wednesday. The Japanese hamburger chain aims to improve store management efficiency by automating part of customer interaction with conversational AI amid a serious labor shortage. The company plans to introduce the new AI system at multiple outlets in fiscal 2026, which begins in April. In a media demonstration held at a store in the city of Yoshikawa, Saitama Prefecture, a Mos Food employee acting as a customer spoke into a microphone to place a drive-thru order. The AI system took the order after making suggestions such as, We recommend a limited-time avocado burger. Once the system is introduced, store employees will prepare food based on customer orders transmitted from the AI system.

Cartoonist Mitsuru Yaku (center) and other executives of Freelance League of Japan announces their survey to reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday. More than one in 10 Japanese manga artists, illustrators and other creators say their income fell over the past year due to generative AI, according to a survey released Tuesday by a freelance advocacy group. According to the Freelance League of Japan, which studies working conditions for independent professionals, 12% of respondents reported a decline in earnings linked to generative AI. That includes 9.3% who said income fell by between 10% to 50%, as well as 2.7% who said their income has dropped by more than 50%. Among those who said their income had fallen, respondents cited being asked to accept shorter deadlines and lower fees on the assumption that AI would be used, or losing commissions altogether as clients opted to rely on generative AI instead. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.