A demonstrator operates a humanoid robot during the launch of Galbot's unmanned robot convenience store in Hong Kong on Aug. 31. BEIJING - Humanoid robots working on factory floors, artificial intelligence models challenging global rivals and electric-vehicle plants churning out cars at breathtaking scale are drawing a new wave of foreign visitors to China. Investors and entrepreneurs are paying thousands of dollars for rare access to Chinese factories, seeking a front-row seat to what many believe could be the next technological revolution. The influx reflects mounting fears of a "China shock 2.0," with Western boardrooms and capitals confronting the possibility that Chinese companies are seizing the lead in advanced manufacturing and cutting-edge technologies. 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.

AI boom is testing tech firms' climate pledges A SpaceXAI data center under construction in Southaven, Mississippi, on Aug. 2 | AFP-JIJI Geneva - Technology companies are stepping up their climate commitments but not fast enough to counter rapidly inflating energy needs linked to the artificial intelligence boom, a report said Wednesday. Despite progress in climate reporting and renewable electricity use, tech firms are falling short in cutting emissions at the pace required to achieve global climate targets, the Greening Digital Companies 2026 report found. Published by the U.N.'s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA), a sustainable development organization, the report monitors the emissions and climate commitments of 200 major tech companies worldwide. 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.

U.S. urges hands-off approach to AI regulation at G20 tech meeting Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg speaks via video conference to delegates at the G20 Innovation Ministerial summit, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Tuesday. CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina - The U.S. pressed G20 members on Tuesday to take a hands-off approach to artificial intelligence regulation and avoid creating rules for the technology, at a gathering of industry titans and commerce ministers in North Carolina. The U.S. goals largely align with the thinking of the world's biggest AI companies, nearly all of which are American. They want less regulation around the world for their rapidly growing businesses, or to shape the rules as they are written. Federal government requirements could hurt the industry's profits if they slow the release of new models or prompt the companies to change how their products perform to address security concerns.

Japan's top court to test use of AI in civil trials The Supreme Court has included some ¥60 million for expenses related to the use of AI in its budget request for fiscal 2027. The Supreme Court plans to examine in the next fiscal year whether generative artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in civil trials. On Monday, the top court announced its budget request for fiscal 2027, which included some ¥60 million for expenses related to the use of AI. This is the court's first budget request including such expenses. According to the Supreme Court, records of settled lawsuits will be used in a demonstration test on AI use.

The Consumer Affairs Agency has established a group to use generative artificial intelligence technology to more quickly detect investment scams and other fraudulent schemes. The Consumer Affairs Agency said Tuesday it will step up its fight against investment and other fraud promising lucrative returns by using generative artificial intelligence technology to enhance information analysis. A group established within the agency the same day will utilize the technology to find schemes with similar patterns to past fraud cases and malicious business operators to enable quicker intervention, the agency said, announcing a set of measures against the type of scheme that attracts large amounts of money by promising high returns before eventually collapsing. "Recovery is difficult once the damage (from fraud) is done, so it is important to respond quickly," consumer affairs minister Hitoshi Kikawada told a news conference. The new group will run a generative AI system to analyze cases reported to the National Consumer Affairs Center's information system for consultation, which number about 900,000 annually.

Apple has claimed in a new court filing that OpenAI is destroying evidence and that a former iPhone engineer used confidential Apple material in his work at the company. Apple has escalated its legal battle against OpenAI, claiming in a new court filing that OpenAI is actively destroying crucial evidence and that former iPhone engineer Chang Liu "not only downloaded a confidential Apple circuit schematic but also used it in his work" at the artificial intelligence company. The court brief was filed Monday in support of Apple's motion for expedited pretrial fact-finding in the lawsuit, which accuses the ChatGPT-maker of stealing trade secrets. OpenAI has pushed to have the case dismissed. Liu, who left Apple for OpenAI in January, is central to the case.

Defense Ministry's record ¥8.9 trillion budget request expected to balloon further by year-end Ghost Robotics' Vision 60 quadruped robot joins the Ground Self-Defense Force's 1st Airborne Brigade during an annual New Year military drill at Narashino exercise field in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, in January. The Defense Ministry is seeking another record-breaking budget -- nearly ¥9 trillion ($56 billion) -- but that figure is widely expected to balloon even further as Japan revises its three key national security documents by the year-end. From hypersonic underwater-launched missiles to artificial intelligence for command and control, the ministry's ¥8.9 trillion budget request for fiscal 2027 submitted to the government Monday is chock full of advanced weaponry and tech, but also includes plans for strengthening the ministry's overseas and domestic outreach and a bigger role for the government in the defense sector. The budget request, the final one in a five-year, ¥43 trillion plan, is based on three pillars: preparing for "new ways of warfare" by employing AI and drones, ensuring sustained operational capabilities in a prolonged conflict and strengthening Japan's defense industrial base. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.

China sees opportunity in America's recent AI security scares Software made by OpenAI broke free and hacked into another company's computer systems in July. SEOUL - In the United States, recent episodes of powerful artificial intelligence software breaking free and hacking into other computer systems prompted a wave of anxiety and intense debate about how to guard against the risks of AI. But in China, these incidents and the growing capabilities of AI have not caused the same level of alarm. The government already controls many kinds of technology, including AI. The prevailing attitude in the industry has been that the benefits of AI far outweigh the risks. That was exemplified Friday when Z.ai, a Beijing-based AI startup, made public the details of its latest model.

Recruiters are facing a problem they might have once wished for: Every resume is perfect. Artificial intelligence tools have made it easy to submit a flawless job application, so employers are bringing back traditional techniques to sift through candidates. The advent of AI in generating or editing resumes has left companies flooded with similar applications, according to a number of London-based recruiters. That's pushing employers to rely on methods such as live tests, networking and recommendations to evaluate potential hires. "Networking has always been important. It's now absolutely crucial," said Zoe McLoughlin, executive director at London Business School's career center.

'We're alive': Kyiv-area survivor recalls Russian strike that killed 38 A firefighter works at the site of a Russian drone attack in the Kyiv region of Ukraine on Saturday. MYLA, Ukraine - Glass crackles as Liudmyla Polianychko walks through her shattered home outside Kyiv, where a Russian drone strike on an ammunition depot on Friday sparked blasts that killed 38 people and ravaged her neighborhood. Debris littered her young daughter's bedroom. Charred artillery shells and belts of ammunition lie scattered across her carefully manicured lawn. "But we're alive, and thank god for that," said the 48-year-old entrepreneur. Polianychko was still cleaning up on Sunday after the deadliest Russian strike of the year, whose devastating effects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed on official negligence.