More Japanese companies are incorporating artificial intelligence into their research and development in fields like pharmaceuticals and chemicals where overseas rivals have a head start in using AI to speed up breakthroughs. Astellas Pharma and chemicals group Asahi Kasei are among the companies set to roll out AI-assisted development platforms.

This article is an on-site version of the #techAsia newsletter.sign up here Send newsletter directly to your inbox every Wednesday Hello, Kenji from Tokyo this week is currently undergoing home quarantine for Covid-19. For our big story, there is another scoop about Apple from Nikkei Asia. China's state-owned enterprise has become a supplier of the latest flagship iPhone displays. This shows how advanced China's technology, including artificial intelligence, has advanced, as warned by a former Pentagon chief software officer (Mercedes Top 10). Meanwhile, China is building and diversifying its sources of strategic mineral resources, including lithium, a key component of the world's leading electric vehicle industry (our views, smart data and spotlights).