Amid growing geopolitical tensions, Rick Tsai, CEO of Taiwan’s top chip designer MediaTek, emphasised the company’s commitment to regulatory compliance in a recent earnings call. Tsai acknowledged the complex challenges posed by international relations but reassured stakeholders that MediaTek’s strong compliance program is designed to uphold ethical standards across diverse markets. He added that the company “will not do, shall we say, strange things” and is focused on protecting shareholder interests.
Taiwan, home to leading semiconductor firms like MediaTek and TSMC, plays a pivotal role in the global tech landscape, supplying major players in AI, including Nvidia. However, the tech sector faces rising pressures as Taiwan grapples with increasing military threats from China, which claims the island as its territory. Additionally, the upcoming US presidential election adds uncertainty; candidate Donald Trump has criticised Taiwan’s impact on the US chip market, proposing tariffs on imports and suggesting greater restrictions on international tech firms.
MediaTek, a TSMC customer, also contends with existing US limits on partnerships with Chinese tech companies such as Huawei. Recently, TSMC suspended shipments to a client after finding a chip intended for a different product had reached Huawei. Despite these challenges, MediaTek’s stock has risen by 27% this year, reflecting investor confidence in Taiwan’s enduring role within the tech industry.
AMD’s shares dropped 8% on Wednesday as the chip giant’s revenue forecast fell short of investor hopes, despite strong gains from the AI-driven chip boom. The forecast suggests AMD’s AI chip sales could hit $5 billion by 2025, but CEO Lisa Su warned that production would struggle to meet demand, likely tightening supply through next year. This cautious outlook could see AMD lose up to $20 billion in market value, underscoring investor concerns.
Analysts noted that while AMD’s AI performance is promising, demand may outpace supply, raising risk for the company’s growth prospects. Stacy Rasgon of Bernstein observed that for an “AI name” like AMD, even modest guidance could raise eyebrows, especially with expectations for business “lumpiness” through 2025. Unlike AMD, Nvidia—a key AI chip competitor—showed little market impact, reflecting investor confidence in its supply stability.
AMD’s stock, up nearly 156% since late 2022, is now trading at around 32 times its forward earnings, slightly lower than Nvidia’s 36 times. Despite the recent dip, analysts still see upside potential, with the median target price set at $187.50, or about 13% above AMD’s last close.
OpenAI is collaborating with Broadcom and TSMC to develop its first custom-designed chip, while supplementing its infrastructure with AMD chips alongside those from Nvidia to meet high computing demands. OpenAI initially considered establishing its own chip-manufacturing network but set the idea aside due to costs and time requirements. Instead, the company is focused on partnerships and in-house chip design to reduce costs, similar to strategies from industry giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.
Broadcom’s stock rose 4.5% following news of the collaboration, while AMD shares gained 3.7%. The partnership will leverage Broadcom’s experience in fine-tuning chip designs for manufacturing and secure production capacity with TSMC, aiming for the first in-house chips by 2026. OpenAI’s increased use of AMD chips on Microsoft’s Azure platform underscores the growing competition Nvidia faces in the AI chip market, where it currently holds over 80% market share.
With soaring expenses from training and deploying models, OpenAI is seeking to streamline operations and cut compute costs. Nvidia remains an essential partner for OpenAI’s advanced Blackwell GPUs, even as OpenAI expands its chip sourcing to support more affordable, efficient AI development.
ProFuturo and American Tower are expanding their digital education initiative to Nigeria, building on the success of a program initially launched in Kenya. The expansion aims to provide nearly 30,000 students in vulnerable communities across Africa and Latin America access to digital learning opportunities, addressing significant educational inequalities.
Central to this initiative is the training and empowerment of over 1,000 teachers, who will receive essential digital resources and innovative teaching methods to integrate technology into their classrooms effectively. By equipping educators with these tools, the collaboration seeks to bridge the digital divide, ensuring that underserved regions have access to the same educational resources as urban areas.
The partnership aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in promoting quality education and reducing inequalities while also aiming to reduce poverty and inequality within local communities. Additionally, American Tower’s Digital Communities initiative will establish technology-driven spaces that promote digital literacy, vocational training, and healthcare access, serving as vital hubs for learning and development.
Looking ahead to 2030, the partnership aspires to create lasting change, ensuring that all children can succeed in the digital economy and laying the groundwork for a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape in Nigeria and beyond.
Kenya partners with Google to enhance its digital infrastructure and empower its citizens in the evolving digital economy. The collaboration aims to create a robust digital ecosystem that meets current technological needs while anticipating future demands.
Kenya seeks to empower decision-makers with real-time insights by utilising AI and data-driven technologies, enhancing operational efficiency and facilitating effective governance. A key focus of the partnership is revitalising the tourism sector through Google’s technology, attracting more international visitors and showcasing the country’s unique landscapes, wildlife, and cultural heritage.
Additionally, prioritising cybersecurity measures is critical to building trust among citizens and ensuring a secure digital environment. The initiative will also promote skills training to equip Kenyans with essential digital competencies, fostering innovation and creativity while contributing to the overall growth of the nation’s economy.
Through this partnership, Kenya addresses immediate technological needs and lays a foundation for sustainable development in the digital space. By enhancing digital literacy and integrating advanced technologies, the collaboration positions Kenya as a leader in the region’s technological landscape.
Why does it matter?
The comprehensive approach ensures that as the digital economy expands, citizens are well-prepared to navigate the challenges and opportunities that arise, ultimately driving growth and resilience in the face of rapid technological advancements.
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, Ashton Kutcher, co-founder of Sound Ventures, shared his belief that every company will eventually incorporate AI, though he doubts there will be a single “winner” in the space. Kutcher emphasised the transformative potential of foundational AI models, which he views as essential to future innovation across industries. “There will not be a company in the world that is not, in some way, using AI,” he noted, adding that foundational companies in AI could become some of the most valuable in history.
Kutcher, alongside Sound co-founders Guy Oseary and Effie Epstein, explained that Sound Ventures is betting heavily on AI, with a $265 million fund backing major AI firms like OpenAI and Anthropic. Kutcher also shared that OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, supported Sound’s multi-company AI investments, with the firm carefully maintaining confidentiality across its portfolio.
While some are apprehensive about AI’s rapid growth, Kutcher compared the technology’s potential impact to transformative past innovations like personal computers and cars. Advising founders, he highlighted the importance of strong teams over polished pitch decks, noting that real value lies in people, market insight, and breakthrough ideas.
Google has extended its AI Overviews in Search to more than 100 countries and territories. Initially launched in the US in May, the feature provides summarised snapshots at the top of search results. It now serves over one billion users globally each month.
The expanded rollout introduces more language options, including English, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. Google aims to enhance the usability of the tool, offering new features like in-line links, which improve website traffic by embedding source links directly within the text.
AI Overviews are also playing a role in the company’s advertising strategy. Ads will now appear within the AI-generated summaries for mobile users in the US, marking a new direction for Google’s ad business by integrating advertising more seamlessly.
Despite some challenges at launch, including incorrect information that raised concerns, Google has made significant improvements. Fine-tuning efforts are ongoing, and the feature has also been introduced to Google Shopping, further expanding its presence across the platform.
Nigerian fintech company Moniepoint has raised $110 million in new funding, backed by investors like Google, to expand digital payments and banking services across Africa. Since its 2015 inception as a payment infrastructure provider for banks, Moniepoint has grown to offer personal banking services, becoming a major player in Nigeria’s rapidly growing fintech market.
The funding round, supported by existing investors such as Development Partners International and Lightrock, and new entrants Google’s Africa Investment Fund and Verod Capital, values Moniepoint above $1 billion, marking its entry into “unicorn” status. The company plans to use the funds to develop an integrated business platform offering digital payments, banking, credit, and business management tools.
With a customer base in Nigeria‘s vast, underserved financial market, Moniepoint says it processes over 800 million transactions each month, valued at more than $17 billion. This new funding will help accelerate its mission to provide accessible financial solutions across Africa.
Intel is expected to report its largest revenue drop in five quarters, signalling a possible decline in its market position in data centres and personal computers. CEO Pat Gelsinger faces mounting pressure from shareholders to revive Intel’s status as a leading chipmaker, especially as rivals like AMD capitalise on the surging demand for AI-driven chips. Wall Street analysts anticipate an 8% revenue decline to $13.02 billion, highlighting the urgency for Intel to advance its manufacturing technology and regain competitiveness.
Despite recent moves, including job cuts and securing a chipmaking contract with Amazon, investors remain sceptical. Intel’s market value has fallen below $100 billion, and its stock is down over 50% this year. Calls are growing for Intel to spin off its struggling foundry business, which posted a significant operating loss of $2.55 billion due to high production costs. This manufacturing segment is often blamed for Intel’s weakened gross margins, which are expected to dip to 37.9%.
Intel’s struggles are compounded by a 17% decline in data centre revenue, the company’s 10th straight quarterly drop. Meanwhile, AMD has gained momentum, with its data centre revenue projected to double due to its AI-focused chips. With half of the analysts covering Intel lowering their revenue forecasts, expectations are already low, leaving investors hoping for a strategic turnaround in Intel’s business model.
India‘s Jio Payment Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Group under Jio Financial Services, has received the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval to operate as an online payment aggregator. Effective from 28 October, the approval allows Jio Payment Solutions to facilitate a wide range of digital transactions, including credit and debit cards, bank transfers, e-wallets, and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments, among others. This step positions Jio Payment Solutions as a key player in India’s fast-growing digital payments market, where convenience and a broad array of transaction methods are in high demand.
As a payment aggregator, Jio Payment Solutions will act as an intermediary for businesses, allowing them to accept various forms of online payments from customers, streamlining financial transactions across multiple platforms. This role will enhance Jio Financial Services’ influence in the financial technology sector, as payment aggregators serve as essential infrastructure for online businesses, bridging the gap between consumers and businesses.
The approval highlights a new phase for Jio Financial, which was spun off from Reliance Group last year with ambitions to expand its reach in India’s financial services industry. As India’s digital economy grows, the entry of Jio Payment Solutions into the payment aggregator space could enhance accessibility to digital payments and strengthen Reliance’s financial arm in a market where online payment solutions are in increasing demand.
