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Hexagon unveils AEON humanoid robot powered by NVIDIA to build industrial digital twins

As industries struggle to fill 50 million job vacancies globally, Hexagon has unveiled AEON — a humanoid robot developed in collaboration with NVIDIA — to tackle labour shortages in manufacturing, logistics and beyond.

AEON can perform complex tasks like reality capture, asset inspection and machine operation, thanks to its integration with NVIDIA’s full-stack robotics platform.

By simulating skills using NVIDIA Isaac Sim and training in Isaac Lab, AEON drastically reduced its development time, mastering locomotion in weeks instead of months.

The robot is built using NVIDIA’s trio of AI systems, combining simulation with onboard intelligence powered by Jetson Orin and IGX Thor for real-time navigation and safe collaboration.

AEON will be deployed in factories and warehouses, scanning environments to build high-fidelity digital twins through Hexagon’s cloud-based Reality Cloud Studio and NVIDIA Omniverse.

Hexagon believes AEON can bring digital twins into mainstream use, streamlining industrial workflows through advanced sensor fusion and simulation-first AI. The company is also leveraging synthetic motion data to accelerate robot learning, pushing the boundaries of physical AI for real-world applications.

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China’s robotics industry set to double by 2028, led by drones and humanoid robots

China’s robotics industry is on course to double in size by 2028, with Morgan Stanley projecting market growth from US$47 billion in 2024 to US$108 billion.

With an annual expansion rate of 23 percent, the country is expected to strengthen its leadership in this fast-evolving field. Analysts credit China’s drive for innovation and cost efficiency as key to advancing next-generation robotics.

A cornerstone of the ‘Made in China 2025’ initiative, robotics is central to the nation’s goal of dominating global high-tech industries. Last year, China accounted for 40 percent of the worldwide robotics market and over half of all industrial robot installations.

Recent data shows industrial robot production surged 35.5 percent in May, while service robot output climbed nearly 14 percent.

Morgan Stanley anticipates drones will remain China’s largest robotics segment, set to grow from US$19 billion to US$40 billion by 2028.

Meanwhile, the humanoid robot sector is expected to see an annual growth rate of 63 percent, expanding from US$300 million in 2025 to US$3.4 billion by 2030. By 2050, China could be home to 302 million humanoid robots, making up 30 percent of the global population.

The researchers describe 2025 as a milestone year, marking the start of mass humanoid robot production.

They emphasise that automation is already reshaping China’s manufacturing industry, boosting productivity and quality instead of simply replacing workers and setting the stage for a brighter industrial future.

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Trump unveils gold smartphone and new 5G wireless service

US President Donald Trump and his sons have launched a mobile phone service called Trump Mobile 5G, alongside plans to release a gold-coloured smartphone branded with the Trump name.

The service is being offered through partnerships with all three major US mobile networks, though they are not named directly.

The monthly plan, known as the ’47 Plan’, costs $47.45- referencing Trump’s position as the 45th and 47th president. Customers can join their current Android or iPhone devices, either with a physical SIM or an eSIM.

A new Trump-branded Android device, the T1, will launch in September. Priced at $499, it comes with Android 15, a 6.8-inch screen and biometric features like fingerprint scanning and AI facial recognition.

At a press event in New York, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump introduced the initiative, saying it would combine high-quality service with an ‘America First’ approach.

They emphasised that the company is US-based, including its round-the-clock customer service, which promises real human support instead of automated systems.

While some critics may see the move as political branding, the Trump Organisation framed it as a business venture.

The company has already earned hundreds of millions from Trump-branded consumer goods. As with other mobile providers, the new service will fall under the regulatory oversight of the Federal Communications Commission, led by a Trump-appointed chair.

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G7 trip could shift political balance for President Lee

President Lee Jae-myung is making his first major diplomatic appearance at the G7 summit in Canada, just two weeks into office. The trip marks a reset of South Korea’s foreign policy, focusing on pragmatic diplomacy prioritising national interest.

Officials say the visit aims to restart high-level talks after six months of stagnation, and could include a pivotal meeting with US President Donald Trump. Trade tensions, defence costs and the future of US troops in South Korea are expected to dominate any bilateral agenda.

Lee is also preparing for potential talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba as his administration tests its strategy amid rising US-China rivalry. A trilateral summit is considered, adding further weight to this diplomatic debut.

The summit’s outcome could influence Lee’s political standing at home, where leaders have often used foreign success to strengthen domestic reforms. However, failure to secure tangible results could expose the new administration to early criticism.

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Nvidia’s sovereign AI vision gains EU support

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s call for ‘sovereign AI’ is gaining traction among European leaders who want more control over their data and digital future. He argues that nations must develop AI rooted in their own language, culture and infrastructure.

During a recent European tour, Huang unveiled major partnerships and investments European cities, citing the region’s over-reliance on US tech firms. European officials echoed his concerns, with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz supporting national AI initiatives.

The EU plans to build four AI gigafactories, aiming to reduce dependence on US cloud giants and strengthen regional innovation. Nvidia has committed to providing chips for these projects, while startups like Mistral are working to become local leaders in AI development.

Despite enthusiasm, high energy costs and limited resources may hinder Europe’s progress. Industry voices warn that without sustained investment, the region could struggle to match the spending power of US hyperscalers.

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OpenAI turns to Google Cloud in shift from solo AI race

OpenAI has entered into an unexpected partnership with Google, using Google Cloud to support its growing AI infrastructure needs.

Despite being fierce competitors in AI, the two tech giants recognise that long-term success may require collaboration instead of isolation.

As the demand for high-performance hardware soars, traditional rivals join forces to keep pace. OpenAI, previously backed heavily by Microsoft, now draws from Google’s vast cloud resources, hinting at a changing attitude in the AI race.

Rather than going it alone, firms may benefit more by leveraging each other’s strengths to accelerate development.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai, speaking on a podcast, suggested there is room for multiple winners in the AI sector. He even noted that a major competitor had ‘invited me to a dance’, underscoring a new phase of pragmatic cooperation.

While Google still faces threats to its search dominance from tools like ChatGPT, business incentives may override rivalry.

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Taiwan tightens rules on chip shipments to China

Taiwan has officially banned the export of chips and chiplets to China’s Huawei and SMIC, joining the US in tightening restrictions on advanced semiconductor transfers.

The decision follows reports that TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, was unknowingly misled into supplying chiplets used in Huawei’s Ascend 910B AI accelerator. The US Commerce Department had reportedly considered a fine of over $1 billion against TSMC for that incident.

Taiwan’s new rules aim to prevent further breaches by requiring export permits for any transactions with Huawei or SMIC.

The distinction between chips and chiplets is key to the case. Traditional chips are built as single-die monoliths using the same process node, while chiplets are modular and can combine various specialised components, such as CPU or AI cores.

Huawei allegedly used shell companies to acquire chiplets from TSMC, bypassing existing US restrictions. If TSMC had known the true customer, it likely would have withheld the order. Taiwan’s new export controls are designed to ensure stricter oversight of future transactions and prevent repeat deceptions.

The broader geopolitical stakes are clear. Taiwan views the transfer of advanced chips to China as a national security threat, given Beijing’s ambitions to reunify with Taiwan and the potential militarisation of high-end semiconductors.

With Huawei claiming its processors are nearly on par with Western chips—though analysts argue they lag two to three generations behind—the export ban could further isolate China’s chipmakers.

Speculation persists that Taiwan’s move was partly influenced by negotiations with the US to avoid the proposed fine on TSMC, bringing both countries into closer alignment on chip sanctions.

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Coreweave expands AI infrastructure with Google tie‑up

CoreWeave has secured a pivotal role in Google Cloud’s new infrastructure partnership with OpenAI. The specialist GPU cloud provider will supply Nvidia‑based compute resources to Google, which will allocate them to OpenAI to support the rising demand for services like ChatGPT.

Already under a $11.9 billion, five‑year contract with OpenAI and backed by a $350 million equity investment, CoreWeave recently expanded the deal by another. 

Adding Google Cloud as a customer helps the company diversify beyond Microsoft, its top client in 2024.

The arrangement positions Google as a neutral provider of AI computing power amid fierce competition with Amazon and Microsoft.

CoreWeave’s stock has surged over 270 percent since its March IPO, illustrating investor confidence in its expanding role in the AI infrastructure boom.

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Meta hires top AI talent from Google and Sesame

Meta is assembling a new elite AI research team aimed at developing artificial general intelligence (AGI), luring top talent from rivals including Google and AI voice startup Sesame.

Among the high-profile recruits is Jack Rae, a principal researcher from Google DeepMind, and Johan Schalkwyk, a machine learning lead from Sesame.

Meta is also close to finalising a multibillion-dollar investment in Scale AI, a data-labelling startup led by CEO Alexandr Wang, who is also expected to join the new initiative.

The new group, referred to internally as the ‘superintelligence’ team, is central to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plan to close the gap with competitors like Google and OpenAI.

Following disappointment over Meta’s recent AI model, Llama 4, Zuckerberg hopes the newly acquired expertise will help improve future models and expand AI capabilities in areas like voice and personalisation.

Zuckerberg has taken a hands-on approach, personally recruiting engineers and researchers, sometimes meeting with them at his homes in California. Meta is reportedly offering compensation packages worth tens of millions of dollars, including equity, to attract leading AI talent.

The company aims to hire around 50 people for the team and is also seeking a chief scientist to help lead the effort.

The broader strategy involves investing heavily in data, chips, and human expertise — three pillars of advanced AI development. By partnering with Scale AI and recruiting high-profile researchers, Meta is trying to strengthen its position in the AI race.

Meanwhile, rivals like Google are reinforcing their defences, with Koray Kavukcuoglu named as chief AI architect in a new senior leadership role to ensure DeepMind’s technologies are more tightly integrated into Google’s products.

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Apple brings AI tools to apps and Siri

Apple is rolling out Apple Intelligence, its generative AI platform, across popular apps including Messages, Mail, and Notes. Introduced in late 2024 and expanded in 2025, the platform blends text and image generation, redesigned Siri features, and integrations with ChatGPT.

The AI-enhanced Siri can now edit photos, summarise content, and interact across apps with contextual awareness. Writing tools offer grammar suggestions, tone adjustments, and content generation, while image tools allow for Genmoji creation and prompt-based visuals via the Image Playground app.

Unlike competitors, Apple uses on-device processing for many tasks, prioritising privacy. More complex queries are sent to its Private Cloud Compute system running on Apple Silicon, with a visible fallback if offline. Additional features like Visual Intelligence and Live Translation are expected later in 2025.

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