Overview
- Geoffrey Hinton cautioned that accelerating AI capabilities could meaningfully displace large numbers of jobs as early as 2026, with white‑collar roles increasingly exposed.
- Counterpoint Research projected consumer generative AI spending to climb from $225 billion in 2023 to $699 billion by 2030, driven by AI phones and software such as chatbots and personal assistants.
- AI infrastructure provider Alaya NeW (九章云极) closed a new strategic round led by Beijing public funds to advance accelerated training technologies and expand its inclusive AI compute cloud.
- Meta agreed to acquire AI agent developer Manus, with on‑the‑ground reports showing the Wuhan office largely vacated as core staff relocate to Singapore, where the company says it will continue operating.
- Huawei reported more than 36 million devices on HarmonyOS 5.0 or higher and Honor said 2025 phone shipments in Saudi Arabia topped 2 million, while OnePlus scheduled the Turbo 6 launch for January 8 and leaks suggest an iQOO 15 Ultra debut before Lunar New Year.