Issue #67 of Data+AI in Asia

Welcome to this week’s Data+AI in Asia! In this edition, we explore how TSMC raises its 2025 revenue forecasts on AI optimism, Indonesia is poised to host Asia’s first quantum AI data center, Nvidia resumes sales of H20 chips to China, a new AIoT platform is being built in Thailand, Hong Kong researchers use AI to cut X-ray radiation by up to 99%, Xpeng Aeroht raises US$250 million, and social media in the Philippines is flooded by AI-generated fake news and disinformation.

Enjoy!

This week in Data+AI in Asia:

• Taiwan’s TSMC Raises 2025 Forecast as AI Optimism Persists

• Indonesia Poised to Host Asia’s First Quantum AI Data Center

• Nvidia Will Resume Sales of H20 Chip to China

• Thailand’s TESA and Infineon to Create New AIoT Platform

• Hong Kong Researchers Claim Up to 99% X-Ray Radiation Cut with the Help of AI

• China’s Xpeng Aeroht Secures US$250m in Series B Funding

• Philippine Social Media Flooded by AI-Generated Fake Content and Disinformation

Taiwan’s TSMC Raises 2025 Forecast as AI Optimism Persists

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has increased its forecast for 2025 revenue growth, boosting investor confidence in the global AI spending spree. The company predicts sales growth of approximately 30% in US dollar terms this year, up from a mid-20% rate previously. This reinforces expectations that tech firms like Meta Platforms and Google will continue spending on building data centers essential to AI development. TSMC's move underscores the resilient demand for high-end chips from companies like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, which is outpacing its production capacity. The company's CEO C.C. Wei affirmed that AI orders continued to run hot, dispelling speculation that tech firms may curtail spending. The company's outlook was not affected by news of the US granting Nvidia licenses to export its H20 AI chip to China. TSMC's forecast was upgraded after reporting a better-than-expected 61% jump in net income for the June quarter to NT$398.3 billion (US$13.5 billion). The company plans to spend between US$38 billion and US$42 billion on upgrading and expanding capacity in 2025. Additionally, it has already announced plans to invest US$100 billion in manufacturing in the US, Japan, Germany, and Taiwan.

Read more here (paywall)

And here (paywall)

Indonesia Poised to Host Asia’s First Quantum AI Data Center

Indonesia is set to become the first Asian country to house a Quantum AI Data Center, following a partnership between Silicon Valley-based Worldvuer iByond Limited and Tunas Prima Industrial Estate. The collaboration was signed in Jakarta on July 9, 2025, and is expected to bring in US$400 million (Rp6 trillion) in investment. The Quantum AI Data Center will be built in Tunas Prima, a green industrial estate in Batam, Riau Islands, which already features renewable energy infrastructure and an Apple component factory for AirTags. Worldvuer iByond is the developer of the Vovea iByond Operating System, which integrates cutting-edge technologies like quantum computing, AI, and big data analytics. It achieves processing speeds and capacities far beyond those of regular data centers. The company is also exploring partnerships in the energy sector, such as working with Telkom Group and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Application in telecommunications technology. Indonesia is set to become the first Asian base for quantum AI technology, following its initial development in Silicon Valley and the Middle East.

Read more here

And here

Nvidia Will Resume Sales of H20 Chip to China

Nvidia plans to sell a made-for-China computer chip to customers in China, as its founder and CEO Jensen Huang visits the country for his third visit this year. The US government has assured Nvidia that licenses will be granted for exporting the H20 chip, a less powerful product than Nvidia's gold-standard acceleration chip. Nvidia began selling the H20 to Chinese customers in 2024, after the US government banned it from selling its more advanced AI chips, including A100, H100, A800, and H800. Nvidia also plans to release a new, fully compliant RTX PRO graphics processing unit (GPU) for China, ideal for digital twin AI for smart factories and logistics. This resumption of sales is a boon for Nvidia as it gains access to one of the largest investors in AI, where funding could grow 48% this year to $98 billion. Huang met with government and industry officials at the International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing, where he commended the nation's progress in AI and the technology supply chain. The H20 chip, which costs between US$12,000 and US$15,000 for each card, has been used by Chinese technology giants such as TikTok's owner ByteDance, Tencent Holdings, and Alibaba Group Holding in their AI development.

Read more here (paywall)

Thailand’s TESA and Infineon to Create New AIoT Platform

Infineon Technologies has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Thai Embedded Systems Association (TESA) to establish a National Secure Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) platform. The partnership aims to help Thailand shift its focus from traditional manufacturing to fostering innovation and intellectual property, including AIoT startups. The global semiconductor market is projected to be worth US$200 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11%. Thailand's large population and significant agricultural sector make it well-positioned to capitalize on these opportunities. The goal is for the National Secure AIoT platform to drive the development of high-value smart electronics that adhere to the latest cybersecurity standards, thereby benefiting crucial industries in Thailand's digital transformation. The partnership will also work closely with local startups and academia, fostering knowledge exchange and innovation that aligns with the national vision for a technologically advanced future. The National Secure AIoT platform will serve as the foundational infrastructure for various platform services, directly benefiting key industries that have a significant impact on Thailand, ASEAN, and the global market.

Read more here

Hong Kong Researchers Claim Up to 99% X-Ray Radiation Cut with the Help of AI

Researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have developed AI technology that generates 3D bone and organ models for implants from X-ray images, reducing patients' radiation exposure by up to 99% compared to computed tomography (CT) scans. The technology, which has an average surface distance error of less than one millimeter, is expected to be adopted in the city's public healthcare system, leading to substantial cost savings and shorter wait times for generating 3D medical models. Currently, medical professionals rely on CT scans to produce 3D models of bones and organs for patients, but this conventional method emits high levels of radiation, posing potential risks to vulnerable groups. The AI-driven technology can upload two to four X-ray images to a platform to generate a 3D bone model in under 30 seconds, thereby cutting radiation exposure by 95 to 99%. The technology could also be applied to teeth and lung imaging.

Read more here (paywall)

China’s Xpeng Aeroht Secures US$250m in Series B Funding

Xpeng Aeroht, a subsidiary of Xpeng, announced on July 15 that it has completed a US$250 million Series B financing to advance its flying car products. The company aims to become a global leader in low-altitude mobility, developing core technologies to build safe and intelligent flying vehicles. The latest funding follows a US$150 million Series B1 round in August 2024, and a $500 million Series A round in October 2021. Xpeng has raised over $750 million so far. The company has developed a comprehensive in-house R&D capability for its flying cars, encompassing areas such as powertrain systems, composite materials, flight control, navigation, and aerial intelligence. In September 2024, Xpeng Aeroht officially launched the world's first production-ready modular flying car, the Land Aircraft Carrier. The model has received regulatory approval and is fast-tracked for mass production, with deliveries expected in 2026.

Read more here

And here

Philippine Social Media Flooded by AI-Generated Fake Content and Disinformation

An in-depth article in the South China Morning Post discusses how an outpouring of doctored posts and AI-generated deepfakes is flooding Philippine social media, reinforcing partisan loyalties and exploiting the country's political divide. The polarized political climate, low digital literacy, and eroding institutional trust create a "perfect storm" for false narratives to thrive, especially those generated by AI. The Philippines' polarized political environment, combined with low digital literacy and diminishing institutional trust, has set the stage for the proliferation of false narratives. One recent high-profile case involved a falsified Beverly Hills police report linking First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos to the March death of Filipino retail scion Paolo Tantoco in Los Angeles. Philippine Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro dismissed the document as fabricated, citing the Philippine consulate in Los Angeles verifying that it had been "altered". Fact-checking network Tsek.ph found that nearly one-third of 35 disinformation claims during the country's May midterm election involved AI-generated deepfakes impersonating public figures or distorting reality. The Philippines is struggling with a growing problem of false information, particularly AI-generated, which is influencing political discourse. The decline in trust in traditional information gatekeepers has made Filipinos more vulnerable to disinformation, with 67% expressing concern over online misinformation and disinformation. The survey revealed that 55% viewed political actors as the main sources of falsehoods, followed by social media influencers at 48%. Concern about journalists stood at 37%, five points higher than the global average. While AI-generated content does not directly influence political beliefs, it plays a critical role in reinforcing them. OpenAI has banned ChatGPT accounts originating from the Philippines that used its platform to generate thousands of social media comments praising Marcos.

Read more here (paywall)