Global Chip Giants Converge on Taiwan for Computex 2025: AI Takes Center Stage Amid Trade Tensions

Global chip giants converge on Taiwan for Computex

Global semiconductor chip giants will gather at Taiwan's top tech expo this week to showcase "the next frontier" for an industry dominated by artificial intelligence. Nvidia boss Jensen Huang will make a keynote speech on Monday, the eve of Computex, as the tech sector grapples with the impact of US tariffs and disrupted supply chains. The four-day event will draw computer and chip companies from around the world to Taiwan, whose semiconductor industry is critical to the production of everything from iPhones to the servers that run ChatGPT. Taiwan produces the bulk of the world's most advanced chips, including those needed for the most powerful AI applications and research. "I have many amazing announcements to make," Huang told reporters in Taipei on Friday. "We are at the heart of the technology ecosystem and so there are many partners of ours here and we're looking forward to announcing many collaborations, many new projects, many new technologies and initiatives together." Top executives from Qualcomm, MediaTek and Foxconn will also speak at Computex, where advances in moving AI from data centers into laptops, robots and cars will be in the spotlight. "From Agentic AI driving smarter personal devices to Physical AI reshaping autonomy, the show maps out the next frontier," specialist research firm Counterpoint said in a note. Tech expert Paul Yu told AFP the industry was at a "critical juncture" for AI hardware development. "Over the past two and a half years, significant investment has driven rapid advances in AI technology," said Yu, of Witology Markettrend Research Institute. "2025 to 2026 will be the crucial period for transitioning AI model training into profitable applications." 'Taiwan to continue to thrive' While US tariffs were the biggest issue facing the sector, most companies at Computex "will shy away from addressing tariffs directly as the situation is too uncertain," said Eric Smith of specialist platform TechInsights. Last month, Washington announced a national security probe into imports of semiconductor technology, which could put the industry in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump's trade bazooka and inflict potentially devastating levies. Since taking office in January, Trump has threatened hefty tariffs against many of America's biggest trade partners with the aim of forcing companies to move production to US soil. Export-dependent Taiwan has pledged to increase investment in the United States as it seeks to avoid a 32% US tariff on its shipments. But there are concerns the island could lose its dominance of the chip sector -- the so-called "silicon shield" protecting it from an invasion or blockade by China and an incentive for the United States to defend it. TSMC, the Taiwanese contract chipmaking giant, has unveiled plans to inject an additional $100 billion into the United States, on top of the $65 billion already pledged. TSMC-supplier GlobalWafers also announced plans last week to increase its US investment by $4 billion as the Taiwanese company opened a wafer facility in the US state Texas. But Huang was optimistic on Friday when asked about the impact of tariffs on Taiwan, saying the island would "remain at the center of the technology ecosystem". "There are so many smart companies here, there are so many innovative and spirited companies," Huang said. "I fully expect Taiwan to continue to thrive... before, after, throughout."

Global chip giants converge on Taiwan for Computex

Taipei (AFP) - Global semiconductor chip giants will gather at Taiwan's top tech expo this week to showcase "the next frontier" for an industry dominated by artificial intelligence. Nvidia boss Jensen Huang will make a keynote speech on Monday, the eve of Computex, as the tech sector grapples with the impact of US tariffs and disrupted supply chains. The four-day event will draw computer and chip companies from around the world to Taiwan, whose semiconductor industry is critical to the production of everything from iPhones to the servers that run ChatGPT. Taiwan produces the bulk of the world's most advanced chips, including those needed for the most powerful AI applications and research. "I have many amazing announcements to make," Huang told reporters in Taipei on Friday. "We are at the heart of the technology ecosystem and so there are many partners of ours here and we're looking forward to announcing many collaborations, many new projects, many new technologies and initiatives together." Top executives from Qualcomm, MediaTek and Foxconn will also speak at Computex, where advances in moving AI from data centres into laptops, robots and cars will be in the spotlight. "From Agentic AI driving smarter personal devices to Physical AI reshaping autonomy, the show maps out the next frontier," specialist research firm Counterpoint said in a note. Tech expert Paul Yu told AFP the industry was at a "critical juncture" for AI hardware development. "Over the past two and a half years, significant investment has driven rapid advances in AI technology," said Yu, of Witology Markettrend Research Institute. "2025 to 2026 will be the crucial period for transitioning AI model training into profitable applications." 'Taiwan to continue to thrive' While US tariffs were the biggest issue facing the sector, most companies at Computex "will shy away from addressing tariffs directly as the situation is too uncertain," said Eric Smith of specialist platform TechInsights. Last month, Washington announced a national security probe into imports of semiconductor technology, which could put the industry in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump's trade bazooka and inflict potentially devastating levies. Since taking office in January, Trump has threatened hefty tariffs against many of America's biggest trade partners with the aim of forcing companies to move production to US soil. Export-dependent Taiwan has pledged to increase investment in the United States as it seeks to avoid a 32 percent US tariff on its shipments. But there are concerns the island could lose its dominance of the chip sector -- the so-called "silicon shield" protecting it from an invasion or blockade by China and an incentive for the United States to defend it. TSMC, the Taiwanese contract chipmaking giant, has unveiled plans to inject an additional $100 billion into the United States, on top of the $65 billion already pledged. TSMC-supplier GlobalWafers also announced plans last week to increase its US investment by $4 billion as the Taiwanese company opened a wafer facility in the US state Texas. But Huang was optimistic on Friday when asked about the impact of tariffs on Taiwan, saying the island would "remain at the centre of the technology ecosystem". "There are so many smart companies here, there are so many innovative and spirited companies," Huang said. "I fully expect Taiwan to continue to thrive... before, after, throughout."

Computex 2025: Four Things to Know at Asia's Biggest Tech Show

The event will draw chieftains from the global tech industry Nvidia's Jensen Huang headlines the 2025 edition of Asia's biggest electronics conference, for years a showcase for his company's cutting-edge AI chips and the companies lining up to buy them. This year, however, the spotlight may well be on another far bigger personality: US President Donald Trump. Computex kicks off Monday in Taipei, and as in years past will draw industry chieftains from Huang and Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon to Young Liu of Foxconn, which makes the bulk of the world's iPhones and Nvidia servers. But while last year's event was a celebration of the post-ChatGPT AI boom, executives this time are likely grappling with the uncertainty of the Trump administration's effort to reshape the global trade order -- disrupting a decades-old model for tech manufacturing.' This year's exhibition will of course feature the hardware required to bring artificial intelligence to life. Apart from Nvidia chips, that includes server racks assembled by Hon Hai Precision Industry, also known as Foxconn; power components from Delta Electronics and datacenter cooling systems from Asia Vital Components Co. But while they tout new products onstage, these companies are also confronting profound questions about the US administration's tariff regime. Here are the key themes to watch out for this week. Trump wants manufacturing back home. To that end, the White House has secured major chipmaking commitments, most notably an additional $100 billion investment from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. As TSMC builds out its Arizona operations with more production lines, supply chain players are also joining it in the US -- and accelerating those plans because of the new tariffs. Asia's biggest electronics companies may also find new opportunity in the Middle East. In the week before Computex, a US delegation led by the president -- and including tech luminaries Huang, Elon Musk and OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman -- visited Saudi Arabia's Riyadh with lofty promises of new trade deals. Alongside a relaxation of AI chip export rules, the visit underlines the Middle East's growing importance as a player in the AI field. "The new focus on export rules around China and Huawei means more opportunity for Taiwan," said Taipei-based industry analyst Dan Nystedt. From Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) to Nvidia and Qualcomm, the development of generative artificial intelligence was heralded at Computex last year as comparable to the advent of the internet. Consumers haven't responded with the same enthusiasm. Smartphone shipments grew by only 2.4 percent and PCs by an even slimmer 1.8 percent over the holiday quarter, according to industry tracker IDC. The promises from the likes of Samsung Electronics Co. about how transformative AI would be in day-to-day life have not come to pass. Apple hasn't even rolled out its full AI suite for iPhones yet. So executives at Computex will face questions about when the payoff is supposed to come. They'll also have to address concerns about an AI bubble. Investment from the biggest US internet firms remains elevated. Yet Microsoft has pulled back on some of its expansion plans, and Alibaba Group Holding's Joe Tsai warned against building vast data centers without knowing their purpose. Lip-Bu Tan, the newly appointed chief executive officer of Intel Corp., won't be at Computex in a formal capacity as his company won't conduct its traditional keynote address. But he'll likely be doing more meetings than anyone at the show as he continues his survey of partners and customers. He's said recently that he's doing countless meetings each day and having two or three business dinners trying to get insight. Tan is currently weighing options to reform the storied US chipmaker. Intel is still the biggest provider of PC and server processors, though it's losing market share. He'll work to persuade customers of TSMC that Intel's factories are a viable alternative and that the US manufacturer -- historically a rival -- can be a trusted partner. The financial strain of predecessor Pat Gelsinger's spending on a turnaround plan tanked Intel's shares, particularly because it hasn't deliver tangible benefits yet. Now, Tan is rebooting everything with a focus on better execution. "Computex is historically such a PC-focused event, and yet Intel seems to be sitting it out quietly," said IDC analyst Bryan Ma. "It's understandable given everything else going on in the organization right now, but their absence is notable given all of their talk about AI PCs last year." Tan, who served as CEO of chip-design software maker Cadence Design Systems for 12 years, has decades of experience investing and making deals in the semiconductor industry. At and around Computex, he'll work to reassure and recruit partners for the effort to close ground on Nvidia and TSMC. Foxconn is making an unusually prominent appearance. Chairman Liu will host a keynote presentation on Tuesday, likely underscoring its growing role as an AI server assembler. In previous iterations of the show, the company has been represented by subsidiaries like Ingrasys Technology. Foxconn is working to diversify its revenue away from assembling smartphones and other consumer electronics. It's developed an automotive division and hopes to collect bigger orders for electric vehicles. That venture gained a significant customer this month, with Mitsubishi Motors Corp. ordering a made-in-Taiwan EV for Australia and New Zealand. The company is also keen on advancing robotics. "Of course AI plus robots, AI plus robots," Liu said about the focus at Computex. "My first night in Taipei is always dinner with C.C.," Jensen Huang said on Friday, emerging from a restaurant alongside TSMC CEO and Chairman C.C. Wei. The Nvidia boss remains a larger-than-life personality in Taiwan, with crowds following his every move. Investors will be keen to hear more about the chip designer's strategy to expand its reach. The company has been forthcoming with plans to upgrade its AI chips on a roughly annual basis, and Huang has also talked about the potential of AI in the robotics industry. Microsoft's developer event, Build, is taking place the same week over in Seattle, and speculation has grown in recent times about Nvidia joining Qualcomm in building more AI-capable, Arm-based chips for PCs. "I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for whatever Nvidia and MediaTek might confirm around their rumored Windows-on-Arm solution," said IDC's Ma. That might further challenge Intel's traditional stronghold. In the days leading up to Computex, Huang joined a US delegation to the Middle East led by the president, lauding the opening up of trade. The scrapping of Biden-era AI chip rules will help the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia acquire more of Nvidia's industry-leading technology and expand their capabilities in artificial intelligence. "With proper forecasting, we would be able to build the necessary technologies for everyone," Huang said to Bloomberg News on Saturday. © 2025 Bloomberg LP

Global chip giants converge on Taiwan for Computex

Taiwan produces the bulk of the world's most advanced chips, including those needed for the most powerful AI applications and research. Top executives from Qualcomm, MediaTek and Foxconn will also speak at Computex, where advances in moving AI from data centres into laptops, robots and cars will be in the spotlight.Global semiconductor chip giants will gather at Taiwan's top tech expo this week to showcase "the next frontier" for an industry dominated by artificial intelligence. Nvidia boss Jensen Huang will make a keynote speech on Monday, the eve of Computex, as the tech sector grapples with the impact of US tariffs and disrupted supply chains. The four-day event will draw computer and chip companies from around the world to Taiwan, whose semiconductor industry is critical to the production of everything from iPhones to the servers that run ChatGPT. Taiwan produces the bulk of the world's most advanced chips, including those needed for the most powerful AI applications and research. "I have many amazing announcements to make," Huang told reporters in Taipei on Friday. "We are at the heart of the technology ecosystem and so there are many partners of ours here and we're looking forward to announcing many collaborations, many new projects, many new technologies and initiatives together." Top executives from Qualcomm, MediaTek and Foxconn will also speak at Computex, where advances in moving AI from data centres into laptops, robots and cars will be in the spotlight. "From Agentic AI driving smarter personal devices to Physical AI reshaping autonomy, the show maps out the next frontier," specialist research firm Counterpoint said in a note. Tech expert Paul Yu told AFP the industry was at a "critical juncture" for AI hardware development. "Over the past two and a half years, significant investment has driven rapid advances in AI technology," said Yu, of Witology Markettrend Research Institute. "2025 to 2026 will be the crucial period for transitioning AI model training into profitable applications." 'Taiwan to continue to thrive' While US tariffs were the biggest issue facing the sector, most companies at Computex "will shy away from addressing tariffs directly as the situation is too uncertain," said Eric Smith of specialist platform TechInsights. Last month, Washington announced a national security probe into imports of semiconductor technology, which could put the industry in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump's trade bazooka and inflict potentially devastating levies. Since taking office in January, Trump has threatened hefty tariffs against many of America's biggest trade partners with the aim of forcing companies to move production to US soil. Export-dependent Taiwan has pledged to increase investment in the United States as it seeks to avoid a 32 percent US tariff on its shipments. But there are concerns the island could lose its dominance of the chip sector -- the so-called "silicon shield" protecting it from an invasion or blockade by China and an incentive for the United States to defend it. TSMC, the Taiwanese contract chipmaking giant, has unveiled plans to inject an additional $100 billion into the United States, on top of the $65 billion already pledged. TSMC-supplier GlobalWafers also announced plans last week to increase its US investment by $4 billion as the Taiwanese company opened a wafer facility in the US state Texas. But Huang was optimistic on Friday when asked about the impact of tariffs on Taiwan, saying the island would "remain at the centre of the technology ecosystem". "There are so many smart companies here, there are so many innovative and spirited companies," Huang said. "I fully expect Taiwan to continue to thrive... before, after, throughout."

Nvidia unveils plan for Taiwan's first 'AI supercomputer'

Nvidia boss Jensen Huang announced plans for Taiwan's "first AI supercomputer", as he showcased on Monday the company's latest advances in artificial intelligence. Huang said Nvidia would work with Taiwanese tech giants Foxconn and TSMC as well as the government to build Taiwan's "first AI supercomputer .. for the AI infrastructure and AI ecosystem".Nvidia boss Jensen Huang announced plans for Taiwan's "first AI supercomputer", as he showcased on Monday the company's latest advances in artificial intelligence. Global semiconductor chip giants have gathered in Taiwan for the island's top tech expo, Computex, as the sector grapples with the impact of US tariffs and disrupted supply chains. Huang said Nvidia would work with Taiwanese tech giants Foxconn and TSMC as well as the government to build Taiwan's "first AI supercomputer .. for the AI infrastructure and AI ecosystem". "Having a world-class AI infrastructure in Taiwan is really important," Huang said in a keynote addresss on the eve of Computex. The four-day event will draw computer and chip companies from around the world to Taiwan, whose semiconductor industry is critical to the production of everything from iPhones to the servers that run ChatGPT. Taiwan produces the bulk of the world's most advanced chips, including those needed for the most powerful AI applications and research. Top executives from Qualcomm, MediaTek and Foxconn will also speak at Computex, where advances in moving AI from data centres into laptops, robots and cars will be in the spotlight. "From Agentic AI driving smarter personal devices to Physical AI reshaping autonomy, the show maps out the next frontier," specialist research firm Counterpoint said in a note. Tech expert Paul Yu told AFP the industry was at a "critical juncture" for AI hardware development. "Over the past two and a half years, significant investment has driven rapid advances in AI technology," said Yu, of Witology Markettrend Research Institute. "2025 to 2026 will be the crucial period for transitioning AI model training into profitable applications." 'Taiwan to continue to thrive' While US tariffs were the biggest issue facing the sector, most companies at Computex "will shy away from addressing tariffs directly as the situation is too uncertain," said Eric Smith of specialist platform TechInsights. Last month, Washington announced a national security probe into imports of semiconductor technology, which could put the industry in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump's trade bazooka and inflict potentially devastating levies. Since taking office in January, Trump has threatened hefty tariffs against many of America's biggest trade partners with the aim of forcing companies to move production to US soil. Export-dependent Taiwan has pledged to increase investment in the United States as it seeks to avoid a 32 percent US tariff on its shipments. But there are concerns the island could lose its dominance of the chip sector -- the so-called "silicon shield" protecting it from an invasion or blockade by China and an incentive for the United States to defend it. TSMC, the Taiwanese contract chipmaking giant, has unveiled plans to inject an additional $100 billion into the United States, on top of the $65 billion already pledged. TSMC-supplier GlobalWafers also announced plans last week to increase its US investment by $4 billion as the Taiwanese company opened a wafer facility in the US state Texas. But Huang was optimistic on Friday when asked about the impact of tariffs on Taiwan, saying the island would "remain at the centre of the technology ecosystem". "There are so many smart companies here, there are so many innovative and spirited companies," Huang said told reporters. "I fully expect Taiwan to continue to thrive... before, after, throughout."