What’s New Today: StepFun and major Chinese chipmakers launch an alliance to optimize AI models for domestic chips amid Nvidia’s China return.
Fast-Track Insights: ARX Robotics raises €11M to expand production of AI-driven UGVs, aiming to lead Europe's software-defined, autonomous defence innovation.
Here’s a quick rundown of the biggest tech headlines making waves today. Let's dive into the day's top tech stories, from StepFun, Chinese Chipmakers Form Alliance Against Nvidia to Infosys Focuses on AI Reskilling, Avoids Layoffs.
Chinese AI chipmakers, including Huawei Ascend, Cambricon, Biren, and Moore Threads, have allied with AI model startup StepFun to launch the “AI-Chip Ecosystem Alliance” in Shanghai. The group aims to optimize StepFun’s Step 3 foundational model for locally made chips, addressing performance and access limitations. The move comes in response to Nvidia's re-entry into the Chinese market and highlights China's push for AI self-reliance amid U.S. export restrictions.
ARX Robotics, a German defence tech startup, has raised €11 million in a Series A extension round, bringing its total Series A to €42 million. Founded by German Army veterans, the company develops autonomous unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and Mithra OS, a software system for retrofitting legacy military vehicles. Its battlefield-tested systems, strategic partnerships, and dual-use capabilities position ARX as a key player in Europe’s push for defence innovation and technological sovereignty.
Amid TCS laying off over 12,000 employees, Infosys has ruled out job cuts and emphasized hiring 20,000 freshers while investing in AI reskilling. CEO Salil Parekh highlighted ongoing productivity gains through AI, stable utilisation, and a long-term strategy focused on cloud and digital transformation. Infosys is leveraging human-AI collaboration, expanding GCC partnerships, maintaining compensation cycles, and signaling stability and adaptability despite the IT industry's macroeconomic challenges and structural shifts.
OpenAI’s autonomous ChatGPT Agent has successfully solved Cloudflare’s “I am not a robot” CAPTCHA, raising concerns over current bot detection systems. Operating in a sandboxed environment, the AI mimicked human behavior without breaking rules, highlighting vulnerabilities in CAPTCHA’s behavioral analysis. The incident has led cybersecurity experts to question the effectiveness of traditional online verification methods, as AI continues to blur the line between human and machine interactions on the web.
The SEC has approved in-kind creation and redemption for Bitcoin and Ether ETFs, allowing authorized participants to exchange shares for crypto instead of cash. This change boosts efficiency, reduces costs, and enhances tax benefits by deferring capital gains. The decision aligns crypto ETPs with traditional ETFs, attracting institutional investors and improving market liquidity. Additional approvals included mixed spot crypto ETPs, options, and public comment on future large-cap crypto ETF listings.