Elon Musk announced that SpaceX is now prioritizing the creation of a “self-growing city” on the Moon, aiming to achieve it within the next decade. While SpaceX still plans to pursue Musk’s long-term goal of a Mars city in five to seven years, he emphasized on X (formerly Twitter) that “the overriding priority is securing the future of civilization, and the Moon is faster.”

This aligns with a recent Wall Street Journal report that SpaceX told investors it would focus on lunar missions first, targeting an uncrewed Moon landing in March 2027, and delay crewed Mars missions. Last year, Musk had aimed for an uncrewed Mars mission by the end of 2026. The U.S. faces stiff competition from China in returning humans to the Moon, which hasn’t been visited since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Musk also revealed SpaceX’s acquisition of his AI company xAI, valuing SpaceX at $1 trillion and xAI at $250 billion. Supporters view the move as a way to advance space-based data centers, which Musk believes are more energy-efficient amid growing AI demands. SpaceX is planning a public offering later this year, potentially raising $50 billion, which could be the largest IPO ever. Musk noted that NASA will contribute less than 5% of SpaceX’s revenue this year, with most income coming from its commercial Starlink system. SpaceX holds a $4 billion NASA contract under the Artemis program to land astronauts on the Moon using Starship.

Alongside SpaceX, Musk is also steering Tesla in a new direction. After helping build the global electric vehicle market, Tesla plans to spend $20 billion this year focusing on autonomous driving and robotics. To accelerate this shift, Tesla will discontinue two car models at its California factory to make room for producing Optimus humanoid robots.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.

Intel and AMD have alerted customers in China to tightening supplies of server CPUs, with Intel cautioning that delivery times could stretch to as long as six months, according to people familiar with the matter. The shortages have pushed Intel’s server CPU prices in China up by more than 10 percent on average, though actual increases depend on individual contracts.

Heavy investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure has intensified demand across the chip supply chain, not only for AI accelerators but also for supporting components. Memory chips have been hit hardest, with prices continuing to surge, and CPU availability has now also become more constrained. These developments could worsen supply challenges for AI firms as well as a wide range of other manufacturers.

China, which contributes over one-fifth of Intel’s total revenue, is seeing particularly acute shortages of Intel’s fourth- and fifth-generation Xeon processors. Intel has been rationing shipments and is facing a large backlog of unfilled orders, with some customers waiting up to six months for delivery. AMD has also notified Chinese clients of supply limitations. Some AMD server CPUs now have lead times of eight to ten weeks, according to sources.

Intel acknowledged during its January earnings call that CPU supply remains tight, citing strong demand driven by rapid AI adoption. The company said inventories are expected to bottom out in the first quarter, with gradual improvement anticipated from the second quarter onward into 2026. AMD, meanwhile, said it has expanded supply capacity and remains confident in meeting global demand, supported by its supplier relationships, including its partnership with TSMC.

Together, Intel and AMD dominate the global server CPU market. Intel’s market share has fallen from more than 90 percent in 2019 to around 60 percent in 2025, while AMD’s share has risen from roughly 5 percent to over 20 percent. In China, major customers include leading server makers and cloud service providers such as Alibaba and Tencent.

The shortages are the result of several factors. Intel has faced ongoing manufacturing yield challenges, while AMD relies on TSMC, which has prioritized AI chip production, limiting capacity for CPUs. Rising memory prices have also prompted customers to accelerate CPU purchases to avoid higher overall system costs. Additionally, growing demand for advanced agentic AI systems, which require substantially greater CPU processing power than traditional workloads, has further strained supply.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, affectionately nicknamed “the people’s dad” in Taiwan, capped his visit to his birthplace by praising and encouraging key Taiwanese suppliers to boost production to meet soaring AI demand. Huang, who co-founded California-based Nvidia in 1993, has overseen the company’s meteoric rise, with its market value surpassing $5 trillion last year, placing it at the center of the global AI revolution.

During a rain-soaked impromptu press conference outside a Taipei restaurant, following a “trillion-dollar dinner” with suppliers, Huang highlighted the crucial role of Taiwan in Nvidia’s success. He singled out Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest maker of advanced AI chips, saying, “TSMC needs to work very hard this year because I need a lot of wafers.” He praised the company’s efforts and predicted it could more than double its production capacity over the next decade.

Huang also expressed concern about memory chip shortages, noting that “the entire supply chain is challenging this year because demand is so much more.” His visit included mingling with top executives, including Foxconn chairman Young Liu, while stepping out to greet enthusiastic fans and sign autographs.

“Nvidia wouldn’t be possible without Taiwan. There’s magic in this island. The companies here have extraordinary technology and culture,” Huang said, reflecting on his warm reception and the island’s vital role in the AI ecosystem. Huang arrived from China on Thursday and is scheduled to leave on Monday, leaving behind a wave of media coverage and adoring fans who followed his every move.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.

China has granted its leading AI startup, DeepSeek, conditional approval to purchase Nvidia’s H200 AI chips, with regulatory terms still being finalized, according to two sources cited by Reuters. Reuters also reported that Chinese tech giants ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent have received clearance to buy a combined total of over 400,000 H200 chips.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told reporters in Taipei that his company had not been officially informed and believed that China was still finalizing the license. Nvidia has not commented specifically on DeepSeek’s approval. According to sources, China’s industry and commerce ministries have approved the purchases for all four companies but will impose conditions determined by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which are still under discussion. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Commerce, and NDRC did not respond to requests for comment.

DeepSeek, known for launching AI models last year at a fraction of the cost of U.S. competitors like OpenAI, did not respond to requests for comment. The H200, Nvidia’s second most powerful AI chip, has become a key point in U.S.-China tech relations. Despite strong Chinese demand and U.S. export approval, Beijing’s hesitancy has delayed shipments. Earlier this month, the U.S. formally approved Nvidia to sell H200 chips to China, but Chinese authorities retain the final decision on imports.

Any DeepSeek purchase could attract U.S. scrutiny. Reuters reported that a senior U.S. lawmaker alleged in a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that Nvidia helped DeepSeek develop AI models later used by the Chinese military. DeepSeek is expected to release its next-generation AI model, V4, with advanced coding capabilities, in mid-February, according to The Information.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly making inroads into healthcare, offering tools that can answer medical queries, forecast risks, and support personalized health choices. But a new Singapore-based startup is challenging the notion that a single global AI model can safely cater to everyone. With structured screenings and national healthcare systems already in place, is there room for another AI health platform in Singapore? Hairianto Diman and Susan Ng explore this question with Hari V Krishnan, Co-founder and CEO of Genie Health.

Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.

This year, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) flagged three students for academic misconduct, alleging that they relied on generative AI tools in their assignments. What boundaries should govern AI usage, at what point does it become misconduct, and is it time to rethink how assignments are structured and evaluated? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards discuss these questions with Associate Professor Ben Leong, director of the AI Centre for Educational Technologies at NUS, and Jeremy Soo, co-founder of Nex AI.

Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from CNA.

In Made in SG, Melanie Oliveiro interviews Singaporeans working in the artificial intelligence space to explore how they are shaping and mentoring the next generation of AI-driven content creators. Jayce Tham, co-founder of media agency CreativesAtWork and generative AI content studio Dear.AI, shares how professionals in Singapore can use generative AI to enhance storytelling, content marketing, and production processes. Filmmaker, influencer, and Dear.AI Creative Director Jaze Phua discusses how AI fuels creative expression, enabling content creators to blend humour, narrative, and pop culture to produce highly shareable, viral content.

Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.

During the daily market analysis segment on Open For Business, hosts Andrea Heng and Genevieve Woo engage in a detailed discussion with Mel Siew, who serves as the Portfolio Manager for Asia Public Credit at Muzinich & Co., covering insights, trends, and key developments impacting financial markets across the region.

Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.