Nations Forge Alliances in AI Infrastructure
The strategic collaborations between countries and tech giants signal a shift towards national-level investments in AI and semiconductor capabilities, as nations vie to secure their positions in the global AI landscape. This trend indicates a growing emphasis on infrastructure and talent development, positioning countries like South Korea to compete more effectively with established players like the U.S. and China, potentially disrupting traditional tech dominance and creating new economic opportunities in AI-driven sectors.
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New Chinese AI advances unveiled at Greater Bay Area Science Forum
At the 2025 Greater Bay Area Science Forum’s AI sub‑forum in Guangzhou, Chinese institutions released several new domestic AI achievements, including a 2025 AI Frontier Technology Trend Report highlighting agents, communication protocols and embodied intelligence. The event showcased advances in foundational research, platform building and applied AI, signalling continued state‑backed momentum for AI innovation in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area.
UAE tops global AI adoption as one in seven workers worldwide uses AI, Microsoft study finds
A new Microsoft-backed report highlighted by Colombia’s La República finds that the United Arab Emirates leads the world in AI adoption, with nearly 60% of its population using AI tools, followed by Norway, Ireland and France. Globally, AI adoption among working-age adults has tripled since 2022 to around 15%, but usage remains highly uneven and concentrated in a handful of countries and cities such as San Francisco, New York, London and Beijing.
South Korea unveils comprehensive AI talent strategy combining university reforms and global recruitment
South Korea’s government has outlined a sweeping AI talent strategy aimed at making the country one of the world’s top three AI powers, including strengthening math and science education from school level, expanding AI-focused university programs, and creating dedicated AI visas and easier residency paths for foreign researchers. The plan also includes setting up AI colleges at major science and technology institutes, upgrading “software-centered universities” into “AI-centered universities,” and partnering with ARM to found an “ARM Academy” expected to train around 1,400 top-tier semiconductor design specialists.([epochtimes.com](https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/12/6/n14649798.htm))
Korea’s President Lee and SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son discuss AI cooperation and artificial super intelligence
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met SoftBank chairman Masayoshi Son in Seoul to discuss cooperation on artificial intelligence, semiconductors and large‑scale infrastructure, as Korea pursues its goal of becoming a top‑three AI power. Son warned of the coming era of 'artificial super intelligence' thousands of times more capable than the human brain, while the meeting also referenced SoftBank’s role in the US$500 billion Stargate AI infrastructure project and Korea’s planned ₩30 trillion (about US$22 billion) participation via the UAE segment.
South Korean president to meet SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son on AI and semiconductor cooperation
South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung will meet SoftBank Group chairman Masayoshi Son on December 5 to discuss cooperation in artificial intelligence, semiconductors and related infrastructure investment, according to the presidential office. The talks are expected to touch on SoftBank’s massive 'Stargate' AI infrastructure project with OpenAI and Oracle and on positioning South Korea as a top‑tier AI and chip hub, with key ministers and senior aides also attending.
Saudi Arabia ranks third globally in frontier AI models and AI job growth, driven by SDAIA-led strategy
An analysis of the 2025 Stanford AI Index highlights Saudi Arabia’s rise to third globally in frontier AI language models and AI job growth, behind only the U.S., China, India and Brazil in respective categories. The article credits the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), indigenous Arabic LLMs such as ALLaM, large-scale talent programs like SAMAE, and extensive regulatory and data-governance reforms as pillars of the kingdom’s ambition to become a top‑10 AI nation under Vision 2030.