Local timeline

President Donald Trump announced that Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton will serve as the administration's AI czar and lead the newly created Super Intelligence Force.
Source: BusinessWorld
https://bworldonline.com/technology/2026/10/05/784392/trump-names-intelligence-chief-clayton-as-ai-czar-to-head-task-force/
#TechPolicy

South Korea's AI chip budget remained unspent through August 2026, with the AI semiconductor development program reporting zero spending.
Source: DigiTimes Asia
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20261005PD201/budget-government-2026-development-on-device-ai.html
#Semiconductors

Musk is highlighted in the weekly roundup as AI chip demand drives capacity expansion.
Source: DigiTimes Asia
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20261005VL200/capacity-tsmc-demand-financing-anthropic.html
#Semiconductors

Applied Materials and Besi are expanding their partnership to address complex AI chip connections, extending joint development beyond hybrid bonding into a broader range of packaging technologies. The agreement brings Besi into Applied's EPIC Center as an Innovation Partner.
Source: DigiTimes Asia
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20261005VL201/applied-materials-partnership-packaging-development-manufacturing.html
#Semiconductors

AIDC unveiled its first self-developed fixed-wing tactical drone called the Raven X.
Source: DigiTimes Asia
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20261002PD252/aidc-production-manufacturing-taiwan-president.html
#Robotics

General Motors and Ford are working with Google and Nvidia to accelerate vehicle software development and enhance smart cockpits and advanced driving capabilities.
Source: DigiTimes Asia
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20261005PD202/general-motors-ford-vehicle-silicon-valley-software.html
#Tech #Google #Nvidia

Trump unveiled a Super Intelligence Force to oversee AI policy. The president said the national intelligence chief will head the taskforce as worries over the technology grow.
Source: BBC News
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqj6jenp26zyo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
#TechPolicy

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the benefits of artificial intelligence justify accepting some risks. He also said AI technology should remain broadly accessible to the public.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/10/05/openai-s-altman-says-ai-benefits-warrant-accepting-some-risks
#AI #OpenAI

Businesses are using AI to predict what individual customers will pay and what workers will accept being paid.
Source: Startup Daily
https://www.startupdaily.net/topic/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning/businesses-are-using-ai-to-predict-what-individual-customers-will-pay-and-workers-will-accept-being-paid/
#EnterpriseAI

The Ghana Securities and Exchange Commission launched the Africa Virtual Asset Summit 2026, a two-day event in Accra on 2 and 3 November 2026.
Source: MyJoyOnline
https://www.myjoyonline.com/accra-to-convene-africas-regulators-and-markets-on-tokenization-at-avas-2026/
#TechPolicy

Former Anthropic researcher Coxon will testify at a New York AI hearing. Bloomberg reported the story, and Reuters could not immediately verify it.
Source: The Business Times Singapore
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/international/former-anthropic-researcher-coxon-testify-new-york-ai-hearing-bloomberg-reports
#TechPolicy #Anthropic

Amazon has abruptly banned Meta's Muse, an AI shopping agent. The ban highlights a brewing battle for dominance in online retail.
Source: Daily Maverick
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-04-crossed-wires-meta-vs-amazon-the-battle-for-the-future-of-online-commerce/
#AIAgents #Meta #Amazon

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced financing for tens of thousands of Quantum Systems interceptor drones for Ukraine as part of a winter 2026/2027 military aid package.
Source: Tech.eu
https://tech.eu/2026/10/04/germany-funds-tens-of-thousands-of-interceptor-drones-as-quantum-systems-scales-in-ukraine/
#Tech

AI slop seems to be overwhelming bug bounty programs. https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/04/google-froze-its-open-source-bug-bounty-program-due-to-a-significant-rise-in-ai-submissions/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

On Equity, we discussed the Trump administration's attempts to rebrand AI. https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/04/can-super-intelligence-and-a-non-binding-safety-pact-solve-ais-image-problem/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

Malaysia is strengthening AI workforce readiness through a national initiative that targets five million AI-ready Malaysians by 2030.
Source: OpenGov Asia
https://opengovasia.com/malaysia-ai-readiness-initiative-targets-five-million-by-2030/
#TechPolicy

President Donald Trump defended data centers at a rally in southwestern Ohio, saying they should benefit local communities and warning that shutting them down would send business to China.
Source: Fortune
https://fortune.com/2026/10/04/trumps-ohio-rally-gets-quiet-after-he-defends-data-centers-a-toxic-political-issue-with-bipartisan-opposition-you-cant-just-turn-them-off/
#TechPolicy

When your own government becomes an AI-powered hacker army.
Source: The Mandarin
https://www.themandarin.com.au/321271-when-your-own-government-becomes-an-ai-powered-hacker-army/
#TechPolicy

China aims to have solid-state batteries in large-scale use by 2030, but CATL's chairman rates the technology only four out of nine and says million-vehicle deployment before that date is very unlikely.
Source: The Next Web
https://thenextweb.com/news/china-solid-state-2030-dunkirk
#AI

Lina Khan said AI companies are following the same playbook that got Big Tech into trouble.
Source: Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com/lina-khan-says-ai-companies-shouldnt-follow-big-tech-playbook-2026-10
#TechPolicy