Technology notes

News and notes on AI, chips, and IT.

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OpenAI's ChatGPT Generates $1 Billion in Annualized Advertising Revenue… Becomes a Global Business in Just 200 Days

ChatGPT Ads, OpenAI’s advertising business, reached $1 billion in annualized revenue less than 200 days after its launch. This means that advertising is rapidly establishing itself as the third pillar of OpenAI’s revenue model, which had previously been centered on subscriptions and APIs. The number of advertisers has already grown to tens of thousands, and sales—which began in the U.S.—have expanded to more than 40 countries. In India, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa, advertisers are purchasing campaigns directly Self-service has also begun.

Sep 1, 20267 min read

Industry & policy

Ministry of Science and ICT’s 2027 Budget Set at 29.6 Trillion Won… 9.4 Trillion Won Allocated for AI Transition

The Ministry of Science and ICT’s proposed budget for 2027 has been set at 29.6476 trillion won. This is the largest budget in history, representing a 24.5% increase from the 2026 supplementary budget, with the bulk of the increase going toward investments in AI infrastructure, models, and services. The budget for AI transformation alone amounts to 9.4211 trillion won. The scope of investment has expanded to include three major megaprojects—semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI—as well as GPU and data acquisition, and support for AI services for the entire population. However, this The figures are pending review by the National Assembly

Sep 1, 20267 min read

Semiconductors & infrastructure

NVIDIA Invests $3.5 Billion in MediaTek… Expanding AI Chip Alliance Centered on NVLink

NVIDIA has invested $3.5 billion in convertible bonds issued by Taiwanese fabless company MediaTek. Rather than a simple financial investment, this is more of a strategic deal aimed at expanding the scope of collaboration—from custom AI chips for data centers to local AI in PCs and automotive computing. The key point is that MediaTek is adopting NVIDIA’s NVLink Fusion. This will enable cloud companies and large AI developers to integrate their custom-designed XPUs into NVIDIA’s NVLink-based rack systems

Sep 1, 20266 min read

Semiconductors & infrastructure

Longsys Raises Up to $800 Million Through Hong Kong IPO… 78.3% to Be Allocated to Memory R&D

Shenzhen Longsys Electronics, a Chinese memory semiconductor company, has launched an initial public offering (IPO) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to raise up to approximately $800 million. The company, which is already listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, is issuing additional H-shares in Hong Kong to secure funding for research and development and gain access to overseas capital markets. Longsys is offering a total of 26,077,800 H-shares at a maximum price of 240.60 Hong Kong dollars per share. If all shares are sold at the maximum price, the total offering The size is approximately 6

Aug 31, 20268 min read

Semiconductors & infrastructure

Soitec Expands Long-Term Contracts for Photonics Wafers for AI Data Centers… Taking the Lead in Addressing Optical Interconnect Bottlenecks

The bottleneck in the AI data center competition is shifting from computing chips to the movement of data between chips and servers. As demand for photonic wafers used in optical interconnects grows rapidly, French semiconductor materials company Soitec is pursuing multi-year supply agreements with more than 10 customers. These agreements are not mere purchase orders but rather production capacity reservation contracts that combine a fixed price, committed volume, and a deposit. Customers commit to actual demand, and Since Soitec has a structure in place to secure medium- to long-term supply, AI infrastructure

Aug 31, 20268 min read

Security & privacy

Why the FSB Identified AI-Related Cyber Risks as the Top Concern for Financial Stability

The focus of warnings that AI could destabilize the financial system is shifting from investment mania to cyber resilience. The Financial Stability Board (FSB), an international financial regulatory body, has identified the potential for cutting-edge AI to alter the speed, scale, and cost structure of cyberattacks as the most urgent issue the financial sector must address. Andrew Bailey, Chair of the FSB and Governor of the Bank of England, sent a message ahead of the G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors, I raised this issue in a letter. Financial company

Aug 31, 20267 min read