Startups recalibrate Chinese AI for the West
A growing number of startups are editing powerful Chinese open-weight models for Western businesses that are concerned about censorship and security.
Rest of World
Recent stories from Rest of World.
Why Africa needs its own AI off switch
Africa must develop AI systems with local control to protect critical infrastructure such as mobile money networks from growing AI-powered cyberthreats.
AI models cost more when you don’t use English
Some languages require far more tokens for AI models to process, raising costs and reducing context for the people who use them.
Big Tech’s thirst for water is sparking a global resistance
In his new book “Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech’s Data Empires,” writer Paris Marx examines how local communities are resisting the growing demand for water to cool data centers.
Will developing nations be able to handle millions of AI agents?
It may be some time before AI agents can fully navigate the complexities and cultural nuances of developing nations.
Western open-weight models still can’t beat China
Chinese open-weight AI models offer high capability at significantly lower costs than U.S. frontier systems, but face monetization and compute challenges, experts said at a Rest of World event in San Francisco.
What the West can learn from AI optimists in the rest of the world
The developing world’s enthusiastic adoption of AI and necessity-driven innovations offer lessons for an anxiety-ridden West.
BYD expands EV shipping fleet as wars upend freight costs and key trade routes
China’s EV giant says a shortage of ships is holding back its exports.
The UAE embraces AI for kindergartners
The country’s approach offers a glimpse of what education could look like if AI literacy becomes as fundamental as reading and writing.
As U.S. blocks DJI, Insta360 races to win American creators
Regulatory clarity and market timing are a boon for smaller Chinese smart-camera maker Insta360 and its independent Antigravity drone brand.
Conflict in the Red Sea is forcing cloud giants to find a new route for the internet
Google, Meta, and Microsoft are said to be securing expensive land routes as fighting around Yemen threatens the submarine cables connecting Europe and Asia.
Not just AI. China is building technologies that challenge U.S. dominance
From batteries and solar panels to drones and satellites, China is building tech capabilities that extend well beyond AI, writes Steve Feldstein in his new book, "Bytes and Bullets: Global Rivalries, Big Tech, and the New Shape of Modern…