Samsung and SK hynix shorten memory contracts as pricing power shifts back to suppliers — both companies now at 40-50% operating margins

Samsung and SK hynix have begun moving away from long-term, fixed-price supply contracts, replacing them with shorter agreements and post-settlement pricing mechanisms.
…

China’s top chipmaker warns that rushed AI data center capacity could remain idle — SMIC chief says utilizing ballooning capacity ‘has not been fully thought through’

Co-CEO of SMIC warns that massive data centers that are currently being built in the U.S. and other regions could end up sitting idle if some AI projects do not take off.
…

,
South Korean exchange’s $40B Bitcoin mistake casts pall over country’s fledgling crypto legislation — staffer fat-fingered 620,000 BTC instead of Korean Won

A South Korean crypto exchange mistakenly issued 15 times its holdings in Bitcoin during an ill-fated promotional effort, drawing the ire of regulators during a sensitive period for crypto legalization in the country.
…

,
Memory makers are set to earn $551 billion from the AI boom, twice as much as contract chip manufacturers — forecasts suggest that 2026 revenue will skyrocket thanks to data center demand

While all makers of microelectronics are set to benefit from the AI supercycle, the memory industry is projected to generate more than twice the revenue of the foundry industry.
…

, ,
White House mulling tariff exemptions for Big Tech — Amazon, Google, Microsoft, other AI hyperscalers to be spared worst of import duties with U.S.-Taiwan deal

The White House is considering a tariff carve-out for big AI tech companies, like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft, allowing them to purchase imported AI chips from TSMC without getting slapped with an import tax.
…

,
Alphabet is doubling its capital expenditure to a staggering $180 billion in 2026 — earnings suggest that the company’s AI investments may be paying off

Google announced in its Q4 earnings call this week that it expected to more than double its capital expenditure in 2026 over 2025’s already sky-high numbers, to up to $185 billion.
…

TSMC’s board approves $45 billion spending package on new fabs — record sign off signals aggressive expansion to grow capacity

TSMC’s board of directors approves spending on new production capacities and promotes a key executive leading the development of A10 fabrication process due in 2030 or later.
…

, ,
Claimed 1,100% increase in AI-driven layoffs in 2025 might be misleading — firms accused of exaggerating AI performance to downplay poor business performance

AI might not be as big a cause of layoffs and redundancies as the companies enacting them might claim, and even when they are, it might be too much and far too soon, according to new bodies of research collated by Sherwood…

AI.com’s $85 million Super Bowl ad campaign falls foul as traffic crashes servers — the campaign allegedly cost $15 million for the ads, $70 million for the domain name

AI.com bought its way onto the biggest advertising stage in the world on Sunday night, and then the site crashed.

,
US Air Force bans use of smart glasses among its troops — earphones and other Bluetooth devices also limited to official duties while in uniform

The U.S. Air Force is banning its personnel from using smart glasses while in uniform and limited the use of earbuds for official duties.
…

,