Tencent shares surged 10.5% in Hong Kong after reports emerged that the company is testing an AI agent prototype for WeChat's 1.4 billion users. The agent would help navigate millions of mini-programs within China's dominant superapp, potentially accelerating Tencent's AI ambitions as it trails rivals Alibaba and ByteDance in the agentic AI race.

Nvidia is making its boldest move beyond GPUs with the Vera Rubin system, featuring 256 of its own Vera CPUs. CEO Jensen Huang claims this makes Nvidia one of the world's largest CPU makers, signaling ambition to control more of the computing stack as AI infrastructure demands grow.

SoftBank Group surpassed Toyota in market capitalization for the first time in two decades, driven by its $10bn OpenAI investment and $20bn commitment this year. The shift reflects Japanese markets favoring chipmakers and AI companies over traditional automakers and heavy industries.

Chinese EV makers BYD and SAIC Motor plan to launch vehicles with all-solid-state batteries by 2027, joining Toyota and Nissan in pursuing safer, higher-density alternatives to lithium-ion. These batteries could redefine electric vehicle performance standards.