Good morning. The race for super intelligence is turning into a race for silicon, power and place, and today we follow that story from Redmond to Osaka, then to a smart home launch in New York and the close of Nobel week.
Microsoft bets big on its own silicon. Microsoft has unveiled Maia 300, its third generation in house AI chip, and says it expects 40 percent more tokens per megawatt than leading GPU based systems, with multi gigawatt deployments from 2027. Why it matters: Microsoft wants its own chips, not rented GPUs, to become the primary system running Copilot and its other AI services.
Anthropic looks to Japan for scale. NTT Data is reported to be in final talks to build a data centre in Osaka for Anthropic, at up to 500 megawatts and a cost that could reach $6.3 billion, with partial operations as early as 2028. Why it matters: it would be Anthropic’s first dedicated facility in Japan, and a sign that the next map of super intelligence will be drawn country by country.
China’s chip push reshapes the market. Nvidia’s share of China’s data centre AI accelerator market fell to 34 percent in the first half of 2026, with Huawei close behind at 28 percent, while Tencent moves to raise at least $4.5 billion to fund its AI build out. Why it matters: export limits and local champions are creating a second, parallel AI hardware world.
Apple brings its smart home push home. Apple holds its Welcome Home event in New York today, with a new smart home hub expected alongside a refreshed HomePod mini and Apple TV, all built around a more capable Siri. Why it matters: the home is the next place AI has to prove it can be helpful, personal and calm, not just powerful.
Google gives Fitbit a fresh start. Google has unveiled the $180 Fitbit Edge, with a 1.34 inch oval display, shipping October 27 and replacing the Charge 6, while its Health Guardian alerts expand to the Fitbit Air and Edge later this month. Why it matters: health tracking is moving from counting steps to quietly watching for change, and Google wants that watch on more wrists.
Nobel week closes with economics. Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford have received the prize in Economic Sciences for the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation, the final award in this year’s Nobel round. Why it matters: in a week that honoured optogenetics, neutrinos and literature, the closing prize reminds us that good ideas about stability shape everyday life too.
