Tobias

China’s “996” work culture (9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week) is gaining traction in the U.S., particularly among Silicon Valley AI startups. Some companies openly advertise or require this demanding 72-hour workweek, with a readiness for “996” becoming a pre-screening factor for candidates. New York-based Rilla, an AI startup, explicitly requires over 70 hours per week. While extended hours are rising globally, American companies show more enthusiasm for this model than European ones, with some arguing even “996” is insufficient.

As extreme heat intensifies, Chinese businesses are integrating employee health and safety management. Companies like Haier and JD.com are providing cooling measures – drinks, medicine, and protective gear – to factory workers, delivery riders, and service personnel. This shift from summer perks to systematic support, driven by rising temperatures and government guidelines aims to protect workers, maintain productivity and mitigate risks of heat-related illnesses, ultimately impacting supply chain resilience and operational efficiency.

SK Hynix reported a record-breaking Q2 2025, driven by high demand for its memory solutions, especially HBM. Revenue surged 35% YoY to ₩22.232 trillion, with operating profit up 68% to ₩9.2129 trillion. This performance was attributed to strong DRAM and NAND flash memory shipments, particularly advanced HBM3E products benefiting from the AI boom. SK Hynix anticipates continued growth in H2 2025, focusing on server modules, high-capacity SSDs, and 321-layer NAND flash technology to solidify its market leadership.

ByteDance launched Seed LiveInterpret 2.0, an end-to-end simultaneous interpretation model excelling in Chinese-English translation. It offers ultra-low latency (2-3 seconds) and accuracy rivaling human interpreters, exceeding 70% in complex scenarios and 80% in single-person speeches. Key features include zero-shot voice cloning and intelligent balancing of translation quality, latency, and speech cadence. Evaluations show it surpasses other systems, marking a significant advancement in AI translation.

A report indicates a 72.2% drop in DeepSeek’s monthly downloads in Q2 2025. However, this decline is attributed to DeepSeek’s integration into third-party platforms and its focus on open-source LLM development for AGI advancement. Users are being diverted through these channels, impacting direct app downloads. While specialized AI tools like “AI+office” and “AI+education” platforms are gaining traction, DeepSeek remains a key AI player, despite facing challenges like delayed updates and user experience concerns.

Julian LeFay, a key figure behind *The Elder Scrolls* franchise, has died at 59 after a battle with cancer. His studio, OnceLost Games, announced his passing shortly after he retired to spend time with family. LeFay was the lead engineer on *Arena* and *Daggerfall*, shaping the series’ core mechanics. He later co-founded OnceLost Games, developing *The Wayward Realms*. Bethesda’s Todd Howard expressed deep sorrow, acknowledging LeFay’s vital role in building the studio.

At the 2025 OpenAtom conference, Huawei’s Zhang Xiaofeng highlighted OpenHarmony’s progress in community growth (over 9,000 contributors), technological advancements, and industry adoption with over 1,200 compatible products. OpenHarmony supports diverse sectors, from finance to transportation. Customized OS distributions like “YiHong” are driving digital transformation. Integration of HarmonyOS in government and enterprise office applications is accelerating, promoting efficient office experiences. Zhang Xiaofeng called for increased collaboration to build a thriving OpenHarmony ecosystem.

Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, plans a major expansion, aiming to implant BCI chips in 20,000 patients annually by 2031, generating $1 billion in revenue. The company intends to establish five clinics in six years, developing “Telepathy,” “Blindsight,” and “Deep” implants for communication, vision restoration, and neurological disorder treatment. US approval for “Telepathy” is expected by 2029, with “Blindsight” launching in 2030. Neuralink, valued at $9 billion, has secured $1.3 billion in funding.

China’s Ministry of Public Security is increasing oversight of ADAS technologies amid growing adoption. New regulations and stricter scrutiny of automakers’ marketing claims are expected. The focus is on enhanced automaker accountability, refined legal frameworks for Level 0-2 ADAS, and public awareness campaigns emphasizing driver responsibility. Authorities will collaborate to clarify “human-machine co-driving” definitions and safety standards. The core message is that drivers are responsible for vehicle safety as current systems are not fully autonomous, and “hands-off, eyes-off” behavior carries risks.

The U.S. EPA is reportedly drafting a document to ease restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions, claiming prior scientific conclusions were flawed and emissions are harmless, arguing that limitations harm human well-being. This move has sparked controversy. The potential shift echoes skepticism in the Chinese scientific community, with one academician recalling doubts raised in 2021 about Western commitment to emissions reduction, suggesting potential divergence in global climate action strategies.