Tobias

Wang Shuguo, President of Fanya University of Technology, emphasizes individualized education. The university, initially enrolling 50 students, will offer customized learning programs and an “8-year university” model for doctoral degrees by age 26. Wang believes in the importance of education investments by entrepreneurs as a barometer of societal growth, and plans to expand the student body to 800-1000 in the coming years.

JD.com and China Resources Group (CRC) have forged a strategic partnership, expanding their existing collaboration. The agreement, solidified at a signing ceremony attended by top executives, will focus on boosting ventures in areas such as Hong Kong and overseas business expansion, consumer initiatives, energy efficiency, commercial real estate, healthcare, and logistics. This move leverages CRC’s diverse portfolio and JD.com’s e-commerce expertise to drive mutual growth. CRC ranks 72nd on the 2024 Fortune Global 500.

At the 2025 Chongqing Auto Show, Chinese auto executives voiced concerns over intense price competition, advocating a shift to value-driven strategies. They emphasized prioritizing quality, technology, and service over aggressive price cuts, warning about the detrimental effects on the supply chain and long-term innovation. The consensus is to move away from price wars to achieve sustainable industry growth.

Former Gree Electric executive Wang Ziru discussed his departure in a livestream, hinting at friction stemming from proposed channel reforms. He emphasized the decision wasn’t solely his and highlighted positive relationships with colleagues. While details were guarded, he referenced public salary information and revealed his title wasn’t formally VP. Wang described his work at Gree as reshaping the sales system, driven by a sense of urgency and a desire for a lasting legacy.

Errol Musk, Elon Musk’s father, attended a Moscow forum organized by Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin, sparking international interest. He discussed Elon’s relationship with Donald Trump, attributing the situation to a “mistake” and expecting a swift resolution. Errol believes his son opposes Democrats to counter their “stupid ideas.” The visit’s timing, coinciding with a Russian lawmaker’s asylum suggestion, highlights complex geopolitical dynamics.

China’s consumer “trade-in” subsidies, crucial for boosting domestic demand, are experiencing temporary pauses in several regions during the 618 shopping festival. Many cities are shifting from broad subsidies to a “grab-the-coupon” system or have suspended them entirely. This slowdown, potentially linked to dwindling funds, impacts appliance and digital device purchases. While retailer promotions continue, the future of these subsidies is uncertain, yet policy is anticipated to shift to a quota system to better moderate fund usage.

Meta is in advanced talks to invest over $10 billion in AI data labeling startup Scale AI. This deal, if finalized, would be a historic private financing, reflecting the importance of data in the AI landscape. Scale AI, which provides data labeling services crucial for training machine learning models, has experienced rapid growth. Meta’s investment signals a shift toward external AI partnerships and supports its strategic focus on AI, including its Llama language model and AI-powered integrations across its platforms.

iFLYTEK’s Spark AI won a Gaokao essay competition against other domestic AI models, scoring high on a challenging prompt about expression in adversity. The victory highlighted Spark’s profound reasoning, cultural understanding, and ability to construct a compelling narrative praised by educators. This achievement marks a significant step for domestic AI in education, driven by a “teaching-thinking chain” that delivers personalized learning. It signifies the potential for self-reliant AI education and personalized learning globally.

Facing scrutiny over its “Duoban” trademark, instant noodle brand Baixiang swiftly rebranded its products, replacing the term with accurate weight descriptions. This move, costing the company potentially millions, showcases a commitment to transparency and consumer trust. Baixiang’s actions, a stark contrast to industry norms, highlight its dedication to honesty and quality, establishing a new standard within the FMCG sector, rooted in a long-standing promise of safe and reliable products.

Apple researchers challenge current AI reasoning models, arguing they are sophisticated pattern matchers, not true thinkers. They criticize existing evaluation methods, proposing new puzzles to assess in-depth thought. Results show models struggling with increased complexity, leading to performance collapses. The paper sparks debate about AI’s limitations and the need for improved reasoning and evaluation.