On July 24, 2026, China successfully launched the "Yunjian Muxi" intelligent computing satellite, carrying domestically produced intelligent computing chips. Its on-orbit validation marks a critical leap for China's intelligent computing industry from ground-based to space-based applications. The satellite features AI-designed and 3D-printed structures, and is equipped with an embodied intelligent satellite model.

Samsung Electronics held its Galaxy Unpacked event on July 22, launching new foldable devices (Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Z Fold8, Z Flip8), Galaxy Watch Ultra2, Watch9, and smart glasses, all featuring Agentic AI. This move further deepens its Galaxy ecosystem and outlines an AI-driven future vision.

SpaceX's Starship heavy-lift launch vehicle conducted its 13th test flight on July 24. The second stage successfully splashed down in the Indian Ocean and deployed 20 Starlink satellites, though the first-stage booster crashed in the Gulf of Mexico. The flight achieved partial objectives, providing critical data for future lunar and Mars missions.

AMD held its Advancing AI 2026 conference on July 24, unveiling the world's first 2nm 6th Gen EPYC Venice CPUs, Instinct MI400 series GPUs, and the Helios AI rack-scale solution. AMD also announced deep partnerships with AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic, aiming to capture a share of the projected $2 trillion AI computing market by 2030.

The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) took place in Shanghai from July 17-20. Chinese startup Moonshot AI unveiled its Kimi K3 large open-source model, claiming it outperforms existing top models at a lower cost and demonstrated its ability to autonomously design chips within 48 hours. This sent shockwaves through the semiconductor industry and prompted positive remarks from NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang regarding the future of open-source AI.

Prominent venture capital firm Khosla Ventures is reportedly discussing raising up to $5.5 billion for new funds, while Pegasus Tech Ventures secured over $300 million in corporate venture capital commitments in the first half of 2026, indicating sustained VC interest in tech innovation.

U.S. tech companies laid off nearly 140,000 employees in the first half of 2026, with Amazon, Oracle, Meta, and Microsoft accounting for approximately 50,000, reflecting ongoing cost pressures and workforce adjustments across the tech industry.

The global fusion energy industry secured a record $4.48 billion in funding over the past 12 months, while General Fusion successfully listed on NASDAQ, and Inertia opened the world's first fusion factory to commercialize inertial confinement fusion, accelerating the technology's path to market.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed new rules to accelerate commercial space mission approvals by waiving provisions of 13 environmental and other laws, aiming to simplify licensing for companies like SpaceX for rocket and satellite launches.