China's AI funding surges while security threats rise

DeepSeek's market share reached 4% of global chatbots, sparking investor confidence in Chinese AI. Startup valuations doubled—projects expected at $10-20 million in 2024 now hitting $20-40 million in 2025. Zhipu AI and MiniMax shares soared on Hong Kong debuts this month. AI job applications jumped 39% in the first three quarters of last year.

Danger: AI-generated malware accelerates threats

Security researchers confirmed sophisticated Linux malware called VoidLink was created entirely by AI. The breakthrough: what should have taken 30 weeks took only 6 days to write 88,000 lines of code. This signals AI agents are becoming 2026's biggest insider threat—capable developers can now build advanced malware at scale without traditional resources.

Global AI partnerships strengthen

South Korea and Italy agreed to deepen cooperation in AI and semiconductors at a summit in Seoul.

What this means: Chinese AI competition intensifies with lower costs, AI security skills become critical for every team, and international AI collaboration accelerates geopolitical tech positioning.