Semiconductors & AI Chips Weekly Briefing

May 29, 2026

Samsung and TSMC navigate labor tensions amid an AI boom while Nvidia posts record revenues and Intel secures a vital manufacturing deal and more.

Samsung Electronics averted a major labor strike by securing a landmark profit-sharing agreement that could grant semiconductor workers bonuses of up to $416,000 following record AI-driven profits; however, the deal has sparked internal resentment and production slowdowns in other divisions receiving smaller payouts. ^{12345678910111213}
Nvidia continues to dominate the AI landscape with a record-breaking $81.6 billion in quarterly revenue, while its new in-house Vera CPU is outperforming traditional x86 chips from Intel and AMD in early benchmarks. ^{14151617181920}
Samsung and SK hynix have intensified the AI memory race, with Samsung beginning shipments of the industry's first 12-layer HBM4E samples and both companies making strategic investments in the AI developer Anthropic. ^{21222324252627}
TSMC is reportedly facing its own labor unrest as employees threaten strikes over rumored bonus cuts despite soaring profits, even as the foundry giant plans a 15% price hike for its advanced 3-nanometer chips to fund massive capital expenditures. ^{282930313233343536}
AMD and other Taiwanese tech firms are aggressively expanding their infrastructure, with AMD committing over $10 billion to Taiwan's AI ecosystem and regional firms borrowing a record $14.5 billion to meet surging semiconductor demand. ^373839404142
Intel has made progress in its foundry business recovery, reportedly securing a preliminary deal to manufacture chips for Apple, while also announcing plans to sell a $1.5 billion stake in its autonomous driving unit, Mobileye. ^43444546
Other notable developments include heightened export controls as the Netherlands bans ASML's advanced machines to China, investigations into smuggled Nvidia chips, and Huawei's efforts to bypass Western sanctions with new circuit-stacking technologies. ^{4748495051525354555657}

Semiconductors & AI Chips Weekly Briefing

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