China's Meituan Unveils AI Trained on Domestic Chips

Chinese tech giant Meituan has launched LongCat-2.0, a significant new artificial intelligence model that reportedly performs at a level comparable to Google's Gemini 3.1 pro. This model is notable for being the first trillion-parameter AI trained entirely on domestically developed computer chips. This achievement underscores China’s rapid progress toward achieving technological self-reliance despite ongoing export restrictions imposed by the United States.

Simultaneously, South Korea has announced a massive $576 billion investment plan into its AI-chip sector to maintain its industrial lead. This commitment, supported by firms like Samsung and SK Hynix, signals an intensified global race to control the supply chain for advanced AI hardware. These developments suggest a widening split in the global semiconductor landscape, with nations aggressively promoting local innovation to counter geopolitical supply risks.

For India, these developments emphasize the importance of diversifying AI technology partnerships and localizing chip development capabilities. As major nations prioritize domestic security over global trade efficiencies, the cost of AI infrastructure may fluctuate, impacting the adoption rates for local tech startups. Observers note that the success of Meituan's model indicates that domestic hardware, while previously considered inferior, is becoming increasingly capable of supporting high-level machine learning workloads.