Dispatches from Rest of World: December 18

Here are this week's biggest stories in tech from the regions that we cover. For more exclusive content, sign up for Rest of World's weekly global newsletter.

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Africa

The race to back AI innovations in Africa is intensifying. This week, just a few months after Google announced its plan to support African AI startups, Microsoft and Nvidia are joining forces to do the same. Through the Microsoft AI Startups program and Nvidia Inception, both companies will provide African AI entrepreneurs with the necessary resources to scale their products globally, including mentorship, access to platforms like Azure and GitHub, go-to-market support, technical tools, and networking opportunities. —  dámiláre dòsùnmú from Nairobi

China

Beijing has launched an investigation into Nvidia for suspected anti-monopoly violations, escalating the ongoing U.S.-China tech rivalry over AI development. This follows new Washington restrictions on tech exports to China, and comes the same week that the Biden administration announced plans to raise tariffs on solar wafers and other green energy products from China. Beijing had previously retaliated by banning the sale of materials used for advanced chip-making, including germanium and gallium, to the U.S. —  Joanna Chiu from Vancouver

Latin America

Chile unveiled its long-awaited National Data Center Plan earlier this month, stating that the industry will triple in size during the next five years while prioritizing sustainable practices for both the public and private sectors. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have set up large data centers in the Santiago metropolitan area, which has become a major data center hub in Latin America. Local pushback against these centers, which guzzle water and energy, has grown in recent years, with neighbors and community leaders demanding transparency and environmental accountability. —  Karla Zabludovsky from Mexico City

South Asia

Amazon has finally decided to stop sidestepping India’s quick-commerce boom. The e-commerce giant, which until two months ago was claiming that quick commerce has not affected its business, launched a 15-minute delivery service called “Tez” in India. The country’s quick-commerce segment, which first started in Bengaluru, is dominated by Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart, but more and more players want a bite of the $6 billion market. The Amazon development comes a little over three months after Flipkart, its biggest homegrown rival, launched “Flipkart Minutes” to deliver groceries, electronics, smartphones, and other products within 8–16 minutes. — Ananya Bhattacharya from Mumbai

Southeast Asia

Thailand is stepping up its presence in the semiconductor industry with a newly set up agency, a draft strategy to lure investment, and plans to train workers. This month, the Board of Investment approved 10.5 billion baht ($310 million) from a subsidiary of Apple supplier Foxconn to make and export machinery parts and equipment for the chip sector. Thailand aims to draw at least 500 billion baht ($15 billion) in foreign investment in the semiconductor industry by 2029, benefiting from diversification away from China. — Rina Chandran from Bangkok