This week’s stories are about tech, AI and sustainability, coming from China, EU and the USA

Huawei’s advanced semiconductor plan by 2031

Huawei announced to develop advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology by 2031 that could rival the transistor density of next-generation chips being developed by leading global chipmakers, despite ongoing U.S. trade restrictions.

Speaking at a semiconductor symposium in Shanghai, the Chinese technology company said it is pursuing a new manufacturing approach that could enable it to produce chips with transistor density comparable to the 1.4-nanometer processes planned by major semiconductor firms, including TSMC and Samsung Electronics, the story noted.

I read this story ay Engadget and Huawei’s Chip Division Head, He Tingbo, said the company’s proposed manufacturing process would be both “feasible and affordable,” according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The company’s goal would still leave it several years behind industry leaders. TSMC has said its 1.4-nanometer manufacturing process is expected to enter production in 2028. (By the way I have a story here about Huawei Türkiye and its support for Turkish developers)

China’s largest contract chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., currently produces chips using a 7-nanometer process. Those chips are used in Huawei’s smartphones, including the Huawei Mate 60, according to the story.

If Huawei succeeds in reaching its target, the company could offer a domestic alternative to advanced foreign-made semiconductors while potentially competing on cost with established global manufacturers, the story claimed.

Huawei’s advanced semiconductor plan by 2031

Europe’s open-source alternative to Microsoft Office: Euro-Office

European technology companies are set to release the first stable version of Euro-Office on June 9, to reduce reliance on U.S.-based software platforms such as Microsoft Office and Google Docs.

The software, which will be available through the project’s public GitHub repositories, includes web-based applications for documents, spreadsheets and presentations, along with real-time collaboration features. I saw this story at ZDnet and developers say the platform is intended to support Europe’s growing push for digital sovereignty by providing a productivity suite governed and developed within Europe.

Euro-Office is backed by a coalition of European technology firms, including Ionos, Nextcloud, EuroStack, XWiki, OpenProject, Soverin, Abilian, BTactic, Open-Xchange and Office.eu.

Unlike many open-source office projects, Euro-Office is being deployed as part of existing European collaboration platforms rather than as a standalone application. At launch, the suite will be integrated into products offered by participating companies, including Nextcloud Hub 26, where it will serve as a browser-based editor for shared files, according to the story.

Euro-Office is based on the open-source core of OnlyOffice, developed by Ascensio System SIA, rather than LibreOffice or Apache OpenOffice. The project’s code will remain open to contributors worldwide and can be deployed by organizations outside Europe, the story noted.

The suite supports Microsoft Office file formats including DOCX, XLSX and PPTX, as well as OpenDocument formats such as ODT, ODS and ODP. Users can create, edit and share files through a web browser while collaborating in real time, the story told.

Europe’s open-source alternative to Microsoft Office: Euro-Office

Governor of California orders statewide review of AI’s workforce impact

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order directing state agencies to assess how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the labor market and to explore potential protections for workers displaced by the technology.

I read this story at ESGdive and the order instructs California agencies to monitor AI-driven changes in employment and evaluate policy options that could include severance pay and other forms of compensation for workers who lose jobs due to automation and AI adoption.

Newsom’s order adds California to a growing list of states responding to AI-related labor concerns. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has launched a commission examining AI’s impact on workers, while Utah has created a task force focused on workforce readiness and responsible AI deployment, the story noted.

Under the California directive, the state’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency must review academic research on AI’s effects on employment, including potential disproportionate impacts on different demographic groups and early indicators of labor market disruption, the story told.

The agency must also propose updates to the state’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act to better address AI-related job losses and examine “safety-net” policies such as severance and other compensation mechanisms for displaced workers.

In addition, the Employment Development Department is required to launch a public dashboard within 90 days tracking AI’s impact on employment across industries using unemployment insurance data, according to the story.

Newsom’s office said the initiative is designed to balance innovation with worker protections as AI continues to reshape the economy, as a side note.

Governor of California orders statewide review of AI’s workforce impact