09/01/2026

BIZ & FINANCE FRIDAY | JAN 9, 2026

READ OUR

HERE

18

Malaysian Paper

/thesun

Push for more practical robots LAS VEGAS: Humanoid robots danced, somersaulted, dealt blackjack and played ping-pong at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, but some in the industry are impatient for them to become more useful, not just a promise of things to come. o Making them truly like humans will take several more years and require lots of training several more years and require lots of training. To become autonomous, humanoid robots need AI that translates what is seen and heard into actions, which is beyond the scope of today’s large language models that power tools like ChatGPT. As robots take their usual spotlight at the annual CES gadget fest, insiders caution that making them truly like humans will take

“Competition is as intense as ever and we know value remains a priority for customers,” he said. Analysts say Tesco’s strategy of matching the prices of discounter Aldi on over 650 items, together its Clubcard loyalty scheme, which provides lower prices for members, is driving growth. On Monday, Tesco said it was locking the prices of over 3,000 branded products, including Weetabix cereal, Heinz baked beans and PG Tips teabags. – Reuters researchers, is training to complete the Beijing marathon a few months from now. According to the Consumer Technology Association that runs CES, the robotics industry is showing dynamism and potential. It projects the global market will hit US$179 billion by 2030. The bulk of that growth is expected in factories, warehouses and other business operations, where robots – not necessarily humanoid ones – work in controlled environments. But for Artem Sokolov, founder of the Humanoid robotics startup based in London, humans work in factories so robots copying their bodies can thrive there too. South Korean automotive giant Hyundai used CES to unveil a humanoid robot called Atlas, created in collaboration with Boston Dynamics, that it plans to test in factories. Given the training limitations, industry trackers advise caution when it comes to companies claiming to have humanoid robots that can operate without flesh-and-blood managers overseeing them. “There has been a ton of new companies claiming that they are developing autonomous humanoid robots,” Admoni told AFP. “(But) these systems tend to be teleoperated; you have a person in a suit or using controllers and every movement of that person is then translated into the robot.” To solve the training problem, new startups are using methods such as having people wear cameras and haptic gloves while doing chores at home, according to Rokseth. “To make robots general machines, they need to be let out in the real world,” Rokseth said, not just assembly lines or warehouses. – AFP He said that it “has been the least responsive to the needs of the Department of War.” “Either Raytheon steps up, and starts investing in more upfront investment like plants and equipment, or they will no longer be doing business with Department of War,” the US leader said. More broadly, Trump also criticised the defence industry’s maintenance and repair timelines for equipment already sold, demanding that service be “spot on, on time”. “I will not permit dividends or stock buybacks for defence companies until such time as these problems are rectified,” he wrote, arguing that companies should fund investments with their own cash rather than through government contracts or bank loans. The statement did not specify what legal authority Trump would use to enforce the threatened restrictions, but the White House has hinted that it was planning an executive order to impose such reforms. – AFP

Training a large language model relies on massive amounts of data – mainly vacuumed up from the internet – that is of little use when it comes to human-like robots seeking to be useful in the kitchen or on a factory floor. “If you want (robots) to learn embodied things, you have to put them inside a body,” said Henny Admoni, an associate professor at the robotics institute at Carnegie Mellon University. Humanoid Guide founder Christian Rokseth, who specialises in the technology, likened the situation to locking a child in a room and expecting it to learn about the world. Even if the pace of development accelerated last year, particularly on the hardware side, Rokseth expressed a degree of impatience about innovation. “They’ve shown robots dancing and doing kung fu; now show us that they can be productive,” Rokseth said. EngineAI founder Evan Yao told AFP that the Shenzhen-based company is working with tech titans such as Amazon and Meta to give its creations AI brains. “We are trying to simulate humans, but the robots will never become human,” Yao told AFP as one of his robots kicked in his direction. “Because a human is emotional and much more.” Nearby, Yiran Sui was part of a Robotera team whose humanoid robot, developed for

A referee signals a point as robots fight with kicks and punches during the Ultimate Fighting Bots competition at the BattleBots Arena on the sidelines of the CES in Las Vegas. – AFPPIC

Tesco bolsters profit outlook with strong Christmas sales LONDON: Tesco, Britain’s biggest food retailer, yesterday forecast full-year profit at the upper end of its guidance as it reported a 3.2% rise in underlying UK sales for the key Christmas trading period, winning market share from rivals. focus on value at a time of subdued consumer confidence, still high inflation and weakening employment. However, its performance was a little below analysts’ consensus expectations. and its highest level since March 2015. Tesco said third quarter to November 22 UK like-for-like sales rose 3.9% having been up 4.6% in its second quarter. Growth then slowed to 3.2% in the six weeks to January 3. Shares in Tesco have increased 22% over the last year.

Under Ken Murphy, chief executive since 2020, the group is also benefiting from a strategy to improve the quality of its products, increase innovation and enhance customer service. Industry data published on Tuesday showed Tesco ended 2025 with a UK grocery market share of 28.7%, up 20 basis points on the year

The group said it now expected adjusted operating profit at the upper end of the £2.9 billion to £3.1 billion (RM15.8-RM17 billion) range it forecast in October. It made £3.13 billion in 2024/25. Tesco’s update showed it had continued to outperform the wider UK retail market with a

“Our investments in value, quality and service drove further gains in customer satisfaction and strong growth in fresh food, contributing to our highest UK market share in over a decade,” said Murphy.

Steelmaker BlueScope rejects takeover bid SYDNEY: Australia’s BlueScope Steel has rejected a A$13.2 billion (RM35.8 billion) takeover bid, describing it as an attempt to snatch the company “on the cheap”. yesterday on the Australian Securities Exchange, after advancing more than 23% in two days after the bid was announced.

Trump threatens to curb exec pay, ban buybacks, dividends at top defence firms

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to cap executive pay at major US defence contractors and ban shareholder dividends and stock buybacks, accusing the industry of prioritising profits over production speed. “Defence contractors are currently issuing massive dividends to their shareholders and massive stock buybacks, at the expense and detriment of investing in plants and equipment,”Trump wrote in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform. Trump said defence company executives would be barred from earning more than US$5 million annually until they build new manufacturing facilities and accelerate delivery of military equipment. Trump argued that “as high as it sounds”, US$5 million “is a mere fraction of what they are making now”. In a separate Truth Social post, Trump took aim at Raytheon, threatening a cut in its government business.

Steel Dynamics, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was involved in three previous failed attempts to take over BlueScope’s American steelmaking operations. “This is the fourth time we’ve said no, and the answer remained the same – BlueScope is worth considerably more than what was on the table,” McAloon said. The Australian steelmaker said the takeover offer failed to properly recognise expected cost and productivity improvements, a boost in cashflow, and a rise in earnings. BlueScope criticised the consortium’s plan to fund the takeover with debt, given that BlueScope itself had “virtually no debt”. “The bidders are seeking to use BlueScope’s balance sheet to help fund their opportunistic takeover proposal,” it said in a statement. Melbourne-based BlueScope, which has more than 16,500 employees across 15 countries, was created when resources giant BHP split off its steel assets in 2002. – AFP

US rival Steel Dynamics and Australian industrial and energy company SGH said this week they were jointly bidding to buy 100% of BlueScope Steel. Offering a total equity value of A$13.2 billion, Steel Dynamics would get its hands on BlueScope’s long-coveted American business while SGH would keep the rest of the assets. BlueScope said its board had unanimously rejected the consortium’s “highly opportunistic” bid. “Let me be clear – this proposal was an attempt to take BlueScope from its shareholders on the cheap,” BlueScope chairman Jane McAloon said in a statement released late on Wednesday. “It drastically undervalued our world-class assets, our growth momentum, and our future – and the board will not let that happen.” BlueScope’s shares eased 1.2% in early trade