The second week of August (8/10-8/16) was a week in which the “reality” of generative AI was once again confronted: the pros and cons of OpenAI’s GPT-5, the strengthening of Anthropic’s policies, NVIDIA’s announcement for robotics, the practical effectuation of the EU AI Act, the swing back of U.S. and Chinese semiconductor export restrictions, and the start of the Japanese AI command post. The announcement of OpenAI’s GPT-5, Anthropic’s policy strengthening, NVIDIA’s announcement for robotics, the practical entry into force of the EU AI Act, the swing back to semiconductor export controls in the US and China, and the full-scale launch of Japan’s AI command post, all these changes in and outside the ecosystem occurred at the same time. Below, we summarize the key points from both management and front-line perspectives, and present measures directly related to the manufacturing industry.
TOC
1) Model reality: GPT-5 “should not be underestimated, but neither should it be overestimated.”
- Initial evaluations of GPT-5 were dominated by the comment that “it was not as big a leap as expected,” and in response to user outcry, OpenAI revised its operations by gradually restoring the GPT-4o options. While the performance of the GPT-4o is said to be a strength in terms of stabilized inference and improved cost and speed, many have pointed out that the “human touch” of the creative system has faded, and the company has suggested “readjusting the personalities. EarthTechnica+1TheVerge+1Axios
- There is a renewed debate over whether the growth of AI is slowing down. However, the “wall” argument is overly pessimistic and should rather be viewed as a turning point where the axis of evaluation is shifting from a focus on scale to applied value, safety, and energy-saving design. Financial Times
Implications for Manufacturing
- Rather than waiting for a “dramatic coup,” it is more efficient to invest in high-speed AI optimization of existing operations (process design, estimation, QA, and maintenance).
- Standardize AB testing for model selection for applications where creativity and “temperature” of response are important (e.g., a permanent evaluation of switching between GPT-5, GPT-4o, and Claude on the company portal). Earth Technica
2) Governance enters the “implementation phase”: Core provisions of the EU AI Act will become effective on August 2.
- The EU AI Act’s governance provisions and basic obligations for GPAI (generic AI) providers became effective on August 2; the AI Office and AI Board became operational; guidelines andCode of Practice for GPAI are in place; and a system of penalties, including administrative penalties (up to 7% of sales) for non-compliance, is in place (GPAI penalties will become fully effective in August 26). Penalty systems, including administrative penalties (up to 7% of sales) for violations, are also in place (GPAI penalties will be fully applied in August 2014). DigitalStrategy FormationDLA PiperGlobalCompliance News
Implications for manufacturing (companies with EU locations and products for the EU)
- In Q3 2025, (1) obtain “training data summary” template-compliant information from model providers, (2) develop critical incident reporting channels, and (3) create AI risk ledgers for each GPAI application.
- High-risk systems such as robots and inspection equipment will run parallel to CE and ISO 12100 and AI Act-compliant integrated design audits starting this fiscal year, with a view to application in 26-27 years. Formation of digital strategy
3) Advances in industrial applications: Robotics x Synthetic data x Digital twin
- NVIDIA announced new libraries for Omniverse, Cosmos (physical AI ) model suite, and updated Isaac stack, accelerating real space reconstruction and simulation generation with 3D Gaussian splatting, etc. Boston Dynamics, Figure AI, Hexagon and others. NVIDIA Newsroom
- Microsoft Copilot 3D is a publicly available 2D image to 3D model automatic generation (GLB output). Lightweight, but immediate effect for on-site jig design and AR manuals elementary production. Signs of lateral expansion into design and educational applications coincide with announcement for gaming. Tom’s HardwareTheVerge
Implications for Manufacturing
- AI Robotics PoC is a four-step process of “Sensor -> Digital Twin -> Synthetic Data -> Local Adaptation”. Minimum one line/one process, camera/IMU/torque sensor logs reproduced by NuRec + Isaac Lab → inferential unit to production. NVIDIA Newsroom
- 3D manual modeling queues are being reworked with a new “rough to finish” workflow that creates rough shapes in Copilot 3D and refines them on the CAD sideThe Verge
4) Update of competitive map: Anthropic offensive, Meta restructuring
- Anthropic announced a tightened usage policy (explicit prohibition of CBRN and cyber attacks, and detailed rules for agent usage). Anthropic+2Anthropic+2U.S. General Services Administration
- Meta is reorganizing its AI division and adjusting its structure to leverage its Llama group and generative AI business. Reuters
Implications for Manufacturing
- Cross-reference internal prompt/agent usage policies with the latest policies fromAnthropic, etc., and maintain audit trails (logs, permissions, R2R) in preparation for “stricter security requirements” from clients.
- Assuming model diversification (GPT/Claude/Llama systems), application-specific pipelines (summary, translation, code, image/3D, robotics) with vendor lock avoidance design.
5) Geopolitics: “Conditional Relaxation” of Semiconductors to China and China’s Censure
- The U.S. administration has approved the sale of some advanced chips to China “with fees, ” and congressional Democrats are pushing back from a security perspective. The transparency of the system’s design and the handling of collection and distribution are being questioned.
- Meanwhile, the Chinese authorities are asking major tech companies why they are procuring NVIDIA H20 and urging them to “avoid it for Guoanan-related applications. With the acceleration of domestic substitution (Huawei, etc.) in the background, multiple procurement channels and specification degregation will be the real solution for domestic demand in China.
Implications for Manufacturing
- For China projects, two systems are prepared at the BoM level for H20/MI308 applicability and alternatives (e.g., ascending). The initial design incorporates a “two-tier architecture” where learning is separated at the overseas/DC and inference at the local edge, leveling the risk of customs clearance and audits.
6) Establishment of Japan’s structure: Establishment of the AI Policy Promotion Office and the “AI Strategic Headquarters
- Japan established the Office for the Promotion of Artificial Intelligence Policy in the Cabinet Office on Aug. 1 ; established the AI Strategic Headquarters on Sept. 1, aiming for a Cabinet decision on the AI Basic Plan this winter; will promote implementation of the AI Promotion Law (Japanese version of the AI Law), which was passed and promulgated in May and June. Cabinet Office WebsiteCabinet OfficeBUSINESS LAWYERS
- A framework for international collaboration was also confirmed at the APEC Digital AI Ministerial Meeting, and intra-regional standardization and interoperability continues to be a theme. Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Implications for Manufacturing
- The compliance matrix was renewed based on the “two-tier regulation” of the light-touch promotion law for Japan and the AI Act for the EU. Formally incorporated “AI governance items” into the global Design Review and included a declaration of compliance in quotations and proposals. Formation of digitalstrategyBUSINESS LAWYERS
7) Macro Perspective: AI will enter an investment recovery phase through “application.
- In the face of tariff and geopolitical shocks, manufacturers are shifting investments to AI for risk absorption (supplier switching and demand response); SCM visualization and decision automation are areas of focus with fast payback; Reuters
Conclusion: What Comes After the “Myth of Scale
What has become clear over the past week is the paradigm shift from “giant = value” to “reality fit = value. Rather than fancy models, companies that can connect workflow, data governance, and energy savings will hold a competitive advantage. This is good news for the manufacturing industry. Learned models are “usable” enough. All that remains is to win in design and operation.
Reference: Major news summary (NAVS)
Source List
- Ars Technica, “The GPT-5 rollout has been a big mess,” 2025/8/11.earth technica
- Ars Technica, “OpenAI brings back GPT-4o after user revolt,” 2025/8/13.earth technica
- The Verge, “GPT-5 failed the hype test,” 2025/8/16.The Verge
- Axios, “Sam Altman: Never mind the launch mess – full speed ahead,” 8/16/2025.Axios
- Financial Times, “Is AI hitting a wall?” 2025/8/16.
- Reuters, “Meta restructures AI division…,” 8/15/2025.Reuters
- NVIDIA Newsroom, “Opens Portals to World of Robotics with new Omniverse libraries…,” 8/11/2025.NVIDIA Newsroom
- Tom’s Hardware, “Copilot Gaming (beta) and Copilot 3D go live this week,” 2025/8/11.Tom’s Hardware
- The Verge, “Copilot 3D hands-on,” posted 8/9/2025 (the feature itself will be generally available in early August).The Verge
- DLA Piper, “Latest wave of obligations under the EU AI Act take effect,” 8/7/2025.DLA Piper
- European Commission, “AI Act | GPAI Regulations and Application Timeline,” updated 8/1/2025.Forming a Digital Strategy
- Baker McKenzie, “GPAI obligations kick in from 2 August 2025,” 8/13/2025.Global Compliance News
- Reuters, “China cautions tech firms over Nvidia H20 chips,” 8/12/2025.Reuters
- Nextgov/FCW, “Senate Democrats decry decision to allow advanced chip sales to China,” 8/15/2025.Nextgov/FCW
- Cabinet Office, “Launch of the Office for the Promotion of Artificial Intelligence Policy,” 8/1/2025.Cabinet Office Home Page
- Summary of Minister Jouchi’s press conference (schedule for establishment of AI Strategy Headquarters, etc.) 2025/8/1.Cabinet Office
- METI, “APEC Digital AI Ministerial Meeting (TELMIN11),” 2025/8/7.METI
- Reuters, “Manufacturers turn to AI to weather tariff storm,” 8/13/2025.Reuters
- Anthropic, “Usage Policy Update,” 8/15/2025.anthropic
- Anthropic, “Claude Sonnet 4 now supports 1M tokens,” 8/12/2025.anthropic
- GSA, “OneGov deal with Anthropic ($1),” 8/12/2025.U.S. General Services Administration
(*Dates and times in the text and sources are not converted to Japanese time, but are based on the notation of the distributor.)
