Asian shares plunge as traders sell to lock in profits after recent rallies driven by AI

Asian shares fell sharply on Friday as traders sold stocks to secure profits following recent gains in AI-related sectors. Major indices like Japan's Nikkei 225 and South Korea's Kospi dropped significantly, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng and China's Shanghai Composite also declined. The sell-off followed record highs for the Nikkei and Kospi earlier in the week and mixed performance in U.S. AI stocks.