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China
UK considers official visit to China after coronation olive branch. Foreign secretary James Cleverly is due to hold talks with Chinese vice-president Han Zheng when he attends the coronation this week. Plans for a subsequent visit would make Cleverly the first foreign secretary to visit China in more than five years. Oliver Wright. The Times
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin is to make a major speech on Ireland’s relationship with China today. The speech will stress that Ireland wants to have a positive and productive relationship with China, while emphasising the need to ‘de-risk’ ties between the two countries in politics, business and academia. Pat Leahy. Irish Times
Shein IPO challenged over claims of Uyghur forced labour. A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has submitted a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission, in which they call for an independent supply chain review before the Chinese e-commerce company is allowed to sell shares in the US. Mariko Oi.BBC
China’s use of exit bans grows as political control tightens under Xi. A new report by Safeguard Defenders indicates that China is increasingly barring people - including human rights activists, journalists and foreign executives - from leaving the country. Among them is a Singaporean executive at the U.S. due-diligence firm Mintz Group. Analysis of China's Supreme Court database, shows an eightfold increase in cases mentioning bans between 2016 and 2022. James Pomfret and Angel Woo. Reuters
Tibet’s exiled government reaffirm historical claims to independence. The India-based Central Tibetan Administration, led by Penpa Tsering, hopes challenging China will lead to greater engagement. Mure Dickie. Financial Times
Tiktok censors discussion of China, Trump, Uyghurs. Investigation suggests moderation system run by ByteDance staff in China used to censor sensitive topics in the US. Alexandra S. Levine.Forbes
China/Myanmar: Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang called for a crackdown (AP) on cross-border criminal activity during a rare visit to the two countries’ border region. Since a military junta took control of Myanmar in 2021, opium production has reportedly risen in the country.
Airlines dispute escalates US-China tensions. US airlines are lobbying the Biden Administration against proposal to grant Chinese airlines the same number of weekly flights as American carriers — but only if they agree not to fly over Russia. Demetri Sevastopulo, Joe Leahy and Claire Bushey. Financial Times
Growing alarm as China cuts off overseas access to critical information channels. China has gradually restricted access to corporate-registration information, patents, procurement documents, academic journals and official statistical yearbooks. Most recently, foreign researchers are finding they can’t renew subscriptions to the Shanghai-based Wind Information Co. database, widely used to access economic and financial data. Lingling Wei, Yoko Kubota and Dan Strumpf.The Wall Street Journal
China says UN Security Council should give smaller nations a greater say. China continues to position itself as a member of the Global South and advocate for the developing world. In a statement from its foreign ministry, China called on the UN to ‘redress historical injustices against Africa.’ Sun Yu.South China Morning Post
Taiwan pledges stronger ties with Paraguay after ally’s presidential election. Pro-Taiwan ruling party candidate Santiago Pena won a convincing election victory, and vows to maintain formal ties with the island. Lawrence Chung.South China Morning Post
Asian Development Bank calls on countries to fight protectionism. Masatsugu Asakawa, president of the ADB, said intensified trade uncertainty between the US and China risked disrupting economic activity across the Asia-Pacific region, damaging consumer and business confidence and reducing consumption. Edward Wright and Mercedes Ruehl.Financial Times
China’s use of exit bans grows as political control tightens under Xi. A new report by Safeguard Defenders indicates that China is increasingly barring people - including human rights activists, journalists and foreign executives - from leaving the country. Among them is a Singaporean executive at the U.S. due-diligence firm Mintz Group. Analysis of China's Supreme Court database, shows an eightfold increase in cases mentioning bans between 2016 and 2022. James Pomfret and Angel Woo. Reuters
China’s domination of European ports a security threat, says Nato official. Beijing’s ownership of communications networks, harbours and shipping is being viewed with increasing alarm by western security services. Bruno Waterfield and Oliver Moody. The Times
China’s Midea considering takeover of Electrolux. The Chinese home appliance giant made a preliminary approach in recent weeks to the Swedish brand despite potential political opposition. Electrolux has reportedly not been receptive to the proposal so far. South China Morning Post
China’s local governments to foot the bill for neighbourhood surveillance. Demands from Beijing for greater security and monitoring of citizens to be paid for by cash-strapped local authorities. Sun Yu.Financial Times
Mercedes-Benz CEO says cutting China ties would be ‘unthinkable for almost all of German industry’. As Berlin re-evaluates its relationship with Beijing, Ola Källenius calls for focus on ‘win-win on growth and climate protection, not conflict’. Laura Pitel. Financial Times
Carmakers voice concerns at Chinese dominance over connectivity patents. Chinese companies have filed a deluge of patents around the essential technology that facilitates access to 4G, 5G and WiFi networks. Patricia Nilsson and Anna Gross. Financial Times
Who is Li Hui, China’s point man in Ukraine? A profile of the senior diplomat sent to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia. Laura Zhou.South China Morning Post
Expats could be key to understanding Russia and China. As many British nationals choose to leave posts in China and Russia amidst deteriorating relations, the UK government has a unique chance to benefit from returning expats’ expertise. Elisabeth Braw.The Times
Shaky Signal: Qualcomm is optimistic about its China business. Should it be?A deep-dive into the world’s largest fabless semiconductor company. Brent Crane.The Wire
The Guardian view on US-China chip wars: no winners in zero-sum battles. UK policy is to ensure its industry doesn’t become collateral damage in the battle between China and the US for tech supremacy. The Guardian
USA
The United States remains “ironclad in our commitment to the defense of the Philippines, including the South China Sea,” President Biden said yesterday. The comments were made during a visit by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines to the White House. Marcos’ trip comes days after the U.S. and Philippine militaries held joint exercises to curb China’s influence in the South China Sea and strengthen the United States’ ability to defend Taiwan if China invades. Katie Rogers Reports for the New York Times.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said yesterday that he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress if President Biden refuses to invite Netanyahu to the White House. The comments come amid tensions between the White House and the current Israeli coalition, widely deemed the most right-wing in the country’s history. President Biden said in March that he was very concerned by the state of Israeli democracy following a planned judicial overhaul. Aaron Boxerman reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will meet with White House Homeland Security adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall today to discuss migration. The end of Title 42, scheduled on May 11, could sharply boost the number of migrants attempting to cross the border and lead the United States to lean on Mexico for tighter controls. Reuters reports.
U.S. officials yesterday determined that “no action need be taken” to remove the balloon spotted off the coast of Hawaii over the weekend. Though it is unclear whom the object belongs to, it did not appear to be controlled by “a foreign or adversarial actor,” a Defence Department spokesperson said yesterday. Kelly Garrity reports for POLITICO.
Biden Invites Congressional Leadership for Talks as Debt Default Looms. In a letter to congressional leaders yesterday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that the federal government could run out of money (FT) to pay its bills as soon as June 1 if Congress does not raise the debt ceiling. President Joe Biden invited four top lawmakers (AP) to the White House for talks next week on raising the debt limit to avoid default. Economists have warned that a default could plunge the United States and other economies into recessions and hurt U.S. financial credibility. While Biden has called for an unconditional raising of the debt ceiling, Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, have demanded support for spending cuts and other priorities in return for their backing.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen yesterday warned that the United States may run out of cash by the beginning of June if Congress fails to raise or suspend the debt ceiling. Reaching the debt ceiling would mean the government cannot borrow more money. Yellen urged Congress to act “as soon as possible” to address the $31.4tr limit. Bernd Debusmann Jr reports for BBC News.
The Biden administration will allow tens of thousands of Afghan refugees to renew temporary work permits and protections from deportation for another two years, according to two administration officials. Congressional efforts to permanently resolve their immigration status have stalled. The extension is a temporary fix for more than 76,000 Afghans who arrived in the United States following the chaotic withdrawal. Farnoush Amiri and Colleen Long report for AP News.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a measure into law yesterday making it a capital crime to rape a child under 12, a law that could set up a future Supreme Court case. The measure, which overwhelmingly passed the Florida legislature last month with bipartisan support, will go into effect even though it is unconstitutional. In 2008, the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law that allowed a child rapist to be sentenced to death, barring states from executing child sex predators unless they also murdered their victims. Tim Craig reports for the Washington Post.
Many of the initial 20 arrests announced by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ new Office of Election Crimes and Security have stumbled in court. Only one case has gone to trial, resulting in a split verdict. Critics say this points to the overall strength of Florida’s electoral system. Nonetheless, as he gears up for a possible presidential run, DeSantis is moving to give the office more teeth, asking the legislature tonearly triple the division’s annual budget. Lori Rozsa reports for the Washington Post.
Hunter Biden will need to sit for a sworn deposition and answer additional written questions about his investments, art sales, and other financial transactions as part of a paternity-related case, an Arkansas judge said yesterday. The hearing was convened after Hunter Biden asked to reduce his monthly child support payments. The two sides are now locked in a legal tussle over which documents Hunter Biden needs to hand over to his former partner Lunden Roberts as part of the discovery process. The dispute has morphed into a partisan proxy battle. Roberts’ attorneys are outspoken GOP activists, and many requests for Hunter Biden’s financial records dovetail with what House Republicans are trying to obtain. Marshall Cohen reports for CNN.
China: In 2021, air pollution in China declined enough to meet government safety standards but still greatly exceeded the maximum level recommended by the World Health Organization, Nature reported.
Chinese hackers outnumber FBI cyber staff 50 to 1, bureau director says CNBC Lauren Feiner U.S. cyber intelligence staff is vastly outnumbered by Chinese hackers, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray told Congress as he pleaded for more money for the agency. “To give you a sense of what we’re up against, if each one of the FBI’s cyber agents and intel analysts focused exclusively on the China threat, Chinese hackers would still outnumber FBI Cyber personnel by at least 50 to 1,” Wray said in prepared remarks for a budget hearing before a House Appropriations subcommittee on Thursday.
The military says that a group of cyber soldiers stopped Iranian hackers from publishing unofficial US election results Fortune Christina Cassidy, Frank Bajak and The Associated Press Iranian hackers broke into to a system used by a U.S. municipal government to publish election results in 2020 but were discovered by cyber soldiers operating abroad and kicked out before an attack could be launched, according to U.S. military and cybersecurity officials. The system involved in the previously undisclosed breach was not for casting or counting ballots, but rather was used to report unofficial election results on a public website. The breach was revealed during a presentation this week at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, which is focused on cybersecurity. Officials did not identify the local government that was targeted.
The CCP messes with Texas (and Florida) The Diplomat Seth Kaplan Shortly after the Texas legislature convened for its annual session on January 10, Texas State Senator Lois Kolkhorst, a Republican, introduced SB147, a bill that would ban governments, companies, and citizens of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing land in Texas. This legislation was triggered by a former Chinese military officer’s 2021 purchase of 140,000 acres of land near Laughlin Air Force Base near Del Rio, Texas. On January 15, Texas Governor Greg Abbot signaled his support for the bill.
Joint Staff hosts Combatant Commands for C4/Cyber Summit US Department of Defence Director of the Joint Staff J6, Lt Gen Mary O’Brien, hosted the Inaugural J6 C4/Cyber Global Summit April 17-18 at the Pentagon. The event brought together Combatant Command Directors for C4/Cyber, Chief Technology Officers, and Chief Data Officers from across the Department to strengthen collaboration, information sharing, and technical expertise.
Ex-Harvard professor sentenced in China ties case The New York Times Gina Kolata Dr. Lieber, now 64, had been chairman of Harvard’s chemistry and chemical biology department. For his work on nanotechnology, he had been seen by some as a contender for the Nobel Prize. But he also secretly accepted money from China, which had established a government initiative, the Thousand Talents program, to gain access to scientific knowledge and expertise, often paying scientists lavishly.
Washington, Seoul target North Korean involved in Pyongyang's cyber theft NHK The United States and South Korea have both sanctioned a North Korean who was allegedly involved in laundering virtual currency to help finance his country's weapons programs. The US Treasury Department announced in a statement on Monday that it had added three individuals, including the North Korean and a Chinese man, to a list of sanction targets whose assets are frozen.
DHS’ cyber talent management system slowly gaining traction Federal News Network Justin Doubleday The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has hired approximately 80 people through the Department of Homeland Security’s new personnel system for cyber personnel, while a new DHS subcomponent is now looking to also take advantage of the system. CISA Director Jen Easterly provided the updated numbers during a House Homeland Security cybersecurity and infrastructure protection subcommittee hearing. “We’re at about 80 people with the cyber talent management system, and some really extraordinary talent at this point in time,” Easterly said.
Americas
Colombian Government, Guerrillas Begin New Round of Peace Talks in Cuba. Colombia’s government aims to negotiate a lasting peace deal (AFP) with the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group, but a deadly ELN attack last month has raised doubts about the talks’ progress.
Paraguay: Supporters of Paraguayo Cubas Colomés, who came third in Sunday’s presidential election, demonstrated outside the electoral court (Reuters) to demand a recount, claiming fraud.
North Asia
Japanese, South Korean Finance Ministers Meet for First Time in Seven Years. Today’s meeting on the sidelines of an Asian Development Bank summit in South Korea comes amid a broader thawing (Bloomberg) of Seoul-Tokyo relations that also included a security dialogue last month.
Jack Ma joins University of Tokyo as visiting professor Bloomberg Min Jeong Lee Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. co-founder Jack Ma is joining the University of Tokyo’s Tokyo College as a visiting professor, according to a profile page on the university’s website. Ma, 58, begins the new position on May 1 and is expected to contribute in several areas, the school said. He will provide advice on research topics and conduct research, especially in sustainable agriculture and food production; he will also give seminars about entrepreneurship and innovation.
Japanese authorities: DDoS method used in last year's cyberattack on government sites NHK Japanese authorities say a cyberattack against government websites last year was a distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attack. The National Police Agency has been investigating why access to some websites, including the "e-Gov" portal, were temporarily blocked. Websites of some private firms were also disrupted. The results of an analysis jointly released by the agency and the Cabinet Secretariat's national cybersecurity center show up to 100 gigabytes of data per second was sent from tens of thousands of IP addresses. They also show most of the addresses were abroad.
Japan boosting efforts to increase cyber defense personnel Nippon Japan's Defense Ministry is boosting efforts to increase cyber defense personnel at the Self-Defense Forces to some 20,000 over the next five years. With cybersecurity experts lacking in both the public and private sectors, the ministry is moving to enhance its educational and training system to increase cyber defense specialists for itself.
South & Central Asia
UN Clears Taliban Foreign Minister for Travel to Pakistan. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has long been banned from international travel due to UN Security Council sanctions, but a Security Council committee said he can meet (Reuters) with his Chinese and Pakistani counterparts in Pakistan next week. The subject of the meeting was not immediately announced.
The Kingdom of Bhutan has been quietly mining Bitcoin for years Forbes Iain Martin and Sarah Emerson Beneath the Himalayas, rivers fed by ancient glaciers supply the tiny kingdom of Bhutan with immense stores of hydroelectricity. The renewable resource has become an economic engine, accounting for 30% of the country’s gross domestic product, and fueling the homes of nearly all of its 800,000 residents. But for the past few years, Bhutan’s royal government has been quietly devising a new use for these reserves: powering its very own bitcoin mine.
Australia
Al Gore-backed FNZ says Australia’s wealth, super sectors ‘ripe for disruption’ The Australian Joyce Moullakis FNZ’s Asia-Pacific chief Tim Neville believes sections of the Australian market are inefficient, in part because the wealth management and superannuation administration sectors are overpriced compared to global counterparts. “We would say the average admin cost at a wholesale level in Australia is twice the cost of the UK, which is twice the cost of the US,” he said in an interview. “The Australian market, it needs to be disrupted.
Scammers hacked into Sharon's MyGov account in 2020. They are still accessing her data 9News Allanah Sciberras Sharon received a notification back in 2020 that someone was attempting to access her personal MyGov account. Despite catching it early, changing her password immediately and contacting authorities, hackers are still accessing her data, nearly three years on. The Melbourne woman is one of many whose account has been targeted by hackers and is warning people to take extreme care with their online security.
The Australian
Noah Yim
In the best traditions of the spy world, John Blaxland discovered he’d been frozen out of the nation’s most ultra-secret intelligence agency, the Australian Signals Directorate, in a blunt instruction that caught him totally unawares. Blaxland says he was “gutted” when the ASD cancelled his contract 15 months after he was commissioned to write an official, two-volume account of the communication spy agency’s history.
Ukraine - Russia
Russia has suffered an estimated 100,000 casualties since December, including more than 20,000 killed, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday. Gen. Mark Milley, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in November that Russia had suffered well over 100,000 killed or wounded in the first eight months of the war. The new figures suggest that Russian losses have dramatically accelerated in recent months. Aamer Madhani and Zeke Miller report for AP News.
U.S. Notes Uptick in Russian War Casualties. More than twenty thousand Russian soldiers have been killed (The Guardian) and over eighty thousand have been injured in the war in Ukraine since December, according to estimates by U.S. intelligence officials. Many of the troops died in trench warfare around the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy made a public promise yesterday to continue supporting Ukraine’s war effort, walking back previous suggestions that he might curtail the U.S. military aid for Ukraine. McCarthy’s promise could put him in an awkward position with a small but critical faction of ultraconservative Republicans that vocally oppose further military funding for Ukraine. Karoun Demirjian and Patrick Kingsley report for the New York Times.
Ukrainian forces shelled a village in Russia’s Bryansk region bordering Ukraine early on Tuesday, according to Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz. There were no casualties, Bogomaz said. Ukraine almost never publicly claims responsibility for attacks inside Russia and on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. Reuters reports.
An explosion derailed a freight train in Russia’s Bryansk region yesterday, according to the Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz and the Russian railway company. Bogomaz blamed an “unidentified explosive device,” while the Russian railway company said that “an intrusion by unauthorized individuals” derailed the train. Ukraine did not claim to have been behind the blast. Cassandra Vinograd and Ivan Nechepurenko report for the New York Times.
The Ukrainian journalists on the front lines of Russian propaganda .coda Amanda Coakley Rakovitsa’s organization is working to show how people in eastern Ukraine are experiencing the war and to counter the relentless tide of pro-Russian disinformation. They do this by reporting straight facts in a style that is bone dry, in both Russian and Ukrainian. Among Ukrainian media, their approach stands out. And it is exactly what some people are looking for. Since the invasion, News of Donbas and its sister YouTube channel have seen their audience numbers skyrocket.
Europe
France: Nearly three hundred people were detained (France 24, AFP, AP, Reuters) yesterday during countrywide protests against the government’s recently enacted pension reform, officials said. The interior ministry estimated that 782,000 people joined the demonstrations, while some unions said 2.3 million people participated.
Banning generative AI is not an option for Germany Nikkei Asia Natsumi Kawasaki and Ryohtaroh Satoh German Transport Minister Volker Wissing said Friday that banning generative artificial intelligence is not on the table for Germany at the moment. In an interview with Nikkei Asia in Tokyo, when asked if it was an option, Wissing replied, "No ... if all European countries react the way Italy did, we finally will not see any AI applications being developed in Europe. And then we would only have Chinese systems to address in the future," he said.
Orbiting satellites hacked real-time to test cyber resiliency CyberNews Stefanie Schappert The European Space Agency successfully completed its first-ever live pen testing exercise on one of its nanosatellites – all while it was still orbiting the Earth in space. Researchers were able to take complete control of the satellite proving worrisome risks to the entire space ecosystem. Ethical hackers hired by the space agency were directed to compromise the orbiting satellite in an effort to discover any vulnerabilities that could be potentially exploited by nefarious threat actors.
UK
Cyber-attack sparks fears that criminals could target UK gun owners for firearms The Guardian Mark Townsend Police are investigating a cyber-attack involving potentially thousands of British gun owners, raising concerns that organised criminals may target them for firearms. The National Crime Agency is assessing the level of risk after the National Smallbore Rifle Association confirmed that data belonging to some of its members had been “compromised”.
Pension details could have been stolen in major cyber hack, regulator fears The Telegraph Matt Oliver Hundreds of pension schemes have been ordered to check whether their data was stolen by cyber criminals during a major hack of Britain’s biggest outsourcer. In the latest twist following a serious cyber attack on Capita, The Pensions Regulator said it had told schemes that use the company as an administrator to determine whether pensioners’ personal data is at risk. Capita, which is also a major UK government contractor, provides administration services to about 450 organisations representing 4.5 million savers, including Royal Mail, Axa and PwC.
Middle East
Israel is increasingly relying on facial recognition in the occupied West Bank to track Palestinians and restrict their passage through key checkpoints, according to a new report by Amnesty International on what it refers to as “automated apartheid.” “These databases and tools exclusively record the data of Palestinians,” said the report. Government use of facial recognition technology to explicitly target a single ethnic group is rare. Adam Satariano and Paul Mozur report for the New York Times.
Israel/Palestinian territories: Khader Adnan, a high-profile prisoner and senior figure in the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, died in Israeli custody (BBC) this morning after refusing medical intervention during a three-month hunger strike.
Iran, Saudi Arabia Cooperate on Evacuations From Sudan. The countries worked to jointly evacuate dozens of Iranian citizens (Reuters) fleeing the conflict in Sudan in the latest sign of Iranian-Saudi rapprochement.
Iran APT using ‘BellaCiao’ malware against targets in US, Europe and Asia The Record by Recorded Future Johnathan Greig An Iranian state-sponsored hacking group has been accused of deploying a new strain of malware named BellaCiao against several victims in the U.S., Europe, India, Turkey and other countries. Researchers from cybersecurity firm Bitdefender attributed the malware to APT35/APT42 – also known as Mint Sandstorm or Charming Kitten – an advanced persistent threat group that is allegedly run by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Africa
More than 800,000 people could flee Sudan due to the ongoing clashes between rival military factions. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, tweeted yesterday.
Sudan’s rival military factions have accused each other of violating a fresh ceasefire. U.N. emergency relief coordinator Martin Griffiths said the country’s “humanitarian situation is reaching breaking point.” At least 528 people have been killed and 4,599 wounded. The Guardian reports.
UN: Eight Hundred Thousand Refugees Could Flee Sudan. More than one hundred thousand refugees have fled Sudan since two generals went to war on April 15, and seven hundred thousand more could follow (WaPo) if the conflict continues, resulting in a regional crisis, the UN refugee agency said. Over three hundred thousand people have been internally displaced, according to UN estimates.
Kenya: Opposition groups resumed anti-government protests (AP) after pausing during Ramadan to pursue direct talks with the government. The negotiations, regarding grievances over election reforms and high living costs, are now stalled.
Big Tech
TikTok parent ByteDance’s ‘sensitive words’ tool monitors discussion of China, Trump, Uyghurs Forbes Alexandra Levine Like many social media companies, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance maintains a library of vocabulary lists that dictate what users of its most popular platforms can and cannot see. But the Chinese giant’s glossary appears to extend well beyond standard moderation blocklists that typically focus on things like hate speech, child safety and terrorism, Forbes has learned. Internal company records show that posts about China’s government, U.S.-China trade, former president and 2024 candidate Donald Trump, persecuted minority ethnic group Uyghurs and even some of TikTok’s American competitors are subject to monitoring—and in some cases, suppression—by ByteDance.
Android app users warned after string of hijackings News.com.au Isabel McMillan Phone users all over Australia are being warned over a string of app hijackings spreading malicious viruses. Three viruses are in circulation – related to 19 apps on android devices – designed to steal private information and sign users up to premium services. Android phones are being targeted in the attacks, with one malware strain being downloaded more than three million times already because it is an open sourced operating system, meaning it can run any third-party app.
Shaky signal The Wire China Brent Crane Last month, Cristiano R. Amon, the amiable young chief executive of Qualcomm, took the stage at the 2023 China Development Forum, an annual gathering of multinational CEOs and government officials in Beijing. The American business community — wary of awkward optics during a time of grim congressional hearings, industrial sanctions and exploding spy balloons — largely kept their heads down at the press-heavy gathering. But Amon, beaming in a sponge-yellow tie, sounded a decidedly upbeat note for his American wireless firm.
Artificial Intelligence
‘The godfather of AI’ leaves Google and warns of danger ahead The New York Times Cade Metz Geoffrey Hinton was an artificial intelligence pioneer. In 2012, Dr. Hinton and two of his graduate students at the University of Toronto created technology that became the intellectual foundation for the AI systems that the tech industry’s biggest companies believe is a key to their future. On Monday, however, he officially joined a growing chorus of critics who say those companies are racing toward danger with their aggressive campaign to create products based on generative artificial intelligence, the technology that powers popular chatbots like ChatGPT.
Workers are secretly using ChatGPT, AI and it will pose big risks for tech leaders CNBC Mikaela Cohen Soaring investment from big tech companies in artificial intelligence and chatbots — amid massive layoffs and a growth decline — has left many chief information security officers in a whirlwind. With OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing AI, Google’s Bard and Elon Musk’s plan for his own chatbot making headlines, generative AI is seeping into the workplace, and chief information security officers need to approach this technology with caution and prepare with necessary security measures.
AI chatbots have been used to create dozens of news content farms Bloomberg Law Davey Alba The news-rating group NewsGuard has found dozens of news websites generated by AI chatbots proliferating online, according to a report published Monday, raising questions about how the technology may supercharge established fraud techniques. The 49 websites, which were independently reviewed by Bloomberg, run the gamut. Some are dressed up as breaking news sites with generic-sounding names like News Live 79 and Daily Business Post, while others share lifestyle tips, celebrity news or publish sponsored content. But none disclose they’re populated using AI chatbots such as OpenAI Inc.’s ChatGPT and potentially Alphabet Inc.’s Google Bard, which can generate detailed text based on simple user prompts.
How hackers are saving AI POLITICO John Sakellariadis If you’re concerned about a future of truth-shattering large language models, ask not what artificial intelligence can do for cyber, but what cyber can do for artificial intelligence. If you’re concerned about a future of truth-shattering large language models, ask not what artificial intelligence can do for cyber, but what cyber can do for artificial intelligence.
How are wearable technology & workouts based on AI transforming the fitness industry? The Times of India Yash Vardhan Swami Ever since the pandemic, fitness has got a new definition and many fitness apps have flooded into the market. The fitness sector has carefully incorporated AI technology and reached thousands of people. The easy access to information regarding health and fitness made people more inclined to this technology. From helping to track down your progress, to count how many steps you walked in a day, or helping to track your menstrual cycles, AI is an integral part of the fitness industry.
Photo: La Cina di Xi Jinping - Verso un nuovo ordine mondiale sinocentrico? (Italian)
Gabriele and Nicola Iuvinale
ASE 2023
Antonio Stango Editore 👇 https://stangoeditore.com/prodotto/la-cina-di-xi-jinping/
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