International press review Extrema Ratio May 5, 2023
Extrema Ratio focuses on the topics we work on, including geopolitcs, cybersecurity, critical technologies, foreign interference, disinformation, international law & national security.
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La Cina amplia la legge anti-spionaggio contro le aziende straniere
Money.it
Si alza lo scontro: l’espansione della legge cinese non farà che accelerare la fuga di capitali stranieri.
U. S. Senate’s China bill to restrict advanced tech exports, bolster allies
The Senate is starting work on a new bipartisan bill that will both further block China from using American capital to develop its most cutting-edge technology, and shore up Washington’s support for Pacific security partners.
China
China urges ‘high vigilance’ over NATO expansion in Asia. Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, said Asia was a ‘promising land for cooperation and development and should not be a battle arena for geopolitics’. Reuters
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang yesterday assured his Russian and Indian counterparts of deepening bilateral ties, promising that “coordination and cooperation” will only grow stronger.Reuters reports.
TikTok suspends film on Jimmy Lai. On 18 April, the Acton Institute released its documentary about Jimmy Lai, The Hong Konger. The Institute’s TikTok account, which was set up the same day the film premiered, was subsequently suspended. Amidst media backlash, TikTok has announced that the account was removed in error and has been reinstated. Wall Street Journal
China slams US Chips Act subsidies at WTO. China representative says the Chips and Science Act, that sets aside US$53 billion to fund domestic chip production and research, allows US to ‘interfere with the allocation of market resources’ and show ‘double standards’. Xinmei Shen. South China Morning Post
Alibaba’s global online commerce arm considers US IPO. Alibaba in March unveiled plans to break up its empire into units such as e-commerce, logistics and the cloud, with each business potentially exploring fundraising and an IPO. The unit, which includes platforms AliExpress and Lazada, has been valued at as much as US$39 billion by analysts. Yoolim Lee and David Ramli.Bloomberg
The next iPhone will still be made in China. The iPhone 15 is likely to rely on three suppliers - Foxconn Technology Group, Luxshare Precision Industry Co and Pegatron Corp - as Apple seeks to avoid dependence on a single contract manufacturer. Ben Jiang. South China Morning Post
Chinese companies told to step up data checks on auditors. Government issues warning in attempt to strengthen controls over sensitive corporate information. Cheng Leng and Edward White. Financial Times
JPMorgan chairman set to visit mainland China for first time in four years. Jamie Dimon’s trip comes after JPMorgan acquired 100% ownership of its funds management joint venture in January. The approvals process took more than two years. Reuters
China’s new strategy for waging the microchip tech war. Gregory C. Allen.CSIS
Western Banks’ collusion with the CCP should raise alarms. Director at the China Strategic Risks Institute warns banks may bow to pressure from Beijing in the event of a Taiwan conflict. Sam Goodman.The Diplomat
Why China’s censors are deleting videos about poverty. After Xi Jinping declared a ‘comprehensive victory in the battle against poverty’, discussion of economic struggle in China remains taboo. Li Yuan.New York Times
Shanghai police track Uyghurs and foreign journalists visiting Xinjiang IPVM IPVM Team Shanghai police are building a sweeping surveillance system which notifies authorities whenever foreign journalists book flights or train tickets to Xinjiang. The system also flags police whenever a Uyghur arrives in Shanghai. All this is made possible by connecting directly to Shanghai's Alibaba police cloud.
China 'innovated' its cyberattack tradecraft, Mandia says Dark Reading Kelly Jackson Higgins Mandiant CEO Kevin Mandia explains why a recently revealed targeted attack by a cyber-espionage group out of China rivals the SolarWinds attack in its complexity, and weighs in on how defenders can best leverage generative AI.
Why China’s censors are deleting videos about poverty The New York Times Li Yuan In March, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet regulator, announced that it would crack down on anyone who publishes videos or posts that “deliberately manipulate sadness, incite polarization, create harmful information that damages the image of the Party and the government, and disrupts economic and social development.” It bans sad videos of old people, disabled people and children.
Samsung is a case study in how manufacturers leave China The Wall Street Journal Jacky Wong “De-risking” is the latest buzzword describing Western governments’ strategy toward China. While it sounds less ambitious than “decoupling,” the basic idea is similar: reducing reliance on China for manufacturing, especially for key technological goods. Luckily there is at least one conspicuous example of a major high-technology company that has successfully relocated large parts of its production apparatus: Samsung Electronics.
Pro-China internet trolls just got busted for doing something wild Rolling Stone Adam Rawnsley Social media giant Meta announced on Wednesday that it had booted 107 accounts in a China-linked network behind the phony news outlet dubbed the New Europe Observation. The outlet, which Meta researchers say was linked to a Chinese technology company, appeared to be aimed at trying to stir up unrest in European countries.
USA
China and Russia would almost certainly exploit the “opportunity” a U.S. government debt default would present, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines warned Senate Armed Services Committee members yesterday. Haines said that both countries could exploit such an event for propaganda purposes through “information operations,” using it as evidence that the U.S. political system is chaotic, “that we’re not capable of functioning as a democracy.” Ellen Mitchell reports for The Hill.
US Seeks Meeting With China Defense Minister. The Pentagon is seeking a meeting between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart next month. The proposed meeting would take place alongside the ISS Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security forum in Singapore. Peter Martin. Bloomberg
US trade official to discuss China’s ‘economic coercion’ in upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation talks. Christopher Wilson, assistant US Trade Representative, says US has ‘ongoing concerns about the misuse and manipulation of intellectual property’. The issue is likely to be raised at the Apec trade ministers’ meeting, set for May 25 and 26. Robert Delaney.South China Morning Post
White House releases standards for critical and emerging tech. The strategy was unveiled in a briefing yesterday. It focuses on four key areas: investment, participation, workforce, as well as integrity and inclusivity. WH.Gov
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said yesterday that granting the United States access to Philippine military bases was a defensive step that would be “useful” if China attacked Taiwan. Marcos did not respond directly when asked whether the United States could place weapons at the bases if China attacked Taiwan. Michael Martina, Don Durfee, and David Brunnstrom report for Reuters.
Serious oopsie in the Army's S-1 shop: U.S. Army officials on Thursday said they accidentally let nearly 200 active-duty pilots resignyears ahead of schedule because of an administrative error, Army Times reported. The mistake affected pilots who were commissioned between 2015 and 2020, and involved improper tracking of service commitments by the Army's Human Resources Command. That command is in the midst of an audit, which it expects to complete within the next two months. The news comes as the Army is set to miss its recruiting goals for the second year in a row. Read some of Defense One's past coverage of the service's recruiting crisis, here and here.
President Biden has chosen Gen. Ken Wilsbach to be the next head of U.S. Air Force's Air Combat Command; if confirmed, he'll take the reins from Gen. Mark Kelly. Wilsbach has led Pacific Air Forces since July 2020. As Air & Space Forces Magazine points out, ACC has the most active-duty members of the U.S. Air Force's major commands. Lt. Gen Kevin Schneider has already been nominated to replace Wilsbach at PACAF.
FTC chair Lina Khan says she’s on alert for abusive AI use CNBC Lauren Feiner The Federal Trade Commission is on alert for the ways that rapidly advancing AI could be used to violate antitrust and consumer protection laws it’s charged with enforcing, Chair Lina Khan wrote in a New York Times op-ed on Wednesday.
Lina Khan: We must regulate AI. Here’s how. The New York Times Lina M. Khan Thanks to the rapid advance of generative AI, many of us have now experienced this potentially revolutionary technology with vast implications for how people live, work and communicate around the world. The full extent of generative AI’s potential is still up for debate, but there’s little doubt it will be highly disruptive.
White House announces AI initiatives ahead of meeting with top tech CEOs Time Matt O'Brien and Josh Boak Vice President Kamala Harris will meet on Thursday with the CEOs of four major companies developing artificial intelligence as the Biden administration rolls out a set of initiatives meant to ensure the rapidly evolving technology improves lives without putting people’s rights and safety at risk.
Senate’s China bill to restrict advanced tech exports, bolster allies Defense News Bryant Harris The Senate is starting work on a new bipartisan bill that will both further block China from using American capital to develop its most cutting-edge technology, and shore up Washington’s support for Pacific security partners. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, announced the plans Wednesday after directing his committee chairs to work with their Republican counterparts to begin crafting the legislation, which he hopes to move within the next several months.
Cops just revealed a record-breaking dark web dragnet WIRED Andy Greenberg A decade ago, US law enforcement was content to swat down a dark web black market for drugs and send its dealers and buyers scrambling to the next biggest anonymous online bazaar on their list. Now, one sprawling set of worldwide takedowns has revealed how those investigators are casting a much wider dragnet.
Hill tech & cyber briefing: Teen privacy, health spurs bills Bloomberg Law Michaela Ross and Kayla Sharpe Online platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube would need to obtain teenagers’ permission before collecting their personal information, under a bipartisan bill that’s the latest bid to modernize a decades-old law for the social media age. The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act - set to be reintroduced today by Sens. Ed Markey and Bill Cassidy - would extend a 1998 law that protects kids’ personal information online to cover teens who are 13 to 16 years old.
Americas
Brazil receives pushback from tech companies on ‘fake news’ bill The Guardian Kari Paul and agency Brazil’s government is taking a stand against major tech companies over a new internet regulation that is shaping up to be one of the world’s strongest legislations on social media. Bill 2630, also known as the ‘fake news’ law, puts the onus on the internet companies, search engines and social messaging services to find and report illegal material, instead of leaving it to the courts, charging hefty fines for failures to do so.
University of Waterloo ends research partnerships with Huawei, amid security concerns over China Toronto Star Joanna Chiu One of Canada’s top research universities will end all its research partnerships with Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, the Star has learned. “We are disentangling ourselves from this company,” Charmaine Dean, vice-president of research at the University of Waterloo, told the Star.
Credit Suisse Buys $1.6 Billion in Ecuadorian Bonds in Debt-for-Nature Swap. The investment bank and Ecuador agreed that Quito will use the money saved from the swap to conserve the Galápagos Islands (Reuters).
Canada considers expelling Chinese diplomats for targeting MP. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly summoned China's ambassador on Thursday to discuss the issue raised by the CSIS report.
University of Waterloo, Canada cuts ties with Huawei over federal security rules. The Government of Canada’s mandatory risk-assessment framework for university researchers was introduced two years ago to safeguard intellectual property from authoritarian governments. Vice-president of university research claims rules ‘led to an inability to get partnership funds through that portfolio.’ Andrea Woo and Xiao Xu.The Globe and Mail
Canada is considering expelling Chinese diplomats after Beijing was accused of targeting Michael Chong, a Conservative member of parliament, and his family. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly summoned China’s ambassador yesterday to discuss the issue. It follows a report that Canada’s spy agency believes China sought details about Chong’s relatives to deter “anti-China positions.” Nadine Yousif reports for BBC News.
China/Canada: China’s foreign ministry protested the possible expulsion (SCMP) of a Chinese diplomat in Canada who Ottawa has accused of participating in a harassment campaign against a Canadian lawmaker.
Colombia: Bogotá will temporarily stop accepting some deportation flights (Reuters) from the United States due to the alleged mistreatment of migrants.
Asia
Taiwan seeks US technical support for next-generation fighter
Janes
Taipei is seeking US technical assistance for its next-generation fighter aircraft project amid the Taiwan air force's declining combat strength. Speaking at the 2023 Taiwan-US Defense Industry Forum on 3 May, Kai-Hung Hu, the chairman of the Taiwanese aviation manufacturer Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC) said that the company is seeking US assistance to enhance its technical capabilities. The next-generation fighter aircraft project was first made public in 2017, according to Janes data. This aircraft is intended to provide Taiwan's Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) with fifth-generation technologies and features. “When it comes to the development of the next-generation fighter, we hope the United States supports Taiwan to develop it itself, including the engine, avionics, control systems, environmental controls, and so on, which are all an opportunity for Taiwan-US co-operation,” Hu said at the forum.
Japan’s biggest drone maker sets its sights on the US Tech Crunch Brian Heater This week, ten-year-old drone company ACSL announced plans to enter the U.S. commercial drone market. The firm has already taken a sizable bite out of the market in its native Japan, with a certification from the country’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, as well as a deal to provide disaster support for the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. It says it’s the country’s largest by headcount, revenue and market cap.
North Korean factory poster urges cyber safety as country’s hacking threat grows NK News Shreyas Reddy North Korean television provided a glimpse this week into domestic cybersecurity education in the country notorious for its hacking syndicates, showing a poster at a factor bearing buzzwords ranging from “spyware” to “backdoor.” A brief shot during a special program about the Ryongsong Machine Complex in the northeastern city of Hamhung shows the poster on the wall of a room where workers are receiving training, in what appears to be an attempt to promote basic cyber literacy.
South China Morning Post
Edith Lin and Danny Mok
Hong Kong police have arrested 100 suspects over a series of cyber frauds, including a love scam in which a victim in Canada lost HK$23 million (US$2.9 million) after falling for a swindler’s “sweet talk”. The force on Wednesday said its week-long operation had led to the arrest of 71 men and 29 women aged from 17 to 74.
Bilateral defense guidelines include AFP modernization, cyber defense
Philippine Star
Kaycee Valmonte
The Philippines and the United States have finally released their Bilateral Defense Guidelines, which outline the priorities of the alliance in the coming years. The release of the document comes as President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. visited the Pentagon during his official working visit to the United States, where he also met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Philippine President: U.S. Cannot Use Bases for Offensive Action Against China. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. clarified that Washington has not asked Manila (Bloomberg) to allow Philippine bases to be staging grounds for offensive action. Separately, he said that the Philippines, Japan, and the United States are in talks for a trilateral defense treaty.
Chinese, Pakistani, Taliban Officials Begin Security Talks in Islamabad. The two-day talks in Pakistan’s capital will focus on regional security issues (VOA). Ahead of the talks, China said plans for development projects in Afghanistan would be conditioned on improvements in the country’s security situation.
Indonesia/Myanmar: Indonesia has conducted low-profile negotiations with all major factions involved in Myanmar’s civil war in an effort to broker peace, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told Reuters.
Australia
Australia to procure MASS decoy system for frigates, destroyers
Janes
The Australian government has signed a deal with Rheinmetall Defence Australia (RDA) to procure the company's Multi-Ammunition Soft-kill System (MASS).
The Department of Defence (DoD) in Canberra said on 5 May that the MASS decoy system will be integrated onto the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) Anzac-class frigates and Hobart-class destroyers.
The deal also includes an option to subsequently expand the order to include the entire RAN fleet. The initial contract is worth AUD180 million (USD120 million) over five years.
Deterring China isn’t all about submarines. Australia’s ‘cyber offence’ might be its most potent weapon The Conversation Greg Austin Australia doesn’t need to wait ten or 20 years for its new submarines, or for long-range missiles, to project effective military power against China. It has the ability to use its cyber forces to strike strategic targets inside China now, or for the sake of deterrence, to hold out that threat.
How the HWL Ebsworth hack unfolded The Australian Financial Review Michael Pelly It’s been a testing week for HWL Ebsworth since it discovered at 4.30pm last Friday that it had been targeted by one of the world’s most sophisticated hacking groups, a Russian outfit known as Black Cat. Russell Mailler, the firm’s head of strategy – and right-hand man to managing partner Juan Martinez – told Hearsay the firm was still trying to work out exactly what information had been taken.
Banning WeChat would ‘damage’ democracy, experts say
The Australian Financial Review
Gus McCubbing
Fergus Ryan, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s International Cyber Policy Centre, said while banning WeChat or TikTok would come at a “huge cost” to Chinese Australians it should never be “taken off the table”. “It doesn’t make sense to me that you would willingly remove that leverage that you have over a tech company,” Mr Ryan said. WeChat (and its Chinese mainland equivalent Weixin) is subject to tight controls by Chinese Communist Party internet censors as well as Beijing’s intelligence laws, which compel it to co-operate with the one-party authoritarian state.
Ukraine - Russia
Wagner Boss Threatens to Leave Bakhmut Over Lack of Support From Moscow. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of the Wagner Group mercenary organization, threatened to pull his forces (NYT) out of the Ukrainian city by May 9, saying Moscow is not providing enough ammunition for his fighters
The United States has denied Russian claims that it masterminded an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin on Wednesday aimed at assassinating President Vladimir Putin. A day after accusing Ukraine of carrying out the attack, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the United States was “undoubtedly” behind the alleged attack without providing evidence. U.S. National Security spokesman John Kirby called it a “ludicrous claim.” Ukraine has said that the alleged attack was a false flag operation by Moscow. George Wright reports for BBC News.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of the paramilitary organization Wagner group, yesterday blamed the death of Russian fighters on the military leadership in Moscow. In a video Prigozhin posted, he said, “The blood is still fresh,” pointing to the bodies behind him. “They came here as volunteers and are dying so you can sit like fat cats in your luxury offices.” The video points to continued infighting in Russia’s military that could be exacerbated as the campaign fails to advance. Brad Lendon, Josh Pennington, and Uliana Pavlova report for CNN.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday delivered a speech at the International Criminal Court (I.C.C.) pushing for a special tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders for crimes committed during the war. The crime of aggression, the legal doctrine that would most directly hold Russian leaders to account, cannot be pursued against Russia by the I.C.C. because it lacks jurisdiction. A State Department ambassador, Beth Van Schaack, said last month that a special tribunal would mark “the first prosecutions of the crime of aggression in the modern era.” Victoria Kim and Christopher F. Schuetze report for the New York Times.
For two days, drone attacks have struck Russian military logistics hubs in an apparent effort to disrupt Russia’s battlefield supply lines ahead of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. Ukraine has not commented on the attacks. Matthew Luxmoore and Laurence Norman report for the Wall Street Journal.
A lesson from Russia's information manipulation textbook: setting the scene for a large-scale missile attack EUvsDisinfo One thing that Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine has highlighted is how Russia uses information manipulation as an integral part of its war machine. Such manipulation provided a pretext for Russia’s full-scale invasion and later built support for military manoeuvres on the ground.
Europe
China’s ‘14+1’ initiative is over, says Czech foreign minister. Beijing founded the grouping in 2012, initially with 16 European countries, in an effort to rebuild ties with the formerly Soviet-controlled part of Europe. The group expanded to 17+1 when Greece joined, but shrank to 14+1 when Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia decided to drop out. The initiative has weakened as Central European governments have grown increasingly wary of China. Stuart Lau. Politico
Estonia orders long-range loitering munitions from IAI
Janes
Estonia has ordered long-range loitering munitions from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) and the Israeli company announced in a joint press release on 2 May. The ECDI and IAI said it was one of the most expensive defence procurements Estonia has undertaken, “significantly increasing its indirect fire capabilities”. An ECDI spokesperson told Janes on 5 May that the contract is valued at over EUR100 million (USD110 million), declining to give the exact amount.
Danish wind pioneer keeps battling climate change The New York Times Stanley Reed The contemporary wind power industry, which has spawned hundreds of thousands of spinning rotors generating electricity without putting greenhouse gases into the air, was to a great extent born in a notoriously windy region of Denmark called Jutland. And while countless people have played a role in refining the machines that stud coastlines, plains and mountain ridges, perhaps no one has had more influence than a Jutlander named Henrik Stiesdal.
Kılıçdaroğlu raises concerns over cyber interference in upcoming elections Turkish Minute Turkey’s main opposition leader and presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has raised concerns over potential cyber interference in the upcoming elections slated for May 14, BBC’s Turkish service reported on Wednesday. Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the Republican People’s Party, warned Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun about possible “Cambridge Analytica-style” tactics on Twitter, sparking a debate on election meddling.
UK
Hikvision cameras found on Manchester GCHQ base. At least nine cameras were found on Heron House, a multi-tenancy building in Manchester that is leased from Manchester City Council. GCHQ has said it does not operate Hikvision cameras on its part of the building. Channel 4 News
United Kingdom: King Charles III will be crowned in London tomorrow. His coronation comes as an increasing number of former British colonies question their ties (BBC) to the monarchy.
UK Government launches new cybersecurity measures to tackle threats Intelligent CIO Catherine Darwen New cybersecurity measures will increase the UK’s cyber-resilience and protect the UK Government’s essential IT functions from ever-growing threats. Under the new rules, all central government departments will have their cyber-health reviewed annually through new, more robust criteria.
Middle East and Africa
The Threat of an Emboldened Iran. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict shows no signs of abating: Two distinctly different peoples with mutually abrasive cultures wanting the same land don’t become friendlier with time. Israelis and Palestinians will continue to co-exist unpleasantly with frequent outbursts of violence. But the existential conflict between the larger Arab world and Israel has petered out. That leaves the Islamic Republic of Iran as the one Muslim state that has a pretty ardent desire, though not the means, to off Israel. FDD.
Top U.S. Security Advisor to Visit Saudi Arabia. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (AP) this weekend. Sullivan’s Indian and Emirati counterparts will also be in Saudi Arabia, where the officials are expected to discuss the war in Yemen and new areas of cooperation between India and Arab Gulf states.
U.S./Tunisia: Nearly two dozen academics, activists, and former U.S. officials called on President Biden (MEE) to suspend U.S. aid to Tunisia in response to the country’s ongoing crackdown on civil society and opposition figures.
President Biden has issued an executive order authorizing sanctions against Sudan, saying the fighting must end. Biden said the violence in Sudan was an “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.” Richard Hamilton reports for BBC News.
U.S./Sudan: Biden signed an order authorizing U.S. sanctions (AP) against individuals involved in the recent violence in Sudan, though no specific targets were named.
The World Food Programme yesterday estimated that more than $13m worth of food aid destined for Sudan had been looted since fighting broke out last month. Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber reports for Reuters.
South Africa Confirms It Allowed Sanctioned Russian Plane to Land at Military Base. The plane, which landed in South Africa last week, is owned by a company that the United States sanctioned in January for transporting goods for Russia’s armed forces, Business Day reported. South Africa’s military said the plane was carrying diplomatic mail.
Big Tech
TikTok suspends a film on Jimmy Lai The Wall Street Journal The Editorial Board On April 18 the Acton Institute released to the public its powerful documentary about Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong newspaperman who’s been in prison for the past 29 months. On Tuesday the Acton Institute’s TikTok account—which was set up the same day “The Hong Konger” premiered—was suspended. Coincidence, tongzhi?
Former Uber security chief to be sentenced for federal crimes The Wall Street Journal James Rundle, Catherine Stupp and Kim S. Nash Former Uber Technologies chief security officer Joseph Sullivan will be sentenced in a San Francisco court Thursday in the culmination of a case that has captivated and alarmed the cybersecurity industry. In October, a jury found Mr. Sullivan guilty of criminal obstruction and failing to report a felony following a 2016 cyber intrusion at Uber.
Artificial Intelligence
White House Meeting Weighs AI’s Risks to Security, Democratic Values. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris held a meeting yesterday with the CEOs of four firms developing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and told the executives that more work is needed to establish safeguards on the tech, the White House said. The meeting flagged the importance of securing AI systems against tampering by malicious actors and emphasized the risks that AI poses to national security and democratic values.
The Joe Biden administration’s efforts to establish oversight on AI have so far included (NYT) releasing a blueprint for an “AI Bill of Rights,” preparing guidance to help federal agencies regulate the technology, and pledging $140 million in funding for AI research centers. Ahead of yesterday’s meeting, the White House announced that seven of the largest AI firms will open their platforms to some public scrutiny (FT) at a hacker convention in August.
AI’s ‘godfather’ should have spoken up sooner Bloomberg Parmy Olson Hinton, who made a critical contribution to AI research in the 1970s with his work on neural networks, told several news outlets this week that large technology companies were moving too fast on deploying AI to the public. Part of the problem was that AI was achieving human-like capabilities more quickly than experts had forecast.
‘Plagiarism machines': Hollywood writers and studios battle over the future of AI Reuters Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine The Writers Guild of America is seeking to restrict the use of AI in writing film and television scripts. Hollywood studios, battling to make streaming services profitable and dealing with shrinking ad revenues, have rejected that idea, saying they would be open to discussing new technologies once a year, according to the guild.
Human error drives most cyber incidents. Could AI help? Harvard Business Review Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic Although sophisticated hackers and AI-fueled cyberattacks tend to hijack the headlines, one thing is clear: The biggest cybersecurity threat is human error, accounting for over 80% of incidents. This is despite the exponential increase in organizational cyber training over the past decade, and heightened awareness and risk mitigation across businesses and industries. Could AI come to the rescue?
Misc
The shift from threat prevention to cyber resilience Forbes Sunny Pokala A depressing reality for businesses of all sizes is the rise of cyberattacks due to the trend of hybrid work. To defend key business operations from cyberattacks and to guarantee company continuity both during and after a disruptive occurrence, the current situation necessitates robust cybersecurity.
Photo: La Cina di Xi Jinping - Verso un nuovo ordine mondiale sinocentrico? (Italian)
Gabriele and Nicola Iuvinale
ASE 2023
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