Governance, Legislation, and Geostrategies

The EU sets out its International Digital Strategy

(European Commission – 5 June 2025) Today, the European Commission and the High Representative are setting out a joint vision for the EU’s external action for digital. As the digital revolution is reshaping economies and societies in a global geopolitical landscape which is more challenging than ever, the new EU International Digital Strategy shows that the EU is a stable and reliable partner, open to digital cooperation with allies and partners. While the EU will spare no effort to boost competitiveness in AI and other key technologies at home, it will also work with partners to support their own digital transition. The Strategy reaffirms the EU’s commitment to building a rules-based global digital order, in line with its fundamental values. – https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1370

Strengthening global AI Safety: A perspective on the Singapore Consensus

(Lee Wan Sie, Denise Wong – OECD.AI – 5 June 2025) As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies advance rapidly, societies around the world face a growing urgency to ensure that the AI safety research keeps pace and that these tools are not only powerful but also safe, reliable, and aligned with human values. Given this globally pressing issue, we are proud that Singapore hosted the 2025 Singapore Conference on AI (SCAI), to bring together the best global minds across geographies to produce a significant international milestone in the field of AI safety: the Singapore Consensus on Global AI Safety Research Priorities. This Consensus reflects shared priorities of over 100 AI experts from 11 countries, including researchers, policymakers, and private sector leaders. Its core objective is to establish a practical, shared research agenda that identifies critical technical areas of AI safety research requiring international attention, ensuring the safe development and deployment of AI. As representatives of Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), and as members of the OECD.AI Network of Experts, we believe this document holds particular significance globally and aligns closely with the OECD AI Principles, which promote inclusive growth, transparency, robustness, and accountability in AI systems. – https://oecd.ai/en/wonk/strengthening-global-ai-safety-a-perspective-on-the-singapore-consensus

Dubai emerges as a top tech hub in the Middle East

(DigWatch – 5 June 2025) Dubai is emerging as a global hub for technology and innovation, driven by government-backed initiatives and a thriving ecosystem of Free Zones. Their economic agenda aims to make it the fastest and most connected city worldwide, with emphasis on AI, fintech, blockchain, and other industries. – https://dig.watch/updates/dubai-emerges-as-a-top-tech-hub-in-the-middle-east

Deep Down in the Stack: China’s Entrenchment in Serbia’s Technology Landscape

(Sharinee Jagtiani – German Marshall Fund of the United States – 5 May 2025) Serbia, a land-locked nation with a population of under seven million, has emerged as a key player in the PRC’s Digital Silk Road (DSR) initiative within the Western Balkans. Its strategic location, connecting Southeastern Europe to Central and Western Europe, coupled with its role as a regional hub for internet traffic, has positioned Serbia as a valuable springboard for the PRC to market its technologies to the EU. Since 2012, Serbia has been an EU accession candidate and has prioritized digital transformation in its international engagements, notably with the PRC. The country’s commitment to digital advancement is also evident through its participation in the European Commission’s Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans in 2018 and the Digital Europe Program in 2023. – https://www.gmfus.org/news/deep-down-stack-chinas-entrenchment-serbias-technology-landscape

Russia and China in Central Asia’s Technology Stack

(Dylan Welch – German Marshall Fund of the United States – 5 June 2025) Central Asia’s role as a geopolitical battleground among Russia, China, Europe, and the United States has grown in recent years as Western countries seek trade and digital connectivity routes that bypass Russian infrastructure. While Western discourse on a “Middle Corridor” through Central Asia has focused on railways, ports and pipelines, China’s Digital Silk Road is quietly reshaping the region’s digital landscape and deepening strategic dependencies on Beijing. At the same time, Central Asian governments are drawing primarily on PRC technologies and Russian regulatory models to strengthen their own digital authoritarian regimes, risking joint domination by the increasingly aligned governments in Beijing and Moscow. China’s increasing control over the region’s “technology stack” could have an outsized impact on the future of digital connectivity, cybersecurity, and geopolitical competition across Eurasia. Russia’s regulatory influence on the region’s governments could shape digital governance norms across Eurasia. For Central Asian actors and Western policymakers invested in preserving the region’s strategic autonomy, it is crucial to understand these vulnerabilities and offer viable alternatives in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. Ensuring a resilient and diversified digital landscape in Central Asia is therefore not only a regional concern but a vital issue for global security. This report seeks to shed light on the influence of Russia and China on the ICT sectors of three Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It uses the “technology stack” method adapted from two previous reports by GMF’s Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) on the future internet and the digital information stack released in 2020 and 2022. The framework is used to examine one country’s presence in and penetration of another country’s technology and regulatory ecosystem. The analysis of the resulting dependencies provides an indicative, rather than exhaustive overview of Russia and China’s technological footprint in Central Asia, offering key examples and highlighting areas where policymakers can focus their attention with the goal to de-risk digital technologies and governance in Central Asia. – https://www.gmfus.org/news/russia-and-china-central-asias-technology-stack

FTC chair implores Congress to strengthen children’s online privacy protection law

(Suzanne Smalley – The Record – 5 June 2025) Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Andrew Ferguson on Wednesday said that under his tenure the agency will “aggressively” enforce a newly formalized and tougher rule designed to protect children’s privacy online and, notably, called on Congress to strengthen relevant federal laws. While hailing the enhanced power the FTC’s newly revised Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) will give the agency to crack down on websites and online service providers which violate kids’ privacy, Ferguson said Congress needs to do more by updating its own version of COPPA. Without action from Congress, the FTC is limited in its ability to further bolster its rule. – https://therecord.media/ftc-chair-implores-congress-to-strengthen-childrens-privacy-law

Russia aims to ride the BRICS to AI victory

(Ivana Stradner – Defense One – 5 June 2025) As the AI competition between the United States and China heats up, Vladimir Putin is desperate to have a horse in the race. The Russian president views AI as a core pillar of Moscow’s long-term plan to challenge Western dominance. After three years of Western sanctions devastating Russia’s economy, spurring a massive brain drain and hindering the country’s innovative capacity, Moscow has turned to the BRICS bloc, whose founding members include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, to build a parallel AI ecosystem. Washington must stop viewing BRICS as a politically benign organization and recognize that it is a powerful vehicle for Moscow to expand its international influence and strengthen Russia’s AI capabilities. “Those who will secure leadership in this domain will become the global master,” Putin proclaimed in 2017. Since then, he has implemented a series of strategic directives intended to catalyze Russia’s AI sector. Putin’s 2021 National Security Strategy stresses the integration of advanced technologies, including AI, to bolster national defense and economic resilience. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ 2023 Concept of the Foreign Policy emphasizes the importance of AI industry growth and strategic cooperation with BRICS. And last year, Russia updated its National Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence through 2030, which outlines the formation of research and development programs to prepare “Russian artificial intelligence technologies to occupy a significant share of the global market.” – https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2025/06/russia-aims-ride-brics-ai-victory/405847/

Global cybercrime experts meet at Council of Europe 2025 conference

(Council of Europe – 4 June 2025) From 4 to 6 June 2025, the Council of Europe is bringing together over 500 leading cybercrime experts from around the world in Strasbourg to address current challenges, review the global landscape of cybercrime legislation, exchange knowledge, sharpen tools and reinforce partnerships and international co-operation. – https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/global-cybercrime-experts-meet-at-council-of-europe-2025-conference-1

Advancing human-centric AI: Highlights from the 2025 GPAI-Associated Innovation Workshop in Tokyo

(OECD.AI – 4 June 2025) Fresh from the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI) Tokyo Innovation Workshop 2025, which took place on 28 and 29 May at NICT in Tokyo, Japan, the event brought together over 170 leading voices in AI policy, research, and innovation from all stakeholder groups of GPAI’s expert community. Overlooking the city’s dynamic tech environment, participants worked in breakout groups and plenary sessions that allowed for both deep dives and cross-cutting dialogue. – https://oecd.ai/en/wonk/advancing-human-centric-ai-highlights-from-the-2025-gpai-associated-innovation-workshop-in-tokyo

What Comes Next After Trump’s AI Deals in the Gulf

(Alasdair Phillips-Robins and Sam Winter-Levy – Just Security – 4 June 2025) On May 12, the Trump administration announced plans to rescind the AI diffusion rule, a sweeping global framework that sought to govern the export of AI chips and model weights worldwide. The rule, published in the last weeks of the previous administration, was abandoned just days before its implementation deadline. The administration followed this decision with a series of major chip export deals during President Donald Trump’s Gulf tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. Much about these deals remains unknown, with the administration yet to disclose — or perhaps even determine — crucial details. But the scale of some of the announced investments, if taken at face value, makes clear that they will dwarf most other AI projects worldwide. These deals have prompted both criticism and support. For critics, the deals represent a decision to “outsourc[e] to the highest bidder the most critical infrastructure of the 21st century” — a move that will cannibalize domestic U.S. data center construction and offshore U.S. AI infrastructure to authoritarian regimes whose interests only partially align with those of the United States. For supporters, by contrast, the deals have opened “a trillion‑dollar floodgate of capital for AI infrastructure,” tied Abu Dhabi and Riyadh to the U.S. AI stack, and pulled key swing states out of the “arms of China.”. It is too early to pass final judgment one way or the other, as much will depend on implementation. But beyond the details of the deals themselves, key questions remain. How will the rest of the world, particularly China and Europe, react to and learn from the Gulf’s strategy? How will these deals reshape the politics and business of AI back in the United States? And what will global U.S. AI policy look like beyond the Gulf? – https://www.justsecurity.org/113944/what-comes-next-after-trumps-ai-deals-in-the-gulf/

We’re Not Ready for AI Liability

(Kevin Frazier – AI Frontiers – 4 June 2025) A federal judge recently denied a motion to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit against Character.AI and Google, allowing the potentially pathbreaking litigation to proceed. This could be a harbinger of coming legal challenges for artificial intelligence developers. The suit was filed by Megan Garcia, whose 14-year-old son, Sewell Setzer III, died by suicide in February 2024 after forming an intense emotional bond with a chatbot on the Character.AI platform. Garcia’s lawsuit accuses the companies of several legal claims, including but not limited to negligence, product liability, and deceptive trade practices, arguing that the chatbot’s anthropomorphic design and lack of safeguards contributed to her son’s deteriorating mental health. – https://ai-frontiers.org/articles/options-for-ai-liability

Japan plans to boost IP through AI and global talent

(DigWatch – 4 June 2025) Japan has unveiled a new IP strategy aimed at boosting competitiveness through the use of AI and global talent. The government hopes to strengthen its economies by leveraging the international appeal of Japanese anime and cultural content, with an expected impact of up to 1 trillion yen. – https://dig.watch/updates/japan-plans-to-boost-ip-through-ai-and-global-talent

Google DeepMind chief urges smarter AI regulation

(DigWatch – 4 June 2025) Demis Hassabis, the head of Google DeepMind and a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, has said international cooperation on AI is essential yet increasingly difficult due to today’s geopolitical tensions. Speaking at the South by Southwest festival in London, he stressed that since AI is being developed and deployed across borders, no meaningful governance can exist without global collaboration. – https://dig.watch/updates/google-deepmind-chief-urges-smarter-ai-regulation

Crypto adoption rises in Latin America as financial pressure grows

(DigWatch – 4 June 2025) Latin Americans are turning to crypto not for speculation, but to escape inflation, transfer funds abroad, and bypass strict financial systems. Decades of economic instability have eroded trust in traditional banks, pushing people towards digital alternatives. Major firms such as Binance and Mercado Pago are expanding services to meet this demand. – https://dig.watch/updates/crypto-adoption-rises-in-latin-america-as-financial-pressure-grows

Introducing the OECD AI Capability Indicators

(OECD – 3 June 2025) The report introduces the OECD’s beta AI Capability Indicators. The indicators are designed to assess and compare AI advancements against human abilities. Developed over five years by a collaboration of over 50 experts, the indicators cover nine human abilities, from Language to Manipulation. Unique in the current policy space, these indicators leverage cutting-edge research to provide a clear framework for policymakers to understand AI’s potential impacts on education, work, public affairs and private life. – https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/introducing-the-oecd-ai-capability-indicators_be745f04-en.html

From PISA to AI: How the OECD is measuring what AI can do

(Andreas Schleicher, Sam Mitchell – OECD.AI – 3 June 2025) Does anyone really know what AI can and cannot do? Amidst all the hype and fear surrounding AI, it can be frustrating to find objective, reliable information about its true capabilities. It is widel acknowledged that current AI evaluations are out of step with the performance of frontier AI models, particularly for newer Large Language Models (LLMs), which leading tech companies release at a fast pace. We know ChatGPT can outperform most students on tests like PISA and even graduate students on the GRE, but can AI handle human tasks like managing a classroom of rowdy kids, placing a tile on a roof or negotiating a contract for a service? The natural response may be to turn to specialist benchmarks developed by computer scientists.  However, no one outside a small group of AI technicians understands benchmark results and their actual significance. When OpenAI’s GPTo1 scores 0.893 on the MMLU-Pro benchmark, does this mean AI is ready to be deployed throughout the economy? What sorts of human abilities can it replicate? The truth is that no one really knows. – https://oecd.ai/en/wonk/from-pisa-to-ai-how-the-oecd-is-measuring-what-ai-can-do

How Can Enterprises Navigate The Generative AI Landscape — A Guide to Large Language Models (LLMs) in 2025

(AI Insider – 3 June 2025) Large language models are becoming core components of enterprise systems in 2025, with organizations adopting them to automate knowledge work, improve efficiency, and enhance decision-making across sectors. Enterprises face key decisions around open-source versus proprietary models, deployment architecture, customization techniques like RAG and fine-tuning, and compliance with growing AI governance standards. Success depends on aligning LLM adoption with internal data readiness, infrastructure capabilities, and responsible AI practices, using structured frameworks like AI Insider’s Seven-Layer AI Stack. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/06/03/how-can-enterprises-navigate-generative-ai-lanscape-a-guide-to-large-language-models-llms-in-2025/

Regulatory Misalignment and the RAISE Act

(Kevin Frazier – Lawfare – 3 June 2025) As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more powerful, there is an ongoing debate about whether the federal government or states should lead in regulating this rapidly advancing tool. One of the commonly proposed frameworks—tort liability based on reasonableness standards—often struggles to adequately address harms caused by AI. Under such a framework, plaintiffs may have difficulties proving the foreseeability of the alleged harms, establishing causation, defining a clear “standard of care” amid rapidly evolving technology, and demonstrating a breach of that standard. Statutory interventions like New York’s proposed Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act, which imposes a tort-based liability scheme, attempt to fill these perceived gaps but fall short of that tall order. Crafting rules that are both flexible enough to accommodate rapid technological evolution and robust enough to safeguard against significant risks is a delicate balancing act. Ill-conceived regimes risk stifling innovation, creating an unlevel playing field for competitors, or failing to prevent the very harms they aim to address. The RAISE Act serves as a case study of such a flawed approach. Asking whether the act fulfills the ideal aims of AI regulation—incentivizing innovation, fostering responsible development, providing redress, and ensuring predictability for all stakeholders—returns a clear answer: no. This conclusion should inform AI governance efforts in states considering similar models and provide insight into the present debate over allowing Congress to lead in shaping the AI policy landscape. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/regulatory-misalignment-and-the-raise-act

New Report Helps Europe Charts Aggressive Course to Lead Global Quantum Race

Quantum Insider – 3 June 2025) A new EU strategy proposes unifying quantum research, infrastructure, and commercialization efforts to establish Europe as a global leader in quantum technologies and reduce reliance on foreign systems. The plan includes creating Quantum Competence Clusters, expanding EuroHPC-linked quantum computing and secure communication networks, and establishing chip manufacturing pilot lines under the EU Chips Act. To accelerate commercialization, the report recommends a Competitive Procurement Challenge for fault-tolerant quantum computing, public investment incentives, and stronger intellectual property and talent retention measures. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/06/03/europe-charts-aggressive-course-to-lead-global-quantum-race/

AI data centre boom sparks incentives and pushback

(DigWatch – 3 June 2025) The explosive growth of AI and cloud computing has ignited a data centre building boom across the United States, with states offering massive financial incentives to attract investment. However, electricity, and water is beginning to meet resistance from lawmakers and local communities concerned about long-term costs and environmental strain. Dozens of states have rolled out tax exemptions, permitting fast-tracks, and deregulated energy options to lure hyperscale data centres—massive facilities consuming hundreds of megawatts of power. – https://dig.watch/updates/ai-data-centre-boom-sparks-incentives-and-pushback

Experts call for greater focus on children’s AI use as research shows nearly 1 in 4 children use AI for learning and play

(The Alan Turing Institute – 3 June 2025) Experts are calling for more involvement of children in AI decision making, better policy frameworks and more industry action to protect the wellbeing of children interacting with AI tools such as ChatGPT as nearly one in four children (22%) aged 8-12 are using the technology, according to new research published by the Alan Turing Institute today. Despite being among those most likely to be most impacted by the technology over their lifetimes, they are the least represented in decision-making processes about its development, use and regulation. The aim of this research, which was supported by the LEGO group, was to explore and understand the impact of generative AI use on children by combining quantitative and qualitative research methods, including online surveys of children, parents, carers and teachers, and school-based workshops. – https://www.turing.ac.uk/news/experts-call-greater-focus-childrens-ai-use-research-shows-nearly-1-4-children-use-ai-learning

Generative AI could free up valuable public sector time

(The Alan Turing Institute – 2 June 2025) Around 40% of public sector time could be supported by generative AI, according to a new report by the Alan Turing Institute, the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published today. Researchers at the Turing set out to identify where generative AI can be meaningfully applied within public sector work activities to ease the workload of time-pressed public sector staff and reduce the administrative burden.   However, its potential to support public sector work activities varies across different sectors. Those who work in education could see the most benefit, with up to half (49%) of time currently spent on various teaching activities that generative AI could support with. Those in healthcare are likely to see less benefit – yet still a significant amount – with a third (33%) of their time benefitting from the adoption of generative AI. – https://www.turing.ac.uk/news/generative-ai-could-free-valuable-public-sector-time

FDA deploys generative AI tool Elsa to transform agency operations in historic move

(Interesting Engineering – 2 June 2025) In a major step toward modernizing its operations, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday launched Elsa, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool, designed to help agency employees, including scientific reviewers and field investigators, work smarter and faster. Elsa is the regulator’s first large-scale foray into generative AI and is being dubbed as a turning point for the agency. – https://interestingengineering.com/health/fda-deploys-ai-tool-elsa

AI copyright clash stalls UK data bill

(DigWatch – 2 June 2025) A bitter standoff over AI and copyright has returned to the House of Lords, as ministers and peers clash over how to protect creative workers while fostering technological innovation. At the centre of the debate is the proposed Data (Use and Access) Bill, which was expected to pass smoothly but is now stuck in parliamentary limbo due to growing resistance. The bill would allow AI firms to access copyrighted material unless rights holders opt out, a proposal that many artists and peers believe threatens the UK’s £124bn creative industry. – https://dig.watch/updates/ai-copyright-clash-stalls-uk-data-bill

Courts consider limits on AI evidence

(DigWatch – 2 June 2025) A newly proposed rule by the Federal Judicial Conference could reshape how AI-generated evidence is treated in court. Dubbed Rule 707, it would allow such machine-generated evidence to be admitted only if it meets the same reliability standards required of expert testimony under Rule 702. – https://dig.watch/updates/courts-consider-limits-on-ai-evidence

Japan to develop new cybersecurity strategy and measures

(DigWatch – 2 June 2025) The Japanese government is preparing to develop a new cybersecurity strategy within the year, aiming to address growing digital threats targeting both public institutions and private enterprises. As part of the forthcoming strategy, the government plans to transition its internal communications systems from public-key cryptography to post-quantum cryptography, which is considered more resilient against potential cyberattacks enabled by quantum computing technologies. – https://dig.watch/updates/japan-to-develop-new-cybersecurity-strategy-and-measures

ZTE and XLSMART partner to boost Indonesia’s digital future

(DIGWatch – 2 June 2025) ZTE Corporation and XLSMART partnered to accelerate Indonesia’s digital transformation by building a future-ready network infrastructure. Formed after the merger of PT XL Axiata Tbk and PT Smartfren Telecom Tbk, XLSMART aims to enhance connectivity, sustainability, and customer experience across the country, in line with the government’s digital growth vision. –  https://dig.watch/updates/zte-and-xlsmart-partner-to-boost-indonesias-digital-future

Stop the Machines: The Rise of Anti-Technology Extremism

(Mauro Lubrano – International Center for Counter-Terrorism – 30 May 2025) In early May 2025, a short video began circulating on X (formerly Twitter). It showed a humanoid robot malfunctioning in a laboratory, flailing erratically before collapsing. The clip quickly went viral, often accompanied by captions that read ‘the first robot rebellion in human history.’ Playing on common fears about AI and robotics, memes flooded the replies, ironically highlighting how people react to technological glitches. Yet, while jokes about robot uprisings persist, we might witness an uprising against the machines before anyone is led by them. – https://icct.nl/publication/stop-machines-rise-anti-technology-extremism

Notice of the Office of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Organizing and Launching the Computing Power Infrastructure Enhancement Challenge Campaign

(Center for Security and Emerging Technology – 29 May 2025) The following Chinese government announcement lists 22 compute-related technologies that it wishes to make progress on by 2026, and invites qualified companies and research institutes to apply for subsidies and other government support in developing these technologies. The overall goal of this effort is to make China’s data centers faster, more powerful, more reliable, and more energy-efficient, chiefly to support AI model training and inference. – https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/china-compute-challenge-campaign/

Defense, Intelligence, and Warfare

Walking Into Spiderwebs: Unpacking the Ukraine Drone Attack

(Nicholas Weaver – Lawfare – 6 June 2025) In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern warfare, technological innovations have contributed to some particularly stunning moments on the battlefield. Few compare, however, to the feat the Ukrainians pulled off on June 1, in an audacious and historically significant attack on Russian military infrastructure. The attack, codenamed “Operation Spiderweb,” was a massive special operation carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to target multiple Russian air bases, with a particular aim of destroying Russian bomber aviation fleets. The Ukrainian SBU claims that they struck 41 aircraft, although independent assessments have currently identified only about a dozen targets. Operation Spiderweb was uniquely clever. Taking a page from the Greeks, the Ukrainians built their own Trojan horses—dummy modular wooden houses, containing special drone carriers inside the “roofs.” These unsuspecting, faux homes were then transported within a few kilometers of the targets, allowing the Ukrainians to penetrate deep inside Russia. Moments before the attack, the roofs were remotely opened and the attacking drones were released, which the Ukrainians operated under long-range control. Operation Spiderweb has effects that will continue to inflict remarkable damage long after June 1. Russia now has to consider any ISO container a potential Ukrainian aircraft carrier, necessitating significant economic investment and carrying consequences for national morale. The Ukrainian attack is unlikely to be the last, as technological innovations make the possibility of a fully autonomous strike increasingly probable—with implications extending beyond the Russia-Ukraine conflict. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/walking-into-spiderwebs–unpacking-the-ukraine-drone-attack

Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web is a game-changer for modern drone warfare. NATO should pay attention

(Katja Bego – Chatham House – 6 June 2025) Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web will undoubtedly enter the history books as one of the most remarkable and best-executed covert operations of the war, with potential consequences for warfare far beyond the current conflict. According to Ukrainian intelligence, which released information about the 1 June operation, Ukraine used 117 drones to strike several airbases deep within Russia. Ukraine says it damaged or destroyed 41 planes, including bombers that carry strategic cruise-missiles. The drones, which were transported close to the bases hidden in the back of trucks and operated remotely, were reportedly able to inflict damage of up to $7 billion – at a fraction of the cost. The operation showed that Kyiv did in fact hold some of the cards ahead of proposed negotiations in Istanbul, temporarily stunned the Kremlin into silence and dealt a blow to Russia’s capacity to launch lethal missile strikes against Ukraine. It also offered a glimpse into the future of warfare, transformed by access to cheap, widely available technology such as small drones, in which anything, anywhere can become a target. While NATO figures will likely have been impressed by Spider’s Web’s success, the operation’s effectiveness also raises urgent questions about the alliance’s own readiness for a future shaped by similar attacks. – https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/06/ukraines-operation-spiders-web-game-changer-modern-drone-warfare-nato-should-pay-attention

CyberEM Command: The UK’s strategic leap in integrated modern warfare

(Joyce Hakmeh – Chatham House – 6 June 2025) At its core, the UK’s new Strategic Defence Review (SDR) recognizes that warfare is being redefined by rapid technological advances and evolving conflict dynamics. Among the most pressing of these are complex cyber threats, which are increasingly shaping the UK’s national security landscape. In December 2024, the Head of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warned that cyber risks facing the country are widely underestimated. In January, a National Audit Office report described the cyber threat that the UK government is facing as severe and rapidly evolving. This month, Defence Secretary John Healey revealed that UK military networks have faced more than 90,000 ‘sub-threshold’ cyberattacks in the past two years. – https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/06/cyberem-command-uks-strategic-leap-integrated-modern-warfare

War plan or wish list – The UK Strategic Defence Review

(Chatham House – 6 June 2025) Drones, AI, cyber warfare and nuclear weapons are a key part of the UK’s new Strategic Defence Review, along with conventional weapons. Chatham House experts unpack the strategy, spending pledges and how Britain should adapt its military to deal with Putin, China and Donald Trump. Bronwen Maddox is joined by Chatham House experts Grace Cassy, Marion Messmer and Olivia O’Sullivan to unpack the strategy, spending pledges, and the UK’s place in a rapidly shifting global security landscape. – https://www.chathamhouse.org/2025/06/independent-thinking-war-plan-or-wish-list-uk-strategic-defence-review

‘No human hands’: NGA circulates AI-generated intel, director says

(Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. – Breaking Defense – 5 June 2025) The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is using artificial intelligence so routinely that it’s now created a standardized disclosure to go on AI-generated intel products, according to the agency’s director. “We actually have now adopted a living, breathing template, a real piece of art, that goes around every [AI-generated intelligence] product, and it says these words, ‘machine-generated GEOINT,’” Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth, a career naval intelligence officer, told the third annual Ash Carter Exchange and AI+ Expo hosted by the nonpartisan Strategic Competitive Studies Project on Tuesday. (GEOINT refers to geospatial intelligence.). “No human hands actually participate in that particular template and that particular dissemination,” he said. “That’s new, that’s new and different.” – https://breakingdefense.com/2025/06/no-human-hands-nga-circulates-ai-generated-intel-director-says/

Drones with stealth coatings, can go undercover, use SIM cards to connect home to launch attacks

(Interesting Engineering – 5 June 2025) Attack drones are reshaping modern warfare across the world, providing militaries with a cutting-edge and cheap option to target a location, a moving object, or a flying object with precision. Unmanned aerial vehicles offer several benefits when compared to conventional aerial attack options, which are mainly aircraft and missiles that are far more expensive than drones. Losing an aircraft or missiles in a combat scenario can actually hamper the war budget, while the use of drones gives military powers options to remain on the battleground for a longer time. Now, reports have emerged that Russia is producing long-range attack drones in Alabuga, Tatarstan. Moscow has established production lines for Shahed drones that were purchased a few years ago from Iran. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/russia-stealth-coated-drone-use-sim-cards

GE Aerospace expands US hypersonic test facility for Mach 5+ speeding weapons, drones

(Interesting Engineering – 5 June 2025) GE Aerospace has announced it will expand its hypersonic testing infrastructure in the US. The aerospace company will upgrade sites in Evendale, Ohio, Bohemia, New York, and Niskayuna. These will allow it “to conduct higher-Mach, mission-relevant testing at a scale not previously possible,” GE Aerospace explained in a press release. The work forms part of a wider push within the US to accelerate the development of next-generation hypersonic weapons testing capabilities. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/ge-aerospace-expands-us-hypersonic-facility

US Army turns to 3D-printed skin to protect soldiers from worst war threats

(Interesting Engineering – 5 June 2025) The US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) has entered into a strategic research partnership with the University of Hawaii System, targeting the development of biomaterials and forward-deployable manufacturing capabilities. The effort is designed to enhance warfighter survivability and operational effectiveness, particularly in support of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). – https://interestingengineering.com/military/3d-printed-skin-us-army

US supersonic missiles skim the sea to stop ship attacks before they happen

(Interesting Engineering – 4 June 2025) Northrop Grumman has successfully launched two GQM-163A “Coyote” supersonic targets from the Hebrides Launch Facility in Scotland during the NATO Formidable Shield 2025 exercise, marking a key milestone in the ongoing development of allied integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) capabilities. The launches were conducted to simulate real-world supersonic anti-ship cruise missile threats, testing the reaction and interception capabilities of NATO’s naval and joint force systems under combat-representative conditions. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/us-sea-skimming-supersonic-missiles

US military-backed hypersonic jet crosses 5 times the speed of sound twice in 3 months

(Interesting Engineering – 4 June 2025) Stratolaunch has successfully performed two reusable test flights of its Talon-A2 drone. The tests take the company a step closer to achieving its goal of launching operational hypersonic weapons tests. Stratolaunch is backed by the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Testbed (MACH-TB) program. This initiative aims to speed up hypersonic weapons test development with the help of private sector partners. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/us-military-backed-hypersonic-jet-crosses-mach-5

China claims 92% accuracy in new AI-powered torpedoes that detect decoy submarines

(Interesting Engineering – 4 June 2025) China’s attempts to modernize its military prowess have been a point of discussion for a long time. Recent reports say the country is working on an artificial intelligence system based on underwater deception. The PLA Navy Armament Department and China State Shipbuilding Corporation team claimed their system has unparalleled accuracy for torpedoes traveling at high speeds. The claim was published in a peer-reviewed Chinese journal in April – called Command Control & Simulation. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/china-ai-powered-torpedo-for-submarine-warfare

A Digitized, Efficient Model of War

(Rupert Barrett-Taylor, Gavin Wilde – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – 3 June 2025) Battlefields from Ukraine to Gaza have recently been marked, as have many conflicts over the last two decades, by the extensive use of airborne assets, surveillance, and computing power in pursuit of victory. Both precision guided weapons and unmanned vehicles create new and heavy demands on training and logistics, as well as whole organizational structures devoted to finding targets. In this regard, the datafication of the battlefield and the automation of targeting has reached a modern-day zenith, on the heels of decades of theorizing about “information dominance” in warfare. However, this digital-age collection and targeting process is founded on a premise of fierce optimization and brutal efficiency. The resulting model of warfare is both a product of physical observation and digital construction. It is process-driven, techno-centric, and ultimately premised on being entirely calculable. A model of warfare which demands efficiency above all else not only risks fostering a disregard for pragmatism and efficacy, but is also arguably a subtle cover for the exercise of institutional power and control. This article critiques an overly reductive model of war, in the context of increasing demands for greater automation and applications of artificial intelligence (AI) which are widely presumed to be fixtures in future conflict. – https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/06/a-digitized-efficient-model-of-war?lang=en

World’s first drone combat textbook lands in Russian schools to train 1 million kids

(Interesting Engineering – 2 June 2025) Russia has formally introduced drone operations into its national school curriculum as part of a comprehensive initiative to train a new generation of unmanned systems operators. On Monday, Russian drone manufacturer Geoscan announced the release of the country’s first state-approved school textbook on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), designed for use in 8th and 9th-grade classrooms. Titled “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: 8th and 9th Grades,” the publication is now included in the federal list of approved teaching materials, following formal certification by the Russian Ministry of Education. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/worlds-first-drone-textbook-russia

Finland to Lead EU Quantum Defense Project Targeting Battlefield Applications

(Quantum Insider – 2 June 2025) Finland will lead a new EU defense initiative called Quest to explore military applications of quantum technologies, focusing on computing, sensing, and metrology. The project is part of the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (Pesco) framework and includes partners such as Germany, Denmark, Latvia, and Italy, with Sweden, Greece, and the Netherlands as observers. The initiative targets strategic use cases like encryption-breaking, positioning in GPS-denied areas, and missile defense, amid rising global investment in battlefield-ready quantum capabilities. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/06/02/finland-to-lead-eu-quantum-defense-project-targeting-battlefield-applications/

NATO weighs inclusion of cybersecurity in new 5% defense spending target

(DigWatch – 2 June 2025) NATO is discussing proposals to broaden the scope of defence-related expenditures to help member states meet a proposed spending target of 5% of GDP. According to Bloomberg, the target includes 3.5% for traditional defence spending and 1.5% for related activities. The 1.5% portion may include cybersecurity, protection of critical infrastructure, border and coastal security, space-related initiatives, and the work of non-defence intelligence agencies. Some member states are also advocating for the inclusion of counter-terrorism efforts and dual-use infrastructure, pending agreement among the alliance. – https://dig.watch/updates/nato-weighs-inclusion-of-cybersecurity-in-new-5-defense-spending-target

North Korea gets Russian air defense system with sophisticated tech that can jam radio

(Interesting Engineering – 1 June 2025) North Korea has reportedly received a powerful mobile air defense system from Russia. Reports revealed that at least one Pantsir-S1 system was delivered to Pyongyang along with a critical electronic warfare tech. The guidance and targeting systems of the country’s ballistic missiles can also receive upgrades as Moscow has reportedly offered technical upgrade support with the help of its military technicians. Russia’s military equipment support to Pyongyang is a violation of U.N. sanctions. However, the latest move appears to be a clear sign of Moscow and, Pyongyang’s deepening ties. The mobile, multi-channel short-range air defense missile and gun system “Pantsir-S1” has high firepower and is capable of effectively engaging a wide range of air attack weapons. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/north-korea-gets-russian-air-defense

Security

Microsoft makes a ‘proactive investment’ in EU cybersecurity amid bloc’s tensions with US

(Alexander Martin – The Record – 5 June 2025) Microsoft announced on Wednesday it was launching a new European Security Program that would involve the company providing free “AI-based” threat intelligence to European governments amid ongoing geopolitical tensions between the continent and the United States. The move mirrors what Microsoft already offers to the United States government. The announcement stresses the AI features of its tools “to protect traditional cybersecurity needs” although the company did not provide any details about these features. – https://therecord.media/microsoft-european-security-program

FBI: Play ransomware gang has attacked 600 organizations since 2023

(Jonathan Greig – The Record – 5 June 2025) More than 900 organizations have been hit by cyberattacks from the Play ransomware gang since it emerged in 2022, making it one of the most threatening cybercrime groups currently active, according to new data released by the FBI on Wednesday. The FBI published an update to a 2023 advisory where they initially said the group was responsible for 300 attacks in its first year of operation. – https://therecord.media/play-ransomware-gang-fbi-update-900-attacks

Cyber attacks and ransomware rise globally in early 2025

(DigWatch – 4 June 2025) Cyber attacks have surged by 47% globally in the first quarter of 2025, with organisations facing an average of 1,925 attacks each week. Check Point Software, a cybersecurity firm, warns that attackers are growing more sophisticated and persistent, targeting critical sectors like healthcare, finance, and technology with increasing intensity. Ransomware activity alone has soared by 126% compared to last year. Attackers are no longer just encrypting files but now also threaten to leak sensitive data unless paid — a tactic known as dual extortion. – https://dig.watch/updates/cyber-attacks-and-ransomware-rise-globally-in-early-2025

Microsoft and CrowdStrike align naming of threat actors

(Digwatch – 4 June 2025) Microsoft and CrowdStrike have announced a joint initiative to align their threat actor taxonomies, aiming to improve clarity and coordination in the fight against cyberattacks. While the two cybersecurity giants are not creating a unified naming standard, they are publishing a cross-referenced mapping that shows how threat actors tracked by both companies correspond under their respective naming systems. – https://dig.watch/updates/microsoft-and-crowdstrike-align-naming-of-threat-actors

Europol coordinates operation against terrorist content online targeting minors

(Europol – 3 June 2025) On 27 May, Europol coordinated a Referral Action Day (RAD) on minors’ exploitation and radicalisation online. More than 2 000 links pointing to jihadist and right-wing violent extremist and terrorist propaganda targeting minors were referred during the action day. The referral day took place only a few weeks after Europol launched a new Operational Taskforce to tackle the rising trend of recruiting young perpetrators into serious and organised crime. Recent data provided to Europol reveals that minors are now involved in over 70% of criminal markets. Protecting children from being recruited and exploited by criminal networks is one of Europol’s key priorities. – https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/europol-coordinates-operation-against-terrorist-content-online-targeting-minors

Is a Quantum-Cryptography Apocalypse Imminent?

(Quantum Insider – 3 June 2025) Will quantum computers crack cryptographic codes and cause a global security disaster? You might certainly get that impression from a lot of news coverage, the latest of which reports new estimates that it might be 20 times easier to crack such codes than previously thought. Cryptography underpins the security of almost everything in cyberspace, from wifi to banking to digital currencies such as bitcoin. Whereas it was previously estimated that it would take a quantum computer with 20 million qubits (quantum bits) eight hours to crack the popular RSA algorithm (named after its inventors, Rivest–Shamir–Adleman), the new estimate reckons this could be done with 1 million qubits – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/06/03/is-a-quantum-cryptography-apocalypse-imminent/

Violent Extremist Disinformation: Insights from Nigeria and Beyond

(Méryl Demuynck – International Center for Counter-Terrorism – 28 May 2025) The intentional spread of false or misleading information to inflict harm, commonly referred to as disinformation, raises unprecedented challenges in today’s digital age. This phenomenon becomes even more concerning when strategically leveraged by violent extremist actors to disseminate hateful narratives, incite violence, and recruit followers. While both disinformation and violent extremism are widely recognised as critical global threats, their intersections have however received limited scholarly and political attention. Drawing on findings from a multiyear EU-funded project, this policy brief seeks to address this gap and raise awareness on the complex dynamics and potential harms associated with disinformation propagated by extremist actors. Building on a cross-country mapping, with a particular focus on Boko Haram factions in Nigeria, it outlines the enabling conditions, defining features, and potential harmful impacts of such disinformation. The brief concludes by offering evidence-based recommendations to enhance the capacity of policy-makers and practitioners to assess, prevent, and mitigate its adverse effects. – https://icct.nl/publication/violent-extremist-disinformation-insights-nigeria-and-beyond

Frontiers

Europe’s supercomputer trial hits 1.2 Tbit/s speeds in 2,175 miles AI data sprint

(Interesting Engineering – 6 June 2025) Breaking barriers in speed and distance, Europe just witnessed a record-smashing 1.2 terabit-per-second quantum-safe data leap across 2,175 miles (3,500 kilometers). This milestone was achieved by CSC – IT Center for Science, SURF, and Nokia, who successfully tested a high-capacity, quantum-safe fibre-optic connection between Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Kajaani, Finland. The trial demonstrated the potential of ultra-fast, cross-border connectivity for research.- https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/1-2-tbit-s-supercomputer-data-trial-europe

Hong Kong startup targets lithium battery waste with AI-powered recycling system

(Interesting Engtineering – 6 June 2025) Lithium battery waste is piling up, and a Hong Kong-based startup is showing the world how to clean it up smartly. Achelous Pure Metals has developed a portable, eco-friendly recycling system designed to process used lithium-ion batteries right in urban centers, according to a report on SCMP. The five-year-old company has built a robot-assisted pilot line that can sort, shred, and filter materials from non-electric vehicle (EV) batteries. – https://interestingengineering.com/energy/lithium-battery-ai-recycling-black-mass

Pepper humanoid robot integrated with ChatGPT faces public, conducts real-world interaction

(Interesting Engineering – 6 June 2025) Humanoid robots powered by AI are beginning to make their way into everyday public spaces—and people are starting to form first impressions. At a recent innovation festival, researchers from the University of Canberra introduced attendees to “Pepper,” a humanoid robot equipped with ChatGPT, to study how the public reacts to such technology in real-world settings. The findings revealed mixed emotions, from fascination to unease, and highlighted how people respond to the robot’s humanlike form, movement, and conversational abilities. The study also highlighted inclusivity issues and social expectations in human–robot interactions – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/pepper-humanoid-robot-real-world-interactions

Dubai could get new smart robot fleet for reforestation, urban policing, and more

(Interesting Engineering – 6 June 2025) A Dubai-based firm manufacturing unmanned ground vehicles and AI-powered security solutions has unveiled three new autonomous robotic platforms. Micropolis’s trio of advanced robotic platforms aims to tackle key challenges in environmental restoration, industrial sanitation, and public safety. The lineup includes the Robotic Forestry Unit for reforestation in degraded environments, the Box Cleaner—developed with MCS Robotics—for automated industrial sanitation, and the M01 Patrol Unit, built for Dubai Police to enhance autonomous public safety operations. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/ai-robot-fleet-micropolis-dubai

US startup claims ‘first-ever’ IVF embryo genetic optimization software for parents

(Interesting Engineering – 5 June 2025) What if you could choose your child’s future health and lifespan—before they were even born? A U.S.-based biotech company claims to have developed the world’s first genetic optimization software that allows parents pursuing IVF to select embryos with potentially lower risks of disease and better chances at a longer, healthier life. Nucleus Genomics, a DNA testing and analysis company, announced on Friday that its new technology “helps parents pursuing IVF see and understand the complete genetic profile of each of their embryos.” – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/genetic-tool-ranks-ivf-embryos-disease-risk

AI uncovers the Bible’s secret authors in groundbreaking linguistic breakthrough

(Interesting Engineering – 5 June 2025) For centuries, scholars have debated who wrote the Bible. The texts were copied, edited, and compiled over generations, leaving behind few clues about their original authors. Despite theological and academic efforts, authorship of many biblical books has remained uncertain. Now, artificial intelligence may offer a breakthrough. An international team of researchers has used AI, statistical modeling, and linguistic analysis to examine the first nine books of the Hebrew Bible, known as the Enneateuch. The study reveals that the texts reflect three distinct scribal traditions. The AI model also determined the most likely authorship of several contested passages while clearly explaining how it reached its conclusions. “We found that each group of authors has a different style—surprisingly, even regarding simple and common words such as ‘no,’ ‘which,’ or ‘king.’ Our method accurately identifies these differences,” said Thomas Römer of the Collège de France. – https://interestingengineering.com/culture/hebrew-bible-ai-authorship-study

How AI Can Prevent Blackouts

(David “davidad” Dalrymple – AI Frontiers – 5 June 2025) Over the course of 10 hours this April, a massive power outage swept across Spain and Portugal, causing extensive disruption. The most severe blackout in both countries’ history, it paralyzed entire transport networks and interrupted essential services throughout the Iberian Peninsula, causing estimated economic damages in the billions of euros — and at least eight fatalities. Weeks earlier, a fire at an electrical substation had a similarly debilitating effect on Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, shuttering it for an entire day. It led to over 1,300 flight cancellations and caused tens of millions in economic damage. These are precisely the kind of incidents that AI could help mitigate. AI systems deployed in critical electrical infrastructure could analyze complex patterns and predict potential failures before they occur. They could monitor and respond to grid anomalies in milliseconds, catching signs of an overloaded system or impending blackout far more quickly than the current system of safeguards. But there’s a catch: We cannot simply plug AI into these high-stakes systems and hope for the best. What happens when an AI system hallucinates, fails to check a critical condition, or optimizes for the wrong objective when thrust into an unprecedented scenario? For safety-critical domains like energy grids, “probably safe” isn’t good enough. To realize the potential of AI in these areas, we need to develop more robust, mathematical guarantees of safety. – https://ai-frontiers.org/articles/ai-grid-blackouts-guarantees

MIT’s new tech enables robots to act in real time, plan thousands of moves in seconds

(Interesting Engineering – 5 June 2025) MIT and NVIDIA Research researchers have developed a powerful new algorithm that drastically accelerates how robots plan their actions. Robots may complete intricate, multistep manipulation tasks in seconds using this technology, which uses the parallel computing capability of graphics processing units (GPUs) to analyze thousands of possible answers simultaneously rather than one at a time. Robots in factories and warehouses may be able to handle and pack items of different sizes and shapes more effectively thanks to this development, even in confined spaces or busy settings, without suffering harm or running into collisions. “This would be very helpful in industrial settings where time really does matter and you need to find an effective solution as fast as possible. If your algorithm takes minutes to find a plan, as opposed to seconds, that costs the business money,” said William Shen, a graduate student at MIT and lead author of the research paper, as reported by MIT News. https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/mit-nvidias-new-algorithm-for-robots

Quantum tech unlocks particle secrets that powerful supercomputers can’t solve

(Interesting Engineering – 5 June 2025) A research team from the Technical University of Munich, Princeton University, and Google Quantum AI has revealed that quantum computers could play a key role in decoding the building blocks of nature. Given the complexity of theoretical models used to describe the fundamental forces of nature, they have demonstrated the use of quantum computers as a potential solution to understanding the universe with more ease. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/quantum-computers-decoding-the-universe

Humanoid robots step into Amazon’s delivery game with real-world San Francisco tests

(Interesting Engineering – 5 June 2025) Amazon is preparing to test humanoid robots for package delivery, aiming to automate the final step of its logistics chain. According to a media report, Amazon is finishing construction of a “humanoid park”—an indoor obstacle course at one of its San Francisco offices—where it will soon begin testing the robots. In a series of announcements, Amazon also showcased how AI will enhance its stockroom robots, delivery operations, and vast warehouse network to accelerate package deliveries. Last month, Amazon deployed Vulcan, its first robot equipped with a sense of touch, at a fulfillment center in Dortmund, Germany. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/humanoid-robots-step-up-amazons-delivery-game

AI and farmers go head-to-head in China’s rice fields

(DigWatch – 5 June 2025) China’s second AI rice farming competition is underway in Sichuan Province, where human farmers and AI-assisted teams are competing across 66.7 hectares of land. AI teams rely on a network of sensors and satellite data to guide real-time decision-making on planting and pest control. The initiative, running through September, tests whether machine learning can outperform traditional farming practices in yield, efficiency, and quality. Organisers emphasise that the competition is not a battle between humans and machines, but a step toward integrating AI into agriculture. – https://dig.watch/updates/ai-and-farmers-go-head-to-head-in-chinas-rice-fields

Australia unleashes twin AI supercomputers in push to lead medical, climate research

(Interesting Engineering – 4 June 2025) Australia’s AI supercomputing ambitions are hitting top gear, with two major launches unveiled this week that aim to supercharge research in medicine, climate science, and more. In Melbourne, La Trobe University has switched on the country’s first AI supercomputer of its kind—a NVIDIA DGX H200 system—dedicated to transforming medical research. Located at NEXTDC’s data centre in Tullamarine, the supercomputer is backed by $10 million from the Allan Labor Government. Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs Danny Pearson, who visited the site, said: “Victoria is proud to be home to this supercomputer that will deliver more medical breakthroughs and improve healthcare for Victorians and people around the world.” – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/australia-fires-up-ai-supercomputers

World’s first error-resistant photonic qubit built on-chip unlocks quantum future

(Interesting Engineering – 4 June 2025) Canadian quantum computing company Xanadu has taken a major leap in its mission to build a scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computer. The company has successfully generated error-resistant photonic qubits directly on an integrated chip platform. This achievement marks the first time such qubits have been created on-chip. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/error-resistant-photonic-qubit-on-chip

Biblical bombshell: Mysterious Dead Sea Scrolls decrypted with AI to reveal accurate date

(Interesting Engineering – 4 June 2025) In a recent development, AI has been deployed to date the Dead Sea Scrolls with astounding accuracy, radically challenging misconceptions regarding their age and the historical timelines they fall under. The results show that several of the Scrolls might actually be much older than what is assumed, and in some cases, could be from the era of the biblical figures that supposedly wrote them. Pioneered by the University of Groningen, this multidisciplinary work merges radiocarbon dating, ancient handwriting analysis, and machine learning. –  https://interestingengineering.com/science/ai-dead-sea-scrolls-decrypted

Sam Altman says AI will soon solve complex business problems

(DigWatch – 4 June 2025) OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes AI is on the verge of helping humans make genuine discoveries and solve complex business problems. Speaking at the Snowflake Summit 2025, Altman likened today’s AI agents to junior employees, saying they increasingly take on tasks and improve through iteration. He predicted that by next year, AI agents could contribute to uncovering new knowledge and providing non-trivial business solutions. – https://dig.watch/updates/sam-altman-says-ai-will-soon-solve-complex-business-problems

Researchers in Japan Study Attachment-Like Behaviors Between Humans and AI

(AI Insider – 3 June 2025) A study from Waseda University proposes that people exhibit attachment-like behaviors toward AI, such as seeking emotional support or maintaining distance, paralleling patterns seen in human relationships. Researchers developed a new tool, the Experiences in Human-AI Relationships Scale (EHARS), which revealed that 75% of users turn to AI for advice and 39% view it as a dependable presence. The findings suggest psychological models like attachment theory can guide ethical AI design, especially for mental health tools and companion technologies, while raising questions about emotional overdependence and manipulation. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/06/03/researchers-in-japan-study-attachment-like-behaviors-between-humans-and-ai/

Meta strikes 20-year nuclear power deal to fuel AI and save Illinois reactor

(Interesting Engineering – 3 June 2025) Meta has signed a 20-year agreement with Constellation Energy to secure nuclear power from the Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois. The deal ensures continued operation of the plant beyond 2027, when Illinois’ zero-emissions credit program expires. It also marks Meta’s first long-term nuclear power purchase, as it moves to meet surging electricity demand from AI and data centers. The agreement is part of Meta’s broader push to match its electricity use with 100 percent clean energy and invest in emerging technologies. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. – https://interestingengineering.com/culture/meta-nuclear-power-deal-ai-clinton-plant

Eye-opening device: Self-powered AI synapse mimics human vision, achieves 82% accuracy

(Interesting Engineering – 3 June 2025) Scientists in Japan have developed a groundbreaking AI synapse that recognizes colors nearly as well as the human eye, promising great advances in energy-efficient visual recognition for smartphones, drones, and autonomous vehicles. The research team at the Tokyo University of Science developed the self-powered optoelectronic device, which operates entirely on light, to address the high power, storage and computational demands of current machine vision systems. – https://interestingengineering.com/science/eye-opening-device-self-powered-ai-synapse-mimics-human-vision-achieves-82-accuracy

MIT AI digs through 1 million samples to find 19 materials that can replace cement

(Interesting Engineering – 3 June 2025) A research team across the Olivetti Group and the MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub have unveiled a machine learning AI aglorithm that helps them find out alternatives for cement. Led by Souroush Mahjoubi, the team published an open-access paper in Nature’s Comminications Materials, outlining their solution. The research team were working on finding alternatives to reduce the amount of cement in concrete to save on costs and emissions when they came across this discovery. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/mit-cement-alternatives-ai

New quantum battery design promises fast-charging, ultra-compact energy storage

(Interesting Engineering – 3 June 2025) In the coming years, batteries so tiny yet powerful could revolutionize everything from smartphones to supercomputers. Energy storage is about to take a massive leap forward, with the new concept of “topological quantum battery” at the forefront. A theoretical study by researchers at the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Huazhong University of Science and Technology has shown how to efficiently design a quantum battery. – https://interestingengineering.com/energy/new-quantum-battery-design

NVIDIA unveils world’s largest quantum research supercomputer

(DigWatch – 3 June 2025) NVIDIA has launched the world’s largest research supercomputer dedicated to quantum computing, named ABCI-Q, housed at Japan’s new Global Research and Development Centre for Business by Quantum-AI Technology (G-QuAT). Delivered in collaboration with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), ABCI-Q combines over 2,000 NVIDIA H100 GPUs with multiple quantum processors to enable advanced quantum-AI workloads. – https://dig.watch/updates/nvidia-unveils-worlds-largest-quantum-research-supercomputer

Colt, Honeywell and Nokia to trial quantum cryptography in space

(DigWatch – 3 June 2025) Colt Technology Services, Honeywell, and Nokia have joined forces to trial quantum key distribution (QKD) via satellites to develop quantum-safe networks. The trial builds on a previous Colt pilot focused on terrestrial quantum-secure networks. The collaboration aims to tackle the looming cybersecurity risks of quantum computing, which threatens to break current encryption methods. The project seeks to deliver secure global communication beyond the current 100km terrestrial limit by trialling space-based and subsea QKD. – https://dig.watch/updates/colt-honeywell-and-nokia-to-trial-quantum-cryptography-in-space

Who Could Fund Future Artificial Intelligence Development?

(Edward Parker, Benjamin M. Miller, Colin Levaunt – RAND Corporation – 2 June 2025) Since 2018, artificial intelligence (AI) developers have been creating broadly capable foundation models—AI models trained on large and diverse datasets that can be adapted to perform a wide variety of tasks. The most advanced of these models have improved rapidly over just a few years and have already demonstrated very impressive performance at certain tasks, but they also consume exponentially increasing amounts of resources, such as electricity and advanced computer chips. This growth raises the question of who might pay for the large costs of developing and deploying new AI models if resource requirements continue to increase. Some stakeholders suggest that world-changing returns to productivity and well-being—along with significant first-mover advantages—can be unlocked if governments can coordinate national and global resources to support massive financial investments. Other stakeholders suggest that the private sector might well be capable of marshaling the resources required to achieve these outcomes. In this paper, the authors lay out a framework of plausibly imaginable futures for the development and training of AI foundation models, focusing on who will pay for such training. The resulting framework can help both government and private stakeholders consider when and whether various funding models are appropriate. – https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA3701-1.html

Generative AI cybersecurity and resilience

(Petar Radanliev, Omar Santos, Uchenna Daniel Ani – Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence – 2 June 2025) Generative Artificial Intelligence marks a critical inflection point in the evolution of machine learning systems, enabling the autonomous synthesis of content across text, image, audio, and biomedical domains. While these capabilities are advancing at pace, their deployment raises profound ethical, security, and privacy concerns that remain inadequately addressed by existing governance mechanisms. This study undertakes a systematic inquiry into these challenges, combining a PRISMA-guided literature review with thematic and quantitative analyses to interrogate the socio-technical implications of generative Artificial Intelligence. The article develops an integrated theoretical framework, grounded in established models of technology adoption, cybersecurity resilience, and normative governance. Structured across five lifecycle stages (design, implementation, monitoring, compliance, and feedback) the framework offers a practical schema for evaluating and guiding responsible AI deployment. The analysis reveals a disconnection between the fast adoption of generative systems and the maturity of institutional safeguards, resulting with new risks from the shadow Artificial Intelligence, and underscoring the need for adaptive, sector-specific governance. This study offers a coherent pathway towards ethically aligned and secure application of Artificial Intelligence in national critical infrastructure. – https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence/articles/10.3389/frai.2025.1568360/full

Neuralink rival Paradromics completes first human implant, plans clinical trials

(Interesting Engineering – 2 June 2025) Elon Musk’s Neuralink isn’t the only contender in the brain-tech race. Paradromics has entered the arena with its first human brain-computer interface (BCI) implant. The neurotechnology startup on Monday announced that it successfully implanted and removed its BCI device during a scheduled epilepsy surgery at the University of Michigan on May 14. The entire process took just 20 minutes and marks a major milestone for the Texas-based company, which was founded in 2015. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/paradromics-tests-first-human-implant

Stevens Team Creates AI Model to Spot Misleading Scientific Reporting

(AI Insider – 2 June 2025) Researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology have developed an AI system using large language models to detect misleading claims in news coverage of scientific research. The system, trained on 2,400 reports linked to peer-reviewed research, achieved about 75% accuracy by analyzing claims through structured “validity dimensions” such as oversimplification and confusion of correlation with causation. The research is reportedly the first to systematically use LLMs for verifying scientific accuracy in public media and could lead to tools like browser plugins to flag inaccuracies in science reporting. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/06/02/stevens-team-creates-ai-model-to-spot-misleading-scientific-reporting/

Step Toward SuperAI? LLMs Can Learn to Reason—Without Rewards

(AI Insider – 2 June 2025) A new study from UC Berkeley and Yale shows that LLMs can improve reasoning skills without external rewards by training on their own internal confidence scores, using a system called INTUITOR. The method, Reinforcement Learning from Internal Feedback (RLIF), replaces human approval or verifiable answers with a self-certainty score, allowing models to generalize more effectively across tasks like math and code generation. INTUITOR demonstrated performance gains up to 76% over baseline on code reasoning benchmarks and may represent an early step toward autonomous, self-improving AI systems. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/06/02/step-toward-superai-llms-can-learn-to-reason-without-rewards/

Study: GPT-4o Shows Signs of Human Trait Cognitive Dissonance

(AI Insider – 2 June 2025) A Harvard University study has found that GPT-4o, a popular AI model developed by OpenAI, exhibits behavior resembling cognitive dissonance, a psychological phenomenon where individuals adjust their beliefs to align with past actions. The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that the AI’s stance on Russian President Vladimir Putin shifted depending on whether it had previously written an essay supporting or opposing him. Although GPT-4o lacks awareness or intent, researchers argue the shift demonstrates how advanced language models can simulate human-like reasoning patterns. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/06/02/study-gpt-4o-shows-signs-of-human-trait-cognitive-dissonance/

China creates AI to detect real nuclear warheads

(DigWatch – 2 June 2025) Chinese scientists have created the world’s first AI-based system capable of identifying real nuclear warheads from decoys, marking a significant step in arms control verification. The breakthrough, developed by the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), could strengthen Beijing’s hand in stalled disarmament talks, although it also raises difficult questions about AI’s growing role in managing weapons of mass destruction. – https://dig.watch/updates/china-creates-ai-to-detect-real-nuclear-warheads

Serbian startup revolutionises cancer diagnostics with AI-powered radiotherapy tool

(DigWatch – 2 June 2025) A group of Serbian physicists, programmers, and radiologists, led by Stevan Vrbaški, has developed a groundbreaking software solution through their startup, Vinaver Medical. After gaining experience through studies and research abroad, the team returned to Serbia, where they launched a project to improve cancer diagnostics using advanced radiotherapy technology. Their work is centred on particle radiotherapy, a precise cancer treatment method that surpasses conventional X-ray-based radiotherapy. The innovation lies in software that combines AI and CT imaging to enhance diagnostic accuracy and improve the planning of radiotherapy in oncology. – https://dig.watch/updates/serbian-startup-revolutionises-cancer-diagnostics-with-ai-powered-radiotherapy-tool

Inside Europe’s innovation arena: What robots, corn waste, and game theory have in common

(Interesting Engineering – 1 June 2025) Foro Transfiere, one of the leading European events dedicated to research, development, and innovation, was held earlier this year, in March 2025 in Malaga, Spain. The forum brings together scientific institutions, companies, startups, and organizations each year to exchange knowledge and foster collaboration in the field of innovation. This year’s event gathered an audience of over 5,000 visitors, featured around 230 startups, and hosted more than 100 thematic panels. The topics covered various cutting-edge fields, including robotics, cybersecurity, medicine, advanced therapies, and digital transformation. – https://interestingengineering.com/science/spain-foro-transfiere-tech

China unveils metrology plan to boost chip, quantum fields by 2030, beat US in tech

(Interesting Engineering – 1 June 2025) China has announced a five-year action plan aimed at driving disruptive innovation in metrology, the science of precise measurement. Released by the State Administration for Market Regulation, the 2030 plan prioritizes major breakthroughs in chip technology and quantum-scale measurement. A recent report in the ministry’s Science and Technology Daily highlights that China’s plan aims to address multiple “pain points” in its metrology capabilities, focusing on areas where measurement technologies are lacking or require improvement. – https://interestingengineering.com/science/china-boosts-quantum-tech-metrology-plan

New AI tool aids caribou conservation in a changing Arctic

(The Alan Turing Institute – 29 May 2025) Artificial intelligence sea ice forecasting systems could help predict and protect the migration routes of endangered caribou in the Canadian Arctic, according to a new study published today in Ecological Solutions and Evidence. The research, led by British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists in partnership with the Alan Turing Institute, WWF and the Government of Nunavut, demonstrates how this technology could assist local agencies in protecting critical migration routes which cross areas of land and sea ice. – https://www.turing.ac.uk/news/new-ai-tool-aids-caribou-conservation-changing-arctic