Governance and Legislation
More European cities move to replace Microsoft software as part of digital sovereignty efforts
(DigWatch – 2 July 2025) Following similar moves by Denmark, the German state of Schleswig-Holstein and the city of Lyon—France’s third-largest city and a major economic centre—has initiated a migration from Microsoft Windows and Office to a suite of open-source alternatives, including Linux, OnlyOffice, NextCloud, and PostgreSQL. This transition is part of Lyon’s broader strategy to strengthen digital sovereignty and reduce reliance on foreign technology providers. As with other European initiatives, the decision aligns with wider EU discussions about data governance and digital autonomy. Concerns over control of sensitive data and long-term sustainability have contributed to increased interest in open-source solutions. – https://dig.watch/updates/more-european-cities-move-to-replace-microsoft-software-as-part-of-digital-sovereignty-efforts
UK urged to prepare for agentic AI in government
(DigWatch – 2 July 2025) Agentic AI, a new generation of AI that goes beyond automation to deliver full task orchestration, could change how government operates. Sharon Moore, CTO Public Sector UK at IBM, argues the UK Government must adopt this technology to drive operational efficiency and better public services. – https://dig.watch/updates/uk-urged-to-prepare-for-agentic-ai-in-government
AI job predictions become corporate America’s newest competitive sport
(TechCrunch – 2 July 2025) In late May, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei appeared to kick open the door on a sensitive topic, warning that half of entry-level jobs could vanish within five years because of AI and push U.S. unemployment up to 20%. But Amodei is far from alone in sharing aloud that he foresees a workforce bloodbath. A new WSJ story highlights how other CEOs are also issuing dire predictions about AI’s job impact, turning employment doom into something of a competitive sport. – https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/ai-job-predictions-become-corporate-americas-newest-competitive-sport/
California jury orders Google to pay $314 million over data transfers from Android phones
(Suzanne Smalley – The Record – 2 July 2025) A California jury has ordered Google to pay $314 million for collecting data from Android phones while they were connected to cellular networks, a practice that plaintiffs said equated to stealing a resource that they had paid for. The verdict, issued Tuesday by a jury in a Northern California state court, is the culmination of a class-action lawsuit that began in 2019. The plaintiffs argued that Google could have waited until the devices were connected to WiFi networks, thus avoiding any costs related to cellular plans. – https://therecord.media/google-lawsuit-data-collection-android-cellular
Geostrategies
Ladders, Not Gates: Reimagining Access and Infrastructure in Quantum Workforce Development
(Quantum Insider – 2 July 2025) The global quantum ecosystem faces a growing talent crisis not from a lack of ability, but from fractured infrastructure, inaccessible pathways, and a narrow definition of who belongs in the field. Initiatives like FLIQ, Qiskit Summer School, and programs in Singapore, Taiwan, and Korea are expanding access through creative, interdisciplinary, and inclusive approaches to learning and contribution. A recent QED-C report brings to light the urgent need for experiential learning such as apprenticeships, hands-on labs, and modular training as a foundational strategy to meet demand at all career levels, especially for technicians and nontraditional learners. The upcoming “Voices of Future Leaders” panel at the Quantum for Good Summit reflects a broader reckoning that the future of quantum innovation depends not just on speed or scale, but on who is empowered to take part in it. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/07/03/ladders-not-gates-reimagining-access-and-infrastructure-in-quantum-workforce-development/
Commission Launches Strategy to Make Europe Quantum Leader by 2030
(Quantum Insider – 2 July 2025) The European Commission has launched the Quantum Strategy to establish Europe as a global quantum leader by 2030 through investments in research, infrastructure, and industrialisation. The Strategy outlines actions including a joint R&I initiative, pilot lines for chip production, a quantum internet testbed, and a new European Quantum Skills Academy. It aims to boost Europe’s global funding share in quantum startups, support dual-use innovation, and prepare for a forthcoming Quantum Act proposal in 2026. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/07/02/commission-launches-strategy-to-make-europe-quantum-leader-by-2030/
Venture Capital Fund Aims to Turn Chicago Into a Deep Tech Powerhouse
(Quantum Insider – 2 July 2025) Harper Court Ventures Fund I has launched with $25 million to back deep tech startups emerging from the University of Chicago ecosystem. The fund targets pre-seed and seed-stage ventures in quantum, AI, life sciences, and energy, embedding directly in the university to support commercialization from lab to launch. MFV Partners plans to invest in nearly 40 companies over five years, aiming to elevate Chicago into a globally recognized deep tech hub. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/07/02/venture-capital-fund-aims-to-turn-chicago-into-a-deep-tech-powerhouse/
Meta launches AI superintelligence lab to compete with rivals
(DigWatch – 2 July 2025) Meta has launched a new division called Meta Superintelligence Labs to accelerate its AI ambitions and close the gap with rivals such as OpenAI and Google. The lab will be led by Alexandr Wang, former CEO of Scale AI, following Meta’s $14.3 billion investment in the data-labeling company. Former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and SSI co-founder Daniel Gross will also hold key roles in the initiative. – https://dig.watch/updates/meta-launches-ai-superintelligence-lab-to-compete-with-rivals
Security
Ransomware gang attacks German charity that feeds starving children
(Alexander Martin – The Record – 2 July 2025) Deutsche Welthungerhilfe (WHH), the German charity that aims to develop sustainable food supplies in some of the world’s most impoverished countries, has been attacked by a ransomware gang. The charity, whose name literally translates as World Hunger Help, reached 16.4 million people in 2023. It is currently providing emergency aid to people in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and other countries and regions where there is an urgent need for food, water, medicine and basic necessities. – https://therecord.media/welthungerhilfe-german-hunger-relief-charity-ransomware-attack
French cybersecurity agency confirms government affected by Ivanti hacks
(Alexander Martin – The Record – 2 July 2025) France’s cybersecurity agency reported on Tuesday that a range of government, utility and private sector entities in the country were impacted by a hacking campaign last year exploiting multiple zero-day vulnerabilities in an Ivanti appliance. The campaign, which had prompted a warning in September by U.S. cybersecurity authorities, targeted the Ivanti Cloud Service Appliance — a bit of software that connects on-premise networks with cloud-based services. – https://therecord.media/france-anssi-report-ivanti-bugs-exploited
Defense, Intelligence, and Warfare
Pentagon backs $10M deal with AI firm to integrate LLMs across its command centres
(DigWatch – 2 July 2025) Pentagon officials have awarded AI firm Ask Sage a $10 million contract to integrate large language models (LLMs) across all US Combatant Commands, the Joint Staff, and the Office of the Secretary of Defence. The collaboration seeks to harness generative AI to speed up battlefield decision‑making and streamline workflows. – https://dig.watch/updates/pentagon-backs-10m-deal-with-ai-firm-to-integrate-llms-across-its-command-centres
Frontiers
US engineers’ new way of attacking vision systems can make AI see whatever you want
(Interesting Engineering – 2 July 2025) Engineers have explored a new way of attacking artificial intelligence computer vision systems. They believe that the method can help them to control what the AI “sees.”. Called RisingAttacK, the method is claimed to be effective at manipulating all of the most widely used AI computer vision systems. “We wanted to find an effective way of hacking AI vision systems because these vision systems are often used in contexts that can affect human health and safety – from autonomous vehicles to health technologies to security applications,” says Tianfu Wu, co-corresponding author of a paper on the work and an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University. “That means it is very important for these AI systems to be secure. Identifying vulnerabilities is an important step in making these systems secure, since you must identify a vulnerability in order to defend against it.” – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/technique-makes-ai-see-whatever-you-want
This AI model was trained on 10M human choices. Now it thinks and reacts like us
(Interesting Engineering – 2 July 2025) What if an AI didn’t just mimic your mind, but could predict your every next move? Researchers at Helmholtz Munich have developed a new language model that simulates human behavior with striking accuracy. Named Centaur, in honor of the mythological creature with the upper body of a human and the legs of a horse, the AI model is trained on more than ten million individual decisions made by more than 60,000 participants across 160 psychological experiments. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/centaur-ai-human-decision-simulation
China unveils robot eyes that adjust to harsh light 5 times faster than humans
(Interesting Engineering – 2 July 2025) A new “machine vision sensor” can adapt to extreme lighting conditions much faster than the human eye, in about 40 seconds. This development from Fuzhou University in China can potentially improve robotic vision and autonomous vehicle safety. “The combination of quantum dots, which are light-sensitive nanomaterials, and bio-inspired device structures allowed us to bridge neuroscience and engineering,” said Yun Ye, the author. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/human-eye-like-vision-sensor-adjusts-to-extreme-light
Quantum Computers Aren’t Quite Ready For LLM Vibe Coders, Study Finds
(Quantum Insider – 2 July 2025) A new study finds that while large language models like ChatGPT can reliably generate simple quantum code for IBM simulators, they falter on real hardware and struggle with photonic systems like Xanadu’s. The researchers’ model performed well using Qiskit to write circuits for entangled states and teleportation on IBM’s simulator, but consistently failed on IBM hardware due to outdated syntax and lack of debugging capability. Results were significantly worse with Strawberry Fields, where ChatGPT repeatedly misapplied quantum gates, misunderstood hardware constraints, and produced code that was often invalid or unusable. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/07/02/quantum-computers-arent-quite-ready-for-llm-vibe-coders-study-finds/
World-first: Scientists unveil method for simulating error-corrected quantum computations
(Interesting Engineering – 2 July 2025) Despite being powerful and fast, quantum computers still face challenges on their pathway to practical use cases. These devices have a limited ability to correct the arising computational errors. Now, a team including researchers from multiple universities has unveiled a method for simulating specific types of error-corrected quantum computations – a significant leap forward in the quest for robust quantum technologies. The method can accurately simulate a certain type of quantum computation that is particularly suitable for error correction, but which thus far has been very difficult to simulate. The breakthrough tackles a long-standing challenge in quantum research. – https://interestingengineering.com/science/unique-method-simulates-error-corrected-quantum-computations
Student builds AI app to help farmers tackle crop issues
(DigWatch – 2 July 2025) A student is developing an AI-powered app designed to help farmers detect and address crop problems. Soj Gamayon, a communications technology management student at Ateneo de Manila University, was inspired by his family’s farming struggles and his experiences abroad to build AgriConnect PH. – https://dig.watch/updates/student-builds-ai-app-to-help-farmers-tackle-crop-issues