Daily Digest on AI and Emerging Technologies (27 may 2026) – https://pam.int/daily-digest-on-ai-and-emerging-technologies-27-may-2026/

Daily Digest on AI and Emerging Technologies (28 may 2026) – https://pam.int/daily-digest-on-ai-and-emerging-technologies-28-may-2026/

Daily Digest on AI and Emerging Technologies (29 may 2026) – https://pam.int/daily-digest-on-ai-and-emerging-technologies-29-may-2026/

 

Governance/Regulation/Legislation

The World Is Trying to Govern AI. The UN Wants In

(Tony Oweke – Council on Foreign Relations) The United Nations’ Global Dialogue on AI Governance—born out of the 2024 Global Digital Compact (GDC) and parallel UN negotiations that also produced an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI—will convene this July in Geneva. The Dialogue arrives amid a broader proliferation: a growing ecosystem of international AI summits, including in Bletchley Park, Seoul, Paris, and New Delhi, that are attempting to shape the global governance landscape. Whether these attempts are coalescing into something coherent, however, remains to be seen. The 2023 Bletchley Declaration generated a shared international vocabulary around frontier-AI risk and established AI safety as a matter for coordinated global action. It also catalyzed the AI Safety Institute to publish an evaluation of advanced AI systems’ capabilities and risks in its annual report. The highlight of the 2024 summit in Seoul was a commitment to establish a network of AI safety institutes spanning ten countries and the European Union (EU). The 2025 summit in Paris marked a shift away from safety and toward investment and adoption, underlined by several funding pledges and deals. India’s 2026 summit, by contrast, sought to center voices from the Global South in AI governance. And early indications are that the 2027 summit in Switzerland will again focus on safety and security. – https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-world-is-trying-to-govern-ai-the-un-wants-in

UN launches AI Governance for Humanity Lab in Valencia

(DigWatch) The UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies has launched the AI Governance for Humanity Lab in Valencia to strengthen international cooperation on AI governance. The Lab will focus on improving interoperability between national and regional governance frameworks and supporting practical implementation across regions and sectors. Its work will include network mobilisation, comparative policy analysis, and the development of cooperative tools for AI governance. The launch brought together policymakers, researchers, industry practitioners, and AI governance experts for workshops and a public event. Discussions focused on two initial workstreams: interoperability in AI governance and the implementation of governance frameworks by private-sector actors. – https://www.un.org/digital-emerging-technologies/content/press-release-un-launches-ai-governance-humanity-lab-valencia

Spain urges immediate action on global AI governance at UN laboratory launch

(DigWatch) Spain has renewed its call for stronger international AI governance following the launch of the UN AI Governance for Humanity Lab in Valencia. Speaking at the opening event, Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Administration Óscar López said AI must serve peace and people, and warned that governments and international institutions must act quickly if AI governance is to become more than an unfulfilled ambition. – https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/serviciosdeprensa/notasprensa/transformacion-digital-y-funcion-publica/Paginas/2026/280526-laboratorio-gobernanza-ia-onu.aspx

ECB explores AI tools for monitoring financial stability risks

(DigWatch) The European Central Bank (ECB) has examined how AI could support financial stability monitoring and communication, comparing traditional dictionary-based sentiment analysis with transformer models and GPT-based systems. The study was published as part of the ECB’s May 2026 Financial Stability Review. Researchers analysed all ECB Financial Stability Review publications between 2004 and 2025 to evaluate how AI systems interpret financial stability risks and vulnerabilities. The study found that GPT-based models were better able to isolate explicit risk assessments and identify stronger signals during periods of financial stress, including the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. – https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/financial-stability-publications/fsr/special/html/ecb.fsrart202605_01~fe2f4ea541.en.html

UNESCO highlights ethical AI integration in South Asian higher education

(DigWatch) AI is transforming higher education systems across South Asia, creating opportunities to improve teaching, learning, research, and institutional management, while also exposing challenges around policy readiness, educator capacity, digital infrastructure, and equitable access. A regional policy dialogue held in Kathmandu on 20 May 2026, jointly organised by UNESCO Kathmandu, Tribhuvan University, the Asian Development Bank, and UNESCO-ICHEI, highlighted the need for coordinated strategies to guide AI integration in higher education. – https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/advancing-ethical-and-innovative-ai-integration-higher-education-south-asia

European Commission prepares Chips Act 2.0 to boost semiconductor resilience

(DigWatch) The European Commission is preparing a Chips Act 2.0 aimed at strengthening Europe’s semiconductor resilience, reducing strategic dependencies, and supporting technological sovereignty. The initiative builds on earlier legislation introduced after pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, but seeks to address persistent gaps in advanced chip manufacturing and fragmented governance across Member States. A key focus of the revised framework is expanding Europe’s capacity in advanced semiconductors, particularly chips below 10 nanometres that are used in AI, high-performance computing, defence and advanced automotive systems. – https://dig.watch/updates/eu-moves-toward-chips-act-2-0-semiconductor

Defense/Intelligence/Warfare

UK and Poland deepen cyber and defence cooperation under new treaty

(DigWatch) The United Kingdom and Poland have agreed a broad package of defence, cybersecurity and security initiatives under a new Security and Defence Partnership Treaty. The agreement strengthens cooperation on defence, sanctions, border security, technology and energy resilience. Defence cooperation is a central element of the treaty, with both countries planning joint work on missile systems, expanded ammunition production and closer defence-industrial cooperation. – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/security-and-defence-partnership-treaty-the-projects-the-uk-and-poland-will-deliver-together

Estonia installed first stationery systems for detecting drones on Russian border

(Yuliia Taradiuk – The Kyiv Independent) The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board has installed its first stationary anti-drone detection and surveillance devices along the country’s border with Russia, Estonian outlet ERR reported on May 30. The first anti-drone devices were deployed along three sections of the border in southeastern Estonia, between the Estonia-Latvia-Russia tripoint and Luhamaa, a border crossing point between Estonia and Russia, ERR said, citing a press release from the Estonian Ministry of the Interior. According to the report, the entire eastern border will be covered with such devices by the end of the year. – https://kyivindependent.com/estonia-installed-first-stationery-systems-for-detecting-drones-on-russian-border/

Security and Surveillance

Signal Phishing Campaign Targets Journalists and Activists to Steal Backup Recovery Keys

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) A phishing campaign is currently targeting Signal users with text messages that impersonate Signal Support and ask them to hand over their backup recovery key. The message looks urgent, warns of imminent data loss, and asks the victim to paste a 64-character key directly into the chat. That key unlocks everything. “A new phishing campaign is targeting Signal users by attempting to steal their backup recovery keys to access encrypted message archives.” reads the report published by MalwareBytes. “The attack is initiated by a text message pretending to come from Signal Support.”. The message reads like this: your Signal account data is at risk of permanent loss due to a sync issue, go to Settings, find your recovery key, copy it, paste it here. – https://securityaffairs.com/192899/security/signal-phishing-campaign-targets-journalists-and-activists-to-steal-backup-recovery-keys.html

ShinyHunters Leaks Charter Communications Data, Potentially Impacting 5 Million Customers

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) The ShinyHunters extortion group has published data allegedly stolen from Charter Communications after the company apparently refused to pay a ransom. Charter Communications is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the United States. It provides internet, cable TV, mobile, and phone services to residential and business customers under the Spectrum brand, serving tens of millions of users across the country. The leaked information reportedly includes more than 42 million customer records and customer proprietary network information (CPNI). However, according to the data breach notification service HaveIBeenPwned, the number of impacted individuals is approximately 4.9 million. – https://securityaffairs.com/192907/uncategorized/shinyhunters-leaks-charter-communications-data-potentially-impacting-5-million-customers.html

Botnet of 17 Million Devices Dismantled in the Netherlands

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) Dutch authorities have taken offline a massive botnet of at least 17 million devices and seized more than 200 servers at a local provider that supported the operation. Infected devices included computers, tablets, and smartphones. The action was carried out following an investigation from the Police in collaboration with the country’s cybersecurity agency, the National Cyber ​​Security Centre (NCSC). “The network was discovered following a report from a security researcher to the NCSC. The NCSC subsequently informed the police. Together, they took up the report and conducted an investigation.” reads the press release published by NCSC. “The investigation revealed that the botnet consisted of at least 17 million infected devices and that the 200 servers used to host the infrastructure were located in the Netherlands.” – https://securityaffairs.com/192890/malware/botnet-of-17-million-devices-dismantled-in-the-netherlands.html

Meet GREYVIBE, the Russia-Linked Hacking Group Using AI to Target Ukraine and Still Making Rookie Mistakes

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) Security firm WithSecure has been tracking a previously unknown Russian-linked APT group called GREYVIBE since at least August 2025. The group targets Ukraine and Ukrainian-related organizations across military, government, civilian, and business sectors. According to the experts, the APT group is not particularly sophisticated, but it’s persistent, and it’s using AI to compensate for skill gaps. However, the researchers state that the group keeps making mistakes that give them a clear look inside. “The group has leveraged multiple attack vectors, including spear-phishing e-mails, fake captcha pages and fraudulent Ukrainian adult club websites, to deliver malware to a diverse set of victims. The observed victimology includes military, government, civilian, and business-related entities.” reads the report published by WithSecure. “Across these campaigns, the group has relied on custom developed obfuscators, loaders, and malware. WithSecure additionally identified several associated activity and related campaigns that shared varying degrees of overlap with the group’s tooling, infrastructure, and tradecraft.” – https://securityaffairs.com/192877/apt/meet-greyvibe-the-russian-linked-hacking-group-using-ai-to-target-ukraine-and-still-making-rookie-mistakes.html

DIL Observatory: when the World Escalates, the Underground Responds

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) Digital Intelligence Lab (DIL) launches an observatory for reading cyber events as what they actually are: signals of a broader social and geopolitical reality. The timing rarely lies, and the connection between real-world events and cyber activity is no longer a theoretical framework. It is a documented pattern, traceable across months and geographies. This new Observatory available for the community extends that work into a broader question: not just what cyber events are happening, but why now, where, and what else is happening around them. – https://securityaffairs.com/192870/security/dil-observatory-when-the-world-escalates-the-underground-responds.html

BTMOB RAT Gives Criminals a Point-and-Click Kit to Take Over Your Android Phone

(Pierluigi Paganini – Security Affairs) Most Android malware requires at least some technical competence to deploy, but the BTMOB doesn’t. The developers sell it with a built-in APK builder that lets buyers generate new malicious apps, swap phishing lures, and target different countries without writing a single line of code. That’s the part worth paying attention to. ESET researcher Daniel Cunha Barbosa flagged BTMOB while reviewing threat detections in Brazil. It’s been around since at least early 2025, evolving from an older piece of malware called SpySolr, and it’s been picked up fast. The Android malware BTMOB is a full takeover. “Unlike banking trojans, which “only” aim to steal people’s financial credentials or intercept their financial transactions, BTMOB gives adversaries broader options: exfiltrate a range of sensitive data, capture screenshots and record activity on the device, and ultimately take remote control of it.” reads the report published by ESET. “The RAT is also sold with an APK builder interface, allowing anyone to generate new payloads and adapt phishing lures for specific regions at a rapid clip – and without writing any code.” – https://securityaffairs.com/192846/malware/btmob-rat-gives-criminals-a-point-and-click-kit-to-take-over-your-android-phone.html

Chinese Hackers Exploit Iran War to Target Maritime and Energy Companies

(Danny Palmer – Infosecurity Magazine) Hacking groups linked to China have exploited the war in the Middle East in attempts to compromise maritime and energy companies in the region, cybersecurity researchers at ESET have warned. Published on May 28, the latest ESET APT Activity Report warned that nation-state backed APT groups are actively targeting geopolitical hotpots, especially the Gulf region, following US military operations against Iran. Chinese espionage and hacking operations also continue to target organizations around the world, in line with Beijing’s interests. This included targeting of government organizations in Central America and an attempted espionage campaign against an AI and robotics company in South Korea. ESET noted that the latter aligns with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) interest in strategic technologies prioritized under its ‘Made in China 2025’ industrial development policy. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/chinese-hackers-exploit-iran-war/

AI-Generated npm Malware Leaks Its Own GitHub Token

(Alessandro Mascellino – Infosecurity Magazine) A malicious npm package has been caught leaking its own hardcoded GitHub token, a blunder that let researchers watch the operator’s data theft unfold from the inside. The package, named mouse5212-super-formatter, was identified by OX Security according to new analysis from the firm’s research team. It functions as an infostealer, quietly reading files from a victim’s machine and uploading them to a repository the attacker controls. The package had been downloaded 676 times and remained live on npm at the time of OX Security’s writeup on Wednesday, though it has since been removed. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ai-npm-malware-leaks-github-token/

Cyber Offense: How Far Can Private Organizations Go?

(Rajeev Raghavan, Jared Engelking, Grace Tang – Lawfare) A criminal hacking group is conducting phishing attacks, masquerading as an email company to steal user data and launch ransomware. The email company’s security team has mapped the hackers’ infrastructure. The hackers have identified the command-and-control servers and a flaw in the ransomware deployment tools that could send decryption keys to victims. The company wants to launch a technical attack and take down the threat actors’ network. But there is a problem: Doing so could land the company’s employees in federal prison. That tension—between what the private sector can technically achieve and what it is legally permitted to do—sits at the heart of a growing cybersecurity policy debate. Over the past year, the Trump administration has beaten a steady drum calling for greater public-private cooperation against state and criminal cyber adversaries. Its March 2026 Cyber Strategy for America, for example, aims to “unleash the private sector by creating incentives to identify and disrupt adversary networks and scale our national capabilities.” This line of thinking is not new. Since 2013, the private sector and thought leaders have suggested “hacking back,” “cyber privateers,” and “letters of marque” as a policy response to the exponential rise in cybercrime—extending authority to conduct cyber operations against threat actors from traditional government actors (such as the FBI, U.S. Cyber Command, and the intelligence community) to qualified private-sector entities. And, while National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross has said that the administration is not asking the private sector to conduct offensive cyber operations, he stressed the need to shape adversary behavior through collaboration. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/cyber-offense–how-far-can-private-organizations-go

Singapore warns of cybersecurity risks from autonomous AI agents

(DigWatch) Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency (CSA) has issued an advisory warning that autonomous AI agents, including OpenClaw, can pose serious cybersecurity risks if deployed without appropriate safeguards. The advisory references to Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) case study on the responsible deployment of OpenClaw and highlights risks associated with AI agents that can understand context, plan tasks, use external tools, and act on behalf of users. – https://www.csa.gov.sg/alerts-and-advisories/advisories/ad-2026-005/