Governance, Legislation, and Geostrategies
New Ways to Frame Responsible Cyber Behaviour Beyond the UN
(Louise Marie Hurel – RUSI – 13 May 2025) Responsible cyber behaviour (RCB) refers to the collective expectations of state and non-state actors about how they should behave in cyberspace. ‘Behaviour’ in this context comprises the values, norms, policies, practices and technologies that are meant to protect and secure cyberspace. These expectations are highly contested and vary across regions. Within cybersecurity debates – and specifically in the context of the UN’s Open-Ended Working Group on the security of and in cyberspace (OEWG) and Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) – ‘responsibility’ has often been associated with ‘responsible state behaviour’. Within this context, the term ‘responsible state behaviour’ mainly concerns the collective expectations of UN member states in meeting and observing their international commitments to norms and international law. The debate largely concentrates on how states should behave towards each other, rather than how they ought to act domestically. As these discussions are held at the UN First Committee responsible for international peace and security, dialogue on responsibility in cyberspace is restricted to those parameters. RUSI’s research, and this paper, takes a wider view, based on the premise that understanding RCB requires consideration of cultural values, regional alliances and domestic factors such as institutional or legislative setup. The objective of this paper is to provide a wider conceptual lens on RCB, looking beyond the UN debate and, to some degree, beyond Western perspectives. The paper investigates two areas: states’ perceptions of what international responsibility entails; and how other multilateral bodies and initiatives have sought to frame responsibility. – https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/occasional-papers/new-ways-frame-responsible-cyber-behaviour-beyond-un
EU prolongs sanctions for cyberattackers until 2026
(Digital Watch Observatory – 13 May 2025) The EU Council has extended its sanctions on cyberattacks until May 18, 2026, with the legal framework for enforcing these measures now lasting until 2028. The sanctions target individuals and institutions involved in cyberattacks that pose a significant threat to the EU and its members. – https://dig.watch/updates/eu-prolongs-sanctions-for-cyberattackers-until-2026
SEC plans fresh rules for crypto securities
(Digital Watch Observatory – 13 May 2025) The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is preparing new rules for crypto assets that qualify as securities. At a roundtable on 12 May, SEC Chair Paul Atkins said current laws are outdated and don’t fit the fast-growing digital asset sector. So far, only four crypto issuers have registered successfully — something Atkins called a failure of regulation, not of the industry. – https://dig.watch/updates/sec-plans-fresh-rules-for-crypto-securities
US senator calls for AI chip tracking to protect national security
(Digital Watch Observatory – 13 May 2025) A new bill introduced by Republican Senator Tom Cotton aims to bolster national security by requiring location verification features on American-made AI chips. The Chip Security Act, announced on 9 May, would ensure such technology does not end up in the hands of foreign adversaries, particularly China. – https://dig.watch/updates/us-senator-calls-for-ai-chip-tracking-to-protect-national-security
Australia appoints pro-crypto assistant minister for digital economy
(Digital Watch Observatory – 13 May 2025) Australia’s crypto sector has welcomed the appointment of Andrew Charlton as Assistant Minister for the Digital Economy. Charlton, a known supporter of blockchain, will also oversee AI and emerging technologies. He will work alongside Minister Tim Ayres. – https://dig.watch/updates/australia-appoints-pro-crypto-assistant-minister-for-digital-economy
US Copyright Office avoids clear decision on AI and fair use
(Digital Watch Observatory – 13 May 2025) The US Copyright Office has stopped short of deciding whether AI companies can legally use copyrighted material to train their systems under fair use. Its newly released report acknowledges that some uses—such as non-commercial research—may qualify, while others, like replicating expressive works from pirated content to produce market-ready AI output, likely won’t. – https://dig.watch/updates/us-copyright-office-avoids-clear-decision-on-ai-and-fair-use
How China’s tech giants wired the Gulf
(Tye Graham, Peter W. Singer – Defense One – 13 May 2025) The Persian Gulf is quickly turning into China’s favorite testbed for the next-generation of digital infrastructure. As a key part of China’s “Digital Silk Road 2.0,” the region’s richest capitals have signed a cascade of contracts with Chinese companies over the past two years that promise to deliver everything required for a 21st-century metropolis: cloud regions protected by local data-sovereignty laws, nationwide 5G cores, fleets of AI cameras, and the software to knit them all together. – https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2025/05/china-tech-giants-wired-gulf/405283/
AI in finance: Balancing innovation and stability
(Iota Kaousar Nassr – OECD.AI – 8 May 2025) Artificial intelligence has emerged as a transformative force across many activities in today’s rapidly evolving digital finance world. Integrating AI into the financial system promises unprecedented efficiency gains and improved customer experience from banking and consumer finance to asset management, trading and insurance. – https://oecd.ai/en/wonk/ai-in-finance-balancing-innovation-and-stability
Promoting AI Innovation Through Competition. A Guide to Managing Market Power
(Jack Corrigan – Center for Security and Emerging Technology – May 2025) Maintaining long-term U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence will require policymakers to foster a diversified, contestable, and competitive market for AI systems. Today, however, incumbent technology companies maintain a distinct advantage in the production of large AI models, and they have the means and motion to use their control over key chokepoints in the AI supply chain (compute, data, foundation models, distribution channels) to stifle competition. This report explores the associated economic and national security risks, and offers recommendations for maintaining an open and competitive AI industry. – https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/promoting-ai-innovation-through-competition/
Defense, Intelligence, and Warfare
AI is helping the Pentagon go from finding targets to predicting threats
(Patrick Tucker – Defense One – 13 May 2025) Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth has satellite imagery for virtually every corner of the globe. But what keeps him awake at night are not the threats he knows about. It’s the ones he or the intelligence analysts under him might miss. “Warning is the big behemoth for us,” the head of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency told Defense One on the sidelines of the Global SOF event here, “When you’re talking, ‘Are we keeping an eye on all these complexities in the world? Have you established a baseline everywhere? Will you be able to warn that something is anomalous and prevent surprise?’ That is a big deal and that can be humbling,” he said. – https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2025/05/ai-helping-pentagon-go-finding-targets-predicting-threats/405279/?oref=d1-featured-river-secondary
British Navy unveils secret ‘dolphin tech’ to illuminate deep and hunt Russian subs
(Interesting Engineering – 13 May 2025) The British Royal Navy is set to deploy new autonomous underwater drones to improve undersea warfare. These drones use advanced artificial intelligence to find and deter Russian submarines in British waters. Dubbed “Lura,” the system represents a fundamental shift in anti-submarine warfare, relying on a distributed network of low-cost gliders capable of persisting underwater for months while using AI to identify hostile activity, The Times reported. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/british-navy-unveils-secret-dolphin-tech
Trump secures $142B record arms deal; NVIDIA scores big in Saudi AI chip push
(Interesting Engineering – 13 May 2025) Donald Trump kicked off his diplomatic tour of the Gulf with the announcement of a $142 billion defense deal with Saudi Arabia. The White House has hailed the deal as “the largest defence sales agreement in history.”. The sweeping arms package forms the centerpiece of a broader $600 billion investment commitment from the Kingdom to U.S. companies, spanning defense, energy, technology, and infrastructure. – https://interestingengineering.com/culture/trump-secures-142b-arms-sale-in-saudi
Security
BlackRock raises concerns over quantum computing risks to Bitcoin ETFs
(Digital Watch Observatory – 13 May 2025) BlackRock has flagged quantum computing as a potential risk to its iShares Bitcoin ETF (IBIT) in a recent regulatory filing. BlackRock highlighted the threat from emerging technologies, specifically quantum computing, to the cryptographic security of Bitcoin and blockchain networks. – https://dig.watch/updates/blackrock-raises-concerns-over-quantum-computing-risks-to-bitcoin-etfs
Frontiers
Autonomous AI agents are the next phase of enterprise automation
(Digital Watch Observatory – 13 May 2025) Organisations across sectors are turning to agentic automation—an emerging class of AI systems designed to think, plan, and act autonomously to solve complex, multi-step problems. Unlike traditional automation tools, which follow rigid rules, agentic systems use large language models (LLMs) and robotic process automation (RPA) to navigate ambiguity and make contextual decisions. – https://dig.watch/updates/autonomous-ai-agents-are-the-next-phase-of-enterprise-automation
New AI tool predicts post-surgery infection risk
(Digital Watch Observatory – 13 May 2025) Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) has developed a pioneering AI model, PERISCOPE, designed to predict infection risk in patients following surgery. PERISCOPE will become a standard tool at LUMC, with full implementation expected by mid-2026. – https://interestingengineering.com/culture/trump-secures-142b-arms-sale-in-saudi
World’s first robot tennis coach fires 75 mph serves with 1,000 custom drills
(Interesting Engineering – 13 May 2025) A robotics firm focused on training sporting professionals has unveiled an AI-powered robotic tennis coach designed to transform training for players of all levels. T-Apex’s Tenniix module is touted as the world’s first AI-powered tennis ball machine featuring a movable base and gimbal system, allowing for human-like court movement and advanced hybrid tracking. According to the firm, with up to 1,000 drills, 75-mph (120 km/h) serves, voice control, real-time feedback, and built-in tracking, it offers a smart, high-intensity practice experience. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/tenniix-robot-coach-delivers-1000-drills
Lendlord introduces AI tools for property investors
(Digital Watch Observatory – 13 May 2025) Lendlord has launched LendlordAI, a suite of AI tools designed to support landlords and property investors with faster, smarter decision-making. Available now to all users of the platform, the AI assistant offers instant insights into property listings, real-time deal analysis, and automated portfolio reviews. – https://dig.watch/updates/lendlord-introduces-ai-tools-for-property-investors
New AI tool boosts delivery of children’s support plans
(Digital Watch Observatory – 13 May 2025) In the US, Stoke-on-Trent City Council has introduced AI to speed up the production of special educational needs reports amid growing demand. The new system is already showing results, with 83% of plans issued within the 20-week target in April, up from just 43% the previous year. – https://dig.watch/updates/new-ai-tool-boosts-delivery-of-childrens-support-plans