Governance, Legislation
Weapons of Mass Delusion Are Helping Kids Opt Out of Reality
(Emily Tavoulareas – Tech Policy Press – 20 August 2025) Last week’s bombshell revelation of Meta’s internal chatbot guidelines has led to a surge of attention on chatbots and kids. The guidelines demonstrate what so many experts have been saying for not just years, but decades: these products are optimized for engagement over all else. Meta is not alone. The entire industry is building technologies that are designed not to connect us to reality, but to help us avoid it by living our lives on and through its products. While there are well-documented upsides to social media, especially among marginalized youth, much of the conversation about the harms inevitably centers on contacts and content: who are young people interacting with and what are they consuming. This grounds the discussion and action in acute and tangible harms: inappropriate content, online predators, excessive screen time, etc. But alongside both real and perceived visible threats is a more subtle and perhaps more nefarious phenomenon: a distortion of how children view themselves, and how they experience and understand human connection of all kinds. Across platforms there are literal and figurative filters that warp our faces, relationships, friendships, and intimacy into fantasies — a perversion of some of the most basic human experiences. Social media, augmented reality, and the rapidly growing world of AI chatbots are enabling avoidance at a massive scale. It’s time we start thinking about it that way. Now surging onto the scene, we have AI companion chatbots that create (as Yuval Harari calls them) “counterfeit humans” that purport to be the perfect friend, or partner, tailored to each person’s needs, desires, and opinions. They essentially allow people to craft a fantasy person that pushes them further and further into a safe and cozy echo-chamber that is completely disconnected from reality. This is not an imaginary doomer future, it’s already here. Products that we are already using are not only allowing, but actively enabling young children to trade real relationships for an illusion — or perhaps more aptly, for a delusion. So what are the delusions? I see two main categories: (1) the delusion of physical perfection, and (2) the delusion of connection. Let’s start with what we can see: appearance filters and the delusion of physical perfection. – https://www.techpolicy.press/weapons-of-mass-delusion-are-helping-kids-opt-out-of-reality/
AI Companies Should be Liable for the Illegal Conduct of AI Chatbots
(Mark MacCarthy – Tech Policy Press – 20 August 2025) AI chatbots are not people. They don’t have consciousness and independent agency. So, they cannot be held responsible for their illegal conduct. But the companies that provide them to the public should be responsible. For instance, Meta should be liable if Meta AI, its chatbot, provides advice, guidance, or recommendations that would create liability if provided by a human. This principle might be a useful guide to the AI ethics and policy challenges brought to public attention by the recent revelations from Reuters that Meta adopted, and then apparently withdrew, language in an internal Meta policy document that permitted its chatbots to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual,” as well as other questionable activities. The problem is not limited to abuse of children. Another Reuters story described how an adult died on his way to an anticipated tryst in New York City with a chatbot impersonating a real romantic partner. Experts invited by Tech Policy Press to opine on this state of affairs uniformly expressed a desire to do something about it, but as in many cases of ethical and policy challenges posed by new technology, it was not immediately clear what should be done. – https://www.techpolicy.press/ai-companies-should-be-liable-for-the-illegal-conduct-of-ai-chatbots/
Tech & Democracy
Expanding Hype Literacy to Protect Democracy
(Andreu Belsunces Gonçalves, Jascha Bareis – Tech Policy Press – 21 August 2025) There are some signs that recent enthusiasm for tech stocks driven by the promise of generative AI is beginning to wane. Looking at a longer period of development, from the dotcom bust twenty-five years ago to the current AI boom, technology hype continues to shape the global economy as well as politics and culture. Far from being a neutral byproduct of technology adoption cycles, hype is a deliberate project that steers the collective imagination for what is possible towards futures that often benefit elites. To resist hype and the ways in which it rewards the powerful and abets authoritarianism, we must recognize hype not just as an economic or a technological phenomenon, but as a political one. – https://www.techpolicy.press/expanding-hype-literacy-to-protect-democracy/
Geostrategies
Bigger And Faster Or Better And Greener? The EU Needs To Define Its Priorities For AI
(Rianne Riemens, José van Dijck – Tech Policy Press – 21 August 2025) The European Commission’s AI Continent Action Plan (AI-CAP) articulates Europe’s ambition to take global leadership in the AI race. It wants to secure sustainable growth while pursuing better, democratic AI. The plan promises to offer a much-needed vision on the role of AI in Europe, but its ambitions leave too much space for ambiguity. One tension arises between the EU’s competitive and democratic drives. While stressing the need for democratic safeguards in the development of AI, the plan states that the EU must act fast to harness the economic potential of AI to boost its competitiveness. Another tension relates to the EU’s environmental ambitions. The plan hints only briefly at the environmental costs of AI developments in terms of energy consumption — even though these could jeopardize the European Green Deal — while extensively emphasizing the potential of AI to harness sustainability goals. – https://www.techpolicy.press/bigger-and-faster-or-better-and-greener-the-eu-needs-to-define-its-priorities-for-ai/
Taiwan’s Silicon Shield Is Turning Into a Target
(Aidan Powers-Riggs, Sam Bresnick – Lawfare – 21 August 2025) For decades, a fragile equilibrium has held the peace in the Taiwan Strait. Despite China’s conviction that the self-governed island must one day be united with the mainland, Beijing has held to a policy of “peaceful reunification” built upon threats and coercion, but not full-scale war. Key to this has been the specter of the U.S. military coming to Taiwan’s defense, as well as Beijing’s belief that the Taiwanese public may eventually be peacefully compelled to accept a political settlement. These dynamics have shifted over the past several years. The Taiwanese public increasingly rejects unification, narrowing the possibility that a conciliatory government emerges in Taipei. China’s breakneck military modernization has tilted the balance of power across the strait toward Beijing; Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to be prepared to invade Taiwan by 2027. And political dysfunction in Washington, coupled with public fatigue over military adventurism abroad, has raised doubts about the United States’s willingness to risk war with China to defend the island. Now, Taiwan is at the center of another brewing geopolitical storm. The United States and China are locked in a competition for artificial intelligence (AI) supremacy. Many believe that whichever country develops superior technology could gain decisive economic and military advantages over the other. AI is built on a complex stack of technologies, the most critical of which are the advanced semiconductors needed to train and run the world’s leading AI models. Virtually all of these chips are produced in Taiwan. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/taiwan-s-silicon-shield-is-turning-into-a-target
How the UAE Is Betting Big on AI to Expand Its Global Influence
(Alainna Liloia – Tech Policy Press – 20 August 2025) As the US and China compete for AI dominance, the UAE is leveraging its investments in AI technologies to make itself indispensable – and untouchable – to both allies and adversaries. Across the Gulf, countries are prioritizing AI development to boost their economies and to position themselves favorably relative to the United States, China, and other global powers. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are leading the charge, investing in data centers and partnering with tech giants like OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services. Presenting itself as a leading voice in artificial intelligence globally, the UAE is using AI as a means to amass soft power and bolster the country’s brand as a modern state at the forefront of technological innovation. Emirati leaders view AI technologies as a new resource to develop and deploy, ensuring that their offerings are irresistible to global partners. – https://www.techpolicy.press/how-the-uae-is-betting-big-on-ai-to-expand-its-global-influence/
Frontiers
China Pushes Artificial Intelligence Into Orbit
(AI Insider – 21 August 2025) China is developing orbital edge computing to move artificial intelligence beyond Earth, equipping satellites to process data in orbit instead of relying on ground stations. A new study in the Chinese Journal of Aeronautics describes how low-Earth orbit constellations with onboard AI could improve disaster response, climate monitoring, digital services, and potentially defense applications. The research highlights both opportunities—such as faster analysis and expanded coverage—and challenges including radiation-hardened hardware, energy constraints, complex communication links, and global task scheduling. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/08/21/china-pushes-artificial-intelligence-into-orbit/
Foxconn Invests $30 Million in Robocore to Expand into Medical and Elderly Care Robotics Market
(AI Insider – 21 August 2025) Robocore Technology closed its Series D with up to $30M from Foxconn Technology via its Q-Run arm, starting with a $10M investment for a 6.6% stake in subsidiary RoboTemi Global. Backed by Foxconn’s capital and manufacturing expertise, Robocore targets 3x revenue in three years and 5x by 2028, with plans for a pre-2030 IPO; proceeds will strengthen its telemedicine business and fuel expansion in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and China. Already deployed at nearly 20,000 sites worldwide, Robocore says the partnership validates its global ambitions, while Foxconn gains an entry point into the fast-growing service robotics market for healthcare and eldercare. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/08/21/foxconn-invests-30-million-in-robocore-to-expand-into-medical-and-elderly-care-robotics-market/
Chung-Ang University Researchers’ Paper Electrode-Based Crawling Soft Robots Inspired by Caterpillars
(AI Insider – 21 August 2025) Researchers at Chung-Ang University have created a paper-based soft robot inspired by caterpillars that uses heat-driven bending to achieve efficient crawling, published in Advanced Functional Materials. The system combines cellulose paper with liquid crystal elastomers and asymmetrically plated copper electrodes, generating resistance-based temperature gradients that mimic natural caterpillar motion. Lightweight and low-energy, the robots could be scaled for tasks such as environmental monitoring and navigating hazardous or confined spaces, offering a sustainable path for soft robotics development. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/08/21/chung-ang-university-researchers-paper-electrode-based-crawling-soft-robots-inspired-by-caterpillars/
CLIKA Raises Strategic Seed Round to Bring the Power of AI to Every Device
(AI Insider – 21 August 2025) CLIKA, an AI compression platform enabling model deployment across diverse hardware, closed its seed round with investors including Accenture Ventures, IQT, Milemark Capital, and Golden Gate Ventures. The company addresses the challenge of deploying increasingly large AI models in constrained, distributed, and fragmented computing environments. CLIKA’s technology automatically compresses and compiles models for secure, efficient deployment across cloud, on-premise, and edge systems without compromising performance. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/08/21/clika-raises-strategic-seed-round-to-bring-the-power-of-ai-to-every-device/
RodRadar and Lynch Partner in UK with AI-Driven Radar Tech to Reduce Utility Strikes
(AI Insider – 21 August 2025) RodRadar has partnered with UK plant hire firm Lynch to deploy its AI-powered Live Dig Radar (LDR) nationwide, aiming to cut the roughly 60,000 annual underground utility strikes that cost Britain about £2.4 billion. The on-bucket radar system provides operators with real-time detection of buried utilities, reducing reliance on outdated maps; in a U.S. Navy project, it reportedly avoided 200 strikes, saving $1.5 million and 1,000 hours of downtime. Machine Tech will serve as RodRadar’s exclusive UK distributor, expanding access to contractors and municipalities as the country’s infrastructure grows more congested and regulators push prevention tools like the National Underground Asset Register. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/08/21/rodradar-and-lynch-partner-in-uk-with-ai-driven-radar-tech-to-reduce-utility-strikes/
Researchers Develop Wearable, Soft Robotic Vest that Learns
(AI Insider – 21 August 2025) Backed by U.S. National Science Foundation funding, Harvard researchers have developed a soft robotic vest that uses machine learning and physics-based models to provide personalized arm support for people with movement impairments. In tests with nine volunteers — including stroke survivors and ALS patients — the device distinguished shoulder movements with 94% accuracy, reduced arm-lowering force by a third, and improved ranges of motion while enabling more precise completion of daily tasks. Published in Nature Communications and developed with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, the research points toward future home-use rehabilitation tools designed to improve independence and quality of life through personalized assistance. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/08/21/researchers-develop-wearable-soft-robotic-vest-that-learns/
Boston Dynamics and Toyota Research Institute Unveil Advancement in AI-Powered General-Purpose Humanoids
(AI Insider – 21 August 2025) Boston Dynamics and Toyota Research Institute demonstrated a Large Behavior Model (LBM) controlling the Atlas humanoid, enabling long sequences of tasks without hand-coded instructions. The system integrates locomotion and manipulation under a single AI model, allowing Atlas to adapt in real time to unexpected changes such as shifted objects or closed containers. The joint research partnership, launched in October 2024, aims to advance general-purpose humanoids by scaling skills through human demonstrations and applying large models to whole-body control and dynamic behaviors. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/08/21/boston-dynamics-and-toyota-research-institute-unveil-advancement-in-ai-powered-general-purpose-humanoids/
Meta Launches Meta Superintelligence Labs Under New AI Chief Alexandr Wang
(AI Insider – 20 August 2025) Meta has officially reorganized its artificial intelligence division into a new structure called Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), led by Alexandr Wang, the founder of Scale AI who became Meta’s chief AI officer in June. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/08/20/meta-launches-meta-superintelligence-labs-under-new-ai-chief-alexandr-wang/
Yamify Secures $100K Pre-Seed to Launch AI Infrastructure Platform in Africa
(AI Insider – 20 August 2025) Yamify, a Democratic Republic of Congo–based startup founded by Luc Okalobé, has raised $100,000 in pre-seed funding from Felix Anane, an early investor in Paystack, to accelerate the rollout of its flagship AI infrastructure platform. The company is also seeking an additional $100,000 to close the round. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/08/20/yamify-secures-100k-pre-seed-to-launch-ai-infrastructure-platform-in-africa/
End of the road for GPS? Image-based AI tool cuts navigation errors by nearly 40 times
(Interesting Engineering – 21 August 2025) Driving without GPS seems unthinkable, but a new Surrey AI system could spell its end. Researchers at the University of Surrey have developed an artificial intelligence tool that pinpoints a device’s location even in dense urban areas where satellite signals often fail. The system, called Pose-Enhanced Geo-Localisation (PEnG), narrowed down localisation errors from 734 metres to just 22 metres in tests. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/surrey-ai-gps-alternative-navigation
Microsoft Maps Path to a Quantum-Safe Future
(Quantum Insider – 20 August 2025) Microsoft has outlined a phased strategy to prepare its services, customers, and partners for the security risks posed by future large-scale quantum computers. The company’s Quantum Safe Program aligns with U.S. and international government timelines, targeting full adoption of post-quantum cryptography by 2033 with early adoption beginning in 2029. Microsoft is integrating quantum-safe algorithms into foundational libraries, core infrastructure services, and eventually all products, while contributing to global standards and open-source projects. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/08/20/microsoft-maps-path-to-a-quantum-safe-future/
Proteins Double as Qubits, A Step That Could One Day Bridge Quantum Computing And Biology
(Quantum Insider – 20 August 2025) Researchers at the University of Chicago have shown that enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) can act as a quantum bit, functioning in purified samples as well as inside mammalian and bacterial cells. The protein qubit demonstrated measurable spin coherence times and optically detected magnetic resonance, confirming that quantum behavior carried over into living systems. While less sensitive than diamond-based sensors, the approach introduces a genetically encodable quantum platform with potential applications in nanoscale biological sensing and quantum imaging – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/08/20/proteins-double-as-qubits-a-step-that-could-one-day-bridge-quantum-computing-and-biology/
Entanglement And Maybell Quantum Announce Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Quantum Computing Innovations
(Quantum Insider – 20 August 2025) Entanglement, Inc. and Maybell Quantum signed an MOU to form a strategic partnership focused on advancing quantum research. Entanglement will equip its global quantum labs, including a new hub in Vienna, with Maybell’s dilution refrigerators and cryogenic I/O systems. The partnership underscores both companies’ commitment to providing high-performance infrastructure to accelerate innovation in quantum computing and artificial intelligence. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/08/20/entanglement-and-maybell-quantum-announce-strategic-partnership-to-accelerate-quantum-computing-innovations/
Nullspace Raises $2.5 Million Seed Round to Enable Simulation Software For Radio Frequency And Quantum Applications
(Quantum Insider – 20 August 2025) Nullspace raised $2.5 million in seed funding led by Fathom Fund with participation from Golden Seeds LLC and angel investors. The company develops modern electromagnetic simulation software targeting high-growth markets including RF systems for 5G, defense, aerospace, and ion trap design for quantum computing. The funding will be used to expand the engineering team, accelerate product development, and scale commercialization, with Fathom’s Paul Sheng and industry veteran Nathan Kundtz joining the board. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/08/20/nullspace-raises-2-5-million-seed-round-to-enable-simulation-software-for-radio-frequency-and-quantum-applications/
IBM Venture Head Says Company Puts Quantum on Equal Footing With AI
(Quantum Insider – 20 August 2025) IBM Ventures is treating quantum computing as strategically important as artificial intelligence, targeting startups to build ecosystems that complement its hardware roadmap, according to Global Venturing. The unit has invested in companies such as Qedma, QunaSys, and Strangeworks while expanding partnerships with universities like the University of Chicago to accelerate commercialization of quantum technologies. Alongside quantum, IBM Ventures continues to prioritize enterprise-focused AI investments, emphasizing domain-specific tools, automation software, and multi-model strategies. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/08/20/ibm-venture-head-says-company-puts-quantum-on-equal-footing-with-ai/
Orientom Signs MoU with Deep In Sight to Co-Develop Quantum AI Technologies For Defense Applications
(Quantum Insider – 21 August 2025) Orientum and Deep In Sight signed an MOU to jointly develop a 3D spatial information-based quantum AI model with applications in the defense sector. The partnership will focus on combining quantum and AI algorithms, conducting joint research, and creating a platform that integrates both companies’ technologies. Orientum will contribute expertise in quantum platforms and algorithms, while Deep Insight will apply its AI-based 3D sensing solutions to enhance defense, finance, and smart city applications. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/08/20/orientom-signs-mou-with-deep-in-sight-to-co-develop-quantum-ai-technologies-for-defense-applications/
Strangeworks Acquires Quantagonia to Create Global Leader in Applied AI, Optimization And Quantum Computing
(Quantum Insider – 20 August 2025) Strangeworks announced the acquisition of Quantagonia to create a global leader in applied AI, optimization, and quantum computing. The merger combines Strangeworks’ quantum and HPC platform with Quantagonia’s solver orchestration and AI-powered decision-making tools to expand market reach and accessibility. Quantagonia’s Munich and Frankfurt presence strengthens Strangeworks’ European operations, supported by investors including IBM, Hitachi Ventures, and Lightspeed Venture Partners. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/08/20/strangeworks-acquires-quantagonia-to-create-global-leader-in-applied-ai-optimization-and-quantum-computing/
Modular robots crawl under logs, build bridges, and form shelters with drone support
(Interesting Engineering – 20 August 2025) Researchers at Dartmouth College have created modular robots that can assemble into structures and move through real-world terrain. Built from cube-shaped blocks, the robots combine rigid rods with soft, adjustable strings that control their shape. The team recently tested the system outside, marking one of the first demonstrations of modular robots in varied outdoor environments. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/modular-robots-build-bridges-and-shelters