Governance, Legislation, and Geostrategies
Beyond a Manhattan Project for Artificial General Intelligence
(Matt Chessen, Craig Martell – Lawfare – 22 April 2025) In November 2024, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission recommended that Congress establish a Manhattan Project-like program for developing artificial general intelligence (AGI). While U.S. leadership in AGI is vital to U.S. economic and national security, indexing an AGI mega-project to something as narrowly focused as the Manhattan Project would be a strategic mistake. Instead, modeling the approach on the broader Apollo program would provide a better template for whole-of-society competition, ensuring U.S. safety, security, and prosperity. While a large national program of this type might seem unrealistic in light of current efforts to shrink the federal government, in reality a whole-of-society effort is essential for accomplishing the Trump administration’s goal of enhancing America’s global AI dominance. AGI’s potential to dramatically accelerate problem-solving across scientific, economic, and defense domains makes it a strategic imperative for maintaining America’s global leadership position. The United States needs AGI that achieves four critical goals: It must be trustworthy, reflect American values, broadly benefit Americans, and enhance national and economic security. Trustworthy AI is a necessary foundation for success across these goals. People will only adopt AI technologies they trust, and loss of public trust typically leads to over-regulation and poor adoption. People trust technology when they understand its risks and benefits, know how to mitigate the risks, and believe the benefits outweigh the costs. The Manhattan and Apollo programs represent starkly different approaches to technological advancement. Both were massive government initiatives consuming approximately 0.4 percent of U.S. gross domestic product annually—equivalent to $100 billion today. However, the Manhattan Project was a classified, military-led effort focused on a single-use case: building an atomic bomb. Its success ensured U.S. superpower status but was also marked by fear and destruction. In contrast, the Apollo program was a public, civilian-led, whole-of-society initiative that developed dual-use technologies—such as advanced guidance and propulsion techniques—that benefited both civilian and military applications. AI dominance will not come from leading in a single use case. Instead, the United States needs to lead in a wide range of use cases along the jagged frontier of AI. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/beyond-a-manhattan-project-for-artificial-general-intelligence
(Lauryn Williams – Lawfare – 22 April 2025) The recent return of two “stranded” American astronauts from the International Space Station on a SpaceX mission, following a Boeing Starliner’s malfunction last June, marks a dramatic moment for the commercial space industry in the Trump 2.0 era. It simultaneously vindicated the commercialized, multi-participant space economy that has successfully replaced the shuttle program and exposed the sobering reality of space operations that when technology fails in the harsh vacuum of space, the consequences can be catastrophic and unpredictable. In this case, American industry’s ingenuity and redundancy saved the day—but what happens when the next spacecraft malfunction isn’t simply an accident, but the product of a deliberate cyberattack? Unlike mechanical failures that trigger warning lights and system alerts and allow for backup plans, cyber intrusions can silently corrupt critical systems in ways that compromise space systems’ infrastructural resilience. Space is a fast-growing sector of the global economy and is overwhelmingly powered by dynamic American companies. Space powers civilian services, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and cellular and internet connectivity, while providing the U.S. and other advanced militaries unparalleled reconnaissance and communication advantages. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/ready-for-launch–a-space-cybersecurity-road-map-for-trump-2.0
Guidelines for National Data Infrastructure Construction
(Center for Security and Emerging Technology – 22 April 2025) Three Chinese government ministries describe an ambitious plan to make all or most of China’s public data, data disclosed by corporations, and personal data discoverable and usable in a single catalog by 2029. The effort involves creating a standard data identifier system, identity authentication scheme, and interface, as well as a secure network infrastructure for accessing the data. The document does not, however, identify which ministries will be responsible for implementing and enforcing the plan, and explains that the scheme is still in the exploratory phase and that actual construction of the catalog will not begin until 2027. – https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/china-national-data-infrastructure-guidelines/
New Florida bill could give residents the right to shoot down spying drones
(Interesting Engineering – 22 April 2025) If you’ve ever fantasized about blasting an intrusive drone out of your sky, you might be in luck, at least in Florida. A bill advancing through the state Senate would allow property owners to use “reasonable force” to stop drones conducting surveillance within 500 feet of their property. Senate Bill 1422, sponsored by state Sen. Keith L. Truenow (R), aims to give residents more control over their airspace. – https://interestingengineering.com/culture/drones-could-soon-be-shot-down-in-florida?group=test_b
Apple tries makes climate progress with greener supply chain
(DigWatch – 22 April 2025) Apple has made progress in reducing its environmental impact, according to the company’s own latest environmental progress report. Its total greenhouse gas emissions dropped by 800,000 metric tons in 2024, marking a 5 percent reduction from the previous year. – https://dig.watch/updates/apple-tries-makes-climate-progress-with-greener-supply-chain
Footnotes to bring crowd-sourced context to TikTok
(DigWatch – 22 April 2025) TikTok is trialling a new feature called Footnotes in the United States, allowing users to add context to videos that may be misleading. The move mirrors the Community Notes system used by X, though TikTok will continue its own fact-checking programme in parallel. Eligible adult users in the United States can apply to contribute Footnotes, and they will also be able to rate the helpfulness of others’ contributions. – https://dig.watch/updates/footnotes-to-bring-crowd-sourced-context-to-tiktok
Meta uses AI to spot teens lying about age
(DigWatch – 22 April 2025) Meta has announced it is ramping up efforts to protect teenagers on Instagram by deploying AI to detect users who may have lied about their age. The technology will automatically place suspected underage users into Teen Accounts, even if their profiles state they are adults. These special accounts come with stricter safety settings designed for users under 16. Those who believe they’ve been misclassified will have the option to adjust their settings manually. – https://dig.watch/updates/meta-uses-ai-to-spot-teens-lying-about-age
Hong Joon-pyo aims to model South Korea’s crypto strategy after Trump
(DigWatch – 22 April 2025) South Korea’s presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo has vowed to deregulate the country’s cryptocurrency industry. Hong declared his intent to foster blockchain and virtual assets as a fully recognised industry, introducing the technology into public services. – https://dig.watch/updates/hong-joon-pyo-aims-to-model-south-koreas-crypto-strategy-after-trump
DOJ adds to Google’s antitrust trial the AI-driven search monopoly
(DigWatch – 22 April 2025) The US Department of Justice (DOJ) launched its opening arguments this week in a landmark antitrust trial against Google, aiming to curb the tech giant’s dominance in online search and prevent it from leveraging AI to entrench its position further. Prosecutors argue that Google’s market control is bolstered by exclusive contracts, such as being the default smartphone search engine, and now by integrating AI tools that guide users back to its ecosystem. – https://dig.watch/updates/doj-adds-to-googles-antitrust-trial-the-ai-driven-search-monopoly
Royal Unibrew embraces hybrid AI-human teams
(DigWatch – 22 April 2025) Denmark’s Royal Unibrew has introduced five AI-generated ‘colleagues’ into its workforce, in a move the brewer describes as a step towards unlocking the full potential of its staff. Designed by Danish firm Manifold AI, the digital assistants are integrated into daily operations, assisting with tasks such as market analysis, data management, and food pairing. Each AI has a name, backstory and face, which, according to the company, has significantly increased engagement among employees. – https://dig.watch/updates/royal-unibrew-embraces-hybrid-ai-human-teams
Frontiers
DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis Predicts Human-Level AI Within a Decade, Urges Global Focus on Safety and Ethics
(AI Insider – 22 April 2025) Demis Hassabis, CEO and co-founder of Google DeepMind, has projected that artificial general intelligence (AGI) — machines with human-level cognitive abilities — could arrive within five to ten years. Speaking in an interview with 60 Minutes, Hassabis described AI progress as “exponential” and said recent advancements have surpassed expectations. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/04/22/deepmind-ceo-demis-hassabis-predicts-human-level-ai-within-a-decade-urges-global-focus-on-safety-and-ethics/
Deep Learning Model Maps the Full Spectrum of Molecular Interactions
(AI Insider – 22 April 2025) A new AI model called ATOMICA can predict how different types of molecules interact by learning from more than two million molecular structures. The model outperforms others by learning general chemical rules across biomolecular types, improving predictions even in underrepresented categories like protein-DNA interactions. ATOMICA’s interaction-based networks help identify disease-relevant proteins and uncover functions in the “dark proteome,” offering a new tool for studying biology and drug discovery. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/04/22/deep-learning-model-maps-the-full-spectrum-of-molecular-interactions/
Japan’s Fujitsu and RIKEN Unveil 256-Qubit Superconducting Quantum Computer, Quadrupling Processing Power
(Quantum Insider – 22 April 2025) Fujitsu and RIKEN have unveiled a 256-qubit superconducting quantum computer, quadrupling their previous system’s capacity and advancing Japan’s position in the global quantum race. The system uses a scalable 3D architecture and enhanced cooling design, enabling practical research in error correction and complex molecular modeling. Set for global availability in fiscal 2025, the platform will support hybrid quantum-classical computing and is backed by Japan’s national Quantum Leap Flagship Program. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/04/22/japans-fujitsu-and-riken-unveil-256-qubit-superconducting-quantum-computer-quadrupling-processing-power/