Governance, Legislation, Tech & Democracy

ECOSOC adopts CSTD draft resolution on WSIS outcomes implementation

(DigWatch – 30 July 2025) On 29 July 2025, the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) adopted a resolution titled ‘Assessment of the progress made in the implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society‘. Prepared by the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) and adopted as a draft at the Commission’s 28th meeting in April 2025, the resolution outlines several vital recommendations for possible outcomes of the ongoing process dedicated to the review of 20 years of implementation of outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (the so-called WSIS+20 review process) – https://dig.watch/updates/ecosoc-adopts-cstd-draft-resolution-on-wsis-outcomes-implementation

Google confirms it will sign the EU AI Code of Practice

(Ars Technica – 30 July 2025) Big Tech is increasingly addicted to AI, but many companies are allergic to regulation, bucking suggestions that they adhere to copyright law and provide data on training. In a rare move, Google has confirmed it will sign the European Union’s AI Code of Practice, a framework it initially opposed for being too harsh. However, Google isn’t totally on board with Europe’s efforts to rein in the AI explosion. The company’s head of global affairs, Kent Walker, noted that the code could stifle innovation if it’s not applied carefully, and that’s something Google hopes to prevent. While Google was initially opposed to the Code of Practice, Walker says the input it has provided to the European Commission has been well-received, and the result is a legal framework it believes can provide Europe with access to “secure, first-rate AI tools.” The company claims that the expansion of such tools on the continent could boost the economy by 8 percent (about 1.8 trillion euros) annually by 2034. – https://arstechnica.com/google/2025/07/google-confirms-it-will-sign-the-eu-ai-code-of-practice/

Europe’s AI crackdown starts this week and Big Tech isn’t happy

(The Register – 30 July 2025) It is a little more than four years since the European Union first proposed legislation to govern tech companies that build AI systems and how users deploy them. A lot has changed since then. In November 2022, OpenAI launched ChatGPT, which – as well as being able to write convincing poems – tempted tech businesses to question how they were going to make money from the software. Fast forward a couple of years, and nearly every enterprise application builder is including generative AI, promising enhanced productivity. Once it became clear how models like ChatGPT were trained – including those used for visual and musical content – copyright holders began to question whether they were being rewarded for their creations, leading to a string of court cases. At the same time, Europe and America began to diverge on their approach to tech regulation with the re-election of Donald Trump as US president in late 2024. – https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/30/eu_ai_act/?td=rt-3a

Italy says Meta may be violating law with AI in WhatsApp

(The Register – 30 July 2025) Meta’s addition of AI services to encrypted messaging platform WhatsApp has Italian officials suspecting the Silicon Valley giant may be abusing its dominant market position to push unwanted features on users. The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) said in a statement that Meta added its Meta AI service to WhatsApp “without any prior request from users” and that it was “placed in a prominent position on the screen and integrated into the search bar.”. The AGCM believes these actions could be a violation of article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). – https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/30/italy_investigating_meta_for_forcing/

Australia reverses its stance and restricts YouTube for children under 16

(DigWatch – 30 July 2025) Australia has announced that YouTube will be banned for children under 16 starting in December, reversing its earlier exemption from strict new social media age rules. The decision follows growing concerns about online harm to young users. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X are already subject to the upcoming restrictions, and YouTube will now join the list of ‘age-restricted social media platforms’. From 10 December, all such platforms will be required to ensure users are aged 16 or older or face fines of up to AU$50 million (£26 million) for not taking adequate steps to verify age. Although those steps remain undefined, users will not need to upload official documents like passports or licences. – https://dig.watch/updates/australia-reverses-its-stance-and-restricts-youtube-for-children-under-16

AI in Wyoming may soon use more electricity than state’s human residents

(Ars Technica – 29 July 2025) On Monday, Mayor Patrick Collins of Cheyenne, Wyoming, announced plans for an AI data center that would consume more electricity than all homes in the state combined, according to The Associated Press. The facility, a joint venture between energy infrastructure company Tallgrass and AI data center developer Crusoe, would start at 1.8 gigawatts and scale up to 10 gigawatts of power use. The project’s energy demands are difficult to overstate for Wyoming, the least populous US state. The initial 1.8-gigawatt phase, consuming 15.8 terawatt-hours (TWh) annually, is more than five times the electricity used by every household in the state combined. That figure represents 91 percent of the 17.3 TWh currently consumed by all of Wyoming’s residential, commercial, and industrial sectors combined. At its full 10-gigawatt capacity, the proposed data center would consume 87.6 TWh of electricity annually—double the 43.2 TWh the entire state currently generates. – https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/07/ai-in-wyoming-may-soon-use-more-electricity-than-states-human-residents/

Forget Berlin and Paris — Athens Is Leading Europe’s Digital Shift

(Konstantinos Komaitis – Tech Policy Press – 29 July 2025) As Brussels accelerates work on Europe’s new digital identity wallet, a flagship of the European Union’s Digital Decade development plan, the success of the project may depend less on what happens inside the Berlaymont than in places like Athens. Once associated with red tape and institutional sclerosis, Greece has undergone a quiet but radical transformation. Through its gov.gr platform, the Greek government has brought together more than 1,500 services — including tax filings, legal documents, healthcare access, and municipal procedures — into a single, mobile-accessible, user-centric ecosystem. This isn’t just digitization — it’s a redesign of the public sector for the 21st century. And it’s a transformation that could shape Europe’s digital future. – https://www.techpolicy.press/forget-berlin-and-paris-athens-is-leading-europes-digital-shift/

Trump’s order to remove ‘woke’ AI from government may have ‘downstream impacts,’ experts worry

(NextGov – 28 July 2025) Days after the Trump administration issued a flurry of artificial intelligence executive orders and an AI Action Plan meant to accelerate uses of the technology, experts are questioning how the government will implement the new policies — especially those meant to ban “woke” AI — and warning about their potential implications for free speech. “There are many laudable and logical aspirations such as encouraging open-source models and building world-class scientific datasets,” one former senior AI official in a federal agency told Nextgov/FCW. But “the Action Plan is also dotted with inherent contradictions,” they said, noting that one recommendation “suggests proactive removal of specific topics framed as protecting free speech.” They requested anonymity for fear of retribution. – https://www.nextgov.com/artificial-intelligence/2025/07/trumps-order-remove-woke-ai-government-may-have-downstream-impacts-experts-worry/407035/?oref=ng-home-top-story

Geostrategies

White House tech director breaks down plan to balance AI national security and export promotion

(Alexandra Kelley – 30 July 2025) The Trump administration’s sweeping artificial intelligence policy aims to ensure that a U.S.-led technology stack is used at home and abroad, according to the Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios. Speaking Wednesday morning at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Kratsios dissected the three executive orders on AI policy signed by President Donald Trump last week. Kratsios said they help to establish the administration’s three AI-policy pillars: leading in AI innovation, developing infrastructure, and supporting technology exports. “We have to have the most dominant technological stack in the world, and that’s critically important for our national economic security,” he said. – https://www.nextgov.com/artificial-intelligence/2025/07/white-house-tech-director-breaks-down-plan-balance-ai-national-security-and-export-promotion/407097/?oref=ng-homepage-river

The Other AI Race: An Export Promotion Strategy for the Global South

(Marianne Lu and Sam Winter-Levy – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace – 21 July 2025) For many in Washington and Silicon Valley, the race to artificial general intelligence has become the defining test of U.S. technological leadership. But the scramble to dominate the frontier has obscured a parallel—and in many ways more immediate—contest: the race to deploy and embed AI systems across the globe and thereby secure market share, technological influence, and political leverage. In much of the world, the outcome of that race will not hinge on who builds the most powerful model, but on who shows up with reliable infrastructure, tailored applications, and financing to match. While America leads at the frontier, in this broader contest its position is less secure. “Good enough” and cheaper Chinese alternatives may increasingly become the default choice in many parts of the world, especially the Global South. In the weeks following its release, Chinese-owned DeepSeek became the most downloaded mobile app in 140 markets, including Brazil and India, and now has more than 125 million global downloads. Chinese companies are rolling out models in local languages in key emerging markets, part of a “going global” strategy in deploying cloud infrastructure abroad. Eventually, China may be able to produce competitive AI chips at scale, at which point it will likely seek to deploy them globally. Taken together, these developments reflect a broader strategic imperative of the Chinese Communist Party: During the Politburo’s April study session, Xi Jinping called on the country to “vigorously engage in international cooperation on AI” and “help Global South countries enhance their technological capabilities.” – https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/07/the-other-ai-race-an-export-promotion-strategy-for-the-global-south?lang=en&utm_source=carnegieemail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=announcement&mkt_tok=ODEzLVhZVS00MjIAAAGb-pwVvMZ0iE5Mu8HBeeDBfNNEhIEp6ApNv5Nl8g58mXrUcNoqKm1WTOluxzfxxYvaOdUiNPv_-H9_9f_VY1VK9BntEs-M-um4M7I-L4uw67Uq

Security

FunkSec Ransomware Decryptor Released Free to Public After Group Goes Dormant

(The Hacker News – 30 July 2025) Cybersecurity experts have released a decryptor for a ransomware strain called FunkSec, allowing victims to recover access to their files for free. “Because the ransomware is now considered dead, we released the decryptor for public download,” Gen Digital researcher Ladislav Zezula said. FunkSec, which emerged towards the end of 2024, has claimed 172 victims, according to data from Ransomware.live. The vast majority of targeted entities are located in the U.S., India, and Brazil, with technology, government, and education being the top three sectors attacked by the group. – https://thehackernews.com/2025/07/funksec-ransomware-decryptor-released.html

FBI seizes 20 BTC from Chaos Ransomware affiliate targeting Texas firms

(Security Affairs – 30 July 2025) The FBI division in Dallas seized about 20 Bitcoins on April 15, 2025, from a wallet belonging to a Chaos ransomware affiliate named as “Hors.” The Hors affiliate is responsible for multiple cyberattacks on Texas companies. “On Thursday, July 24, 2025, the United States filed a civil complaint in the Northern District of Texas seeking the forfeiture of over $1.7 million worth of cryptocurrency seized by Dallas FBI in mid-April 2025, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.” reads the press release published by DoJ.  – https://securityaffairs.com/180578/cyber-crime/fbi-seizes-20-btc-from-chaos-ransomware-affiliate.html

Hanwha and Samsung lead Korea’s cyber insurance push

(DigWatch – 30 July 2025) South Korea is stepping up efforts to strengthen its cyber insurance sector as corporate cyberattacks surge across industries. A string of major breaches has revealed widespread vulnerability and renewed demand for more comprehensive digital risk protection. Hanwha General Insurance launched Korea’s first Cyber Risk Management Centre last November and partnered with global cybersecurity firm Theori and law firm Shin & Kim to expand its offerings. – https://dig.watch/updates/hanwha-and-samsung-lead-koreas-cyber-insurance-push

Minnesota activates National Guard after St. Paul cyberattack

(Bleeping Computer – 29 July 2025) Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has activated the National Guard in response to a crippling cyberattack that struck the City of Saint Paul, the state’s capital, on Friday. The city is currently working with local, state, and federal partners to investigate the attack and restore full functionality, and says that emergency services have been unaffected. However, online payments are currently unavailable, and some services in libraries and recreation centers are temporarily unavailable. – https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/minnesota-activates-national-guard-after-st-paul-cyberattack/

Frontiers

OpenAI Launches Study Mode in ChatGPT to Promote Critical Thinking in Student Learning

(AI Insider – 30 July 2025) OpenAI has introduced Study Mode, a new feature within ChatGPT designed to foster deeper student engagement and critical thinking. Unlike traditional interactions, Study Mode encourages users to actively participate in the learning process by asking questions, prompting reflection, and withholding direct answers until students demonstrate understanding. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/07/30/openai-launches-study-mode-in-chatgpt-to-promote-critical-thinking-in-student-learning/

Anthropic Targets $5B Funding Round with $170B Valuation as AI Demand Surges

(AI Insider – 30 July 2025) Anthropic, the AI research company behind the Claude large language model family, is reportedly finalizing a funding round of up to $5 billion, which would push its valuation to approximately $170 billion, according to Bloomberg. The round is being led by Iconiq Capital, with additional participation potentially coming from sovereign wealth funds including Qatar Investment Authority and GIC of Singapore. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/07/30/anthropic-targets-5b-funding-round-with-170b-valuation-as-ai-demand-surges/

Spotify Signals Shift Toward Conversational AI with Plans for More Interactive User Experience

(AI Insider – 30 July 2025) Spotify is preparing to deepen its use of generative AI to transform its user interface into a more conversational and intelligent assistant, according to statements made during the company’s second-quarter earnings call. Following the success of its AI DJ feature, which allows Premium users to make voice requests, Spotify now sees potential for AI to reason over user history and respond more dynamically. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/07/30/spotify-signals-shift-toward-conversational-ai-with-plans-for-more-interactive-user-experience/

QAI Ventures Launches Global Hackathon Series: Empowering GenQ to Tackle Sustainable Development Goals With QuantumAI

(Quantum Insider – 30 July 2025) QAI Ventures has launched its 2025 Global Hackathon Series across Calgary, Geneva, and Singapore to prototype QuantumAI solutions aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each event focuses on a high-impact sector—energy, life sciences, or finance—and culminates in a pitch round, with winning teams advancing to the global finals at Singapore’s SWITCH event. Supported by ecosystem partners like CERN’s Open Quantum Institute, Quantum City, and Enterprise Singapore, the hackathons offer participants mentorship, access to quantum hardware, and a platform to develop real-world applications. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/07/30/qai-ventures-launches-global-hackathon-series-empowering-genq-to-tackle-sustainable-development-goals-with-quantumai/

Naoris Protocol to Launch Token For Quantum-Resistant Blockchain

(Quantum Insider – 30 July 2025) Naoris Protocol will hold its Token Generation Event (TGE) on July 31, 2025, launching the $NAORIS token as part of its rollout of a quantum-resistant cybersecurity and blockchain infrastructure. The $NAORIS token will begin spot trading at 12:00PM UTC with an initial circulating supply of 599.26 million tokens and a fully diluted valuation of $500 million. Designed to secure both Web2 and Web3 systems, the protocol uses post-quantum cryptography, Swarm AI, and decentralized trust mechanisms to validate devices, mitigate cyber threats, and enable autonomous, trust-based token rewards. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/07/30/naoris-protocol-to-launch-token-for-quantum-resistant-blockchain/

Positron AI Closes $51.6M in Oversubscribed Series A to Accelerate Inference-Optimized Hardware

(AI Insider – 30 July 2025) Positron AI has raised $51.6 million in an oversubscribed Series A, bringing total 2024 funding to over $75 million, to accelerate deployment of its AI inference hardware and develop next-gen systems. Its first product, Atlas, delivers 3.5x better performance-per-dollar and significantly lower power use than NVIDIA’s H100, targeting cost-effective, memory-optimized generative AI inference at scale. With early customers like Cloudflare and SnapServe, Positron is now developing Titan, a next-gen system capable of running 16-trillion-parameter models using U.S.-fabricated custom silicon and up to 2TB of high-speed memory. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/07/30/positron-ai-closes-51-6m-in-oversubscribed-series-a-to-accelerate-inference-optimized-hardware/

VisionWave Secures Strategic $50M Equity Line to Accelerate AI-Driven Defense Platform

(AI Insider – 30 July 2025) VisionWave Holdings has secured up to $50 million in equity financing and an immediate $5 million convertible note commitment to scale its AI-powered defense technologies across air, land, and sea systems. The agreement allows flexible stock sales over 24 months and mandates that all proceeds be used for growth and innovation, not legacy liabilities. The funding positions VisionWave to accelerate deployment, enter new markets, and deepen partnerships in global defense and homeland security sectors. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/07/30/visionwave-secures-strategic-50m-equity-line-to-accelerate-ai-driven-defense-platform/

Spear AI Announces Seed Funding to Scale Maritime AI Platform and Expand Defense and Commercial Reach

(AI Insider – 30 July 2025) Spear AI, a Washington, DC-based developer of artificial intelligence solutions for the maritime sector, has closed a seed funding round led by Scare the Bear Capital and Cortical Ventures. While the funding amount remains undisclosed, the investment will support the expansion of Spear AI’s core Horizon platform, accelerate product development, and deepen its sensor capabilities for maritime applications. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/07/30/spear-ai-announces-seed-funding-to-scale-maritime-ai-platform-and-expand-defense-and-commercial-reach/

Sawt Raises $1M to Scale Arabic AI Voice Platform and Transform Customer Support in the Middle East

(AI Insider – 30 July 2025) Sawt, a Saudi-based AI startup building Arabic-native voice call systems, has closed a $1 million pre-seed round led by T2 and STV, marking a pivotal step in its mission to reinvent customer service across the region. The company has rapidly developed one of the Middle East’s most advanced Arabic voice AI platforms, offering businesses a 24/7 AI-powered call system for support, bookings, and sales — without the need for human agents. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/07/30/sawt-raises-1m-to-scale-arabic-ai-voice-platform-and-transform-customer-support-in-the-middle-east/

Skild AI Says It Has Created AI Capable of Controlling Any Type of Robot

(AI Insider – 30 July 2025) Skild AI, a Pittsburgh-based startup, is developing a general-purpose AI brain capable of controlling diverse robot types, from humanoids to industrial arms, under the concept of “omni-bodied intelligence.”. The company’s Skild Brain uses a hierarchical architecture trained on simulated environments, internet videos, and limited real-world data, enabling it to generalize across platforms and adapt to unfamiliar tasks and hardware failures. Skild AI aims to challenge traditional robotics by replacing narrow, task-specific models with a scalable robotics foundation model that can exhibit emergent behaviors and operate across multiple machines using a single AI system. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/07/30/skild-ai-says-it-has-created-ai-capable-of-controlling-any-type-of-robot/

Norwegian engineers craft voting system even quantum-powered spies can’t crack

(Interesting Engineering – 30 July 2025) Scientists at the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology (NTNU) have developed a new electronic voting system that cannot be hacked by quantum computers even of the future, thereby securing the path to digital elections, a press release said. The digital world today caters to all facets of life, from work to entertainment, accessing government services to delivering furniture to our doorstep. Yet, voting during elections is an activity that needs to be completed physically.- https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/evoting-system-quantum-computer-hacking-proof

‘World’s first’ robot dog–patrolled wind farm runs human-free in China’s desert

(Interesting Engineering – 30 July 2025) China has taken another step toward a lights‑out industry with the silent launch of the 70‑megawatt Ningxia Tongli Third Wind Farm, believed to be the country’s first renewables facility, which no longer requires a single onsite worker. Built by China Three Gorges and equipped with Goldwind GW150‑3 MW turbines, the desert site has operated without human presence since September 2024. Instead, four‑legged inspection robots, fleets of drones, and a web of smart cameras and sensors patrol the rows of towers daily, flagging any anomaly in real time. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/china-automates-a-70-mw-desert-wind-farm-with-robot-dogs