Governance, Legislation, and Geostrategies
G7 should act as stabilizer and reformer to reshape international order, urges T7 report
(Centre for International Governance Innovation – 5 May 2025) A new report to the Group of 7 (G7) suggests the nations’ leaders should set directions to help address root causes of instability while also innovating in new areas at the global level. The Think7 Communiqué highlights a set of recommendations released by the The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) on behalf of Think7 (T7), one of the official engagement groups to the G7. The communiqué has compiled recommendations from over 20 policy briefs prepared for the G7, focused on the main policy areas of the T7 Canada task forces: AI and quantum, digital economy, environmental and energy sustainability, and global peace and security. – https://www.cigionline.org/articles/g7-should-act-as-stabilizer-and-reformer-to-reshape-international-order-urges-t7-report/
Open Questions for China’s Open-Source AI Regulation
(Nanda Min Htin – Just Security – 5 May 2025) At China’s annual Two Sessions gathering held from March 4-11, Zhou Hongyi, Representative of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) and CEO of 360 Group, emphasized the importance of DeepSeek’s open-source strategy in catalyzing China’s transition from an AI follower to a global leader. This builds on momentum from the Paris AI Action Summit, during which participants purportedly lauded China’s open-source AI models for helping to advance “open and inclusive AI development” around the world. DeepSeek’s success exemplifies China’s comprehensive open-source strategy, which has given rise to over 30 million open-source projects across the industrial spectrum, from chips to applications. As it stands, China has produced 17 percent of global open-source software — the second-most amount worldwide. – https://www.justsecurity.org/111053/chinas-open-source-ai-regulation/
AI to boost India’s media and entertainment sector
(Digital Watch Observatory – 5 May 2025) AI could boost revenues by 10% and reduce costs by 15% for media and entertainment firms, according to a report by EY, unveiled during the first WAVES Summit. The report, A Studio Called India, outlines how AI is reshaping the global media landscape—transforming everything from content creation and personalisation to monetisation and distribution. – https://dig.watch/updates/ai-to-boost-indias-media-and-entertainment-sector
Musk says AI should replace federal jobs
(Digital Watch Observatory – 5 May 2025) Elon Musk has suggested that AI should replace many federal government workers, criticising the US administration as bloated and inefficient. Speaking privately at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Musk argued AI could perform government tasks faster and with greater accuracy, ultimately saving taxpayers money. – https://dig.watch/updates/musk-says-ai-should-replace-federal-jobs
New Zealand central bank warns of AI risks
(Digital Watch Observatory – 5 May 2025) The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has warned that the swift uptake of AI in the financial sector could pose a threat to financial stability. A report released on Monday highlighted how errors in AI systems, data privacy breaches and potential market distortions might magnify existing vulnerabilities instead of simply streamlining operations. – https://dig.watch/updates/new-zealand-central-bank-warns-of-ai-risks
US lawmakers push for app store age checks
(Digital Watch Observatory – 5 May 2025) A new bill introduced by US lawmakers could force app stores like Apple’s App Store and Google Play to verify the age of all users, in a move aimed at increasing online safety for minors. Known as the App Store Accountability Act, the legislation would require age categorisation and parental consent before minors can download apps or make in-app purchases. If passed, the law would apply to platforms with at least five million users and would come into effect one year after approval. – https://dig.watch/updates/us-lawmakers-push-for-app-store-age-checks
Trump says America needs crypto to stay ahead
(Digital Watch Observatory – 5 May 2025) Donald Trump has renewed his support for the cryptocurrency industry, calling it vital for America’s innovation and future. In an interview with NBC News, the president stressed that the US should embrace crypto. He warned that the country could fall behind global competitors like China without action. – https://dig.watch/updates/trump-says-america-needs-crypto-to-stay-ahead
TikTok faces a €530 million EU record fine over data concerns
(Global Watch Observatory – 5 May 2025) TikTok has been handed a €530 million ($600 million) fine by Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) over data privacy violations involving user information transfers to China. The EU privacy watchdog highlighted that TikTok failed to ensure that the EU citizens’ data received sufficient protection against potential access by Chinese authorities, raising concerns among EU lawmakers. – https://dig.watch/updates/tiktok-faces-a-e530-million-eu-record-fine-over-data-concerns
RackBank launches $118 million AI data centre park in India
(Digital Watch Observatory – 5 May 2025) RackBank has opened a new AI data centre park in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh, with an initial investment of ₹10 billion (around $118 million). Instead of relying on conventional data infrastructure, the facility focuses on GPU-based computing, AI processing and data analytics, and is expected to generate over 500 jobs, primarily in the IT sector. – https://dig.watch/updates/rackbank-launches-118-million-ai-data-centre-park-in-india
Google admits using opted-out content for AI training
(Digital Watch Observatory – 5 May 2025) Google has admitted in court that it can use website content to train AI features in its search products, even when publishers have opted out of such training. Although Google offers a way for sites to block their data from being used by its AI lab, DeepMind, the company confirmed that its broader search division can still use that data for AI-powered tools like AI Overviews. – https://dig.watch/updates/google-admits-using-opted-out-content-for-ai-training
Security
AI-Enhanced Social Engineering Will Reshape the Cyber Threat Landscape
(Alex O’Neill, Fred Heiding – Lawfare – 5 May 2025) In February 2024, a joint Microsoft-OpenAI advisory revealed that advanced persistent threat (APT) groups from Russia, North Korea, Iran, and China had experimented with using large language models (LLMs) to develop malicious code and gather intelligence. According to expert congressional testimony delivered last April, ransomware gangs are “innovating with AI to accelerate and scale attacks and find new attack vectors.” While the February 2024 advisory characterized these forays as “early-stage, incremental moves,” a new OpenAI report describes several cases of real-world operationalization. These developments are indicative of cyber threat actors’ determination to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI). The emergence of widely accessible AI systems promises to reshape the threat landscape, enabling bad actors to conduct cyberattacks more cheaply, quickly, and effectively at every phase of an operation. AI systems will pioneer new methods of exploitation that humans have not yet tried or even imagined. For all their positive applications, LLMs like GPT-4 will accelerate the proliferation of hacking tools and know-how, allowing existing threat actors to expand their capabilities more easily and lowering the bar for novices to enter the fray. It is crucial that policymakers anticipate the transformative impact AI will have on the cyber risk environment. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/ai-enhanced-social-engineering-will-reshape-the-cyber-threat-landscape
Hackers target UK retailers with fake IT calls
(Digital Watch Observatory – 5 May 2025) British retailers are facing a new wave of cyberattacks as hackers impersonate IT help desk staff to infiltrate company systems. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued an urgent warning following breaches at major firms including Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Harrods. Attackers use sophisticated social engineering tactics—posing as locked-out employees or IT support staff—to trick individuals into giving up passwords and security details. The NCSC urges companies to strengthen how their IT help desks verify employee identities, particularly when handling password resets for senior staff. – https://dig.watch/updates/hackers-target-uk-retailers-with-fake-it-calls
How digital twins are being weaponised in crypto scams
(Digital Watch Observatory – 5 May 2025) Digital twins are virtual models of real-world objects, systems, or processes. They enable real-time simulations, monitoring, and predictions, helping industries like healthcare and manufacturing optimise resources. In the crypto world, cybercriminals have found a way to exploit this technology for fraudulent activities. – https://dig.watch/updates/how-digital-twins-are-being-weaponised-in-crypto-scams
Frontiers
MIT captures first image of free-range atoms, can help visualize quantum phenomena
(Interesting Engineering – 5 May 2025) Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the U.S. have made a groundbreaking achievement after they captured the first images of individual atoms freely interacting in space. The images, which show interactions between free-range particles that had only been theorized until now, will reportedly allow the scientists to directly observe quantum phenomena in real space. To capture detailed images of the atomic interactions, the team, led by Martin Zwierlein, PhD, an MIT physicist and lead author of the study, developed a novel technique that allows the atoms to move freely before briefly freezing and illuminating them to capture their positions. – https://interestingengineering.com/science/mit-captures-first-image-of-free-range-atoms-can-help-visualize-quantum-phenomena
New AI app offers early support for parents of neurodivergent children
(Digital Watch Observatory – 5 May 2025) A new app called Hazel, developed by Bristol-based company Spicy Minds, offers parents a powerful tool to understand better and support their neurodivergent children while waiting for formal diagnoses. Using AI, the app runs a series of tests and then provides personalised strategies tailored to everyday challenges like school routines or holidays. – https://dig.watch/updates/new-ai-app-offers-early-support-for-parents-of-neurodivergent-children