Axios
In his farewell address to the nation on Wednesday, President Biden warned of the "potential rise of a tech industrial complex," an allusion to Dwight Eisenhower's 1961 farewell warning of a "military-industrial complex." Americans "are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power," Biden said. He also referred to AI as the "most consequential technology of our time, perhaps of all time."
From "Biden Warns of "Tech Industrial Complex""
Axios (01/16/25) Rebecca Falconer
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Popular Science
Two individuals with spinal cord injuries that left them unable to control their limbs manipulated a bionic arm to “feel” objects with the help of an implanted brain-computer interface (BCI). Researchers from the universities of Pittsburgh and Chicago and Northwestern University developed the implants that were inserted into the sensor and motor region of the patients' brains responsible for hand and arm movement. When asked to control a bionic arm, the patients reported feelings and sensations like edges and curves.
From "BCI Helps Paralyzed Patients Feel Objects, Shapes"
Popular Science (01/16/25) Mack DeGeurin
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CNBC
The Biden administration on Thursday announced an executive order on cybersecurity that imposes new standards for companies selling to the U.S. government and calls for greater disclosure from software providers. As part of the order, the U.S. General Services Administration will have to set policy requiring cloud providers to publish information for clients on how to operate securely. The order further directs the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop guidance for handling software updates safely.
From "Executive Order: New Standards for U.S. Cybersecurity"
CNBC (01/16/25) Jordan Novet
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Associated Press
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is launching a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region, following a string of incidents attributed to sabotage. The Baltic Sentry mission will include naval drones to provide “enhanced surveillance and deterrence," said NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Rutte noted that more than 95% of Internet traffic is secured via undersea cables, and 1.3 million kilometers (808,000 miles) of cables enable an estimated $10 trillion worth of financial transactions daily.
From "New NATO Mission to Protect Undersea Cables in Baltic Region"
Associated Press (01/14/25) Lorne Cook; Vanessa Gera
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Bloomberg
The U.S. on Wednesday unveiled regulations aimed at keeping advanced chips produced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and other producers from China. The latest measures call for chip producers to step up their scrutiny and due diligence of customers, especially Chinese firms. The curbs impose sanctions on 16 Chinese companies that are “acting at the behest of Beijing” to build their country’s chip industry, the Commerce Department said in a press release.
From "New U.S. Rules Restrict Flow of Advanced Chips to China"
Bloomberg (01/15/25) Mackenzie Hawkins
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Axios
A Gallup-Telescope survey of 3,975 U.S. adults conducted Nov. 26-Dec. 4, 2024, found that of the approximately 99% of respondents who used at least one AI-enabled product in the prior week, close to 67% were unaware they were doing so. Gallup's Ellyn Maese said there is "a lot of confusion when it comes to what is just a computer program versus what is truly AI and intelligent."
From "Nearly All Americans Use AI; Most Dislike It"
Axios (01/15/25) Ivana Saric
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