The New York Times
Despite warnings about the economic fallout from a Chinese blockade of Taiwan, the U.S. tech industry continues to rely on the island for most of its computer chips. The U.S. is on track to spend $200 billion on semiconductor plants through 2030, enough to increase chip production capacity 50%, according to global chip industry association SEMI. But with Taiwan, China, and other countries also pouring billions into semiconductor plants, the U.S. would still account for only 10% of the world’s semiconductor production in 2030.
From "The Looming Taiwan Chip Disaster Silicon Valley Has Long Ignored"
The New York Times (02/24/26) Tripp Mickle
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The Washington Post
Anthropic has refused the Pentagon’s ultimatum to drop safety restrictions on its AI chatbot Claude, rejecting terms that would potentially allow the U.S. military to use it in fully autonomous weapons or mass domestic surveillance. The standoff comes with a Friday deadline set by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has threatened contract termination, designation as a supply-chain risk, or invocation of the Defense Production Act to force the company to allow full access to its AI.
From "Anthropic Rejects Pentagon Terms for Lethal Use of Chatbot Claude"
The Washington Post (02/26/26) Tara Copp; Ian Duncan
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China Daily
At the Munich Security Conference in mid-February, former Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Fu Ying focused on China's push for a balance between safety and innovation, citing the government's "agile" approach of rolling out targeted measures that align with technological progress to avoid stifling innovation. ACM A.M. Turing Award laureate Yoshua Bengio emphasized the need for international coordination on AI safety, while U.S. Senator Christopher Murphy acknowledged the AI industry's powerful lobbying has complicated governance efforts on the national and international levels.
From "AI Race Discussion Takes Center Stage at Munich Security Conference"
China Daily (02/25/26) Zhang Zhouxiang
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CNet
Cars made after 2008, which under the U.S. TREAD Act of 2000 must be equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) for road safety, may expose drivers to covert tracking, warn researchers from Spain's IMDEA Networks Institute. The researchers collected millions of wireless signals from thousands of vehicles and found that TPMS sensors broadcast unencrypted unique identifiers that can be picked up from more than 50m away using inexpensive radio receivers.
From "Car's Tire Pressure System Poses Hacking Threat"
CNet (02/25/26) Aaron Pruner
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The New York Times
Fifty-four percent of Americans ages 13–17 use AI chatbots for schoolwork according to a new study by the Pew Research Center. Teens most commonly use AI for research, math help, summarizing material, and to edit writing, though 10% rely on it for most or all assignments. Nearly 60% say students at their schools use chatbots to cheat regularly.
From "More Than Half of U.S. Teens Use Chatbots for Schoolwork"
The New York Times (02/24/26) Natasha Singer
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CNBC
Chile is facing U.S. pressure over a subsea digital cable project linked to Chinese firms, which Washington views as a potential security threat. The Trump administration imposed visa restrictions on three Chilean officials involved, including Transport and Telecommunications Minister Juan Carlos Muñoz. Analysts say the cable project highlights how strategic infrastructure in Latin America is increasingly treated as a geopolitical alignment choice.
From "Undersea Cable Ensnares Chile in U.S.-China Power Struggle"
CNBC (02/25/26) Sam Meredith
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