Computing
The U.K. government has delayed publication of its AI Bill until the summer. The bill is expected to require companies to submit their AI models to the U.K. AI Security Institute for testing. A senior Labor Party source noted that there still are "no hard proposals in terms of what the legislation looks like."
From "U.K. Government Delays New AI Bill for Six Months"
Computing (02/25/25) Graeme Burton
View Full Article
South China Morning Post
Researchers at China's Tsinghua University, the Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences, and the North China University of Technology developed a quasi-quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) protocol, which achieved a record data transmission rate of 2.38 kbps over 104.8 km (65 miles) of standard telecommunications optical fiber. The protocol, which can detect eavesdropping, could help pave the way for a quantum Internet.
From "Chinese Team's Record Transmission Lays Ground for Quantum Internet"
South China Morning Post (02/25/25) Victoria Bela; Holly Chik
View Full Article
The Wall Street Journal
Oracle's Larry Ellison co-founded Sensei Ag on the Hawaiian island of Lanai with the goal of using technology to revolutionize the way people eat and to feed the world. Sources say the challenges Sensei has faced from the island’s winds, weather, and more, has resulted in the company producing only enough lettuce and cherry tomatoes to supply local groceries and restaurants. The company’s focus has shifted to developing a software/hardware package to boost indoor farming productivity.
From "Larry Ellison's Half-Billion-Dollar Quest to Change Farming Has Been a Bust"
The Wall Street Journal (02/23/25) Tom Dotan
View Full Article - May Require Paid Subscription
IEEE Spectrum
Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Management and Italy's International Center for Environmental Monitoring Research Foundation (CIMA) have partnered to revamp Mozambique's early warning system to improve forecasts and responses to extreme weather. The institute has implemented an upgraded version of CIMA's Mydewetra platform, which produces maps and issues alerts based on satellite imagery, meteorological station data, and numerical models. The system has been updated to integrate Mozambique's disaster-risk data into the African Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action System.
From "Mozambique Retools Weather Tech for Effective Forecasting"
IEEE Spectrum (02/22/25) Maurizio Arseni
View Full Article
ACM
A new report from ACM's Technology Policy Council (TPC) looks at how computer technologies are used to commit intimate partner violence, human trafficking, and child exploitation. In "TechBrief: Technology Policy Can Curb Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking, and Crimes Against Children," the TPC calls for legislators and policymakers to assess the technologies that facilitate tech abuse crimes and expand laws, regulations, and policies to enhance protections against tech abuse.
From "Computing Leaders Propose Measures to Combat Tech-Facilitated Partner Violence, Human Trafficking, Child Exploitation"
ACM (02/25/25)
View Full Article
BBC
Apple's Advanced Data Protection (ADP) tool is unavailable to U.K. customers following a request from the Home Office under the Investigatory Powers Act to access user data to which Apple itself has no access. The ADP tool allows account holders to view photos, documents, and other items stored on Apple's iCloud via end-to-end encryption. U.K. Apple users have been unable to activate the ADP service as of Feb. 21, and access for existing users will be disabled at some point.
From "Apple Pulls Data Protection Tool After U.K. Government Security Row"
BBC (02/22/25) Zoe Kleinman
View Full Article
