Tech Diplomacy News: join us for a conversation about Singapore’s and California’s AI approaches
| Top Tech Diplomacy Resources: Connecting the Local & the Global: A Conversation About Singapore’s and California’s AI Approaches |
| How can governments foster responsible innovation in artificial intelligence while ensuring strong governance frameworks? Hosted by UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP) and the Institute for California AI Policy (ICAP), join us for a timely discussion with Hubert Han, Digital Counsellor and Senior Tech Policy Advisor of Singapore, who will share insights into Singapore’s approach to balancing AI governance with innovation. 📅 Date/Time: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 | 4:45 – 5:30 pm PST 📍 Location: Graduate Theological Union 1, 2465 LeConte Ave, Room 102 This event brings together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to explore lessons California can draw from Singapore’s AI governance model as both regions navigate the fast-evolving AI landscape. For more details and to RSVP, please contact Yeo Yong Kiat at yeo_yong_kiat@berkeley.edu. The conversation will be moderated by Ziyang David Fan, lecturer at GSPP. Ziyang, whom some of you may know from helping launch the Tech Diplomacy Network at the World Economic Forum’s C4IR office in March 2023, is stepping into a new role as the Executive Director of the ICAP, housed within the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. ICAP will serve as a trusted platform for designing and implementing forward-looking AI policies in California and globally. It will connect California’s local leadership to global standards, and facilitate a two-way exchange between the engine of AI and the rest of the world. Ziyang can be reached at zfan@svlg.org and welcomes connections with the tech diplomat community in the Bay Area to explore collaborations, from thought leadership pieces to convenings and implementation. |
| Global Sixty-five nations have signed the first-ever UN Convention against Cybercrime, a landmark treaty adopted after five years of negotiation to create a global framework for investigating and prosecuting online offenses. At the Hanoi signing, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called it “a victory for victims of online abuse” and a milestone in multilateral cooperation, with the treaty establishing 24/7 cross-border cooperation channels and setting global standards for handling digital evidence while safeguarding human rights. Despite hopes the treaty will help foster a safer digital world, it may risk entrenching digital authoritarianism rather than curbing global cyber threats, Ivana Stradner and Emily Hester write for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. They argue it gives states legal cover to weaponize vague definitions of “cybercrime” and “mutual assistance” to pursue dissidents abroad while forcing democratic governments into complicity, outlining concerns from industry and civil society leaders and calling on Washington to take action. A wide-ranging coalition of individuals across politics, academia, and culture are urging a global halt on developing “superintelligent” AI until it can be proven safe. The open letter warns AI systems capable of surpassing humans pose existential risks, from economic upheaval to “potential human extinction.” Read the September global roundup of tech policy updates from Tech Policy Press here. North America A new issue brief from the Atlantic Council examines how the U.S. would be impacted if critical mineral supply chains faced simultaneous geopolitical and climate shocks. Analysis finds that U.S. resilience remains dangerously underdeveloped, with the authors proposing how to shift from a reactive posture to a proactive one. OpenAI is positioning itself as a key player in Canada’s quest for “sovereign AI,” with Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane describing the firm as a “constructive partner” to Ottawa’s efforts to grow domestic AI capabilities and infrastructure. The move reflects OpenAI’s broader global strategy to localize its models and invest in AI infrastructure from Europe to the UAE, amid rising tensions over technological self-reliance between allied nations and Washington. The U.S. government has allowed, and even helped, American tech companies sell equipment and software used for surveillance in China despite warnings about human rights abuses, Garance Burke, Dake Kang, and Byron Tau report for AP. Across five administrations, loopholes in export controls have gone unclosed, with U.S. firms like Nvidia, Intel, and Microsoft continuing to do business that aids China’s security and AI industries. Lawmakers from both parties say efforts to tighten export rules keep failing under industry pressure, reflecting the tech sector’s immense political influence, and critics point out a prioritization of profit over principles. The U.S. government shutdown has left the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency scrambling to manage a wave of cyberattacks amid deep staffing cuts and leadership gaps. With roughly two-thirds of its workforce furloughed and the lapse of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, CISA insiders warn that the nation’s digital defenses are stretched thin, with one staffer calling the situation “complete chaos.” U.S. cyber defenses are stalling and weakening overall due to workforce cuts and restructuring under the Trump administration that have hollowed out key agencies like CISA and the State Department’s cyber office. A new report from Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0 analyzes the consequences of government reorganization, flagging reversals in disinformation countermeasures, reduced diversity efforts, and fading interagency coordination. U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted a record 55k+ electronic device searches in the past fiscal year, a 17% jump from 2024, according to new agency data. The surge, most pronounced in the last six months, coincides with the Trump administration’s renewed focus on border enforcement and digital surveillance, underscoring how “routine” digital scrutiny at U.S. borders is becoming amid heightened political and security tensions. This WIRED article highlights five U.S. high schoolers reimagining STEM futures in an AI-transformed world, reflecting both optimism and skepticism about AI’s reach from a generation navigating a new technological era. Read the September U.S. tech policy roundup from Tech Policy Press here. Africa An agricultural chatbot in Malawi, built on ChatGPT and trained on local language, traditional knowledge, and government data, is helping farmers tackle pests, drought, and misinformation by offering real-time, voice-based farming advice through WhatsApp. This “AI farmhand” is quickly becoming a lifeline, but the system’s success hinges on keeping its knowledge current and its advice grounded in Malawi’s fast-changing conditions, developers note. Ghana’s foreign ministry has unveiled plans to roll out electronic visas by 2026 to ease travel for investors, business leaders, and technologists, part of a broader modernization drive that includes digital consular services and virtual diplomacy to cut costs and expand reach. Nigeria is setting the blueprint for an independent, AI-ready Africa, with a digital roadmap that prioritizes talent, infrastructure, and developmental regulation to fuel markets while protecting citizens. Reforms like the Data Protection Commission and National AI Strategy are also attracting regional attention for balancing innovation with sovereignty, and the nation’s ambition to reach 95% digital literacy by 2030 underscores a people-first vision, Segun Adeyemi writes for Business Insider Africa. Gen Z is using social media to organize protests focused on corruption, unemployment, inequality, and inadequate services across the region, using platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Discord to coordinate demonstrations and amplify their messages. Analysts say this connected generation’s digital fluency gives them an edge as governments across the continent are struggling to keep up, Kate Bartlett and Emmanuel Akinwotu report for NPR. TikTok is rapidly becoming a dominant news source across Africa, reshaping how millions engage with politics, security, and public debate. This has downsides, Idris Mohammed writes for the London School of Economics, as the app drives both the democratization of news and the viral spread of mis- and disinformation. TikTok’s influence has forced governments to balance regulation with free expression as this information pollution fuels polarization and distrust, making strong local journalism, fact-checking networks, and digital literacy more urgent than ever. Earlier this month, Tanzania ramped up its online oversight after a viral video of a man claiming to be a military officer accused the government of “corruption, rights violations and political interference in the military,” Alfred Lasteck reports for the BBC. The military quickly denied any connection, warning against politicizing the armed forces, while police pledged to curb the spread of “criminal and inflammatory” posts. The move highlights growing sensitivity over political speech ahead of this week’s election, with social media emerging as both a campaign tool and crucial outlet for dissent. Asia Beijing has unveiled sweeping new export restrictions on rare earth elements and related technologies, tightening its hold on materials vital to high-tech and defense industries. The rules require foreign firms to secure approval for any products containing Chinese-sourced rare earths, even if manufactured abroad, and extend licensing to mining, processing, and magnet-making technologies, with military-linked applications likely to be denied. Analysts say the move mirrors Washington’s chip export curbs and underscores China’s growing use of critical minerals as a geopolitical lever. India’s electric vehicle push has sparked a trade clash with China, which has asked the World Trade Organization to rule on whether India’s subsidy schemes unfairly exclude Chinese firms. Beijing argues the incentives favor domestic producers, while New Delhi defends them as lawful tools to nurture a nascent industry critical for energy security and emissions goals, Ananya Bhattacharya reports for Rest of World. Saudi Arabia is racing to reinvent itself as a global AI powerhouse, channeling oil wealth into massive data center projects that could make it the world’s third-largest hub for computing power after the U.S. and China. State-backed firm Humain is leading the charge and making deals with giants like Amazon, Nvidia, and Qualcomm in an attempt to handle “6 percent of the world’s A.I. workload,” while Riyadh’s deep pockets and cheap energy make it an alluring partner for U.S. tech giants: “it’s easy to say this is just another example of the Saudis’ throwing money at the latest shiny thing, but that could also underestimate the level of ambition,” Vivek Chilukuri, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Adam Satariano and Paul Mozur for the New York Times. India’s government is moving to require all AI-generated social media content carry clear labels under proposed IT Rules amendments, a bid for “transparency over prohibition” that would make platforms tag synthetic content and verify user declarations. Critics warn the effort is ambitious but difficult to mandate, and that enforcement gaps may risk confusion. Washington and Seoul are preparing to sign a new technology cooperation pact this week focused on advancing AI, quantum computing, and 6G, reflecting a broader push to counter China’s growing tech influence. The partnership is framed by U.S. officials as an effort to strengthen export controls on AI while easing regulatory barriers for companies, with an emphasis on enabling smoother cross-border data storage and sharing. Earlier this month, Indonesia briefly suspended TikTok’s operating license before restoring it, a swift reversal that sparked concerns over digital repression, with rights advocates warning of mounting efforts to curb dissent and trace users through new social media regulations. Government officials reversed the decision after the platform handed over data tied to livestreams made during anti-government protests in August, following accusations that some of the app’s 100 million Indonesian users of the app were monetizing protest footage. At a regional summit in Malaysia this week, Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN nations to deepen collaboration in science and technology, emphasizing joint innovation in areas like AI, robotics, and biomedicine. Li highlighted China’s willingness to expand cooperation on sectors such as the digital economy, electric vehicles, and clean energy, calling these sectors central to a shared industrial transformation and stressing the need for “properly resolving differences through dialogue” and resisting “external interference,” Reuters reports. In this clip from CNBC, Jeep Kline, the first Thai woman to launch a U.S.-based impact VC fund, explains why Southeast Asia’s tech sector is “primed with opportunity” amidst a global AI boom. Taiwan and the U.S. are exploring a high-tech strategic partnership that could cut tariffs on Taiwanese exports and deepen cooperation on semiconductor as the latter nation seeks to lessen its dependence on the former for advanced chips amid rising regional tensions, a move that could reshape global supply chains. Europe Nvidia will invest 1 billion USD in Finland-based telecom giant Nokia, sending the firm’s stock up 20% and positioning it as a key player in an era of AI-driven connectivity. The move cements a new strategic partnership to co-develop next-generation 6G networks, with Nokia planning to channel proceeds into AI development and adapting its 5G and 6G software to Nvidia’s chips. Europe’s internal split over how to “detox from Big Tech” is on display again as France and Germany spar over the EU’s push for digital sovereignty: Paris wants to shield Europe from U.S. dominance by backing homegrown champions, while Berlin stresses openness and transatlantic partnership. This tension has slowed progress ahead of a Berlin summit next month meant to forge a common strategy, Mathieu Pollet, Émile Marzolf, Laura Hülsemann and Frida Preuss write for Politico EU. A new U.S.-Ukraine initiative is taking shape with the launch of the Snake Island Institute based in Washington, a think tank aiming to strengthen defense and tech ties between Kyiv and Washington by acting as a bridge for the military, policymakers, and industry. Volkswagen is bracing for potential production setbacks after China halted exports from Netherlands-based global semiconductor company Nexperia in retaliation for Dutch government action, underscoring Europe’s growing vulnerability to Beijing’s control over key materials. Automobile giants like VW, BMW, and Mercedes have been left scrambling to secure supplies, as analysts warn a prolonged disruption could hit German car output by up to a third. Europe’s tech scene funding saw a 163% jump in investments between August and September, and while funding remains clustered in a few countries and sectors (AI, cloud, and fintech), the improvement signals “renewed momentum after a quieter summer,” Tamara Djurickovic reports for tech.eu. Cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona, and London are appointing “tech ambassadors” to negotiate with tech companies on data sharing, AI systems, and digital infrastructure, giving municipalities a seat at the global tech table: “as cities negotiate with the world’s most powerful corporations, they must balance innovation with accountability, ensuring that the digital future serves citizens, not just shareholders,” says the Digital Watch Observatory. The EU’s Cyber Crisis Management Blueprint, a continent-wide framework for responding to large-scale cyber incidents, marks a major stride toward a more unified, resilient, and adaptable European cyber defense model and offers a practical template for regions like ASEAN and the African Union seeking to strengthen their own digital cooperation. The European Commission is courting eight of the continent’s biggest investors to co-launch a 3-5 billion Euro fund aimed at helping European tech startups scale without foreign reliance. The initiative, set to debut next April, will blend EU and private capital to invest in “strategic and enabling technologies” like AI, quantum, semiconductors, clean energy, and robotics: “the goal of the fund is to make sure that startups that have completed their early funding rounds can ‘secure scaleup financing while maintaining their headquarters and core activities in Europe,’” Pieter Haeck writes for Politico EU. Latin America The lithium-fueled boom in the Andean “lithium triangle” zone of northern Argentina, Chile, and southern Bolivia initially delivered mining jobs, accommodations, and new road contracts to local communities, but as global EV demand cooled and lithium prices plunged, it has now delivered job loss, economic stagnation, and environmental issues to local communities with little alternative economy: “communities themselves [are] asking for more mining projects because without them, there are no formal jobs, no decent salaries,” Argentinian lawmaker Martín Fellner told David Feliba for Rest of World. Tensions in the Caribbean are reaching new heights as the Trump administration ramps up military presence near Venezuela and Colombia, with reports suggesting Trump may soon brief Congress on possible strikes against both Venezuela and Colombia, marking a dramatic escalation that could strain Washington’s historic alliance with the latter nation and inflame regional instability. Equinix’s new MO2 facility in Monterrey, providing over 30k square feet of AI-ready colocation space, is helping Northern Mexico become a key digital and interconnection hub and focal point for Latin America’s digital infrastructure expansion. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and Chile’s National Center for Artificial Intelligence unveiled the third Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index earlier this month, finding that the region’s AI adoption is outpacing expectations but still remains uneven: Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay lead as “pioneers,” while others trail amid persistent talent, investment, and governance gaps. Furthermore, despite Latin America representing 14% of global AI tool visits, the region attracts just 1.1% of global AI investment, an imbalance that must be addressed through “ethical, inclusive and responsible” digital transformation ECLAC Executive Secretary José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs. Despite pioneering efforts in Chile, the rush to become an AI hub is triggering a high-stakes balancing act, as the government courts tech investment and communities push back hard over resource strain and environmental costs. The nation, like many others, ultimately faces a choice: risk being left behind or risk eroding trust and local ecosystems, Paul Mozur writes for The New York Times. Brookings’ Valerie Wirtschafter argues the tense U.S.-Brazil relationship under Presidents Trump and Lula may be headed for a cautious reset, grounded in pragmatic tech cooperation rather than ideology. After months of tariff battles and sanctions, a thaw between the two leaders could open doors for AI collaboration that supports Brazil’s “digital sovereignty” while countering Chinese dominance, serving mutual interests in energy, infrastructure, and innovation across the Americas. Oceania In this illuminating long piece from The Guardian, Samanth Subramanian chronicles how Tonga was thrown “back a century” when a massive 2022 volcanic eruption severed its only undersea internet cable, cutting off communication, banking, and trade for weeks. The episode exposed how dependent modern life is on fragile subsea infrastructure, underscoring the geopolitical and corporate vulnerabilities shaping the future of global connectivity. China is deepening its footprint in the Pacific with a new and contentious surveillance initiative in the Solomon Islands. Chinese police have begun testing fingerprint, palm print, and other biometric data systems in villages, methods critics say echo Mao-era social monitoring and risk entrenching authoritarian control. Solomon Islands opposition leader Peter Kenilorea is urging parliamentary scrutiny, warning the project “sets a dangerous precedent” for privacy and democratic rights. U.S. ocean scientist Adam Soule believes the Cook Islands are still far from ready to begin seabed mining despite their mineral-rich seafloor, emphasizing the need for continued research and data collection before any extraction decisions are made. This is of particular note, as both the U.S. and China are considering deep-sea mining operations around the Cook Islands. While both nations have signed agreements with the Islands to conduct marine research, scientists and environmental groups warn the geopolitical race risks damaging fragile ocean ecosystems and undermining local priorities. New Zealand has unveiled a sweeping plan to centralize tech procurement across government agencies, projected to save 3.9 billion NZD over five years. According to Judith Collins, minister for digitizing government and public service, “siloed, bespoke technology solutions will be a thing of the past,” and the initiative will deliver new digital tools like a national app for secure notifications and digital IDs, part of a push to create a “citizen-focused, digital-first public service” seen in “in other leading digital nations,” Sarah Wray reports for Global Government Forum. OpenAI is eyeing Australia as part of its sweeping 500 billion USD global infrastructure push, with global policy chief Chris Lehane visiting Canberra to discuss data centers, renewable energy access, and copyright rules. Lehane called the nation a potential AI leader thanks to its energy capacity, but acknowledged debates remain over how to fairly compensate creators as AI firms train on copyrighted material. While OpenAI’s efforts are funding AI centers worldwide, Australia has yet to strike a major deal, though local industry leaders say that could soon change if policy keeps pace. Tech giants like Meta, Google, and other signatories to Australia’s voluntary disinformation code are questioning whether “misinformation” should remain part of the framework, arguing it’s too subjective and divisive. Critics note this amounts to brushing off a problem platforms themselves profit from, and that regulating truth online has become increasingly complex. With government regulation stalled and industry retreating, Australia’s efforts to tackle misinformation appear to be losing momentum. Australia’s competition regulator is seeking up to 50 million AUD from Microsoft for failing to disclose that cheaper Microsoft 365 plans without an AI add-on could still be purchased, information users only discovered after they began cancelling. Microsoft says the claim is being reviewed, as the case becomes the latest flashpoint in global scrutiny of AI-linked subscription pricing. |
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