Edited by Sarah Hesterman
https://mailchi.mp/tech-diplomacy/tech-diplomacy-news-april-12690960
Global
Seizing the opportunities of the digital revolution
| The Role of Data Policies in the Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Emerging Countries |
| As the digital revolution driven by artificial intelligence accelerates, developing nations risk being left behind. We are pleased to present an insightful article from Carlos Rodrigo Andía Mejía, an Administrative Assistant at the Peruvian Consulate in Salt Lake City and a graduate student in the Data, Economics, and Public Policy Design program at MITx. The article examines not only the critical challenges countries must overcome but also the tremendous opportunities that await those who can effectively participate in and benefit from the AI era, maintaining a particular emphasis on the Latin American perspective. Carlos highlights the multifaceted hurdles facing the region, from connectivity gaps and data limitations to skills deficits and regulatory complexities. Crucially, by presenting pragmatic recommendations tailored to the realities of Latin America and providing punctual guidance for Peru’s data policy advancement, the article underscores how robust data policies can enable developing countries to capitalize on AI’s transformative possibilities while mitigating risks. This piece is a call for international cooperation and capacity-building to ensure the region not only overcomes challenges, but seizes the opportunities of the digital revolution. The path will not be easy, but the future rewards of an inclusive digital transformation make the journey well worth taking. Read the article in Spanish here, and in English here. |
| Access the Entire “Connected Planet” Zoom Series on Our Website For avid readers of our newsletter, you will know the Tech Diplomacy Network recently worked with Austrian-American student Elsa Fredericks to offer informative talks for high school students to learn more about how technology is changing diplomacy. The series covers a range of topics, from climate change to the implications of rapid progress in AI. Watch all three parts of the series here! |
| News Roundup Top Tech Diplomacy Resources The U.S. Department of State is increasing efforts to ready diplomats for tackling technology issues in an initiative led by Nathaniel Fick, the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, to equip diplomats with the knowledge they need to navigate an ever-changing global tech landscape and evolving foreign policy. The training program, launched in late 2022, is a key component of the agency’s strategy for digital diplomacy, which Fick calls “the most important part of his job.” Check out this informative guide from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute covering areas like tech diplomacy, technical AI standards, and global AI governance. The European University Institute addressed tech diplomacy at their 14th State of the Union convening this month, discussing the “evolving interplay between technology and diplomacy” and “addressing governance and security challenges in emerging tech areas.” Watch it here. Global In late May, Meta announced hundreds of Facebook accounts linked to influence operations originating in multiple countries, including Russia, Israel, China, and Iran, were removed from its platforms, which, among other tactics, deployed campaigns that used AI to create disinformation and push their narratives, Britney Nguyen reports for Quartz. WIRED has announced a new project to track the use of AI in elections globally. Where is AI diplomacy falling short? In addressing how the increasing development of this emerging tech is posed to exacerbate climate change, Manuel Matos dos Santos argues for Euronews. Over the past decade, funding for crypto startups has reached a staggering 100 billion USD, and a renewed interest in investing has recently surfaced, Ryan Weeks and Sidhartha Shukla write for Bloomberg. The 13th edition of the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report was released last month, investigating how people consume online news across the world. Late last month, the United Nations Global Principles for Information Integrity were launched, focused on coordinating international action to protect information spaces and tackle digital challenges like misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. The Principles advocate for governments, tech companies, and other key stakeholders to refrain from “supporting or amplifying” harmful content, ensure transparency, and prioritize human rights, privacy, and safety in their operations. With U.S. support, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution sponsored by China to help close the AI technology gap with developing countries, following a previous U.S.-led resolution supporting the safe and inclusive use of AI: “adoption of the two nonbinding resolutions shows that the United States and China, rivals in many areas, are both determined to be key players in shaping the future of the powerful new technology — and have been cooperating on the first important international steps,” Edith M. Lederer writes for AP News. North America Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice signaled just how great of a threat deepfakes pose to the spread of political disinformation when objecting to the release of an audio recording of President Joe Biden being interviewed by a special counsel regarding the handling of classified documents, arguing it could be manipulated using AI. “If the audio recording is released, the public would know the audio recording is available, and malicious actors could create an audio deepfake in which a fake voice of President Biden can be programmed to say anything that the creator of the deepfake wishes,” says Bradley Weinsheimer, an associate deputy attorney general at the DOJ. The U.S. government is seeking to further expand semiconductor chip sanctions, now with Russia, as part of an effort to target Russia’s military actions against Ukraine. This move reflects the Biden administration’s ongoing efforts to tighten export controls, which will “include U.S.-branded goods, not just those made in the United States,” Andrea Shalal reports for Reuters. As policymakers begin to “lose trust” in Microsoft’s security capabilities against cyberattacks, the company’s president wants Congress to know they are taking responsibility following a recent Chinese email hacking attack that affected federal U.S. offices. New York has enacted legislation seeking to tackle the addictive nature of social media platform feeds and the adverse effects this has on young people, with the two new bills requiring “parental consent for social media companies to use ‘addictive feeds’” and better data collection practices concerning minors, Lauren Feiner writes for The Verge. The Biden administration is cracking down on American investments in Chinese technology sectors that could bolster the nation’s military capabilities, further escalating multifaceted tensions with Beijing. The Treasury Department’s proposed regulations would block specific U.S. investments into Chinese firms involved in developing critical technologies like semiconductors, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence systems – however, the administration wants to make clear these new restrictions “are intended to be narrowly targeted and that the U.S. is not trying to block all investments in China.” Speaking of the Treasury Department, a new rule was adopted late last month requiring multiple cryptocurrency platforms to report user transaction information to the Internal Revenue Service as the department determines how they will “deter crypto tax evasion.” A hacker successfully infiltrated employee forums of generative AI superpower OpenAI last year and was able to access information about technology designs, raising questions about the company’s security following the reveal of several “covert influence operations” to misuse their tech in May, Mrinmay Dey and Nilutpal Timsina report for Reuters. After President Biden established the Cyber Safety Review Board in 2021, the body was tasked with investigating a Russian cyber espionage attack against the U.S. government and thousands of domestic firms – but this never happened, Craig Silverman writes for ProPublica, investigating why the board failed to probe one of the nation’s “most devastating” cyber attacks against U.S. agencies. After former U.S. president and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump was shot at during a rally in Pennsylvania, social media platforms were inundated with conspiracy theories around the motivations of the attack from both sides of the country’s political spectrum. Concern is growing around a plan from U.S. Republicans to overturn President Biden’s AI executive order, applauded by those who say overregulation is dangerous and feared by those who believe the unchecked development and use of AI would be a severe threat to citizens. Vermont State Representative Monique Priestly reflects on Big Tech’s lobbying efforts and the very real consequences of their power in the face of seeking to protect data privacy for Tech Policy Press. Africa Early last month, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa traveled to Seoul for the South Korea-Africa summit, during which several topics, including developing smart cities, critical mineral mining, and collaboration on developing emerging technologies, were discussed. Olivia Solon investigates how Uganda’s national identity card system is being exploited to conduct surveillance operations targeting critics of the government for Bloomberg. Court proceedings against two Binance executives held in Nigeria, accused of laundering 30+ billion USD, among other charges, continue. In June, two U.S. lawmakers appealed to the U.S. embassy in the country to “seek the release” of U.S. citizen Tigran Gambaryan, the crypto exchange’s head of financial crimes compliance who has been held in detention for several months, “on humanitarian grounds” following a series of health issues. A sprawling tech fair took place in Marrakech, Morocco, in late May, bringing together businesses from around the world and those based on the continent to discuss and share innovative advancements in the field. Noting efforts to put Africa “on the map” as a key player in tech development, Massouta Fahol from IT and AI consulting firm Almaxyra & Company stated, “the African market is evolving; the proof is that young people have become aware of this, it’s why we young people are taking the trouble to ensure that the solutions we develop can really be solutions that Africans will use, because we have noticed that Africans are consumers instead of being developers or bearers of ideas.” Visa’s She’s Next Kenya grant is supporting women-led tech startups to make a difference and “positively impact” the nation’s economy, Grace Ashiru reports for Tech In Africa. Adversarial AI could pose a major threat across the continent if used to spread polarizing and dangerous disinformation, and major platforms like Facebook have already fallen short in addressing content that has incited violence during conflicts in the past. African governments must do something, and now, instead of waiting for “Western tech companies to act,” Abdullahi Alim argues for Foreign Policy. AI tools like ChatGPT are being used in Rwanda to disseminate pro-government propaganda, a trend that may increase across the continent to bolster influence operations, disrupt social media users’ political discussions and manipulate public discourse. Asia Tune into this short broadcast from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to learn more about the use of artificially generated content to influence Indian voters, and check out this piece from New Lines Magazine that details how these tools have been used both negatively and positively in this year’s elections. A Saudi Arabian fund is the “sole foreign investor” for China’s ambitious generative AI startup Zhipu AI, indicating “the kingdom may be looking for a way to stop America from dominating AI,” Beatrice Nolan writes for Business Insider. Uzbekistan’s TBC mobile bank has raised 30+ million USD in investment to provide citizens with increased access to digital financial products and continues to lead as the country’s forerunner in mobile banking. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is expanding its targeting and silencing of dissidents to foreign countries like Australia, where Indian people are one of the largest diaspora groups, raising concerns over diplomatic relations between the nations and threats to national security. “As the federal government embraces Narendra Modi and his administration as an important partner, the long arm of the Indian state is reaching Australia, silencing critics and threatening members of the diaspora,” Avani Dias, Mayeta Clark, Mridula Amin, and Dylan Welch write for Australian Broadcasting Corporation News. The Islamic State has been creating false video content made to deceive viewers by using the branding of major news organizations like Al Jazeera and CNN to give “authority” to the fake news reports, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue uncovered in a recent project. Amidst tensions between China and the U.S., fueled by the latter’s restrictions on investments in the former’s semiconductor sector, Chinese President Xi Jinping is urging his nation to “step up innovation” to prevent other countries from leading on “key technologies.” In a country that produces close to 60% of the world’s supply of rare earth minerals, the Chinese government has decided these minerals belong to the state, indicating a desire to take control of the lucrative industry and raising questions about domestic procurement in other countries amidst global diplomatic tensions and fears of resource overreliance on the East Asian nation. Evan Wright unpacks what is needed to ensure Japan can increase its cybersecurity capabilities and the challenges that lay ahead in safeguarding national security for Nikkei Asia. The U.S., the Philippines, and Japan are teaming up to tackle disinformation, including foreign influence operations originating in nations like China and Russia, by engaging with experts to learn how to effectively combat this growing threat to peace and security in the region. An influencer in Malaysia tragically took her life after reporting threats she received on video sharing platform TikTok to the police, prompting the government to consider how best to address cyberbullying. Europe The global race for AI dominance is reshaping geopolitics as the U.S., China, and EU vie to lead in the growing industry. For The Conversation, Amparo Alonso Betanzos examines the distinct routes each nation is taking to do so, and asks, is Europe being left behind? Poland believes a fake report that the country’s prime minister would mobilize 200,000 men originated from Russia and “was designed to interfere with the upcoming European Parliament election,” as the country continues to be a target for Russia’s influence operations amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. A privacy organization based in Austria filed complaints against Meta in eleven EU member states concerning how the company handles user data to train its AI tools. Meta claims it is “following the example set” by other major players in the AI landscape, like Google and OpenAI, but its operations are facing increasing scrutiny around compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. Despite the Kremlin’s attempts at censorship and pushing state narratives, YouTube remains a pivotal platform for dissent and expression, fostering a growing audience receptive to alternative viewpoints. This is challenging the government’s propaganda efforts, Justin Ling reports for WIRED. The U.S. and Poland are teaming up to lead an international task force in aiding Ukraine’s fight against Russian disinformation, comprising representatives from twelve countries to identify and counteract Russian propaganda efforts. Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová claims France, Poland, and Germany are now “permanent targets” for disinformation operations originating in Russia, with tactics varying from target to target, but an overall mission remaining clear: disrupt, divide, and manipulate. The upcoming Paris Olympics are a prime target for nation-state hackers, and the games could be at risk of ransomware attacks, espionage, and influence operations, researchers warn. EU regulators in Brussels have charged Apple under the Digital Markets Act, accusing the company of “stifling competition on its App Store” and looking to impose significant fines if found non-compliant. A 1.1 billion USD fund from NATO will “invest in technologies that would enhance its defenses,” including those like AI and robotics. On August 1, the EU AI Act will take effect, with full implementation expected by mid-2026. AI use will be categorized based on risk levels, which will determine how stringent obligations are for developers. Germany has announced plans to stop using Huawei and ZTE components in developing the nation’s 5G networks due to security concerns, with Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasizing the need to mitigate risks and avoid dependency on single suppliers, marking a strategic shift amidst broader geopolitical tensions. China responded by urging Germany to assess 5G providers objectively, warning against “politicizing economic, commercial and technological issues” to the detriment of cooperation, Deutsche Welle reports. How will the results of the EU’s parliamentary elections influence tech innovation and regulation? Kayvan Hazemi-Jebelli assesses the region’s competitiveness and what the future may look like for its digital agenda for the Center for European Policy Analysis. Latin America Brazil’s national data protection authority has temporarily suspended Meta’s privacy policy for data used in training the company’s AI tools, halting “the processing of personal data across all Meta products,” a move that comes as regulators globally scrutinize tech companies’ handling of personal data. As cyber threats continue to escalate globally, the U.S. could look south to forge stronger digital alliances with Latin America, as the region’s growing tech sector and increased cyber cooperation efforts make it an attractive partner for Washington in the face of rising competition from China and Russia. By strengthening ties with Latin America, the U.S. can bolster its own digital security while also addressing regional challenges, Eric Farnsworth writes for Barron’s. China’s expansive tech initiatives in Latin America, including telecoms, infrastructure, and AI projects, are intensifying geopolitical tensions as experts warn of potential security risks and concerns around preserving privacy and democratic values in the region – “technology and security experts have noted that AI is becoming an increasingly geopolitical issue, particularly as the U.S. and China compete in regions such as Latin America,” Michael Baturin reports for Voice of America. Saudi Arabia is posed to invest billions in Brazil, including in sectors like green hydrogen and renewable energy, “bolstering already strong economic relations,” Adam Lucente reports for Al-Monitor. German chemical company BASF plans to introduce its high temperature sodium-sulfur battery storage technology, NAS, to Chile, as the country shifts focus towards longer-duration energy storage beyond lithium-ion. BASF aims to target sectors like mining and hydrogen to offer potential advantages over current lithium-ion technologies dominating the Chilean market. Disinformation continues to exacerbate the climate emergency in Brazil following devastating rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul, with fake news reports flooding social media platforms and misleading the public about the severity of the crisis, complicating authorities’ response efforts. Oceania The Chinese embassy in Fiji has responded to a recent 60 Minutes Australia report on alleged Chinese policing and organized crime ties in the Pacific nation, producing “a two-part video essay muddying the waters around the allegations” as “part of its continued efforts to undermine trust in traditional partners and Western media in the region,” Adam Ziogas and Blake Johnson report for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Australia can help play a key role in building capacity and resilience to disinformation in the Pacific, they write. France has lifted the ban on TikTok in New Caledonia, initially ment to stifle civil unrest in response to a constitutional reform in the Pacific territory, a move that was scrutinized by legal experts. Just before diplomats gathered to celebrate a U.S. plan to provide a significant amount of aid to Palau, a cyberattack stole over 20,000 of its government documents. “Palau is one of the few countries in the world that recognize Taiwan as an independent democracy. The leaders of Palau say the hack was orchestrated by China, which claims Taiwan as its territory and was meant to send a message,” Jacob Judah writes for the New York Times, examining the ramifications of this attack for diplomatic relations between the two countries. AUKUS Pillar 2 “has the potential to bring Australian champions to the world stage and lift the nation’s defence industry up to the state of the art in a range of modern capabilities,” according to George Henneke and Roland Stephens at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Watch the launch of ASPI’s recent report, “AUKUS Pillar 2 Critical Pathways: A Road Map to Enabling International Collaboration,” here. A project to “solarize” the residences of heads of state in the Pacific is being supported by several actors, including the Government of India, the Pacific Island Development Forum, and United Nations agencies, and is seeing success in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Kiribati, and more nations in the region. According to Human Rights Watch, photos of Australian children were used in a dataset for training AI image-generation tools without consent from them or their guardians. The dataset contained 190 photos of children sourced from the internet, some including identifiable details like names and locations, with HRW’s findings highlighting concerns over privacy and potential misuse. The Prime Minister of Vanuatu visited Chinese company Huawei this month to take a look at surveillance tech that could be used for policing, underscoring concerns from Australia, Vanuatu’s largest aid provider, around China’s “security ambitions” in the small Pacific Island nation. |