TOP OF THE DAY

Google’s AI Podcasts Signal a New Era in Media

(Robert Diab – Centre for International Governance Innovation – 14 November 2024) In September, Google unveiled a new feature in its artificial intelligence (AI) writing platform, NotebookLM, that caused a stir in the tech press and the wider culture: the ability to take a document you upload and generate a podcast about it that sounds strikingly real and engaging. At the moment, the feature appears to be little more than a source of fun and amusement, with podcasts whose AI hosts strive to conjure “meaning from the meaningless” going viral on social media. But beneath the surface of this delightful new curiosity, we can see glimpses of the next stage in the evolution of digital media — one that will extend the social and political effects, both good and bad, of the demise of broadcast media. – https://www.cigionline.org/articles/googles-ai-podcasts-signal-a-new-era-in-media/

Avoiding a Military-AI Complex

(Kevin Frazier – Lawfare – 14 November 2024) Ike warned this would happen. He foresaw the “potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power” as a result of private industry capturing an “immense military establishment.” What he couldn’t have known was that the military-industrial complex would transform into the military-artificial intelligence (AI) complex. The recently promulgated National Security Memorandum on AI (NSM), however, will establish just that if left in place or its underlying goals and actions shape future executive action.  Whether President-elect Trump follows through on the NSM in his second term is an open question. On the one hand, Trump has previously expressed a desire to rescind the Biden executive order that called for the NSM. On the other hand, Trump has repeatedly emphasized a desire for the United States to lead in AI innovation. Implementation of the NSM would further that goal. So while the NSM may not persist in form under Trump, it seems likely to carry on in substance. That said, if the second Trump administration wants to avoid concentrating power in the hands of a few AI actors, then it may want to reevaluate the decision to double down” on an AI industry marked by a high degree of concentration. A more sustainable, beneficial approach would instead focus the nation’s AI policy on peaceful applications and encourage more competition in the industry. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/avoiding-a-military-ai-complex

Northeastern University Research Says Quantum Computing is a ‘Big Deal’ For Massachusetts, World

(Matt Swayne – Quantum Insider – 14 November 2024) Massachusetts has invested $5 million in a quantum computing project in Holyoke, partnering with Boston-based company QuEra, to position the state as a leader in this transformative technology, according to Northeastern Global News. Devesh Tiwari, a quantum computing expert at Northeastern University, highlights quantum computing’s potential to solve complex problems in cryptography, supply chain optimization, and drug discovery, which classical computers cannot handle efficiently. Tiwari’s Goodwill Computing Lab is advancing practical quantum applications, including pioneering work in image generation and quantum machine learning, while addressing challenges like error correction to make quantum systems more reliable. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2024/11/14/northeastern-university-research-says-quantum-computing-is-a-big-deal-for-massachusetts-world/

Japanese PM Stakes Future on $65B Tech Investment Push Amid Political Uncertainty

(James Dargan – AI Insider – 13 November 2024) Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced an ambitious ¥4 trillion ($65 billion) investment package for semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors, despite facing significant political headwinds in implementing his agenda. The announcement came during Ishiba’s first press conference as Prime Minister, where he outlined plans to build upon Japan’s existing semiconductor initiatives, including partnerships with global manufacturers like TSMC. The new funding package aims to strengthen Japan’s position in the critical tech sectors amid increasing global competition. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/11/13/japanese-pm-stakes-future-on-65b-tech-investment-push-amid-political-uncertainty/

How pioneering public-private collaboration in the financial sector can help secure its quantum future

(Filipe Beato, Charlie Markham – World Economic Forum – 13 November 2024) Recent advances in quantum technology are bringing the economy closer to realizing its trillion-dollar value add to the global economy. With progress comes risk, and global collaboration is essential to harnessing quantum benefits while mitigating quantum security risks. The World Economic Forum and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have created award-winning tools that guide industry and regulators toward a secure quantum transition. – https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/11/pioneering-public-private-collaboration-financial-sector-secure-quantum-future/

Ensuring U.S. Leadership in AI

(Center for Strategic & International Studies – 13 November 2024) To secure and sustain its leadership in AI development, the United States must adopt a comprehensive strategy that integrates technological innovation with robust infrastructure planning. The CSIS Economic Security and Technology Department recently launched a new initiative exploring the intersection of AI, technology, and energy policy. Our goal is to create a cohesive framework for addressing the critical infrastructure gaps in data centers and energy systems needed to support AI’s rapid growth. CSIS aims to identify where policy interventions will help ensure the U.S. sustains and grows its lead in AI. – https://www.csis.org/events/ensuring-us-leadership-ai

GOVERNANCE AND LEGISLATION

NIS2 Directive: Everything EU Member States and Organizations Need to Know to Prepare and Comply

(Seemant Sehgal – Infosecurity Magazine – 14 November 2024) Welcome to Part II of the NIS2 Directive Series. Part I focused on understanding the NIS2 Directive, what it is, and how it evolved. However, many CISOs have been reaching out to security providers to understand how NIS2 will affect their organization. Therefore, this article will focus on the regulated sectors, how NIS2 requirements will affect those mandated industries, and what security providers can do to help them prepare and comply. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/blogs/nis2-everything-eu-orgs-need-to/ (part I – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/blogs/what-is-the-nis2-directive-and-why/)

SECURITY

Iran-linked group aims malware at aerospace industry through fake job recruiters

(Daryna Antoniuk – The Record – 14 November 2024) Suspected Iranian hackers impersonated recruiters on LinkedIn to target the aerospace industry in a new espionage campaign, researchers have found. So-called “fake worker” schemes are typically associated with North Korean threat actors. However, the Israel-based cybersecurity company ClearSky has attributed this latest campaign to the Iranian operation tracked as TA455, likely a subgroup of the Iranian government cyberwarfare group Charming Kitten. – https://therecord.media/iran-linked-hackers-aerospace-espionage-malware-fake-recruiters

Malware being delivered by mail, warns Swiss cyber agency

(Alexander Martin – The Record – 14 November 2024) Switzerland’s Federal Office for Cybersecurity (OFCS) issued a warning on Wednesday about “fake letters” from the country’s meteorological agency being used to spread malware. The postal letters, dated to 12 November, claim to be offering people in the country a new weather app developed by the agency — MeteoSwiss — however they contain a QR code redirecting people to a malicious application developed by fraudsters. – https://therecord.media/malware-delivered-by-mail-swiss-cyber-agency

Hungary confirms hack of defense procurement agency

(Daryna Antoniuk – The Record – 14 November 2024) Hungarian officials confirmed to local media that the country’s defense procurement agency (VBÜ) was attacked by an “international group of hackers.”. Earlier on Thursday, the cybercrime group known as INC Ransomware or INC Ransom claimed access to the agency’s data and posted sample screenshots on its dark web portal. Previous research indicates that the group emerged last year, primarily targeting healthcare, education, and government entities. The operators behind it remain unknown. – https://therecord.media/hungary-defense-procurement-agency-hacked

Cybercriminals target victims in Spain, Germany, Ukraine with Strela Stealer malware

(Daryna Antoniuk – The Record – 14 November 2024) Cybercriminals are targeting victims throughout Europe — primarily in Spain, Germany and Ukraine — in an ongoing information-stealing campaign, researchers have found. The financially-motivated group tracked as Hive0145 has infected targets with Strela Stealer malware delivered through phishing emails disguised as legitimate invoice notifications. Although the group initially relied on fake invoices and receipts sent from fabricated accounts, they recently began weaponizing stolen emails from real entities in the financial, technology, manufacturing, media, e-commerce and other sectors, according to researchers at IBM X-Force, who analyzed the latest campaigns. – https://therecord.media/cybercriminals-taget-spain-germany-ukraine-strela-stealer-malware

Sitting Ducks DNS Attacks Put Global Domains at Risk

(Infosecurity Magazine – 14 November 2024) Over 1 million domains have been found potentially vulnerable to a “Sitting Ducks” attack, a cyber-threat that exploits DNS misconfigurations to hijack domains. The report, published by Infoblox Threat Intel, suggests that this type of attack, active since 2018, allows threat actors to leverage hijacked domains for malicious activities ranging from malware distribution to phishing. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/sitting-ducks-dns-attacks-global/

API Security in Peril as 83% of Firms Suffer Incidents

(Phil Muncaster – Infosecurity Magazine – 14 November 2024) Security experts have warned of the soaring cost and volume of API security incidents after revealing that 83% of UK organizations were impacted over the past 12 months. Akamai polled 404 UK CIOs, CISOs and other security professionals between June and July 2024, to help compile its API Security Impact Study 2024. It recorded a 14-percentage point annual increase in UK respondents claiming to have experienced at least one API security incident over the previous 12 months. For US respondents, the figure actually dropped two percentage points. – https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/api-security-83-firms-suffer/

FRONTIERS

Stepful Secures $31.5M Series B Led by Oak HC/FT to Address US Healthcare Worker Shortage

(James Dargan – AI Insider – 14 November 2024) Stepful, an AI-powered healthcare training platform, raised $31.5 million in Series B funding to expand its programs, partnerships, and B2B offerings, scaling from 50 students in 2021 to 30,000 projected enrollees in 2024. The platform offers affordable, accelerated programs for roles like medical assistants and nurses, featuring virtual instructor-led courses, AI-powered feedback, and flexible learning modules designed for working adults from underserved communities. Stepful is tackling the U.S. healthcare labor shortage by collaborating with over 8,000 healthcare partners, achieving industry-leading outcomes like an 87% exam pass rate, and positioning itself as a comprehensive workforce solution for healthcare employers. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/11/14/stepful-secures-31-5m-series-b-led-by-oak-hc-ft-to-address-us-healthcare-worker-shortage/

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son Shares His Vision for AI-Powered Robotics

(James Dargan – AI Insider – 14 November 2024) In an interview with NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang recently, SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son unveiled his ambitious plans for integrating AI into robotics. “The robot can talk, robot can have passions as a friend,” Masa said, drawing inspiration from the beloved Astro Boy cartoon. Son underlined the need to “bring AI intelligence into the robotics” industry, moving beyond just physical capabilities. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/11/14/softbanks-masayoshi-son-shares-his-vision-for-ai-powered-robotics/

Accelsius Secures $24M in Series A Funding to Efficiently Cool AI Data Centers

(James Dargan – AI Insider – 14 November 2024) Accelsius raised $24 million in a Series A round, led by Innventure, to advance its two-phase liquid cooling systems for data centers and expand internationally. Accelsius’ NeuCool system improves energy efficiency by 50% and enhances rack power density tenfold, targeting the rising energy demands of AI-driven data centers. The funding will support Accelsius’ U.S. operations, global expansion, and team growth, while furthering its mission to revolutionize cooling infrastructure for high-performance computing. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/11/14/accelsius-secures-24m-in-series-a-funding-to-efficiently-cool-ai-data-centers/

New Large Language Model Framework Could ‘Prompt’ Quantum Material Discoveries

(Matt Swayne – Quantum Insider – 14 November 2024) An MIT-led team has developed a framework using large language models (LLMs) to predict synthesis pathways for inorganic materials, including complex quantum materials, which could accelerate discoveries in fields like quantum computing and energy. The framework includes three specialized models that predict products from reactants, reactants from products, or complete chemical equations for target compounds, improving prediction accuracy from under 40% to nearly 90%. The study introduces a new evaluation metric, generalized Tanimoto similarity (GTS), which enhances accuracy by allowing flexibility in chemical formula structure, making the model effective for predicting pathways for challenging materials like quantum materials. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2024/11/14/new-large-language-model-framework-could-prompt-quantum-material-discoveries/

The Infrastructure, Innovation & Responsible Growth Powering the AI Revolution

(James Dargan – AI Insider – 13 November 2024) “CEOs woke up 18 months ago to this is real,” said Eric Kutcher, Senior Partner and North America Chair at McKinsey & Company, setting the stage for a powerful discussion on the future of AI infrastructure. In a fireside chat with Qualtrics CEO Zig Serafin, moderated by Diane Brady of Fortune, both leaders explored how AI is fundamentally changing industries, the steps required to sustain this growth, and the responsibility that comes with wielding such transformative technology. The conversation went into the rising expectations surrounding AI, with Kutcher explaining: “There is an entire business of what I do today that I can do completely differently with a much better experience.” This shift, he believes, is a game-changer for industries aiming to elevate customer service and optimize operations through AI-driven processes. AI’s potential to “completely reimagine” existing business models is evident, and as Kutcher pointed out: “We’re starting to see these autonomous agents as a mechanism to begin to rewire and rethink business models.” – https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/11/13/the-infrastructure-innovation-responsible-growth-powering-the-ai-revolution/