Counter-terrorism
Integrating AI: EU counterterrorism challenges and opportunities
(Clara Broekaert – Observer Research Foundation – 17 March 2025) The growing use of Large Language Model (LLM) to gather information to conduct explosives-based attacks, the propagation of AI-generated news bulletins by an Islamic State-aligned media outlet, and the creation of bespoke chatbots designed to disseminate Holocaust denialism have raised alarm over the disruptive potential of generative AI in the hands of terrorists and other violent non-state actors. While generative AI can facilitate the optimisation of terrorist recruitment, operational planning, and propaganda dissemination—offering automated content generation, rapid and culturally nuanced translations, and even access to information about the acquisition of chemical precursors or 3D printing firearms—the actual disruptive effect remains contested. At present, generative AI has not demonstrably augmented the lethality or appeal of terrorist entities. Other AI-driven applications, however, specifically in the domain of autonomous and semi-autonomous weaponry and even autonomous vehicles, can be highly disruptive in the hands of terrorists; they confer significant operational advantages, including enhanced command-and-control capabilities and greater lethality in the execution of attacks. – https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/integrating-ai-eu-counterterrorism-challenges-and-opportunities
Governance and Legislation
Fixing the Feeds: A Policy Road Map to Mitigate Algorithmic Harms
(Alissa Cooper, Zander Arnao – Lawfare – 21 March 2025) In the United States, state and federal lawmakers have introduced more than 75 bills since 2023 targeting the design and operation of algorithms, more than a dozen of which have passed into law. Last year, both New York and California passed laws seeking to restrict children’s exposure to “addictive feeds.” This year, policymakers in Connecticut, Missouri, and Washington state have launched similar initiatives targeting algorithmic design. At the same time, many state attorneys general are suing tech platforms for allegedly designing defective and harmful algorithms, including one lawsuit brought by 42 states against Meta over its design choices. Efforts to address the design of algorithms will continue to expand in 2025 and beyond, highlighting the importance of adopting fit-for-purpose policy approaches. As lawsuits mount and legislation aimed at mitigating harms proliferates, the battle over how algorithmic recommender systems should be designed is heating up. Yet common policy solutions that focus on mandating chronological feeds or limiting personalization fail to address the core issue: how to design recommender systems that align with users’ genuine long-term interests rather than exploiting their short-term impulses. A new report, “Better Feeds: Algorithms That Put People First,” authored by a distinguished group of experts convened by the Knight-Georgetown Institute (KGI), explores the research behind recommendation algorithms and proposes a more nuanced suite of guidelines that, if adopted, could transform the online experiences of youth and adult users alike. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/fixing-the-feeds–a-policy-road-map-to-mitigate-algorithmic-harms
Hollywood unites against AI: 400 celebs demand Trump take action on OpenAI, Google
(Aamir Khollam – Interesting Engineering – 20 March 2025) More than 400 prominent Hollywood creatives — including filmmakers, actors, writers, and musicians — have come together in a powerful open letter addressed to the Trump White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Their message is loud and clear: do not weaken U.S. copyright protections at the behest of AI companies like OpenAI and Google. The letter, submitted as part of public comments for the U.S. AI Action Plan, warns that rolling back protections could severely harm the country’s creative industries that contribute economically and culturally to national strength. – https://interestingengineering.com/culture/hollywood-stars-trump-protect-copyright-from-ai
America’s growing AI power consumption: Strained grids, blackouts, and nuclear energy
(Kaif Shaikh – Interesting Engineering – 19 March 2025) Artificial Intelligence has evolved from a niche computer science field into a force reshaping global economics, defense, and daily life. Yet behind every AI innovation stands a silent powerhouse with an unquenchable thirst for power: data centers. These facilities, housing racks of servers that store and process massive datasets, require unprecedented amounts of energy. As AI accelerates, the question arises: Will everyday people have to compromise their electricity needs so AI can keep running? – https://interestingengineering.com/culture/americas-growing-ai-power-consumption-strained-grids-blackouts-and-nuclear-energy
How to Assess the Likelihood of Malicious Use of Advanced AI Systems
(Josh A. Goldstein, Girish Sastry – Center for Security and Emerging Technology – March 2025) Policymakers are debating the risks that new advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can pose if intentionally misused: from generating content for disinformation campaigns to instructing a novice how to build a biological agent. Because the technology is improving rapidly and the potential dangers remain unclear, assessing risk is an ongoing challenge. Malicious-use risks are often considered to be a function of the likelihood and severity of the behavior in question. We focus on the likelihood that an AI technology is misused for a particular application and leave severity assessments to additional research. – https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/how-to-assess-the-likelihood-of-malicious-use-of-advanced-ai-systems/
AI safety on the chopping block: How US-China rivalry is redefining regulation
(Siddharth Yadav – Observer Research Foundation – 17 March 2025) “The AI future is not going to be won by hand-wringing about safety,” stated United States (US) Vice President J.D. Vance at the 2025 Paris AI Action Summit (PAIAS). His remark underscores three realities: first, AI will be a defining technology for the future; second, there will be winners and losers in the AI race; third, regulatory approaches will determine whether a nation can capitalise on AI’s transformative power. The significance of AI for the future of humanity has become a truism in tech and geopolitical circles, with industry leaders predicting that humanity is either at the dawn of “The Intelligence Age” or “the race to human extinction”. Governments are contending with the reality that, regardless of which outcome emerges, cutting-edge AI research and innovation are largely concentrated in the US and China. Indeed, zero-sum efforts in both Washington and Beijing to outdo the other in the AI race appear to have increasingly marginalised the scope for joint endeavours. – https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/ai-safety-on-the-chopping-block-how-us-china-rivalry-is-redefining-regulation
Canada Is a Signatory to the First Global Treaty on AI: Why That Matters
(Robert Diab – Centre for International Governance Innovation – 17 March 2025) The global movement to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) gained momentum in Paris last month as Canada added its signature to the Council of Europe’s convention on AI. We now join other key players in the race to develop AI — the European Union, Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States — in reaching this important milestone. The council’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law has been in the works for several years, with a final agreement reached in May 2024. The United Kingdom and the United States signed on in the fall of 2024, after broad consultation among the 27 council nations, along with various countries with observer status at the council, which include Canada and the United States. – https://www.cigionline.org/articles/canada-is-a-signatory-to-the-first-global-treaty-on-ai-why-that-matters/
Shaping the AI Action Plan: Responses to the White House’s Request for Information
(Clara Apt, Brianna Rosen – Just Security – 18 March 2025) In February, the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued a Request for Information (RFI) aimed at shaping the Trump administration’s new AI Action Plan. Stakeholders from across industry, academia, civil society, and the media submitted comments before the March 15 deadline, laying out their visions for AI policy under a second Trump term. Respondents from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, the Center for Data Innovation, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET), Business Roundtable, News/Media Alliance, MITRE, and other organizations offered perspectives on how the Trump administration can advance U.S. technological leadership without stifling innovation. While diverse in approach, the submissions converge around several core themes: infrastructure and energy development, federal preemption of state AI laws, export controls to maintain U.S. competitiveness against rivals like China, promoting domestic AI adoption, safeguarding national security, and defining clear copyright and licensing frameworks for AI data. What follows is a thematic roundup of these proposals, culminating in a reference table at the end. – https://www.justsecurity.org/109203/us-ai-action-plan/
U.S. AI-Driven “Catch and Revoke” Initiative Threatens First Amendment Rights
(Faiza Patel – Just Security – 18 March 2025) On March 8, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student and a prominent leader of pro-Palestinian protests on the university’s campus. They claimed that Khalil’s student visa had both been revoked and when told that he had a green card, said that too had been revoked. While the full facts of the case are yet to emerge, there seems little doubt that Khalil was detained in retaliation for his activism. U.S. President Donald Trump has frequently and explicitly threatened to go after university protestors, including in his Executive Order on “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats”. Trump celebrated Khalil’s arrest on social media, warning that it was the first “of many to come.”. Some of the “many to come” will likely be identified via the State Department’s newly launched AI-enabled “Catch and Revoke” initiative, which will scrape social media to find “foreign nationals who appear to support Hamas or other designated terror groups” and cancel their visas. Like the executive order cited above, this effort is framed as an anti-terrorism measure. Instead, it is being used to terrorize foreigners and to dissuade people from participating in First Amendment-protected activity for fear that they too will be targeted in some way. – https://www.justsecurity.org/109069/u-s-ai-driven-catch-and-revoke-initiative-threatens-first-amendment-rights/
How can we leverage AI to solve justice problems for all?
(Zainab Malik, Maaike de Langen, Mariane Piccinin Barbieri, Ronald Lenz, Tatyana Teplova – OECD.AI – 17 March 2025) Artificial intelligence has become a go-to tool for many tasks and industries. People rely on it to address all sorts of problems in their daily lives – be it a challenging math equation, suggestions on what to watch, or automating work tasks. But what about critical issues affecting the quality of people’s lives, relationships and livelihoods that may require judicial intervention? – https://oecd.ai/en/wonk/how-can-we-leverage-ai-to-solve-justice-problems-for-all
AI Action Plan Should Promote AI Transparency, Accuracy, Effectiveness and Reliability, CDT Says
(Center for Democracy & Technology – 17 March 2025) The Center for Democracy & Technology submitted comments to the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development National Coordination Office on the highest priority actions that should be in the new AI Action Plan required under Executive Order 14179. As this executive order explains, the AI Action Plan would “sustain and enhance America’s global AI dominance in order to promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.”. Our comments identify several well-established principles for trustworthy and effective AI that have bipartisan support and acceptance and should form the basis of the AI Action Plan. – https://cdt.org/insights/cdt-submits-comments-on-the-federal-governments-ai-action-plan/
Civil Society Responds to DSA Risk Assessment Reports: An Initial Feedback Brief
(Center for Democracy & Technology – 17 March 2025) The DSA Civil Society Coordination Group, in collaboration with the Recommender Systems Taskforce and People vs Big Tech, has released an initial analysis of the first Risk Assessment Reports submitted by major platforms under Article 42 of the DSA. This analysis identifies both promising practices and critical gaps, offering recommendations to improve future iterations of these reports and ensure meaningful compliance with the DSA. The Digital Services Act (DSA) represents a landmark effort to create a safer and more transparent online environment. Central to this framework are yearly risk assessments required under Articles 34 and 35, which mandate Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) to identify, assess, and mitigate systemic risks posed by their services. – https://cdt.org/insights/dsa-civil-society-coordination-group-publishes-an-initial-analysis-of-the-major-online-platforms-risks-analysis-reports/
CSET’s Recommendations for an AI Action Plan
(Center for Security and Emerging Technology – 14 March 2025) The Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University has submitted a set of strategic recommendations to guide the United States in developing a robust, forward-looking Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan, as directed by Presidential Executive Order. These recommendations are drawn from CSET’s wide body of research, and fall largely into three categories: 1) steps the United States can take to advance and secure its leadership in developing cutting-edge AI capabilities, 2) initiatives for competition in AI with China, and 3) actions the U.S. government can take to realize the benefits of AI while mitigating its risks. – https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/csets-recommendations-for-an-ai-action-plan/
The Uncertain Future of AI Regulation in a Second Trump Term
(Ferial Saeed – Stimson Center – 13 March 2025) The president’s AI action plan, slated to release this summer, will clarify how the U.S. intends to balance speed and safety within the U.S. AI framework. The current risk-tolerant, decentralized model has been great for speed and innovation, however China’s hybrid model of centralized safety and decentralized regulation, has the country catching up with the U.S. The U.S. lacks comprehensive federal AI legislation, with the recent House AI Task Force recommending the use of existing laws, regulations, and regulatory bodies to develop sector-specific AI regulations. Further national risk mitigation may be necessary for LLMs and other more complex uses of AI. The growing dissonance between the U.S., the EU and China, on a consensus for AI safety is hazardous. Should the U.S. wish to maintain leadership in AI development while ensuring safety and public trust, finding a balance will be key. – https://www.stimson.org/2025/the-uncertain-future-of-ai-regulation-in-a-second-trump-term/
Geostrategies
DeepSeek, Unitree, and the Six Dragons: Hangzhou’s Plan to Shape Technology’s Future
(Sunny Cheung, Ho, C. – The Jamestown Foundation – 19 March 2025) Decades of policy support from provincial, city, and district governments underpin the successes of AI firm DeepSeek and five other tech companies domestic observers are referring to as “the six little dragons of Hangzhou.”. Since 2019, Zhejiang Province (in which Hangzhou is located) became the first to implement a “chain leader system,” extending party-state control over supply chains through a structure that involves close coordination between senior local civil servants and industry association heads. Buoyed by the firms’ recent successes in AI, robotics, gaming, and brain-computer interface technology, Hangzhou has signaled it will continue policy support in the medium term to maintain a leading role in new technologies. – https://jamestown.org/program/deepseek-unitree-and-the-six-dragons-hangzhous-plan-to-shape-technologys-future/
Testimony Before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission’s hearing ‘Made in China 2025—Who Is Winning?’
(Sunny Cheung – The Jamestown Foundation – 19 March 2025) The following is a lightly edited version of testimony delivered by Jamestown Fellow for China Studies Sunny Cheung. The testimony was delivered before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission at a hearing held on February 6, 2025 on the topic “Made in China 2025—Who Is Winning?” (CECC, February 6). In keeping with the aim of “Jamestown Perspectives,” which serves as a vehicle for articles that do not necessarily fit the traditional mold of our publications, this article includes Mr. Cheung’s perspective on how the United States should deal with China’s emerging leadership in robotics. – https://jamestown.org/program/testimony-before-the-u-s-china-economic-and-security-review-commissions-hearing-made-in-china-2025-who-is-winning/
Vance Outlines an America First, America Only AI Agenda
(Kevin Frazier – Lawfare – 19 March 2025) The Trump administration has wasted no time in overhauling the federal government’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI). Mere days after taking office, President Trump rescinded President Biden’s October 2023 AI executive order and put his own in its place, swapping the Biden policy’s emphasis on safety, regulatory oversight, and international cooperation with his own policy aim of AI dominance. The administration’s forthcoming AI Action Plan likely will shed light on what exactly AI dominance entails. But in the interim, Vice President Vance has been filling in the blanks, at least partially. Vance has been one of the administration’s most vocal proponents of this new AI vision. Speaking at the Paris AI Action Summit last month, he laid out a sharp critique of what he deemed “excessive regulation” and signaled a willingness for the United States to chart its own course, even if that meant breaking from allies. Vance’s remarks clarified that the administration sees AI not as a problem to be managed, but as an opportunity to be seized. Gone is the Biden administration’s rhetoric on existential risk and the need for AI safety guardrails. Instead, the new White House approach prioritizes speed, power, and control over the global AI landscape. More specifically, Vance stressed the administration’s AI policy would turn on four points: first, perpetuation of America’s AI offerings serving as the “gold standard worldwide”; second, adoption of a deregulatory agenda at home and abroad; third, prevention of AI being “co-opted into a tool for authoritarian censorship”; and, fourth, development of a “pro-worker growth path for AI.” – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/vance-outlines-an-america-first–america-only-ai-agenda
Fintech’s rise reshaping ASEAN’s financial future
(Tan Swee Liang – East Asia Forum – 18 March 2025) ASEAN’s financial landscape is undergoing a major transformation due to the rapid growth in financial technology, with fintech investments in the six largest economies of ASEAN rising steadily from 2 per cent in 2018 to 7 per cent in 2022. Fintech is demonstrating increasingly important roles in the region’s economic growth, offering innovative solutions that complement traditional banking, and its greater integration into the ASEAN Financial Innovation Network could strengthen fintech ecosystems, boost trade and contribute to overall ASEAN growth. – https://eastasiaforum.org/2025/03/18/fintechs-rise-reshaping-aseans-financial-future/
RedNote walks China’s digital tightrope
(Xiangyu Ma, Jiawei Zhang – East Asia Forum – 18 March 2025) After TikTok was banned, Chinese-owned lifestyle app RedNote became unexpectedly popular with US users, fostering a unique cross-border connection between US and Chinese netizens. As authorities in China debate balancing censorship rules with the app’s international reach, some suggest an adaptive regulatory approach might be undertaken. This approach would facilitate global cultural exchange while maintaining China’s information control, which could reshape this approach from the traditional practice of creating two separate versions of the app. – https://eastasiaforum.org/2025/03/18/rednote-walks-chinas-digital-tightrope/
Chips, clouds, and checkpoints: The new AI export battlefield under Trump 2.0
(Erin Wastson – Observer Research Foundation – 17 March 2025) ‘America first’ was never a slogan – it was a policy doctrine. As Donald Trump returns to the White House for his second term, the question is not whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) export controls will be retained but how they will evolve. The Biden administration designed the ‘Small Yard, High Fence’ policy. While the small yard comprises advanced technologies such as quantum computing, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and advanced AI chips, the high fence denotes strict controls over the export of these technologies to adversaries, primarily the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Despite export restrictions, PRC’s Deepseek launched its R1 AI bot in January 2025, which sent shockwaves through the global AI industry—competing head-to-head with ChatGPT. Deepseek’s launch proved the PRC’s capability to develop advanced AI models despite the AI export controls introduced by the United States. President Donald Trump expressed his concern by calling the launch of Deepseek’s AI the ‘wakeup call’ to US tech firms. – https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/chips-clouds-and-checkpoints-the-new-ai-export-battlefield-under-trump-2-0
Accelerating digital innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Avenues for public-private cooperation
(Del Titus Bawuah – Observer Research Foundation – 17 March 2025) Sub-Saharan Africa is rapidly emerging as a global hub for digital innovation and technological entrepreneurship. The region’s dynamic startup ecosystem is transforming industries such as fintech, healthtech, agritech, edtech, and most notably, the burgeoning crypto and blockchain sector. This wave of innovation is fuelled by a young population, increasing mobile penetration, and a growing appetite for digital financial solutions. However, challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, limited access to capital, regulatory uncertainties, and a skills gap continue to hinder growth. Strategic public-private cooperation is crucial for unlocking the full potential of digital innovation and fostering a robust, inclusive digital economy in Africa. – https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/accelerating-digital-innovation-in-sub-saharan-africa-avenues-for-public-private-cooperation
Canada’s NSERC and the NRC Announce Over $7M to Advance Quantum Sensing Technologies
(Quantum Insider – 17 March 2025) NSERC and NRC are providing over CA$11 million (approximately $7.6 million) to fund six collaborative research projects advancing quantum sensing technologies. The initiative is in-line with Canada’s National Quantum Strategy, supporting research, workforce development, and commercialization through partnerships between universities, SMEs, and government agencies. The funded projects are intended to translate quantum sensing from lab to industry, enhancing capabilities in environmental monitoring, healthcare, manufacturing, navigation, and national security. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/03/17/canadas-nserc-and-the-nrc-announce-over-7m-to-advance-quantum-sensing-technologies/
Cineca to House IQM’s Radiance 54 Quantum Computer
(Quantum Insider – 17 March 2025) Cineca announced an agreement with IQM Quantum Computers to install Italy’s most powerful quantum computer. IQM’s Radiance quantum computer, featuring a 54-qubit processing unit, will be integrated into the Leonardo supercomputer in Q4 2025. The on-premises installation at Cineca aims to support advanced scientific research and strengthen Italy’s position in quantum computing. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/03/17/cineca-to-house-iqms-radiance-54-quantum-computer/
Tatarstan Quantum Consortium: A New Era for Russian Quantum Technologies
(Quantum Insider – 17 March 2025) The Tatarstan Quantum Consortium was established at a workshop on March 6, 2025, at Innopolis University, aiming to position Tatarstan as a leader in quantum computing and technologies by 2030. Key participants, including Innopolis University, Q Deep, and Kazan-based research institutions, emphasized collaboration across disciplines to advance quantum computing, quantum networks, and quantum sensing. The consortium seeks to create a quantum market by 2027, with a focus on practical applications in industries such as pharmaceuticals, logistics, finance, and materials science. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/03/17/tatarstan-quantum-consortium-a-new-era-for-russian-quantum-technologies/
Defense, Intelligence, and Warfare
China’s PLA uses DeepSeek AI in non-combat roles, battlefield deployment possible
(Bojan Stojkovski – Interesting Engineering – 23 March 2025) China’s People’s Liberation Army is using indigenously developed DeepSeek AI to aid its non-combat and support operations, if reports in the Chinese media are to be believed. The news had led to speculation among defense experts on whether the PLA would also deploy artificial intelligence in more direct, warfare situations. DeepSeek’s open-source large language models (LLMs), praised worldwide, are reportedly being used in PLA hospitals, the People’s Armed Police (PAP), and national defense mobilization units. However, analysts now predict that the AI models will soon be used for battlefield intelligence and decision-making by the Chinese military. Recently, the PLA’s Central Theatre Command General Hospital announced the deployment of DeepSeek’s R1-70B LLM to assist doctors by suggesting treatment plans. The hospital highlighted its commitment to patient privacy and data security, ensuring that all data is stored and processed on local servers. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/china-pla-deepseek-ai-non-combat-operations
US-Israel team up to build hydrogen drones with HIMARS-like 180-mile strike range
(Kapil Kajal – Interesting Engineering – 20 March 2025) In a significant development in the military drone sector, California-based Mach Industries has announced its collaboration with Israeli drone manufacturer Heven Drones to make hydrogen drones for the US military. Together, they aim to produce hydrogen fuel cell-powered drones designed for military applications. This partnership seeks to counteract China’s growing dominance in the drone market by introducing advanced technologies that they believe will enhance operational capabilities. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/us-israel-to-build-hydrogen-drones
Australia, Canada announce $4B over horizon radar agreement
(Colin Clark – Breaking Defense – 19 March 2025) Australia is poised for its largest defense sale ever, exporting its Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN) to Canada, at a cost estimated at more than $6 billion CAN ($4 billion USD). In a surprise development, Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, spoke with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese overnight and decided to buy the radar, according to government statements. The United States and Australia had been in talks about the over the horizon network, but Canada now appears to have leapt over America’s head, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which first reported the story. – https://breakingdefense.com/2025/03/australia-canada-announce-4b-over-horizon-radar-agreement/
How to maximize the resiliency of PNT
(Clayton Swope – Breaking Defense – 19 March 2025) Military leaders have long recognized the need to improve the resilience of the Global Positioning System (GPS), due to its essential role providing positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services for joint operations. But there is neither a comprehensive Department of Defense strategy nor one official assigned to ensure PNT resilience and finish GPS modernization, resulting in an uncoordinated cornucopia of service-level puzzle pieces that might not exactly fit together, putting at risk assured military PNT access during a conflict. To minimize this risk, DoD needs to consolidate responsibilities for the PNT architecture into one role and create a comprehensive strategy, with two focus points. First, pushing the department to complete current GPS modernization efforts as quickly as possible, and second, prioritize and harmonize the various service-level efforts to develop and integrate PNT alternatives, with emphasis on ones that do not rely on satellites, as backups. This approach would also present opportunities for cost-benefit analyses of service-level programs, identifying those where the juice is not worth the squeeze and which could be cut. Today, GPS access is critical to joint operations, but access to GPS is threatened by a variety of counterspace weapons, with signal jammers being a persistent and prevalent threat. Disrupting GPS would force a platoon of marines to navigate by a compass and map, the same method used by their great-grandfathers on Iwo Jima and by their great-great-grandfathers at Belleau Wood. Crewed fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, tanks, Humvees, drones, destroyers and aircraft carriers all depend on GPS signals for navigation. Smart munitions and missiles cannot operate effectively in GPS-denied environments. – https://breakingdefense.com/2025/03/how-to-maximize-the-resiliency-of-pnt/
Military hydrogen-cell drones poised for big takeoff
(Patrick Tucker – Defense One – 19 March 2025) As drones continue to reshape the nature of warfare, the limitations on range and power are becoming the difference between success and defeat on the battlefield. Now, an Israel-based drone company and U.S. manufacturing company Mach Industries are working together to co-produce hydrogen fuel cell powered drones, which offer big advantages in range but have previously faced challenges that have kept them from the battlefield. The companies hope to produce 1,000 drones each month, with an eventual goal of up to 1,000 a day, HevenDrones CEO Benzion Levinson told Defense One. The longer-range goal will depend on the demand for the company’s H2D250 drones, which are capable of carrying 10 pounds, and its other offerings. – https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2025/03/military-hydrogen-cell-drones-poised-big-takeoff/403873/?oref=d1-featured-river-secondary
China is waging cognitive warfare. Fighting back starts by defining it
(Jake Bebber – Defense One – 19 March 2025) War has shifted far beyond the realm of traditional kinetic operations. We now face an era defined by what experts call cognitive warfare, an insidious form of conflict aimed at influencing how people think and act, destabilizing the very bedrock of democratic institutions and national security. Unlike information warfare, which manipulates what we think, cognitive warfare disrupts the way we think—rationality itself. It uses neuroscience, data analytics, and algorithm-based strategies to achieve strategic advantage. Developing a framework to counter this threat is not just essential; it is urgent. – https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2025/03/china-waging-cognitive-warfare-fighting-back-starts-defining-it/403886/?oref=d1-homepage-top-story
US Navy’s new autonomous spy sonar tech to create most detailed map of ocean yet
(Neetika Walter – Interesting Engineering – 19 March 2025) American defense company Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $24.9-million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a new research and development program focused on autonomous undersea sensing by the US Department of Defense. The initiative, known as “Full Spectrum Undersea Warfare Innovative Naval Prototype Autonomous Undersea Exploitation,” aims to enhance the U.S. Navy’s ability to perceive and respond to undersea threats autonomously. The contract, managed by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), provides funding for research and development efforts to advance sonar-based perception and exploitation technologies. According to the DoD announcement, the research and development initiative is designed to strengthen naval capabilities in autonomous underwater operations, focusing on developing and testing advanced technologies for autonomous systems. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/northrop-grumman-wins-24-9-million-navy-contract
Robot dogs join US-South Korea war drills to simulate tunnel combat with North Korea
(Neetika Walter – Interesting Engineering – 18 March 2025) Robotic dogs could soon prowl North Korea’s underground tunnels as South Korean and U.S. troops prepare for an assault on Kim Jong Un’s vast fortified network. New images reveal the forces using dog-like robots as 370 troops from the U.S. and South Korea take part in a four-day joint military exercise in Paju, a small city near the North Korean border. The forces are training for potential combat in North Korea’s hidden military installations and subterranean strongholds—an operation deemed increasingly critical since the war in Gaza. Lt. Col. Jang Yun-Seong, public affairs officer of the 25th Infantry Division, emphasized the role of robotic systems in reducing battlefield risks during last week’s drills involving robot dogs. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/us-south-korea-use-robot-dogs
USAF’s ‘Angry Kitten’ EW pods to turn F-16s, A-10s, C-130s into electronic warriors
(Kapil Kajal – Interesting Engineering – 18 March 2025) The Angry Kitten electronic warfare pod has accomplished a key milestone, completing its testing phase on the F-16 aircraft and moving on to evaluations on larger platforms. With plans to examine its capabilities on the A-10 Thunderbolt II and C-130 Hercules, the pod’s future trials are set to include a broader range of aircraft. Initially designed for the F-16, the Angry Kitten pod has demonstrated promising effectiveness in enhancing the electronic warfare capabilities of larger radar cross-section (RCS) aircraft, which typically show weaker defenses against electronic threats. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/usafs-angry-kitten-ew-pods
Seabed warfare in a new era of geotech conflicts
(Samuel Bashfield – Observer Research Foundation – 17 March 2025) As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, a battlefield beneath the waves intensifies. Seabed warfare has become a critical domain of modern geotech conflict. With society’s increasing reliance on undersea infrastructure such as communication cables, energy pipelines, and other vital seabed infrastructure, nations are now vying for control of the ocean floor. This new form of warfare threatens the security of global connectivity and could reshape the geopolitical landscape in profound ways. Seabed warfare encompasses a range of military operations that target undersea infrastructure. These activities include everything from disrupting communication cables and energy pipelines to sabotaging surveillance networks and military installations placed on or near the ocean floor. In an age of unprecedented technological advancements, nations are increasingly aware of the ocean floor’s importance, both strategically and economically. With modern deep-sea technology advancing rapidly, the scope of seabed warfare has expanded from rudimentary cable-cutting and censorship tactics to sophisticated operations that involve surveillance, reconnaissance, and even cyber warfare. – https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/seabed-warfare-in-a-new-era-of-geotech-conflicts
Artificial Intelligence and National Defence: A Strategic Foresight Analysis
(Alex Wilner, Ryan Atkinson – Centre for International Governance Innovation – 17 March 2025) Strategic foresight can help address long-term uncertainties by offering insights into the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on national security. This analysis highlights the value of qualitative tools in exploring a variety of future scenarios related to breakthroughs in AI. This investigation examines how strategic foresight is changing in Canada and other Five Eyes (plus one) nations — the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands — using horizon scanning and scenario planning to improve security policies. Important observations centre on the dual nature of AI, exploring the difficulties presented by deepfake technology and cyberthreats while emphasizing the need for preventative regulatory actions to protect democratic institutions and national security. Various illustrative scenarios highlight the risks associated with unbridled AI capabilities, including the problem of incremental approaches, showcasing different degrees of AI integration for defence. Robust legislative frameworks and international cooperation are essential to control AI’s impact, and strategic foresight provides a critical instrument to navigate upcoming possibilities and challenges in defence and security. – https://www.cigionline.org/publications/artificial-intelligence-and-national-defence-a-strategic-foresight-analysis/
Space supply chain gaps: Propulsion, hardened electronics and laser links
(Theresa Hitchens – Breaking Defense – 17 March 2025) Despite ongoing efforts by the Defense Department to bolster the space supply chain, government and commercial satellite programs continue to struggle with shortfalls in several critical areas, including on-orbit propulsion, optical communications terminals and hardened electronics, according to industry and Pentagon officials. The sluggish flow of key capabilities is a drag on Space Force efforts to rapidly transform its space architecture from handfuls of large satellites to so-called proliferated constellations made up of many small satellites, according to David Gauthier, the former head of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s commercial space office. “We find ourselves in a new space race. Companies need to bring new space technology to market quickly, and supply chains are critical to both speed and scale for proliferated architectures,” said Gauthier, now chief strategy officer at consulting firm GXO Inc. “Reliable supply is fundamental for a healthy and vibrant industrial base that enables government space missions.” – https://breakingdefense.com/2025/03/space-supply-chain-gaps-propulsion-hardened-electronics-and-laser-links/
Trump’s push on border security: US deploys high-tech radars to stop cartel drones
(Neetika Walter – Interesting Engineering – 17 March 2025) The U.S. Army has deployed advanced ground-based radars along the U.S.-Mexico border to track and spot drones as President Donald Trump escalates his war on drug cartels. With Mexican gangs increasingly using weaponized unscrewed aerial systems for smuggling and surveillance, the military is ramping up its defenses to detect and track such aerial threats. Pictures released by the Department of Defense on Monday showed personnel of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division training with the AN/TPQ-53 and AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radars in Arizona. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/u-s-deploys-advanced-radars-at-mexico-border
Ukraine develops first-ever 1,864-mile long-range drone amid US testing support
(Kapil Kajal – Interesting Engineering – 17 March 2025) In a significant development for Ukraine’s defense capabilities, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on March 17 that a new long-range drone has completed its testing phase. The drone, designed to enhance combat operations, demonstrated an impressive range of 3,000 kilometers (approximately 1,864 miles). This update came during Zelensky’s evening address following a crucial meeting with the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, which serves as the command and control center for Ukraine’s military operations. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/ukraine-1864-mile-long-range-drone
How Drones Make Civil Wars Worse
(Joshua A. Schwartz, John Chin, Haleigh Bartos – Lawfare – 16 March 2025) The proliferation of drones in the developing world began as a trickle, but now it is a flood. From 2009 to 2018, the vast majority of people killed in drone strikes died in drone operations carried out by the U.S. government. However, in 2021, only 16 percent of fatalities from drone strikes were the result of U.S. military action, and drone attacks occurred in 46 conflicts across 26 different countries. By 2023, 40 states used drones (up from 16 in 2018) and 91 non-state actors launched a drone attack (up from six in 2018), according to data from ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data) analyzed by the Institute for Economics and Peace. Much like the diffusion of AK-47s drove a global wave of non-state violence in the second half of the 20th century, the proliferation of armed drones today is prolonging and increasing the carnage of civil wars from the Congo and Myanmar to Sudan and Yemen. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/how-drones-make-civil-wars-worse
Security
Taiwan critical infrastructure targeted by hackers with possible ties to Volt Typhoon
(Jonathan Greig – The Record – 20 March 2025) Hackers with apparent ties to several China-based groups like Volt Typhoon are targeting critical infrastructure in Taiwan as part of an ongoing campaign. Researchers at Cisco Talos discovered a malicious campaign that has been active since at least 2023 attempting to establish long-term access to critical infrastructure in Taiwan and steal information. The group behind the campaign, which the researchers tagged as UAT-5918, have tactics, techniques, procedures and victims that overlap with Chinese state-backed groups, including those tracked as Volt Typhoon and Flax Typhoon. – https://therecord.media/taiwan-critical-infrastructure-hacking-uat-5918
UK sets timeline for country’s transition to quantum-resistant encryption
(Daryna Antoniuk – The Record – 20 March 2025) U.K. cyber officials are urging local organizations to begin planning how to protect their systems from future threats posed by quantum computers. Although the arrival date of quantum computers is still unknown, the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued new guidance on Thursday to help organizations transition to cryptographic algorithms and protocols that can protect data threatened by big advances in computing power. – https://therecord.media/uk-ncsc-quantum-resistant-algorithms-transition
The ‘Pacific Rim’ Campaign: Corporate Norm Entrepreneurship and Active Cyber Defense
(Michael Genkin, Joe Devanny – Lawfare – 18 March 2025) Accountability and responsibility are important topics in debates about cybersecurity. While policymakers and analysts often focus on state actors and what qualifies as “responsible state behavior in cyberspace,” private companies, especially those specializing in aspects of cybersecurity, are also engaged in a debate about what constitutes responsible behavior. Cybersecurity companies face acute dilemmas as they navigate the permissible limits of active defense (often called “hacking back”) against adversaries in cyberspace, and those that manufacture network firewall devices are no exception. Network firewall devices aim to prevent dangerous traffic from entering, spreading, or leaving the networks they protect. Unfortunately, these devices are often targeted by cyber threat actors as a means of gaining access to the very networks they are intended to protect. This can be a lucrative endeavor because firewall devices often form a convenient operating environment, owing not only to their position on the edge of networks but also to a lack of inspection ability and often surprisingly poor security. Recently, one such company, Sophos, a developer of enterprise endpoint protection software and network firewall devices, chose to disclose a four-year campaign it executed against a set of entities that targeted its customers by exploiting the network firewall devices it produced. It did so in a self-proclaimed effort to advance the discussion around the accountability and responsibility to consumers and to the wider cyber ecosystem, that is expected of private-sector companies, especially those developing so-called edge devices (for example, firewalls, routers, email servers, network-attached cameras, and storage devices). A further, more subtle goal, claimed by Sophos’s chief information security officer, Ross McKerchar, was to start a dialogue about private-sector norms of active cyber defense. Thanks to the commendable transparency of Sophos’s disclosure of its “Pacific Rim” campaign, it presents an interesting case study to advance the discussion of the role of cybersecurity companies in both improving understanding and providing frameworks for shaping accountable and responsible active cyber defense. The active defense campaign hews to the standards proposed for state actors and, because countries cannot as easily disclose their actions, provides a model for responsible active defense. The campaign was not just responsible; it was also effective, and so it offers important lessons for responding to threat actors. – https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the–pacific-rim–campaign–corporate-norm-entrepreneurship-and-active-cyber-defense
The DNA of organised crime is changing – and so is the threat to Europe
(Europol – 18 March 2025) Europol’s EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (EU-SOCTA) 2025 reveals how the very DNA of crime is shifting – reshaping the tactics, tools and structures employed by criminal networks. The EU-SOCTA offers one of the most thorough analyses conducted on the threats posed by serious organised crime to the EU’s internal security. Based on intelligence from EU Member States and international law enforcement partners, this report not only analyses the state of organised crime today – it anticipates threats of tomorrow, providing a roadmap for Europe’s law enforcement and policymakers to stay ahead of ever-evolving organised crime. And evolve it has. The latest EU-SOCTA reveals that the DNA of organised crime is fundamentally changing, making it more entrenched and more destabilising than ever before. – https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/dna-of-organised-crime-changing-and-so-threat-to-europe
Municipalities in four states are struggling with cyberattacks limiting services
(Jonathan Greig – The Record – 18 March 2025) Cyberattacks on public entities across the U.S. — from police stations to school districts and courts — are causing wide-ranging issues for thousands of residents and public employees. Kansas’ Atchison County said its offices are closed on Tuesday after it detected and responded to a cyber incident that impacted its computer network. “As soon as we learned this, we began working to investigate and determine the effects of the incident,” county officials said on social media. – https://therecord.media/municipalities-struggling-cyberattacks-services
Poisoned Windows shortcuts found to be a favorite of Chinese, Russian, N. Korean state hackers
(Jonathan Greig – The Record – 18 March 2025) Nearly a dozen nation-state groups from North Korea, China and Russia are exploiting a vulnerability affecting a commonly used feature of Microsoft Windows. Researchers at the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) said they have identified multiple campaigns exploiting the bug — which affects Windows shortcuts, or .lnk files — going back to 2017. Microsoft has not assigned a Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) number, but ZDI — part of cybersecurity company Trend Micro — tagged it as ZDI-CAN-25373. – https://therecord.media/windows-lnk-files-nation-state-hacking-campaigns
Frontiers
The Quantum Supply Chain: Mapping the Market and Key Players
(Quantum Insider – 19 March 2025) Quantum computing is moving from the lab to real-world applications, requiring a full ecosystem of developers, infrastructure providers, and enabling technologies beyond just advances in qubit design. The Quantum Insider’s Vendor Market Map categorizes key players across applications, software, quantum processors, and hardware components, reflecting the diversity and complexity of the growing quantum industry. While quantum applications are emerging in finance, pharmaceuticals, and logistics, widespread business adoption remains uncertain due to ongoing challenges in hardware scalability and software integration. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/03/19/the-quantum-supply-chain-mapping-the-market-and-key-players/
AROBS Polska to Develop Post-Quantum Satellite Communication Security System
(Quantum Insider – 19 March 2025) AROBS Polska, a subsidiary of AROBS Group, has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop the Post-Quantum Cryptography Algorithms for Satellite Telecommunication Applications (PQC ASTrAL) project, enhancing satellite communication security against quantum threats. The project, conducted under ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) 4S program, will integrate post-quantum cryptographic algorithms to ensure long-term protection of satellite communications from quantum computing-based cyberattacks. AROBS Polska, as the prime contractor, will develop the hardware, firmware, and cryptographic IP core, while ResQuant, a subcontractor specializing in hardware-implemented cryptographic solutions, will handle the cryptographic aspects of the project. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/03/19/arobs-polska-to-develop-post-quantum-satellite-communication-security-system/
IDEMIA Secure Transactions Announces its First Hardware Accelerator for Post-Quantum Cryptography
(Quantum Insider – 19 March 2025) IDEMIA Secure Transactions (IST) has announced its first hardware accelerator designed for post-quantum cryptography, leveraging Keccak-based technology to enhance data protection against quantum computing threats. The accelerator offloads computationally demanding cryptographic tasks from the main processor, improving speed and efficiency while ensuring compliance with post-quantum security standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This innovation aims to support businesses in their transition to quantum-safe cryptography while maintaining seamless security for end-users in banking, automotive, IoT, Industry 4.0, and healthcare sectors. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/03/19/idemia-secure-transactions-announces-its-first-hardware-accelerator-for-post-quantum-cryptography/
Isaac GR00T N1: World’s first foundation model for humanoid robotics unveiled by NVIDIA
(Neetika Walter – Interesting Engineering – 18 March 2025) In a groundbreaking series of announcements at its GTC conference, NVIDIA on Tuesday unveiled a portfolio of AI-driven technologies, including Isaac GR00T N1— the world’s first open, fully customizable foundation model for humanoid reasoning and skills. The launch also included the Isaac GR00T Blueprint for synthetic data generation and Newton, a physics engine developed with Google DeepMind and Disney Research. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/nvidia-unveils-cosmos-wfms-isaac-gr00t-n1
NVIDIA unleashes Blackwell Ultra, AI factories and insane new supercomputers
(Kapil Kajal – Interesting Engineering – 18 March 2025) In a series of groundbreaking announcements at the GTC 2025 conference in San Jose, NVIDIA unveiled a suite of advanced technologies poised to redefine the landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing. Central to these revelations is introducing the Blackwell Ultra processor, a next-generation AI chipset designed to enhance AI reasoning capabilities, marking a significant shift from generative AI to more complex AI tasks. – https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/nvidia-unleashes-new-ai-universe
Norma and Neowiz Partner to Explore Quantum Computing and AI for Game Development
(Quantum Insider – 17 March 2025) Norma, a South Korean quantum security and computing firm, signed an MOU with game developer Neowiz to explore quantum applications in gaming. The collaboration will investigate quantum algorithms for game development, quantum AI to improve classical AI models, and quantum security solutions to protect gaming environments from future cyber threats. Norma’s CEO highlighted the partnership’s goal of accelerating quantum technology adoption in gaming, while Neowiz’s Co-CEO emphasized the industry’s history of integrating advanced technologies. While quantum computing is not yet viable for real-time gaming, hybrid quantum-classical approaches are being explored. The partnership will likely begin with proof-of-concept research on AI models and security applications. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/03/17/norma-and-neowiz-partner-to-explore-quantum-computing-and-ai-for-game-development/
Marianna Menghini
Junior PI and Media Officer
Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean
PAM Centre for Global Studies (PAM-CGS)
Direct number: +393332852702