Edition #12

Welcome back to this edition of the DDP Newsletter! After an unexpected two-month hiatus—taken for some much-needed personal time to recharge and reflect—I’m excited to return to the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence and technology.?

In this edition of the DDP Newsletter, artificial intelligence (AI) takes center stage, both as a powerful tool and a growing challenge across sectors. The U.S. Department of Justice is developing guidelines for AI use in law enforcement, amid rising concerns about AI-generated child abuse imagery. Meanwhile, an artist is challenging copyright rulings over prize-winning AI-generated artwork, sparking debates on AI creativity and ownership. Globally, countries like the UAE, Vietnam, and China are embracing AI policies to foster innovation while ensuring ethical governance, with Britain setting up a Regulatory Innovation Office and Indonesia completing an AI readiness assessment. In the race for AI dominance, tech giants like OpenAI, Meta, and Nvidia are pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities, but data privacy concerns loom large, as seen in LinkedIn’s AI data controversies. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions flare up in the tech space with U.S. export restrictions and China's breakthroughs in chip technology, all while key lawmakers target Huawei suppliers. With Elon Musk’s X reinstated in Brazil and Google facing a potential breakup in a historic antitrust case, the intersection of AI, technology, and global power dynamics continues to evolve rapidly. Finally, Sam Altman's Worldcoin project ramps up, blending AI with biometric crypto solutions, adding yet another layer of complexity to our AI-driven future. Buckle up—this is just the beginning!

AI

US DOJ Developing Guidelines for AI Use in Law Enforcement

Bankinfosecurity: The U.S. Department of Justice is in the process of creating guidelines for law enforcement agencies nationwide regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence and facial recognition tools. These recommendations aim to enhance public safety through the responsible implementation of emerging technologies while also establishing best practices and privacy safeguards, as explained by Michelle Ramsden, senior counsel in the DOJ's Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties.

US prosecutors see rising threat of AI-generated child sex abuse imagery

Reuters: ? U.S. federal prosecutors are stepping up their pursuit of suspects who use artificial intelligence tools to manipulate or create child sex abuse images, as law enforcement fears the technology could spur a flood of illicit material. AI makes it easier to generate these kinds of images, and the more that are out there, the more normalized this becomes. That’s something that we really want to stymie and get in front of. The rise of generative AI has sparked concerns at the Justice Department that the rapidly advancing technology will be used to carry out cyberattacks, boost the sophistication of cryptocurrency scammers and undermine election security.

Artist appeals copyright denial for prize-winning AI-generated work

Arstechnica: A synthetic media artist whose Midjourney-generated piece, Théatre D'Opéra Spatial, went viral and sparked controversy after winning a state fair art competition is determined to continue his battle with the U.S. Copyright Office. Last fall, the office denied Allen's request for copyright registration, asserting that the majority of the work was AI-generated and emphasizing that copyright registration necessitates a greater degree of human authorship than merely inputting a prompt into Midjourney. Allen contends that he, rather than Midjourney, orchestrated the image by carefully arranging the AI-generated elements through precise prompting to realize his creative vision. He argues that this "tedious, complicated, and often frustrating endeavor" surpasses the minimum standard for human authorship established by copyright law.

UAE Cabinet Approves Nation's Artificial Intelligence Policy

Forbesmiddleast: ? The UAE's new AI policy is built on six key principles: advancement, cooperation, community, ethics, sustainability, and security. These principles guide the country’s approach to AI, ensuring that technological innovation is balanced with ethical and social priorities. The policy aims to drive economic diversification through AI, promote international collaboration in AI governance, encourage responsible AI development, and implement measures for transparency, accountability, and security in AI tools, all while aligning with global standards and safeguarding societal well-being.

Vietnam to Legalize Regulations on Artificial Intelligence

Sggp.org : Vietnam is advancing legislation that will incorporate regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) within its draft law on the digital technology industry. This law seeks to create a comprehensive legal framework for digital products and services, while also offering incentives for the semiconductor sector and AI development. Additionally, it will outline ethical principles and promote the responsible use of AI, enabling businesses to access state data sources to foster research and development in this vital area.

Britain sets up Regulatory Innovation Office to boost growth

Reuters: The UK government is set to launch a Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) designed to expedite approvals for emerging technologies, such as AI in healthcare, space, and the drone industry. This initiative aims to lower regulatory hurdles and stimulate economic growth by collaborating with existing regulators to promote innovation while maintaining safety and efficiency standards. The launch of the RIO comes in anticipation of a significant international investment summit hosted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Indonesia Completes UNESCO AI Readiness Assessment, Paving the Way for Ethical AI Governance

UNESCO.org : UNESCO and Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Informatics (KOMINFO) have successfully conducted Indonesia’s AI Readiness Assessment. The assessment revealed concerns regarding labor displacement, insufficient funding for AI research, and a lack of public awareness about the risks associated with AI. To address these issues, the recommendations emphasize the establishment of a National AI Agency, the promotion of responsible AI governance, and the expansion of access to AI education.

China to roll out cybersecurity rules covering generative AI

Asia.nkkei.com : China is set to implement new cybersecurity regulations on January 1, 2025, aimed at enhancing national security and data protection for generative artificial intelligence (AI) services. Comprising 64 clauses, these regulations build upon existing cybersecurity and data security laws and require companies to adopt additional measures to protect sensitive information. Providers of generative AI will need to enforce stricter data security protocols, reflecting China's increasing focus on safeguarding national interests amid rising tensions with the U.S.

OpenAI's plan to make artificial intelligence flow like electricity

BusinesStandard: ? Late last year, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, unveiled an ambitious plan aimed at securing the computing power necessary for developing more advanced artificial intelligence. The blueprint includes establishing numerous data centers to create a global reservoir of computing power for the next generation of AI and forming a loose federation of companies, which would consist of data center builders like Microsoft, along with investors and chip manufacturers. Altman proposed that the Emirates fund the construction of multiple chip-making plants, each with an estimated cost of $43 billion, and he is engaging in discussions with MGX, an AI-focused investment vehicle backed by the Emirates, regarding funding for this infrastructure plan. This initiative also aims to reduce chip manufacturing costs for companies such as TSMC.

Meta partners with Hollywood's Blumhouse to test out its AI movie generation model

Reuters: Meta has unveiled its new AI video models, entering the competitive race among tech giants to produce Hollywood-style clips. The technology, known as Movie Gen, utilizes two foundational AI models highlighted in a research paper released on Friday. These models empower users to create custom movies, edit videos, and generate content using an individual's image. In an effort to showcase Movie Gen’s capabilities, Meta has partnered with Blumhouse Productions, the renowned Hollywood studio behind popular horror films like The Purge and Get Out. This collaboration reflects Meta's commitment to engaging with creative industries, which have largely reacted warily to the rise of generative AI technologies due to concerns surrounding copyright and consent.

US weighs capping exports of AI chips from Nvidia and AMD to some countries

SCMP: Biden administration officials are considering imposing country-specific caps on the sale of advanced AI chips from Nvidia and other American companies, a strategy aimed at limiting the artificial intelligence capabilities of certain nations. This approach would enhance existing restrictions originally focused on curbing China's ambitions in AI, as Washington assesses the global security risks associated with AI development. The response from leading AI chip manufacturers to these potential U.S. restrictions remains uncertain. Notably, when the Biden administration first enacted broad chip regulations for China, Nvidia adapted its AI offerings to maintain access to that market.

Chip war: China claims breakthrough in silicon photonics that could clear technical hurdle

SCMP: ? A state-funded semiconductor lab in China has announced a significant “milestone” in the advancement of silicon photonics, a breakthrough that could enable the country to overcome existing technical challenges in chip design and work towards self-sufficiency amid U.S. sanctions. Silicon photonics offers a potentially greater opportunity for China, especially as U.S. export controls on advanced chip-making technologies have impeded the growth of traditional semiconductor manufacturing. This development is anticipated to bring about a “paradigm shift” in the industry.

Key lawmakers push to cut off Huawei suppliers from US chip gear

SCMP: Key U.S. lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to prohibit suppliers of Huawei Technologies from purchasing American chipmaking equipment, intensifying efforts to hinder the sanctioned Chinese telecom giant's advancements in semiconductor manufacturing. This summer, U.S. officials employed a hardball negotiating tactic to gain support from allies, warning that they might directly limit the China sales of foreign companies—a move perceived abroad as an excessive overreach. However, allies have shown little interest in complying with the chip control demands of a presidential administration set to leave office in January. Notably, Japan is particularly apprehensive about potential retaliation from China if it aligns with Washington's requests.

LinkedIn’s 930 Million Users Unknowingly Train AI, Sparking Data Privacy Concerns

PYMNTS: ? The recent update to LinkedIn's User Agreement and Privacy Policy, set to take effect on November 20, has raised alarms within the business community. The professional networking giant acknowledged that it has been using users' data to train its AI without obtaining consent. While users will have the option to opt out of future data usage for training purposes, there is no mechanism to reverse the effects of past data use. This disclosure has highlighted growing concerns among experts regarding the tension between AI innovation and user privacy.

LinkedIn Halts AI Data Processing in U.K. Amid Privacy Concerns Raised by ICO

Thehackernews: ?LinkedIn has announced that it will not allow training for generative AI on user data from the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, stating that the option will remain unavailable to members in these regions until further notice. This decision follows confirmation from the U.K. Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) that LinkedIn has suspended the processing of users' data in the country for the purpose of training its artificial intelligence (AI) models.

Big Tech

Elon Musk's X to be reinstated in Brazil after complying with court

Euronews: Brazilians are set to regain access to the social media platform X after the country’s Supreme Court lifted a six-week ban. This decision follows a months-long dispute between X owner Elon Musk and Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who imposed the ban after X declined to block several accounts that the government claimed were spreading misinformation regarding the 2022 Brazilian presidential election. While Brazil's ban is notable, it is not unique; such drastic measures are typically associated with authoritarian regimes. The platform, previously known as Twitter, has faced bans in countries including Russia, China, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Venezuela, and Turkmenistan. Additionally, nations like Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt have temporarily suspended X to manage dissent and civil unrest.

US weighs Google break-up in historic Big Tech antitrust case

SCMP: The U.S. Justice Department is considering requesting a federal judge to mandate Google to divest certain parts of its business, marking a potential historic breakup of one of the world's largest tech companies. This move is part of a broader effort by the Justice Department and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to tackle Big Tech dominance, which involves scrutinizing various deals and investments while accusing some of the nation’s most powerful corporations of illegally controlling markets. This case fits within a larger crackdown on technology giants; earlier this year, the Department of Justice sued Apple for stifling innovation by preventing rivals from accessing its hardware and software features. Additionally, the FTC has initiated inquiries into Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon.com regarding their investments in AI startups as part of an investigation into the competitive impact of these partnerships.

Sam Altman’s rebranded Worldcoin ramps up iris-scanning crypto project

Inc.com : Worldcoin, the cryptocurrency initiative founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, announced on Thursday that it is rebranding as World Network and intensifying its efforts to scan the irises of every human using its specialized “orb” devices. The project's central feature is the World ID, which the company markets as a “digital passport” designed to verify that its holder is a real human, distinguishing them from AI chatbots online. However, privacy advocates have raised concerns regarding the collection, storage, and use of personal data associated with the project.