#TechAways: Tech vs trade ??, AI in newsrooms ??, microplastics in your brain ??

Hi everyone,?

This is Antonio. I work on EU trade policy, which means that, depending on the day, I need to deal with things that go from potatoes to high-tech software. My profile and routine are not the one of a tech aficionado. I don't use social media, I changed my phone only after it fell multiple times, I don't have a music streaming subscription, and I only have a TV streaming account because my parents pay for it.?

In spite of that, it didn’t escape me that trade is not just about shipping containers, but also data flows, electronic transmissions, protection of source code. Hence digital trade is becoming a significant part of EU policy, and of my job as a consequence. On the other hand, trade policy can become an instrument to challenge other countries’ tech regulations… as Trump is showing us.?

One of the main differences between Trump I and Trump II is probably the new Administration’s support for the US tech companies – consequence of the alliance with digital entrepreneurs. On February 21, the Administration announced an investigation into EU’s policies and practices that limit US businesses, which could lead to duties on EU exports. This directly targets the precious EU regulation – all the beautiful acronyms that flooded our social media feeds and news reports in the past years, namely the DSA, DMA and AI Act, but also digital services taxes. You may remember the 2020 precedent, when the US prevented Paris from adopting a digital services tax by threatening duties on French handbags and wines.??

Even with those tariff threats hanging over Brussels, the Commission reassures: this time is different, this time we’re ready. It’s true to some extent – under the new anti-coercion instrument, for example, the EU can react more effectively to economic bullying, including by restricting US Big Tech operations in the single market. Tariffs to undermine EU legislation (or convince an EU country to sell an Arctic island) should trigger the new instrument, though possibly at a snail pace – a vote from EU countries is necessary before adopting countermeasures.??

Back to tech! Another recent EU trade trend is the negotiation of digital trade agreements (DTAs) as, after all, we are a leader in the export of digital services. Under a DTA, a country commits to ensuring cross-border data flows, facilitating the provision of digitally-enabled goods (like sales via online platforms), services (like telecommunication, ICT), but also consumer protection. However, much like free trade agreements are opposed by farmers, EU privacy and consumers associations are critical of DTAs.?

The Commission insists that these deals will not limit the EU ability regulate the digital space. Most recently, the EU signed a DTA with Singapore that will be a template for negotiations with other tech hubs like Korea and Thailand. Move over, America – the EU may have found new guests to show its shining regulatory silverware.?

If you want to learn more about the tech dimension of trade, make sure to check out our sister newsletter, #TradeViews.?

Until next time!?

Antonio?

Love reading out-of-the-Brussels-bubble tech news??Share?it with your friends and colleagues. They can subscribe?here. Ideas? Suggestions? Comments? Send them?our way!??

#TechAways?is brought to you by SEC Newgate EU’s one and only #tech team?featuring Julia Piwowarska, Camilla Frison, Giuseppe Campa, Antonio Pilati and Ali El Majjaoui.?

There is a spoon in your brain, and not?figuratively?? [CNET]?

A recent study has revealed microplastic fragments in human brain tissue, equivalent to an entire plastic spoon’s worth. These particles don’t originate in our brains, but they end up there as a result of the contaminated food and drinks we consume. We’ve all heard about fish containing microplastics due to the waste we dump into the ocean, but there are also synthetic treats in tea bags, rice (especially instant varieties), and everyday staples like salt and sugar. On the bright side, the study suggests that the 39,000 - 52,000 microplastic particles we consume every year don’t pose a significant health risk. But that doesn’t mean we should ignore this invisible serial polluter. First of all, wash your rice and basically everything else you eat. Want to take it a step further? Ditch plastic wraps and make more sustainable choices.?

AI takes the Rorschach test and emotionally fails ?? [BBC Future]?

AI has finally been put through the iconic psychological test: the Rorschach inkblot test. The results? A masterclass in pattern recognition, but a total failure in human psychology. While humans project their fears, desires, or that one unsettling childhood memory onto the abstract shapes, AI simply describes symmetrical patterns, completely missing the emotional weight of the exercise. Psychologists say this proves AI is not capable of genuine thought. Instead of drawing meaning from personal experiences, it pulls from its training data, regurgitating responses that mimic human interpretations without truly understanding them. This test is just one of many that expose the limits of AI’s intelligence. Good (but bad for the wallet) news: you can keep paying your human therapist, AI is nowhere near ready to psychoanalyse you.?

AI in newsrooms: revolution or regression? ?? [Life Hacker]?

Newsrooms are embracing AI, but not all in the same way. The New York Times is playing both sides, suing OpenAI for copyright infringement while simultaneously encouraging its staff to experiment with AI tools. Quartz, on the other hand, has gone full cyborg, letting AI churn out articles with sloppy results. AP takes a more balanced approach, using AI for predictable content like sports scores and weather updates, but leaving the real journalism to humans. The Washington Post has built an AI-powered search assistant that generates quick answers from its archives, though it politely reminds readers to fact-check everything, which isn't exactly confidence-inspiring. The big question is: is AI making journalism better, or lazier? If news starts looking like ChatGPT, will readers stick around and pay for subscriptions??

?

Your next artificial gym buddy? ?? [Ars Technica]?

The next thing you would never expect to hear: robots are not only mimicking human movements, they are copying human biology! A new humanoid robot prototype is in the works, which moves through 1,000+ artificial muscles, attached to a polymer skeleton made of 206 bones, powered with a fluid-pumping electric heart. The 500-watt pump pushes the fluid, which fill balloons in the robot’s ‘muscle fibers’ (read: mesh tubes), to contract them. While this prototype’s development is still at an early stage, its functioning is very peculiar and it could prove decisive to achieve human-like movements in operating human tools and performing tasks like doing laundry, washing dishes, and preparing basic meals.?

?

Electrification and decarbonisation, yes! But can we keep up with the demand??? [MTR]?

We all rely on electricity, and it’s clear that we’re going to need even more of it. The computing behind AI is a significant factor, but it’s not the only reason for the over 4% global increase in power demand recorded last year. We’re also buying more electric vehicles, switching to electric heat pumps, and, basically, plugging in and charging everything that once ran on fossil fuels. We’ve been told this is the only way to cut emissions, and that’s somewhat true. Electrifying and decarbonising our industries is crucial to achieving net-zero emissions, but the concern is that without efficient and moderate energy use, keeping up with the? demand could become a major challenge.?

?

In case you haven’t had enough:?

A Jumping Lunar Robot Is About to Explore a Pitch-Black Moon Crater for the First Time [WIRED]?

Can dumbphones revive Europe’s mobile industry? [The Next Web]?

Welcome to robot city [MIT Technology Review]?

How North Korea pulled off a $1.5 billion crypto heist—the biggest in history [Ars Technica]?

The AI Hype Index: Falling in love with chatbots, understanding babies, and the Pentagon’s “kill list” [MIT Technology Review]?

About this week’s editor, Antonio Pilati:?

My name is Antonio and, as many around in Brussels, I’m Italian. I work on EU trade policy at SEC Newgate EU, which means that, depending on the day, I need to deal with things that vary from potatoes to high-tech software. In that capacity, I coordinate the newsletter #TradeViews. In free time I practice cycling and read about geography fun facts, but my main passion is Roman history.?