Global AI regulation urgently needed, UN tech chief says
Doreen Bogdan-Martin, head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agency, said she hoped that AI 'can actually benefit humanity.'
But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology – including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying – she insisted that regulation was key.
'There's an urgency to try to get … the right framework in place,' she said, stressing the need for 'a global approach.'
Her comments came after US President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI.
Among more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to 'remove red tape and onerous regulation' that could hinder private sector AI development.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
2 hours ago
- RTHK
US job growth weaker than expected
US job growth weaker than expected Employment in healthcare and social assistance continues to rise, but private sector firms are adopting a wait-and-see approach before hiring. File photo: Reuters US job growth missed expectations in July, official data showed on Friday, while revisions to hiring figures in recent months brought them to the weakest levels since the Covid-19 pandemic. The employment numbers point to risks in the key labour market as companies grapple with US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs – putting pressure on the central bank as it mulls the best time to cut interest rates. The world's biggest economy added 73,000 jobs last month, while hiring numbers were revised significantly lower for May and June, the Labor Department said. The jobless rate nudged up from 4.1 percent to 4.2 percent. Experts have warned that private sector firms appear to be in a wait-and-see mode due to heightened uncertainty over Trump's rapidly changing trade policy. With tariff levels climbing since the start of the year, both on imports from various countries and on sector-specific products such as steel, aluminium and autos, many firms have faced higher business costs. On Friday, the Department of Labor said hiring numbers for May were revised down from 144,000 to 19,000. The figure for June was shifted from 147,000 to 14,000. This was notably lower than job creation levels in recent years. During the pandemic, the economy lost jobs. Average hourly earnings rose by 0.3 percent to US$36.44 in July, the Labor Department said. It added that employment continued rising in healthcare and in social assistance, while the federal government continued shedding jobs. The US economy has added an average of just 35,000 jobs per month since May, data showed. A sharp weakening in the labour market could push the Federal Reserve towards slashing interest rates sooner to shore up the economy. (AFP)
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Chinese scientists double artillery gun lifespan with 2,000-year-old chromium tech upgrade
Scientists in northwest China have doubled the service life of high-temperature, high-pressure artillery barrels by refining a chromium plating technique first used by the Chinese military before 200BC. Bronze swords buried with the Terracotta Army of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang , remained sharp and untarnished after more than 2,000 years underground. Microscopic analysis revealed a thin layer of chromium salts – just 10 to 15 micrometres thick – on their surfaces, protected by an underlying oxide film that had all but halted corrosion, seen as evidence of a sophisticated surface treatment technique mastered by ancient Chinese metallurgists. According to a study published in the July issue of Acta Armamentarii, China's top defence tech journal, researchers have now upgraded this ancient method into a cutting-edge solution for one of modern artillery's most persistent challenges – barrel erosion. High-velocity cannons and advanced howitzers face extreme conditions with every firing. Inside the barrel, temperatures soar past 3,000 degrees Celsius (5,432 degrees Fahrenheit) and pressures exceed tens of thousands of atmospheres. The combined effect of chemical erosion from propellant gases, mechanical abrasion from projectiles and thermal shock from repeated firings leads to rapid wear, microcracking and eventual degradation of the bore.
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
‘How can we trust you?': China's state media calls on Nvidia to prove safety of H20 chip
The article, entitled 'How can we trust you, Nvidia', called on the US company to 'comply with requests and provide convincing proof of security' to help regain the trust of its Chinese customers. 'Guarding network security is as important as protecting national territory,' the article said, adding that China should never use 'sick chips'. The People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party , cited examples of how cyberattacks and satellite network glitches have weighed down public services in Russia , including disruption of services at airlines and pharmacies. 'Nvidia does not have 'back doors' in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them,' an Nvidia representative wrote in an email to the South China Morning Post on Thursday night. Chinese state media's attention showed a pressure-cooker-like situation for Nvidia amid its efforts to remain a major supplier of AI chips to China, while abiding by the trade restrictions imposed by the US government on the mainland.
