Experts and specialists discuss misinformation and influence operations at the International Defence Conference 2025
The session examined the techniques used by state and non-state actors, the influence of AI and deepfake technology in misinformation campaigns, the ethical implications of using information as a weapon, and the role of social media platforms in spreading disinformation. It also delved into strategies for detecting and countering misinformation, as well as collaboration between governments, the private sector, and civil society organisations to build a resilient information environment.
H.E. Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry, Republic of Armenia, emphasised that Armenian companies are making significant investments in AI solutions. However, while AI brings immense advancements, it also introduces new risks and challenges, making public-private partnerships essential. He stressed that governments must collaborate with civil society to combat fake news and enhance media literacy. Investing in research, development, infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks is crucial to mitigating these risks. He also highlighted Armenia's recent accession to the Paris Declaration, reinforcing its commitment to global cooperation in addressing AI-driven threats.
Vice Admiral (Ret.) Kevin Donegan, Former US NAVCENT & Fifth Fleet Commander, Senior Advisor, TRENDS US, noted that while misinformation is not a new phenomenon, its scale and speed have increased dramatically. Both state and non-state actors exploit misinformation to gain strategic advantages, including in global supply chains. Effective countermeasures require trusted information sources, robust cybersecurity policies, and public-private sector partnerships. He added that legislation, such as criminalising deepfake misinformation, can be helpful but is not sufficient on its own. Public awareness, education, and open dialogue are equally critical. He commended the UAE for providing a platform for such discussions and stressed the urgency of taking swift action to safeguard truth and trust in information sources.
Liisa Past, Cyber Security & Strategic Communication Expert, Former National Cyber Director, Estonia, described the evolving landscape of information manipulation as "a world of mutual assured doubt." She noted that AI is both a threat and a tool, as it enables fake content while also aiding in the detection and countering of false narratives.
Meanwhile, Ayesha Manzoor Wattoo, Director General, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, PEMRA, warned of the detrimental consequences of misinformation, particularly in elections, public health, and social stability. She pointed out that false propaganda in Pakistan has eroded trust in democracy, contributed to vaccine hesitancy in rural areas, and had spillover effects in Myanmar and India. To combat this, workshops and grassroots initiatives are being conducted to educate journalists and the public on fact-checking and verifying information before spreading misinformation.
The conference, themed 'Defence Reimagined: Innovation, Integration and Resilience' is organised by ADNEC Group in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and the Tawazun Council. It brings together high-ranking government officials, defence policymakers, industry leaders, innovators, and representatives of multinational corporations.
The International Defence Conference 2025 witnessed high-level international participation, attracting prominent global figures in defence, economics, and technology, as well as senior military leaders from various nations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Dubai Eye
30 minutes ago
- Dubai Eye
Israel bombards Gaza City overnight; Hamas leader due in Cairo for ceasefire talks
Israeli planes and tanks kept bombarding eastern areas of Gaza City overnight, killing at least 11 people, witnesses and medics said on Tuesday, with Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya due in Cairo for talks to revive a US-backed ceasefire plan. The latest round of indirect talks in Qatar ended in deadlock in late July with Israel and Hamas trading blame over the lack of progress on a US proposal for a 60-day truce and hostage release deal. Israel has since said it will launch a new offensive and seize control of Gaza City, which it captured shortly after the war's outbreak in October 2023 before pulling out. It is unclear how long a new Israeli military incursion into the sprawling city in north Gaza, now widely reduced to rubble, could last or how it would differ from the earlier operation. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to expand military control over Gaza, expected to be launched in October, has increased a global outcry over the widespread devastation of the territory and a hunger crisis spreading among Gaza's largely homeless population of over two million. It has also stirred criticism in Israel, with the military chief of staff warning it could endanger surviving hostages and prove a death trap for Israeli soldiers. It has also raised fears of further displacement and hardship among the estimated one million Palestinians in the Gaza City region. Witnesses and medics said Israeli planes and tanks pounded eastern districts of Gaza City again overnight, killing seven people in two houses in the Zeitoun suburb and four in an apartment building in the city centre. In the south of the enclave, five people including a couple and their child were killed by an Israeli airstrike on a house in the city of Khan Younis and four by a strike on a tent encampment in nearby, coastal Mawasi, medics said. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports and that its forces take precautions to mitigate civilian harm. Separately, it said on Tuesday that its forces had killed dozens of militants in north Gaza over the past month and destroyed more tunnels used by militants in the area. MORE DEATHS FROM STARVATION, MALNUTRITION Five more people, including two children, have died of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza in the past 24 hours, the territory's health ministry said. The new deaths raised the number of deaths from the same causes to 227, including 103 children, since the war started, it added. Israel disputes the malnutrition fatality figures reported by the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. The war began on October 7, 2023 when Hamas-led fighters stormed over the border into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures, in the country's worst ever security lapse. Israel's ground and air war against Hamas in Gaza since then has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, left much of the enclave in ruins and wrought a humanitarian disaster with grave shortages of food, drinking water and safe shelter. Netanyahu, whose far-right ultranationalist coalition allies want an outright Israeli takeover and re-settlement of Gaza, has vowed the war will not end until Hamas is eradicated. A Palestinian official with knowledge of the ceasefire talks said Hamas was prepared to return to the negotiating table. However, the gaps between the sides appear to remain wide on key issues including the extent of any Israeli military withdrawal and demands for Hamas to disarm, which it has ruled out before a Palestinian state is established. An Arab diplomat said mediators Egypt and Qatar have not given up on reviving the negotiations and that Israel's decision to announce its new Gaza City offensive plan may serve to bring Hamas back to the negotiating table.
Dubai Eye
30 minutes ago
- Dubai Eye
Iraq restores power after blackouts hit the country
Power has been restored in Iraq, a government official said on Tuesday, a day after electricity outages hit large parts of the country. Electricity ministry sources had told Reuters a sudden shutdown at the Hamidiya power plant in the western province of Anbar led to a fault in the electricity transmission network that caused a power outage in the central and southern regions of the country. The temperature in the capital Baghdad reached a high of 48 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. "The defect was brought under control and fixed in record time, and the power system is now stable," Adel Karim, an adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, told Reuters on Tuesday. Many Iraqis have relied for years on privately operated generators for power as government-provided electricity was only intermittently available. Others have turned to solar power to help meet their electricity needs. A member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and one of the world's leading oil producers, Iraq has struggled to provide its citizens with energy since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. In the ensuing turmoil, under-investment and mismanagement left the national grid unable to cope with demand. In March, US President Donald Trump's administration rescinded a waiver that had allowed Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, as part of Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran. Iraq is heavily dependent on Iranian natural gas imports to generate power.
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Trump's gold tariffs accelerate Bitcoin's rise to record highs
Bitcoin is fast approaching uncharted territory, with prices surging as US President Donald Trump's steep tariffs on imported gold bars jolt traditional safe-haven markets and redirect capital into the world's largest cryptocurrency. A potent mix of macroeconomic shifts, institutional inflows, and policy reforms is propelling Bitcoin to the forefront of global finance, redefining its role as 'digital gold.' Early Monday, Bitcoin jumped more than 3.3 per cent to $122,150, according to TradingView, inching closer to its all-time high of $123,000 set earlier this summer. The rally followed Trump's decision to impose a 39 per cent tariff on imported gold — a move that disrupted bullion markets and sparked a flight of capital into digital assets immune to border taxes, storage limitations, and sudden regulatory changes. The gold tariff shock came alongside Trump's announcement of a 90-day extension on the pause for tariffs against Chinese goods, delaying a previous August 12 deadline. The reprieve briefly boosted risk sentiment in broader markets, but for Bitcoin, the more decisive factor was the blow to gold's appeal as a crisis hedge. Analysts say the shift is clear. 'For years, gold has held the mantle of crisis hedge,' said Nigel Green, CEO of global financial advisory group deVere. 'But when tariffs raise the cost of a physical asset, Bitcoin's frictionless nature — immune to taxes, borders, and policy whims—becomes exponentially more compelling. Trump's gold tariffs didn't just shift investor behaviour, they turbocharged Bitcoin's evolution into digital gold.' Institutional flows tell the story. In July alone, $14.9 billion poured into Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) globally, with a record $12.8 billion heading into US spot funds. The scale of this investment underscores a growing conviction that Bitcoin is not just a speculative trade, but a strategic portfolio allocation in an era of political and economic volatility. 'Institutional capital doesn't move lightly,' Green noted. 'When a macro shock changes the economics of traditional havens like gold, digital alternatives suddenly look like necessities. Bitcoin is benefitting from both clarity in US policy and a growing recognition among institutions that value can—and should—exist outside the constraints of legacy systems.' Trump's policies are also actively supporting this shift. A recent executive order now allows cryptocurrencies in 401(k) retirement plans — a potential gateway to as much as $9 trillion in retirement assets. While this development was not the sole catalyst for Monday's surge, market participants say it strengthens the narrative of Bitcoin as a legitimate, long-term store of value. Henrik Andersson, chief investment officer at Apollo Crypto, said the breakout was 'overdue' after a month-long consolidation between $115,000 and $120,000. 'We have seen positive ETF flows, more treasury companies buying Bitcoin, and a number of positive developments coming out of the White House,' he said. 'In our view, it was just a matter of time before it would break up.' Beyond executive action, recent bipartisan legislation — the Genius Act and the Clarity Act — has further reassured investors by cementing the regulated status of cryptocurrencies in the US. This policy stability, coupled with geopolitical tensions and gold market disruptions, is fuelling a broad-based rally across digital assets. According to CoinMarketCap, total cryptocurrency market capitalisation rose nearly 2 per cent in the past 24 hours to $4.02 trillion, with trading volumes climbing almost 6 per cent to $176.88 billion. Ethereum, Solana, Tron, Dogecoin, and Hyperliquid gained up to 6 per cent, while smaller tokens like Pump(dot)fun, Lido DAO, and Ethena rallied between 10 and 16 per cent. The price momentum is also attracting longer-term investors, with some rebalancing portfolios away from physical assets vulnerable to political interference. 'If gold—once untouchable—is now vulnerable to regulatory shifts, digital alternatives are not just attractive, they're increasingly inevitable,' said Green. 'Trump's tariffs have helped rewrite the hierarchy of store-of-value assets.' Market strategists warn that the coming weeks could be pivotal. Bitcoin's ability to decisively clear the $123,000 threshold may set the tone for its next growth phase. Crypto analyst Altcoin Sherpa outlined two likely short-term scenarios: a gradual pullback to form a stronger base, or a sharp liquidity test near $120,000 influenced by Treasury movements and broader economic indicators. All eyes are now on mid-August US inflation data, with consumer and producer price reports expected to shape the Federal Reserve's September rate decision. A rate cut—currently seen as increasingly likely—could further weaken the dollar and provide another tailwind for Bitcoin. For now, Bitcoin's rally is being framed as more than a speculative spike. It is, in the eyes of many market participants, a structural reallocation of capital in response to the changing economics of safety and trust in the financial system.
