At a glance.
- Ireland to participate in EU cyber cooperation program.
- Chinese government calls for increased regulation of AI.
- US State Department official highlights benefits of Section 702.
Ireland to participate in EU cyber cooperation program.
The Irish Cabinet has approved the country’s participation in the Military Computer Emergency Response Team Operational Network. BreakingNews.ie explains that the four-year European Defence Agency (EDA) initiative will be focused on bolstering cyber response and communication among EU member states. The EDA’s goal is to improve cooperation and promote a coordinated response to the ever-increasing number of cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, including military missions and operations in the EU. Ireland has been a member of the European Defence Agency since its creation in 2004, and participation in the initiative will now be subject to approval by the Dáil Éireann.
Chinese government calls for increased regulation of AI.
Beijing is calling for elevated national security measures in the face of the potential risks posed by artificial intelligence, AP News reports. The ruling Communist Party issued the statement after a meeting Tuesday headed by President Xi Jinping focused on the need to improve the security governance of internet data and AI. The official Xinhua News Agency stated, “It was stressed at the meeting that the complexity and severity of national security problems faced by our country have increased dramatically. The national security front must build up strategic self-confidence, have enough confidence to secure victory, and be keenly aware of its own strengths and advantages.” President Xi reportedly says the government needs a “new pattern of development with a new security architecture” to better prepare to face these challenges. The statement was issued just after a letter was posted on the Center for AI Safety’s website signed by hundreds of US tech industry leaders and warning of the dangers artificial intelligence could pose to humankind. “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war,” the letter read.
US State Department official highlights benefits of Section 702.
In the continuing debate over whether the US government should extend Section 702, the controversial surveillance program set to expire at the end of this year, a senior State Department official stated yesterday that 702 was instrumental in helping the State Department learn about North Korea’s attempts to commit digital fraud to fund its nuclear program. At a Center for Strategic and International Studies event in Washington on Tuesday, Brett Holmgren, the State Department’s assistant secretary for its Bureau of Intelligence and Research, stated, “From Russia, China, Iran and North Korea to foreign influence and cyber threats, 702 reporting provides our analysts with unique insights that when combined with other sources of information, make our policymakers better informed about the issues so they can make better decisions.” As well, Holmgren said the surveillance program had helped support State Department human rights work, including acting against surveillance of dissidents in the Middle East and monitoring “Russian atrocities” in Ukraine. As CyberScoop explains, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows for US intelligence agencies to conduct warrantless searches of the communications of non-US citizens in America, but some advocates say Section 702 poses a threat to citizen privacy.