| HEADLINES AT A GLANCE Debate over Foreign Workers in Tech Shows Tensions in Trump Coalition Rules Proposed to Limit Impact of Healthcare Data Leaks Hinton Shortens Odds of AI Wiping Out Humanity Trump Urges Supreme Court to Delay TikTok Ban AI Needs So Much Power, It’s Making Yours Worse NATO’s Emergency Plan for an Orbital Backup Internet TSMC Begins Mass Production at First Japan Chip Plant Mexico Tests Alert App for Migrants Facing U.S. Detention AI Could Reshape the Economic Geography of the U.S. 9th Telecom Hacked by Chinese-backed Group AI, the Electricians, and the Boom Towns of Central Washington South Korea Accelerates Semiconductor Hub |
 Criticism of Donald Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on AI policy sparked an online debate between factions of Trump’s supporters. Krishnan favors permitting more skilled immigrants into the U.S., while Laura Loomer, a right-wing Internet personality, said the stance was “not America First policy.” Elon Musk, who came to the U.S. from South Africa on an H-1B visa, posted, "There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley." [ » Read full article ] Associated Press; Michelle, L. Price (December 27, 2024) |
| A proposed rule posted to the Federal Register on Friday would require healthcare organizations to boost their cybersecurity to prevent sensitive information from being leaked in breaches. The proposal included requiring the encryption of data so it cannot be accessed even if leaked, and requiring compliance checks to ensure networks meet cybersecurity rules. [ » Read full article ] Reuters; A.J. Vicens (December 27, 2024) |
 ACM A. M. Turing Award laureate Geoffrey Hinton has shortened the odds of AI wiping out humanity over the next three decades, warning the pace of change in the technology is “much faster” than expected. In an interview, Hinton, who this year was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in AI, said there was a “10% to 20%” chance that AI would lead to human extinction within the next 30 years. [ » Read full article *May Require Paid Registration ] The Guardian (U.K.); Dan Milmo (December 27, 2024) |
 U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to delay an upcoming TikTok ban while he works on a "political resolution." His lawyer filed a legal brief with the court Friday that said Trump "opposes banning TikTok" and "seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office." [ » Read full article ] BBC News; Bernd Debusmann Jr. (December 28, 2024) |
 A Bloomberg analysis shows that more than 75% of highly distorted power readings across the U.S. are within 50 miles of significant datacenter activity, based on readings from 770,000 home sensors. The problem is threatening billions of dollars in damage to home appliances and aging power equipment, especially in areas like Chicago and "datacenter alley" in Northern Virginia, where distorted power readings exceed recommended levels. [ » Read full article *May Require Paid Registration ] Bloomberg; Leonardo Nicoletti; Naureen Malik; Andre Tartar (December 27, 2024) |
 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) launched a pilot project in response to recent disruptions to undersea Internet data traffic. The goal of the HEIST project is to ensure that when underwater data cables are damaged, operators will know their precise locations in order to mitigate disruptions. The project also aims to expand the number of pathways for data to travel. In particular, HEIST will investigate ways to divert high-priority traffic to satellites in orbit. [ » Read full article ] IEEE Spectrum; Ned Potter (December 24, 2024) |
 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) started mass production at its first factory in Japan. The factory in Kumamoto Prefecture produces logic chips with 12 to 28 nanometer process technologies for use in cars and image sensors. TSMC plans to begin operations at a second factory next to the first to produce more advanced 6-nanometer chips by the end of 2027. Japan has agreed to provide more than 1 trillion yen ($6.3 billion) in subsidies to TSMC. [ » Read full article ] Kyodo News (Japan) (December 27, 2024) |
 Mexico is testing an app that will allow migrants to warn relatives and local consulates if they think they are about to be detained by U.S. immigration officials. The app has been rolled out for small-scale testing and “appears to be working very well,” said Juan Ramón de la Fuente, Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs. He said the app would allow users to send an alert notification to previously chosen relatives and the nearest Mexican consulate. [ » Read full article ] Associated Press (December 27, 2024) |
 As AI's use and benefits move beyond a few big city hubs, once-struggling cities in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and South are poised to be among the beneficiaries. An academic study by labor economists points to those cities' educated work forces, affordable housing, and occupations and industries being less likely to be replaced or disrupted by AI as the primary reasons. These cities are well positioned to use AI to become more productive, helping to draw more people. [ » Read full article *May Require Paid Registration ] The New York Times; Steve Lohr (December 26, 2024) |
| U.S. officials added a ninth telecommunications company to the list of entities compromised by a Chinese-linked cyberespionage operation known as Salt Typhoon. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Dec. 18 urged senior government and political figures to move mobile communications to end-to-end encrypted apps as a result of the breaches. Officials have said "a large number of Americans' metadata was taken" as part of the campaign. [ » Read full article ] Reuters; A. J. Vicens (December 27, 2024) |
 Electricians are flocking to regions around the country to work on the infrastructure of AI in areas that, for now, have power to spare. These traveling electricians are transforming central Washington, with power substations going up on orchards and farmland. Hundreds have come to a triangle of counties tied together by hydropower dams along the Columbia River. [ » Read full article *May Require Paid Registration ] The New York Times; Karen Weise (December 25, 2024) |
 The South Korean government has moved up the beginning of construction of what will be the world’s largest semiconductor hub, the Yongin Semiconductor National Industrial Complex, to start in December 2026. That nation’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport has designated the cluster as a national industrial complex three months ahead of schedule and expedited regulatory approvals to facilitate construction years ahead of schedule. [ » Read full article ] SiliconANGLE; Duncan Riley (December 26, 2024) |