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US Proposes Requiring Reporting for Advanced AI, Cloud Providers

A sign in front of Department of Commerce building is seen before an expected report of new home sales numbers in Washington, US, January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A sign in front of Department of Commerce building is seen before an expected report of new home sales numbers in Washington, US, January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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US Proposes Requiring Reporting for Advanced AI, Cloud Providers

A sign in front of Department of Commerce building is seen before an expected report of new home sales numbers in Washington, US, January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
A sign in front of Department of Commerce building is seen before an expected report of new home sales numbers in Washington, US, January 26, 2022. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

The US Commerce Department said Monday it is proposing to require detailed reporting requirements for advanced artificial intelligence developers and cloud computing providers to ensure the technologies are safe and can withstand cyberattacks.

The proposal from the department's Bureau of Industry and Security would set mandatory reporting to the federal government about development activities of "frontier" AI models and computing clusters.

It would also require reporting on cybersecurity measures as well as outcomes from so-called red-teaming efforts like testing for dangerous capabilities including the ability to assist in cyberattacks or lowering barriers to entry for non-experts to develop chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons.

External red-teaming has been used for years in cybersecurity to identify new risks, with the term referring to US Cold War simulations where the enemy was termed the "red team."

Generative AI - which can create text, photos and videos in response to open-ended prompts - has spurred excitement as well as fears it could make some jobs obsolete, upend elections and potentially overpower humans and have catastrophic effects, Reuters reported.

Commerce said the information collected under the proposal "will be vital for ensuring these technologies meet stringent standards for safety and reliability, can withstand cyberattacks, and have limited risk of misuse by foreign adversaries or non-state actors."

President Joe Biden in October 2023 signed an executive order requiring developers of AI systems that pose risks to US national security, the economy, public health or safety to share the results of safety tests with the US government before they are released to the public.

The rule would establish reporting requirements for advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models and computing clusters.

The regulatory push comes as legislative action in Congress on AI has stalled.

Earlier this year, the BIS conducted a pilot survey of AI developers. The Biden administration has taken a series of steps to prevent China from using US technology for AI, as the burgeoning sector raises security concerns.

Top cloud providers include Amazon.com's AWS, Alphabet's Google Cloud and Microsoft's Azure unit.

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Technology

KAUST Scientists Develop AI-Generated Data to Improve Environmental Disaster Tracking

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) logo
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) logo
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KAUST Scientists Develop AI-Generated Data to Improve Environmental Disaster Tracking

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) logo
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) logo

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and SARsatX, a Saudi company specializing in Earth observation technologies, have developed computer-generated data to train deep learning models to predict oil spills.

According to KAUST, validating the use of synthetic data is crucial for monitoring environmental disasters, as early detection and rapid response can significantly reduce the risks of environmental damage.

Dean of the Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division at KAUST Dr. Matthew McCabe noted that one of the biggest challenges in environmental applications of artificial intelligence is the shortage of high-quality training data.

He explained that this challenge can be addressed by using deep learning to generate synthetic data from a very small sample of real data and then training predictive AI models on it.

This approach can significantly enhance efforts to protect the marine environment by enabling faster and more reliable monitoring of oil spills while reducing the logistical and environmental challenges associated with data collection.

Technology

Uber, Lyft to Test Baidu Robotaxis in UK from Next Year 

A sign of Baidu is pictured at the company's headquarters in Beijing, China March 16, 2023. (Reuters)
A sign of Baidu is pictured at the company's headquarters in Beijing, China March 16, 2023. (Reuters)
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Uber, Lyft to Test Baidu Robotaxis in UK from Next Year 

A sign of Baidu is pictured at the company's headquarters in Beijing, China March 16, 2023. (Reuters)
A sign of Baidu is pictured at the company's headquarters in Beijing, China March 16, 2023. (Reuters)

Uber Technologies and Lyft are teaming up with Chinese tech giant Baidu to try out driverless taxis in the UK next year, marking a major step in the global race to commercialize robotaxis.

It highlights how ride-hailing platforms are accelerating autonomous rollout through partnerships, positioning London as an early proving ground for large-scale robotaxi services ‌in Europe.

Lyft, meanwhile, plans ‌to deploy Baidu's ‌autonomous ⁠vehicles in Germany ‌and the UK under its platform, pending regulatory approval. Both companies have abandoned in-house development of autonomous vehicles and now rely on alliances to accelerate adoption.

The partnerships underscore how global robotaxi rollouts are gaining momentum. ⁠Alphabet's Waymo said in October it would start ‌tests in London this ‍month, while Baidu ‍and WeRide have launched operations in the ‍Middle East and Switzerland.

Robotaxis promise safer, greener and more cost-efficient rides, but profitability remains uncertain. Public companies like Pony.ai and WeRide are still loss-making, and analysts warn the economics of expensive fleets could pressure margins ⁠for platforms such as Uber and Lyft.

Analysts have said hybrid networks, mixing robotaxis with human drivers, may be the most viable model to manage demand peaks and pricing.

Lyft completed its $200 million acquisition of European taxi app FreeNow from BMW and Mercedes-Benz in July, marking its first major expansion beyond North America and ‌giving the US ride-hailing firm access to nine countries across Europe.

Technology

Italy Fines Apple Nearly 100m Euros over App Privacy Feature

An Apple logo hangs above the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City, July 21, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
An Apple logo hangs above the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City, July 21, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Italy Fines Apple Nearly 100m Euros over App Privacy Feature

An Apple logo hangs above the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City, July 21, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
An Apple logo hangs above the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City, July 21, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Italy's competition authority said Monday it had fined US tech giant Apple 98 million euros ($115 million) for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the mobile app market.

According to AFP, the AGCM said in a statement that Apple had violated privacy regulations for third-party developers in a market where it "holds a super-dominant position through its App Store".

The body said its investigation had established the "restrictive nature" of the "privacy rules imposed by Apple... on third-party developers of apps distributed through the App Store".

The rules of Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) "are imposed unilaterally and harm the interests of Apple's commercial partners", according to the AGCM statement.

French antitrust authorities earlier this year handed Apple a 150-million euro fine over its app tracking privacy feature.

Authorities elsewhere in Europe have also opened similar probes over ATT, which Apple promotes as a privacy safeguard.

The feature, introduced by Apple in 2021, requires apps to obtain user consent through a pop-up window before tracking their activity across other apps and websites.

If they decline, the app loses access to information on that user which enables ad targeting.

Critics have accused Apple of using the system to promote its own advertising services while restricting competitors.