Politico

AI development is often framed as a race among countries, companies and academic researchers. But figuring out who’s actually “winning” is far from straightforward. There’s no single yardstick, and models can look more or less advanced, depending on what you measure.

Infiltrating phone apps has become an increasingly common practice, both for propaganda and surveillance. Hacking a phone app can be more effective than trying to tap into a computer, according to Nicholas Reese, former director of emerging technology policy at the Department of Homeland Security. People generally store more personal information on their phones, often without realizing it. Accessing a computer typically requires infiltrating popular cloud services, which have sophisticated and standardized security protections.

Hawkish fears about falling behind China are helping to drive forward American AI development. However, some scholars, activists, and proponents of AI regulation warn the race between the two countries could get out of hand.

As more and more people divulge their innermost secrets to AI companions, platforms face the wrenching dilemma of determining when those admissions might signal a deadly threat to the public.