Graphic Truth: Governments vs The Internet

Governments are shutting down the internet more and more frequently. In 2018, there were 188 major government-initiated shutdowns or disruptions of the web, compared to just 33 in 2015, according to the digital rights advocacy group AccessNow. Here's a look at the global trend.

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Photogrammetry, AI, and digital preservation combine to create a digital twin of St. Peter’s Basilica with over 400,000 images, allowing visitors to explore it in detail from anywhere in the world. La Basilica di San Pietro — a collaboration between the Vatican, Iconem, and Microsoft — gives everyone full access to Vatican City’s most iconic church via AI-enabled immersive exhibits and an interactive website. Learn more about the project and explore the digital twin here.

Proud Source Water became a Walmart supplier in 2021. Today, their team has grown 50%, and they're the largest employer in Mackay, ID. When local suppliers work with Walmart, their business can grow. In fact, two-thirds of Walmart's product spend is on products made, grown, or assembled in America. By working with Walmart, local businesses like Proud Source Water can reach more customers, hire more people, and help their communities thrive. Explore the positive impact of Walmart's $350 billion investment in US manufacturing.

A general view of the German lower house of parliament, in Berlin, Germany.
REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Under a plan agreed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the opposition, Europe’s largest economy is now headed toward early elections in February.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un attend a state reception in Pyongyang, North Korea, in June, 2024.

Sputnik/Vladimir Smirnov/Pool via REUTERS

North Korea's state-controlled news agency KCNA announced on Tuesday that the country has ratified a strategic partnership agreement that allows Russia to use North Korean troops to help push Ukrainians from Russia’s Kursk region.

Midjourney

Artificial intelligence was not a primary focus of the US presidential campaign for either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, and AI-generated disinformation did not disrupt election proceedings like many experts feared. Still, with Republicans looking set for a clean sweep of the White House and both chambers of Congress, the election results have major implications for the future of AI.

AI-generated cyber threats have C-suite leaders on edge.
Fortune via Reuters

The Biden administration is planning to support a controversial United Nations treaty on cybercrime, which will be the first legally binding agreement on cybersecurity.

An illustration of the ChatGPT logo on a phone screen, along with the US flag and court gavel.
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters

A federal judge in Manhattan last Thursday threw out a lawsuit filed by the news outlets Raw Story and AlterNet against OpenAI, alleging that the artificial intelligence startup behind ChatGPT used its articles improperly to train large language models.

Flags of Taiwan and the US.
Tyrone Siu/Reuters

The US Department of Commerce ordered Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to stop shipping advanced chips to Chinese customers starting yesterday, Monday, Nov. 11. The government sent a letter to TSMC specifying that this restriction applies to all chips that are seven nanometers or smaller, which can be used to power artificial intelligence models.

- YouTube

Ian Bremmer's Quick Take: With Donald Trump heading back to the Oval Office, loyalty among personnel is expected to play a major role in shaping policy, affecting everything from trade tensions with China and US-Middle East relations. In his latest Quick Take, Ian Bremmer explains the potential impacts on global politics.