14 h. ago Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’ Targets China, U.S. Oil Firms Could Pay the Price: Bousso

Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’ Targets China, U.S. Oil Firms Could Pay the Price: Bousso  The China-Global South Project

Economics

22 h. ago Musk’s xAI sued over Grok deepfakes – this time, by mother of his child

The mother of one of Elon Musk’s children is suing his AI company, saying its Grok chatbot allowed users to generate sexually exploitative deepfake images of her that have caused her humiliation and emotional distress. Ashley St Clair, 27, who describes herself as a writer and political strategist, alleged in a lawsuit filed on Thursday in New York City against xAI that the images have included a photo of her fully dressed at age 14 that was altered to show her in a bikini, and others showing...

Politics

27 h. ago China calls Trump battleship ‘easier target’ amid mixed US reception

China calls Trump battleship ‘easier target’ amid mixed US reception  Military Times

Events

34 h. ago China dumps more US debt, buys other assets as Trump targets Powell

China trimmed its holdings of US Treasuries in November to the lowest level since 2008, diverging from a global trend that saw total foreign ownership of the debt instruments hit a record high. Analysts say the prospect of a politicised Federal Reserve chairmanship under Donald Trump’s presidency has deepened Beijing’s concerns over its exposure to American debt, with more cuts expected. Beijing’s stockpile fell to US$682.6 billion in November, down from US$688.7 billion in October, according to...

Politics

59 h. ago China targets wealthy influencers with audits, fines as fiscal pressures rise

China has ramped up audits involving online influencers and high-wage earners, as part of broader efforts to expand tax revenue and refine the taxation system. The State Taxation Administration on Wednesday spotlighted two fresh cases involving influencers in the centrally administered city of Chongqing and in Gansu province. In Chongqing, authorities ordered an influencer surnamed Peng – who has 30 million followers and works in online video production and commercial advertising – to pay 4.15...

Events

61 h. ago Hong Kong watchdog warns against using Musk’s Grok AI bot to create indecent images

Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has raised concerns over the potential misuse of the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok, developed by Elon Musk’s company, warning that using its image-generation function to create indecent or malicious content could amount to criminal offences. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) issued a statement on Thursday after various countries raised concerns about Grok’s image-editing function that allowed users to digitally “undress” real...

Events

63 h. ago Malaysia says X must prove Grok is safe before ban is lifted: ‘abuse is not freedom’

Malaysia is amenable to lifting its ban on Grok – but only if Elon Musk’s microblogging site X proves that its AI chatbot can no longer be used to generate sexualised images of women and minors, according to its communications minister. “X must prove that there will no longer be incidents of videos or images that can be misused by users. If that is settled, we can release the temporary ban,” Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said on Thursday. Over the weekend, Malaysia and Indonesia became...

Events

67 h. ago China’s Margin Scrutiny Targets Stock Froth Created by Tech Push

China’s Margin Scrutiny Targets Stock Froth Created by Tech Push  Bloomberg.com

Events

69 h. ago Musk’s Grok barred from undressing AI images after global backlash

Elon Musk’s platform X on Wednesday announced measures to prevent its AI chatbot Grok from undressing images of real people, following global backlash over its generation of sexualised photos of women and children. The announcement comes after California’s attorney general launched an investigation into Musk’s xAI - the developer of Grok - over the sexually explicit material and multiple countries either blocked access to the chatbot or launched their own probes. X said it will “geoblock the...

Politics

3 d. ago China Just Filed Plans for 200,000 Satellites, Challenging Elon Musk. It’s Likely a Geopolitical Space Grab

China Just Filed Plans for 200,000 Satellites, Challenging Elon Musk. It’s Likely a Geopolitical Space Grab  ZME Science

Politics

3 d. ago China Targets U.S., Israeli Cyber Firms in Security Clampdown

China Targets U.S., Israeli Cyber Firms in Security Clampdown  Modern Diplomacy

Events

3 d. ago Trump’s Trade War Spectacularly Flops as Key Target of China Surges to Record High

Trump’s Trade War Spectacularly Flops as Key Target of China Surges to Record High  The Daily Beast

Events

3 d. ago China targets US cybersecurity firms, Tesla's FSD subscription

China targets US cybersecurity firms, Tesla's FSD subscription  Yahoo Finance

Events

3 d. ago China Imports to Help Lower U.K. Inflation to Target, BOE’s Taylor Says

China Imports to Help Lower U.K. Inflation to Target, BOE’s Taylor Says  The Wall Street Journal

Events

4 d. ago Japan’s Princess Kako falls victim to Grok AI’s ‘put her in a bikini’ deepfakes craze

Grok-generated deepfake images of Japan’s Princess Kako, the niece of Emperor Naruhito, in a bikini circulating online have renewed scrutiny on Elon Musk’s X chatbot. Since the AI assistant started allowing users to manipulate any posted image, a nudification trend has gained traction online, with people asking Grok to generate sexualised deepfakes using prompts such as “put her in a tiny bikini” or even “undress her”. Princess Kako, second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino, became the latest...

Politics

4 d. ago US moves for AI dominance to outpace China with new ‘overwhelming’ military strategy

America’s top defence official declared that the US must achieve unquestioned AI “dominance” to prevent adversaries from gaining a technological edge, as he unveiled a strategy that includes integrating Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth’s announcement did not mention China by name, but it came a month after a report to the US Congress in which the Pentagon warned of Beijing’s accelerating use of AI to reach its military modernisation goals. On Monday, Hegseth said the...

Events

4 d. ago Congress Targets BJP Over China Outreach Amid Beijing’s Claim On Shaksgam Valley

Congress Targets BJP Over China Outreach Amid Beijing’s Claim On Shaksgam Valley  The Hans India

Events

4 d. ago Iranians use Musk’s Starlink to pierce internet blackout during protests

Some Iranians were still using Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service despite a nationwide communications blackout, three people inside the country have said, the latest example of Starlink being used to counter internet shutdowns in geopolitical flashpoints. Iranian authorities have in recent days launched a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, including the near-complete shutdown of internet service, which is provided through fibre-optic cables and mobile phone towers. The...

Events

4 d. ago Safety App 'Are You Dead' That Targets People Living Alone Becomes Viral Sensation In China

Safety App 'Are You Dead' That Targets People Living Alone Becomes Viral Sensation In China  NDTV

Events

5 d. ago As SpaceX Targets 50,000 Starlink Satellites, China Files for 200,000

As SpaceX Targets 50,000 Starlink Satellites, China Files for 200,000-Unit Mega-Constellation  news.satnews.com

Events