Female politicians in the United States, Italy, Britain, and Pakistan are increasingly being targeted with AI-generated deepfake pornography or sexualized images. According to researchers, this trend threatens women's participation in public life by jeopardizing their careers, undermining public trust, and creating conditions for blackmail or harassment. In the US, a study found that nearly one in six female members of Congress have been victims of such imagery, with over 35,000 instances identified on pornographic sites. In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is seeking damages from two men accused of creating deepfake porn videos featuring her. In Britain, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was targeted by a deepfake porn website that used AI technology to "nudify" her photos without her consent. In Pakistan, lawmakers have been victims of deepfakes, including Meena Majeed and Azma Bukhari. Researchers warn that the proliferation of cheap AI tools is outpacing efforts to regulate the technology globally, with a "silencing effect" on women's participation in politics.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/across-globe-deepfake-porn-targets-women-politicians-form-of-violence-7408403Microsoft president Brad Smith has stated that the company is on track to invest around US$80 billion in artificial intelligence (AI) this fiscal year, with a goal of establishing the United States as the global leader in AI technology. Smith believes that AI will transform all aspects of life and called on President-elect Donald Trump and Congress to increase funding for research at universities and the National Science Foundation to support AI innovation. He also warned that China is racing to spread its AI systems globally, and the US needs a strategic approach to promote its own AI technology as superior and more trustworthy. Microsoft's investment in AI will be used to build out datacenters, train AI models, and deploy cloud-based applications worldwide.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/money/2025/01/04/us-must-lead-ai-innovation-in-tech-race-with-china-says-microsoft-as-it-plans-us80b-investment-this-fiscal-year/162041Microsoft president Brad Smith has called on President-elect Donald Trump and Congress to increase funding for AI research at universities and the National Science Foundation, in order to maintain the United States' position as a global leader in artificial intelligence. Smith argues that the US is poised to be the first mover in the development of AI technology, but notes that China is also making significant investments in the field. Microsoft itself plans to invest $80 billion this year in AI datacenters and cloud-based applications, with the goal of promoting its AI technology as superior and more trustworthy than Chinese alternatives.
https://www.firstpost.com/world/microsoft-to-spend-80-bn-on-artificial-intelligence-in-2025-13849821.html