NewsFeed

June 27, 2025

US Young Workers Face Record High Unemployment Rate

US workers aged 22-27 face a 6.9% unemployment rate, indicating slowing hiring due to economic uncertainty and President Trump's tariff policy. Despite a strong jobs market, companies are hiring at the slowest pace in two years, with gains mainly seen in healthcare and restaurant sectors. The IT sector is cooling off, partly due to historically low interest rates during the pandemic, which may lead to slower hiring and even job reductions through artificial intelligence, as predicted by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.

https://www.scrippsnews.com/business/jobs-employment/college-grads-face-one-of-the-worst-job-markets-in-a-decade-economic-numbers-show

June 27, 2025

Meta Pursues PlayAI for AI Voice Replication Tech

Meta is reportedly planning to acquire PlayAI, a Palo Alto-based startup known for its AI-powered voice replication technology, as part of its Superintelligence initiative. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is offering massive packages to attract top talent in the field, including Trapit Bansal, an OpenAI researcher who has joined Meta's superintelligence team.

https://indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/meta-in-talks-to-acquire-ai-voice-startup-playai-hires-top-openai-researcher-for-superintelligence-team-2747216-2025-06-27

June 27, 2025

DeepSeek AI Sparks Global Security Fears and Backlash

DeepSeek's AI model caused a major tech stock selloff after its release in January, with critics citing concerns over its training data being stored in secure servers in China, posing national security risks similar to those surrounding ByteDance-owned TikTok. The company's terms of service reveal it collects personal information such as device models, keystroke patterns, and IP addresses, sparking a crackdown in both the US and Europe.

https://nypost.com/2025/06/27/business/germany-asks-apple-google-to-block-chinese-ai-firm-deepseek-from-app-stores-over-unlawful-data-transfer/

June 27, 2025

Denmark Cracks Down on Deepfakes and Online Abuse

Denmark's culture minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt is introducing new copyright laws that aim to protect individuals from deepfakes and other forms of digital misuse. The amended law would give people the right to demand online platforms remove shared content without consent, with fines for non-compliance. Engel-Schmidt plans to share Denmark's approach with EU countries when it takes over the EU presidency, hoping to inspire similar laws across Europe.

https://petapixel.com/2025/06/27/denmark-gives-people-copyright-over-their-own-faces-to-fight-deepfakes/

June 27, 2025

NTU Panel Reviews Student's AI-Assisted Essay Appeal

A panel of artificial intelligence experts convened by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will review the appeal of one student who was penalised for using AI in an essay as part of a module on health, disease outbreaks and politics. The student, along with two others, received zero marks for their work after being found to have used AI tools. NTU met with two students separately to discuss their cases, while rejecting the appeal of one student who had admitted to using Gen AI in her essay.

https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/panel-ai-experts-review-appeal-ntu-student-penalised-academic-misconduct

June 27, 2025

Senate Parliamentarian Questions AI Regulation Provision

The US Senate parliamentarian has expressed concerns about a provision in the "One Big, Beautiful Bill" that would restrict state regulations on artificial intelligence (AI). The provision, which was initially approved over the weekend, has raised questions about its constitutionality and potential impact on states' rights.

https://www.pymnts.com/politics/2025/senate-parliamentarian-raises-doubts-about-provision-banning-state-ai-rules/

June 26, 2025

EU AI Act Faces Delays and Industry Criticism

The European Union's AI Act, set to regulate artificial intelligence in the EU, has faced delays and criticism from stakeholders. The act's complexity has led to confusion among businesses, with over two-thirds of European companies struggling to understand their responsibilities under the law. EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen has stated that she wants to implement the act in a way that fosters innovation, but some leaders, including Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, have called for a pause to ensure the rules are "right" and avoid stalling innovation. China's approach to AI regulation aims to maintain social stability and state control, while the US has taken a light-touch voluntary compliance approach.

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/telcos-media-tech/tech-lobby-group-urges-eu-leaders-pause-ai-act

June 26, 2025

Genscript Leverages AI for Drug Discovery Breakthroughs

Chinese biotech companies are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate drug discovery and reduce costs. Genscript Biotech is developing its own AI tools using an enzyme prediction database and DNA sequence alteration algorithm to identify promising candidates. XTalPi, a Shenzhen-based firm, has secured global commercialization rights for its drug candidates with US company DoveTree. Boston-based Insilico Medicine recently published the results of its phase two trial of rentosertib in the Nature Medicine journal, providing proof-of-concept clinical validation of AI-driven discovery.

https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3315788/chinas-drug-innovators-tap-ai-quicken-discovery-slash-costs-win-deals?module=top_story&pgtype=section

June 26, 2025

Meta Wins AI Copyright Case Against Photographer

The US is racing to develop AI capabilities before China, with former White House special adviser Ben Buchanan warning that national security applications are a key area of focus. In-house counsel hope new technology will reduce outside counsel costs, but high hourly rates may persist. Meanwhile, companies like Meta and Microsoft are working to mitigate the spread of "nudifier" ads on their platforms, while organizations struggle with AI governance due to unstructured data and unclear regulations. A judge has sided with Meta in an AI copyright case, but noted that better lawyering might be key for future plaintiffs.

https://www.law.com/corpcounsel/2025/06/25/judge-sides-with-meta-in-key-ai-copyright-case-but-says-better-lawyering-might-carry-future-plaintiffs-to-victory-/