London - The Daily Telegraph published an article by Keren McCarthy about the Chinese role in controlling the Internet in the African continent. “Every device connected to the Internet—your phone, perhaps your car, electricity meters, and certainly the various computers you use, and the industrial devices vital to the running of modern society—each one needs a unique Internet address. The addresses are managed by five non-profit organizations covering certain regions around the world. One of these organizations that was established and stopped working is Afrinic, and it used to provide Internet addresses for the entire continent. Afrinik has no CEO or board of directors, its bank account has been frozen, and its employees' salaries are provided by an emergency fund set up by other regions to register Internet addresses.
It is possible to solve seemingly intractable technological problems within an organization, and all it takes is vision, courage, diplomacy and remarkable foresight.
To make the situation worse, the collapse of the organization is linked to a businessman in Hong Kong, who took advantage of the situation there, and observers believe that he is supported by the Chinese government.
And earlier this year, the same businessman, Lu Hing, tried and failed by a narrow margin when he led a coup d'état in another organisation, this time the one covering the Asia-Pacific region (EPNC). And 13 of the candidates to run its council obtained an umbrella that led a media disinformation campaign, and even endorsed it from the government of Pakistan. The organization took note of the matter and alerted the voting members in due time.
The writer says that the events will have dire consequences for the work of the Internet in the world. And last week, in Rotterdam, the European address of RIPE NCC led crisis talks about what could be done to prevent a takeover or dangerous disruption. Although organizations recognize these risks, they are now discovering the uncomfortable reality they face, and that they are not armed to face the challenges they face. And due to its conviction that it must protect the technical part of the Internet related to it in the panorama of Internet technology, and in this way it can manage the work, but it failed in collective cooperation to protect it, and in building its structures that cover its work, and in communicating with the next generation of engineers and leaders, as well as in understanding that governments did not They are not the enemy, but rather partners in protecting the Internet. Perhaps the latest move was too late.
There are broad efforts to deal with misleading or harmful content, but it is difficult to reach an agreement. The Internet Safety Project in Britain is still under discussion in Parliament, and for 5 years.
The author believes that the structures available to us to reduce harm on the Internet are insufficient, and this is due to the cross-border nature of electronic communication. Even when legislators feel they have to act, it is difficult for them to accommodate the legal systems of other countries. Nothing in the digital age lives within only one set of national borders.
And Europe's response to the data sold by the US social media giant GGBR created problems for every company in any part of the world, because any data originating from Europe is covered by the law. That is why some American companies impose bans on their sites and do not open them to users in Europe. There are broad efforts to deal with misleading or harmful content, but it is difficult to reach an agreement. The Internet Safety Project in Britain is still under discussion in Parliament, and for five years. Transatlantic data sharing has been piloted by three programs, all of which have led to legal challenges.
And when it comes to artificial intelligence, there are a lot of principles, frameworks, guidelines, and draft laws produced around the world, all intended to provide clarifications, but ended up doing the opposite. And when it comes to digital success, there is one thing in common: people and organizations have learned to operate on a transnational basis. Police forces around the world have found ways to cooperate, and their work is often reinforced by the law that makes coordination possible. The recent raids, and multiple jurisdictions work hand in hand, so that drug traffickers cannot commit a crime in one jurisdiction and hide in another jurisdiction. And when it comes to policing and guarding the internet used by law-abiding citizens, we understandably fear the government's role, and the problem is that we no longer have a choice. AFRINIC cannot work because it is located in Mauritius, and when Lu Hing demanded the return of millions of electronic server addresses, which she said were lost, its executive director brought her to trial, and the Mauritian authorities dealt with the matter as a dispute like any dispute in companies. As for the Asia-Pacific Organization “EBNAC”, it is trying to maintain its position as a community-based and independent organization, and despite its importance to billions of people, its membership does not exceed 10,000 people, which opens it up to manipulation.
But what to do?
Fortunately, history has the answer. After World War II, the nations of the world saw the need to solve some problems on a global scale . In response to this, it developed a number of international forums, the best example of which is the International Atomic Energy Agency, which was established in 1957, four years after President Eisenhower proposed its establishment. There are two cultures within the organization, one that refrains from disclosing nuclear secrets, even to powerful countries, unless they finish their reports, while the second adopts the belief that sharing information stimulates atomic energy as a vital source of power to protect everyone.
The Internet cannot have a literal agency, in the form of the International Atomic Energy Agency, but its existence proves that when there is need and political will, it is possible to solve technological problems that seem intractable within the right organization, and all it takes is vision, courage, diplomacy and foresight. Brilliant.
Reuters : Apple denies using its devices for spying purposes
The company "Apple" stated that it does not use its devices for espionage purposes, and denied what was announced by the Russian Federal Security Service, about the use of "Apple" devices to spy on Russian users for the benefit of American agencies.
As Reuters reported: "The company has never partnered with any government to install honeypots in any Apple product and never will."
And the Russian Federal Security Service announced in a statement, earlier, that it had revealed a US intelligence operation that was carried out through malicious software on mobile devices manufactured by "Apple".
"In the context of ensuring the security of the Russian communications infrastructure, anomalies were identified only specific to users of Apple mobile phones, caused by the operation of previously unknown malware that exploits software vulnerabilities provided by the manufacturer," the statement said.
He also emphasized that "Apple" allows US intelligence agencies to monitor all those who matter to the White House, and even US citizens themselves.
Doha - Qatari expert confirms that artificial intelligence will not replace human jobs
Doha – A Qatari expert and researcher confirmed that artificial intelligence will not replace humans and will not threaten millions of jobs, as some reports have said , pointing out that modern technology can contribute to or affect jobs rather than threaten them, considering that artificial intelligence will be a co-worker.
The intervention came during an event organized by Qatar National Library as part of the "Cultural Salon" series of events, in partnership with Hamad Bin Khalifa University. The cultural salon session shed light on the topic of artificial intelligence from the perspective of science, work challenges and ethics, with the participation of experts and academics specializing in computing sciences and ethics. The session, which interacted with a wide elite audience, discussed the challenges, opportunities and ethical considerations arising from the use of artificial intelligence and its impact on reshaping our world at the various professional, societal and cultural levels.
Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, who previously held the position of Minister of Culture and is now Minister of State and Head of the Qatar National Library, considered that “the cultural salon of the Qatar National Library has begun to make its way successfully, and confirms its role as an inspiring dialogue and intellectual platform in the Qatari cultural scene.” He added, "The Cultural Salon consolidates the status of the Qatar National Library as an initiative, active and proactive cultural institution that discusses the most important trends, developments and issues in various aspects of knowledge at the local, regional and global levels."
Dr. Al-Kuwari said that artificial intelligence technology has become a constant concern and talk of various media outlets, technology companies and search engines, and this motivated the Qatar Library out of its awareness of the importance of this technology and its broad prospects for educating society and making it aware of the most important developments that affect its various members, whether at work or at work. study or daily life activities
He stressed that "the cultural salon sessions have become a positive and rich channel of communication between experts, specialists and the public, and allow members of society not only to listen to experts, but also to interview them and discuss their ideas and present their views and opinions on the issue or topic of discussion in the cultural salon sessions."
Speakers at the “Cultural Salon” session, moderated by Dr. Ahmed Al-Magarmad, Director of Qatar Computing Research Institute at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, were: Dr. Ghanem Al-Sulaiti, Artificial Intelligence Technology Expert at Qatar Computing Research Institute at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and Dr. Mohamed Ghaly, Professor of Islamic Studies and Biomedical Ethics, at the College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
During the session, Dr. Ahmed Al-Magarmad presented a brief and general background on the development of artificial intelligence technology, its complexities, importance and potential impacts. He said, "Artificial intelligence aims to design and build systems capable of carrying out various tasks, relying on the machine's ability to learn on its own and make decisions independently." He pointed out that "societies today use artificial intelligence in many of their daily life activities. A revolution in many fields, including self-driving cars, which was a fantasy several years ago. Artificial intelligence has contributed to accelerating the pace of completing many routine work, enabling humans to shift their focus to quality control, improving resource allocation and productivity, analyzing errors and continuous improvement of processes, and allowing more room for creativity instead of repeating routine operations.
In turn, Dr. Ghanem Al-Sulaiti, an expert in the field, focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on various professions, including medicine, law, education, engineering, design, and accounting. He said, “Artificial intelligence is a tool to develop and enhance human capabilities and functions, not to replace them. For example, a doctor may use an artificial intelligence program to help discover health problems in patients, and a teacher may use artificial intelligence to help each student learn in his own way, and in these cases, AI does not replace employees, but rather becomes a useful tool that helps them do their jobs better.” added:
Then, Dr. Mohamed Ghaly, at the Qatar National Library Salon, reviewed the ethical aspects of artificial intelligence. The researcher, who is interested in the relationship between science and ethical aspects, considered that: “The legal and ethical discussions on the subject of artificial intelligence are still in their infancy, and most of what has been issued so far are just brief fatwas in response to questions and inquiries about partial issues.” He said that “currently circulating governing principles (such as fairness, transparency, respect for privacy, etc.)
Then he added in the second session of the salon: “Artificial intelligence technologies will add more complexity to ethical issues, and the worst scenario is that “knowledge production” will turn into a commercial market controlled by huge technology companies, because they will be able to obtain the largest possible amount of ownership. Intellectual development, and this development will pose serious challenges, not only at the level of major ethical principles, but also in front of their application on the ground in accordance with the cultures of peoples and their religious beliefs. To change its behavior regarding these ethical aspects.
In its second session, the salon contributed to providing a positive and rich forum for exchanging ideas and views on the applications of artificial intelligence and its impacts on societies in the Arab and Islamic worlds.
The Cultural Salon is an initiative of Qatar National Library to achieve its mission to enable citizens and residents to positively influence their society by providing an exceptional environment for learning and exploration. The salon aims to provide an intellectual platform and an open dialogue between elite specialists and the general public, in a way that enriches the cultural scene and enhances societal awareness of the most important contemporary issues and trends.
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