Chinese agents are reviving botnets and using AI to influence public opinion, sparking concerns about AI safety and security. According to OpenAI, China-based actors are using ChatGPT for covert influence operations aimed at opposing AI data centers in the US, generating social media comments and images blaming data centers for rising electricity prices.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that half of Americans fear AI could put them or someone in their household out of work, with 53% of Americans sharing this worry, spread evenly across age, gender, and education level. Democrats were more worried than Republicans, with 61% concerned compared to 47%.
In response to growing AI concerns, the University of Memphis is launching a new degree concentration in applied artificial intelligence to prepare students to deploy, evaluate, and govern AI tools within their industries. Meanwhile, AI data centers are under scrutiny for their energy consumption, with the International Energy Agency estimating data centers consumed 415 terawatt hours of electricity in 2024.
Tech companies are also advancing AI-related developments. GitHub is using LLMs to reduce false positives in secret scanning, improving alert accuracy and developer efficiency by over 75%. LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant now uses a semantic search system called MUSE to match recruiters with candidates based on nuanced qualifications. Google introduces WebMCP, a protocol to make websites agent-ready, simplifying AI interactions and enabling new user experiences.
Key Takeaways
['Chinese agents are reviving botnets and using AI to influence public opinion.', 'OpenAI found China-based actors using ChatGPT for covert influence operations opposing AI data centers.', 'Half of Americans fear AI could put them or someone in their household out of work.', 'University of Memphis is launching a new degree concentration in applied artificial intelligence.', 'AI data centers consume significant amounts of electricity, 415 terawatt hours in 2024.', 'GitHub uses LLMs to improve secret scanning accuracy and developer efficiency.', "LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant uses a semantic search system called MUSE.", 'Google introduces WebMCP, a protocol to make websites agent-ready.', 'Section 230 might not protect AI companies from liability as much as they think.', "Cequence Security's Zero Trust approach to AI security is becoming the industry standard."]China-linked agents revive botnet, stir AI debate
Chinese agents are rebuilding botnets and influencing public opinion on AI data centers. They are using American AI to gather data and manipulate security-clearance holders and everyday US citizens. A botnet linked to Chinese government-backed operatives has seen a significant resurgence. The FBI had previously killed a similar botnet, Volt. Security experts warn that China is using AI to identify vulnerable infrastructure and operationalize it quickly.
OpenAI says China-based actors stoking opposition to AI data centres
OpenAI says China-based actors are using ChatGPT for covert influence operations aimed at opposing AI data centers in the US. The actors generated social media comments and images blaming data centers for rising electricity prices. OpenAI found no evidence that the campaign had a meaningful influence. China's embassy in Washington, DC, said it opposed groundless attacks or smears against China.
Half of Americans fear AI could put someone in their household out of work
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that half of Americans fear AI could put them or someone in their household out of work. 53% of Americans shared this worry, spread evenly across age, gender, and education level. Democrats were more worried than Republicans, with 61% concerned compared to 47%.
53% of Americans fear AI could take their jobs, poll finds
A poll found that 53% of Americans fear AI could take their jobs. The poll surveyed 4,531 US adults nationwide. Democrats were more worried than Republicans, with 61% concerned compared to 47%. Jennifer Schalhoub, a freelance writer, recently lost her job and suspects AI had a role.
University of Memphis launching a new degree concentration in AI
The University of Memphis is launching a new degree concentration in applied artificial intelligence. The concentration will be part of the Bachelor of Applied Science program and will begin in the fall semester. The program aims to prepare students to deploy, evaluate, and govern AI tools within their industries.
How much heat does an AI data centre produce, and where are they located?
AI data centers use powerful chips that perform thousands of calculations in parallel, making them energy-hungry. The International Energy Agency estimates data centers consumed 415 terawatt hours of electricity in 2024. AI data centers typically require between 100 and 300 megawatts of electricity to operate.
GitHub Tames Secret Scans with LLMs
GitHub is using LLMs to reduce false positives in secret scanning, improving alert accuracy and developer efficiency by over 75%. The new approach adds LLM-based contextual analysis to verify detected secrets.
LinkedIn's AI Hiring Assistant Gets Smarter
LinkedIn's Hiring Assistant now uses a semantic search system called MUSE to match recruiters with candidates based on nuanced qualifications. MUSE encodes expert judgments about candidate qualifications into a model capable of real-time scoring of billions of profiles.
Google's WebMCP: Making the Web Agent-Ready
Google introduces WebMCP, a protocol to make websites agent-ready, simplifying AI interactions and enabling new user experiences. WebMCP allows websites to communicate their capabilities to AI agents.
Maybe Section 230 doesn’t shield AI companies from liability, after all
Section 230 might not protect AI companies from liability as much as they think. The law has been used to shield online platforms from liability for user-generated content.
Nous Research Ships Hermes Agent Profile Builder: Identity, Model, Skills, and MCP Servers in One Dashboard Flow
Nous Research has released a Profile Builder for Hermes Agent, allowing users to define an agent's identity, model, skills, and MCP servers in one dashboard flow.
ZAWYA: Cequence Security's Zero Trust approach to AI security becomes the industry standard
Cequence Security's Zero Trust approach to AI security is becoming the industry standard. The approach focuses on controlling agent behavior, not just authentication.
Sources
- China-linked operators revive botnet, stir AI datacenter debate
- OpenAI says China-based actors stoking opposition to AI data centres
- Half of Americans fear AI could put someone in their household out of work, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
- 53% of Americans fear AI could take their jobs, poll finds
- University of Memphis launching a new degree concentration in AI
- How much heat does an AI data centre produce, and where are they located?
- GitHub Tames Secret Scans with LLMs
- LinkedIn's AI Hiring Assistant Gets Smarter
- Google's WebMCP: Making the Web Agent-Ready
- Maybe Section 230 doesn’t shield AI companies from liability, after all
- Nous Research Ships Hermes Agent Profile Builder: Identity, Model, Skills, and MCP Servers in One Dashboard Flow
- ZAWYA: Cequence Security's Zero Trust approach to AI security becomes the industry standard
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