ITK Daily | February 12
Baltics, White House, Ingenuity, Wharton, Hail Mary, plus 1,000 more actionable insights.
ITK Daily is geopolitical business news + intelligence for comms pros.
Always Be Communicating.
Happy Monday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily:
*** Globalization + Geopolitics ***
If you think World War III is unimaginable, read this: Novelists and filmmakers have long developed alternative histories of major conflicts that should serve as warnings for complacent Americans. Niall Ferguson
Trump says he’d disregard NATO treaty, urge Russian attacks on US allies: WSJ reports the Republican front-runner said he encouraged Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to member countries he views as not spending enough on their own defense.
NATO leader blasts Trump’s suggestion he would encourage Russian invasion of US allies: WSJ reports NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg responded to comments by Trump suggesting he wouldn't protect allies that failed to contribute enough to military spending.
Fearing Russia, the Baltic states improve their defences: Russia’s formidable installations in Ukraine are reviving interest in fortification. Economist
If Russia wins: Republican obstructionism could lead to global disaster. Tom Nichols
How tech giants turned Ukraine into an AI war Lab Time
FT: Alex Stubb to become Finland’s next president
Germany’s days as an industrial superpower are coming to an end: As political paralysis grips Berlin, the energy crisis was the final blow for a growing number of manufacturers. Bloomberg
How a Chinese spy recruited a Belgian politician: For at least three years, Frank Creyelman, a far-right Belgian politician, was entrusted with missions given to him by a Chinese intelligence officer. Le Monde
Iran marks the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution: DW reports processions across the country drew hundreds of thousands of people, with some burning US and Israeli flags. The 1979 revolution saw the US-backed Shah ousted and replaced by Islamic cleric Ayatollah Khomeini.
Act now on AI before it’s too late, says UNESCO’s AI lead: As a Global Forum on the Ethics of AI opens today in Slovenia, Gabriela Ramos sits down with ‘Fast Company’ to talk about the need to consider AI’s impacts beyond those discussed by first-world countries. FC
Wednesday: Indonesians vote in presidential election.
A controversial general looks likely to be Indonesia’s next leader: Prabowo Subianto looks unfit to govern the world’s third-largest democracy. Economist
Nigel Farage: ‘The Tories are desperate. They want to know what I’ll do’: He survived a plane crash, got Brexit done and conquered the jungle. Is Nigel Farage really ready to be the next Tory leader? The Times
Imran Khan’s ‘victory speech’ from jail shows AI’s peril and promise: It was not the first time the technology had been used in Pakistan’s notably repressive election season, but this time it got the world’s attention. NYT
Anatomy of a coup plot: How Brazil’s Bolsonaro tried to cling to power: Police say far-right former leader and his allies had detailed scheme to prevent his successor from taking office. FT
Andrés Manuel López Obrador splashes out as elections loom: The trouble is Mexico can’t pay the president’s bill. Economist
*** US Politics + Elections ***
Panic, fury, and blame: Inside the White House after report targets Biden’s age: Officials race to contain the fallout after special counsel faults 81-year-old president’s memory. WSJ
Late starts and light schedule: a day in the life of Joe Biden: As concerns grow over the president’s memory lapses and Trump goes on the attack before the election, is the incumbent too old to run a country? The Times
Mr. President, ditch the stealth about health Maureen Dowd
Democrats sound alarm, take action against Biden’s third-party threats: WP reports Biden allies are increasingly worried about the potential threat posed by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Cornel West and Jill Stein.
FT-Michigan Ross poll: Trump has 11-point polling lead over Biden on handling of economy
AI deepfakes get very real as 2024 election season begins: Recent incidents with fake Biden robocall and explicit Taylor Swift deepfakes could further ratchet up disinformation fears. FC
*** Disruption + Innovation ***
How AI is transforming the business of advertising FT
Tech companies axe 34,000 jobs since start of year in pivot to AI: FT reports Microsoft, eBay and PayPal have each cut thousands of jobs since the start of the year.
FT: OpenAI on track to hit $2bn revenue milestone as growth rockets
Nvidia is now worth as much as the entire Chinese stock market.
Nvidia pursues $30 billion custom chip opportunity with new unit: Reuters reports Nvidia is building a new business unit focused on designing bespoke chips for cloud computing firms and others, including advanced artificial intelligence processors
Tower Semiconductor has submitted a proposal to India's government to build an $8 billion chipmaking facility in the South Asian nation, national daily Indian Express reported on Sunday.
McKinsey: AI could make semiconductors a $1 trillion market by 2030
Reuters: Jeff Bezos sells roughly $2 billion of Amazon shares
The European Commission will open an investigation into TikTok in the coming weeks over concerns that changes the firm made to comply with the bloc's Digital Services Act (DSA) were not enough to protect under-age users, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.
Now is the time to put people before robots: Policymakers must act to ameliorate the impact of automation on incomes. Ann Harrison
WP: Robot set to perform simulated surgeries in space
Thursday: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will launch its next-generation H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center.
Say goodbye to NASA’s adorable Mars helicopter Ingenuity: FC reports the space agency announced Thursday that the 4-pound chopper named Ingenuity can no longer fly because of rotor blade damage.
The priciest shareholder fight ever is headed to Disney’s boardroom: WSJ reports more than $70 million could be spent in a bid to win everyday investors’ votes as two activist hedge funds separately pursue spots on the company's board.
Bloomberg: Diamondback, Endeavor in talks to form $50 Billion Energy Giant
Chinese EVs set to make bigger splash in Europe with huge new ships: Nikkei reports BYD, SAIC tackle transport bottleneck that has held them back.
Tod’s plans to delist from Milan stock exchange: FT reports the Italian luxury group agrees deal to go private with LVMH-backed private equity firm L Catterton.
*** Culture ***
FT: Wharton regains status as best business school for MBA
The Slack generation can’t communicate with the email generation. Why more platforms are dividing the workplace: Workplace miscommunication and conflict are on the rise, as work becomes more decentralized and multi-generational. FC
*** Sport ***
Why three media giants made a Hail Mary bet on sports streaming: Disney, Fox, and Warner’s venture to bundle live sports content—the latest hit to traditional cable packages—needs to cover high costs and keep leagues on board. WSJ
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
ITK Daily | February 12
