ITK Daily | March 18

ITK Daily | March 18

Haiti, TikTok, Perplexity, Cellphones, Lionel Messi, plus 1,000 more actionable insights.

ITK Daily is geopolitical business news + intelligence for comms pros.

Always Be Communicating.

Happy Friday.

Here’s today’s ITK Daily:

*** Ross Rant ***

Big Tech has four main challenges that must be addressed

The meteoric rise of Big Tech has fundamentally changed our lives.

Big Tech has woven itself into nearly every aspect of our daily experiences, from how we communicate and shop to how we vote. Yet, amidst their massive influence, there's a growing sense of trouble brewing for Big Tech. The public's perception has shifted, and the good vibes are fading.

These are the most prominent challenges I currently see facing Big Tech:

1. Dwindling trust
2. Exaggerating self-importance
3. Wrong messengers delivering the wrong messages
4. Overcoming the "so what" and better connecting the relevance of new tech

Full post - click here.

*** Globalization + Geopolitics ***

Deposing the king of Israel: Economist reports America wants Binyamin Netanyahu out. But his exit is fraught with dangers.

Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden pile pressure on Binyamin Netanyahu: Economist reports the Senate majority leader’s speech was a watershed moment in US-Israel relations.

Netanyahu is making Israel radioactive Thomas Friedman

Vladimir Putin’s sham re-election is notable only for the protests: Economist reports the outcome is predetermined, but some Russians honour Navalny’s call.

With new six-year term, Putin cements hold on Russian leadership: NYT reports a rubber-stamp presidential election with no real competition allows Vladimir Putin to claim strong public support for his domestic dominance and the invasion of Ukraine.

Putin wins election that had only one possible outcome: WSJ reports a fifth term in office will likely be dominated by the war in Ukraine—and ensuring that Russians continue to support it.

Trident and army ‘would remain in independent Scotland for 20 years’: The Times reports a think tank has claimed that due to logistical difficulties, UK forces would stay north of the border for many years if Scotland were to become independent.

How British cocaine users are funding Albania’s mini Dubai: Count the cranes and the Albanian capital looks like it’s booming. But billions in ‘dark money’ sent back by gangs controlling Europe’s drugs routes have made the skyline shine. The Times

Bloomberg: Sunak faces economic misery similar to before 1997 Tory defeat

+ Indicator tracks combined impact of unemployment and inflation

+ Figures add to reasons for Sunak hold election later in autumn

Why frustrated voters are turning away from the mainstream: George Galloway and Lee Anderson are populists on very different sides of the political stage, and they’re playing to the crowd. Matthew Syed journeys to their constituencies and finds a Britain divided — by cultural differences and economic stagnation. The Times

Forbes: UK and Germany double down on joint AI, clean energy, R&D efforts

Bloomberg: World’s most extensive AI rules approved in EU despite criticism

+ Companies worry law goes too far, watchdogs say not far enough

+ Legislation would place first restrictions on generative AI

African internet outage was caused by subsea cable break, MainOne says: Reuters reports the West African data center and connectivity provider MainOne said on Friday that an internet outage that hit West and Central Africa earlier this week was caused by a break in its submarine cable system.

Niger termination of US military ties followed accusation of Iran uranium deal: WSJ reports senior U.S. officials raised alarm with junta over deal that would give Iran access to Nigerien uranium.

How India organises an election with 970m voters: The Times reports Narendra Modi is the favourite to win a record third term as prime minister but opponents accuse him of exploiting divisions with an ‘anti-Muslim’ citizenship law.

How China could swamp India’s chip ambitions: India is making a play for the semiconductor space—but fallout from US-China tensions and China’s deep pockets could get in the way. WSJ

Bloomberg: China adviser flags geopolitical risks in Xi’s industry push

+ Huang Yiping said Beijing should address overcapacity concerns

+ Economist warned of ‘protectionist wave’ against Chinese goods

South Korea hosted summit warns of AI risks to democracy: Reuters reports South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday called fake news and disinformation based on AI and digital technology threats to democracy, as some officials attending a global summit accused Russia and China of conducting malicious propaganda campaigns.

Blinken warns of disinformation threat to democracies: NYT reports at an international forum, the secretary of state said artificial intelligence’s ability to disrupt the global flow of information could prove politically perilous during a year of elections.

Japan considering legally binding regulations for AI developers: Kyodo News reports the Japanese government is considering introducing legally binding regulations on developers of large-scale artificial intelligence systems to ensure they implement measures to address disinformation and other risks, sources close to the matter said Monday.

Why everything changed in Haiti: The gangs united: WSJ reports: “The situation totally changed now, because the gangs are now working together,” a Haitian consultant said. Their unity forced the prime minister to resign.

Three new polls suggest a growing number of Canadians want more money spent on defence: CBC reports Donald Trump's threats to abandon allies seem to have struck home.

Trump launched CIA covert influence operation against China: Reuters reports three former officials told Reuters that the CIA created a small team of operatives who used bogus internet identities to spread negative narratives about Xi Jinping’s government while leaking disparaging intelligence to overseas news outlets. The effort, which began in 2019, has not been previously reported.

Drone swarms are about to change the balance of military power: On today’s battlefields, drones are a manageable threat. When hundreds of them can be harnessed to AI technology, they will become a tool of conquest. WSJ

Musk's SpaceX is building spy satellite network for US intelligence agency, sources say: Reuers reports the $1.8 billion contract with the National Reconnaissance Office shows the extent of SpaceX's involvement in US intelligence and military projects and illustrates a deeper Pentagon investment into vast, low-Earth orbiting satellite systems aimed at supporting ground forces.

***  US Politics + Elections ***

Why Trump’s White House record mattered more than DeSantis’s culture-war fights: ‘We like what he did for the country while he was in before.’ WSJ

Will political hatred spill into the streets? The atmosphere in Biden-Trump America carries the odor of Weimar Germany or Chicago in 1968. Lance Morrow

Trump is eyeing Paul Manafort for 2024 campaign role: WP reports the former campaign manager was pardoned by Trump for bank and tax fraud convictions and accusations he hid millions he made consulting for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians

Trump’s cabinet of horrors: Team Trump is doing something this time around that it didn’t think to do in 2016: It’s planning. And wait until you see what those plans include. TNR

Trump economic advisers float three names for Fed Chair: WSJ reports Kevin Warsh, Kevin Hassett, Arthur Laffer are on shortlist presented to Trump during meeting at Mar-a-Lago.

Mike Johnson, the first proudly Trumpian speaker: Though he has adopted a “nerd constitutional-law guy” persona, he is in lockstep with the law-flouting former President. New Yorker

Underdog who beat Biden in American Samoa used AI in election campaign: Jason Palmer, a self-proclaimed ‘long-shot candidate’ vying for the presidency, uses AI generated texts, emails and an avatar to communicate with voters. WSJ

Primaries show candidates can win on TikTok but lose at the polls: Katie Porter’s US Senate run in California was supposed to show the political benefits of the app, but it may have illustrated its shortcomings instead. Bloomberg

Fox: House AI Task Force chairman eyes public and private hearings as lawmakers mull regulation

+ "Our number one task is to issue a report that details a regulatory framework for artificial intelligence by the end of the year. That framework is going to have a number of different pillars. And those pillars will come out of the things that our task force members are concerned about," Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA) told Fox News Digital.

The Department of Homeland Security is embracing AI: The agency will be the first in the federal government to roll out a comprehensive plan to integrate the technology into a variety of uses, from fighting crime to helping disaster survivors. NYT

*** Disruption + Innovation ***

Reddit's highly anticipated IPO is scheduled for Wednesday.

Just how rich are businesses getting in the AI gold rush? Nvidia and Microsoft are not the only winners. Economist

Meet the tech company that had a better year than Nvidia: Super Micro Computer has gone from an obscure server maker to a $60 billion company set to join the S&P 500 Monday. WSJ

Nvidia's annual GPU Technology Conference (GTC) started Sunday, and CEO Jensen Huang's keynote address will happen today.

Apple is in talks to build Google's Gemini artificial intelligence engine into the iPhone, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the situation.

Abu Dhabi in talks to invest in OpenAI chip venture: FT reports the state-backed group MGX in discussions over ambitious plans by Sam Altman to build semiconductor business.

OpenAI made AI videos for us. These clips are good enough to freak us out. In an exclusive interview with our columnist, CTO Mira Murati explains the company’s new Sora AI video tool and how it plans to roll it out. WSJ

Once “too scary” to release, GPT-2 gets squeezed into an Excel spreadsheet: OpenAI's GPT-2 running locally in Microsoft Excel teaches the basics of how LLMs work. Ars Tech

Perplexity is ready to take on Google: ‘Factfulness and accuracy is what we care about,’ says the CEO of the AI search startup. ‘Google has many other cultural things that they care about, and that’s why they made their products that way.’  The Verge

How Bumble is pairing AI and human connection to make the perfect couple: Lidiane Jones, chief executive officer of Bumble, enters the BBC's Executive Lounge to talk about a decade of dating tech, and navigating the dangers and responsibilities of AI.

How Y Combinator, champion of ‘little tech,’ became the biggest machine in Silicon Valley: Under CEO Garry Tan, the startup factory is flexing the power of its network like never before. FC

FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried should serve 40 to 50 years in prison, prosecutors say: WSJ reports the judge will sentence crypto founder later this month.

Behind the breakup of Elon Musk and Don Lemon: Unexpected split leaves X CEO Linda Yaccarino with another loss. WSJ

CERAWeek Houston, also known as the “Super Bowl of energy,” will kick off on March 18 in Houston, Texas. 

Air taxis, indoor forests, and other strange sights you’ll find in the airports of the future: Architects are already designing the next generation of airports, and they just might make you like traveling again. FC

The F-bomb-dropping airline CEO about to earn a $100 million-plus bonus: Profanity, off-color jokes, and drunken dinners are all part of Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary’s lore. WSJ

Hilton bets on college towns with $210 million deal: WSJ reports the lodging giant is acquiring Graduate Hotels, a brand with properties near dozens of college campuses.

Hertz Global CEO Scherr to step down after EV reversal: WSJ reports that Gil West, the incoming CEO, is a former executive at Delta Air Lines and General Motors’ Cruise unit.

Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere. Fires caused by shoddy ones are on the rise. WSJ reports cities are stepping up efforts to identify battery-caused blazes and improve how they fight the dangerous flames.

The everyday supercommunicators who get groups in sync Charles Duhigg

*** Culture ***

‘Dante: Inferno to Paradise’ Review: A divine PBS documentary: Combining expert commentary and artful dramatizations, Ric Burns’s two-part film traces Dante’s life and towering literary achievement. WSJ

Schools lock up cellphones to keep students focused: WSJ reports educators cite classroom distractions and states aim to limit use, as the U.S. warns of mental-health risks.

It’s not high fashion. It’s upper middle class fashion. And it sells. Todd Snyder is thriving even as many other American retailers keep closing doors. Here’s why. WSJ

*** Sport ***

France’s new national sport — bashing the Paris Olympics: Metro fare hikes, ticketing confusion and general disruption mean many Parisians are indifferent — and some even hostile — to hosting the Games this summer. The Times

What Lionel Messi means in America: A night in Florida with soccer’s aging (if fragile) legend. WSJ


Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc