ITK Daily | March 25
US + Japan, Barack Obama, Big Tech, Jonathan Haidt, Jasmin Paris, 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 ***
US and Japan plan biggest upgrade to security pact in more than 60 years: Biden and Kishida to announce move to counter China at White House meeting next month. FT
+ President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will announce plans to restructure the US military command in Japan to strengthen operational planning and exercises between the nations, according to five people familiar with the situation. They will unveil the plan when Biden hosts Kishida at the White House on April 10.
Xi Jinping’s historians can’t stop rewriting China’s imperial past: A vast effort to draft an official history of the Qing dynasty is in limbo as China’s leader demands it be bent to his vision. WSJ
In one key AI metric, China pulls ahead of the US: Talent: China has produced a huge number of top AI engineers in recent years. New research shows that, by some measures, it has already eclipsed the United States. NYT
IMF head says China at ‘fork in the road’ on reforms to boost demand: FT reports Kristalina Georgieva’s remarks at Beijing conference come as China export glut tensions rise.
Tuesday: China holds the Boao Forum for Asia. The annual Boao Forum for Asia returns to its permanent location in Hainan in southern China. Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Robert Goldstein are among the delegates expected at the four-day international meeting to discuss economic and geopolitical issues.
Janet Yellen to make second trip to China next month: Politico reports the Treasury Secretary’s outreach reflects the Biden administration’s bid to “responsibly manage” its relationship with Beijing.
China blocks use of Intel and AMD chips in government computers: FT reports Microsoft’s Windows and foreign database programs also sidelined as Beijing favours Chinese hardware and software.
Chinese giant set to build UK’s biggest gigafactory: EVE Energy pledges £1.2bn to create battery plant at Coventry airport. The Times
China steps up cyberattacks on UK politicians as election looms: Urgent meeting called to address interference carried out by Beijing against MPs and peers. The Times
UK MPs to be given warnings on the threat of Chinese cyber attacks: FT reports reprisals expected just as a company from China eyes investment in Midlands battery gigafactory.
Will the ‘Red Wall’ reshape British politics again? Labour is leading the polls in the post-industrial towns where it suffered humiliating defeats to the Conservatives in 2019. FT
Simon Harris set to become Ireland's youngest prime minister: Le Monde reports Harris became leader of the Fine Gael party on Sunday after he was the only candidate to put his name forward to succeed Leo Varadkar.
The 'Madame Wing': How Brigitte Macron and her entourage influence the president: In the east wing of the Elysée Palace, where the first lady's staff have their offices, one of her close advisers, Bruno Roger-Petit, has emerged as one of the most influential figures in the presidency. Le Monde
Friday: The one-year anniversary of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich's arrest and accusation of trying to obtain defense secrets.
How millions of influencers are mobilizing for Modi: The 73-year-old Indian PM, known as NaMo to younger supporters, has become an unlikely social media hero as he runs for a third term, using an aggressive digital campaign on the theme of national rejuvenation. The Times
India’s TikTok ban is a cautionary tale for the US: Young adults in India who came of age on the app are still angry at their government. WSJ
The AI boom makes millions for an unlikely industry player: Anguilla: NYT reports the small Caribbean territory brought in $32 million last year, more than 10 percent of its GDP, from companies registering web addresses that end in dot ai.
United Nations adopts US-led resolution to safely develop AI: The United Nations on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution to promote the safe and trustworthy development of artificial intelligence, one of the most expansive efforts to date to reach international alignment on the technology. WP
*** US Politics + Elections ***
Why Mike Johnson can’t run the House without Democrats’ help: A bipartisan coalition has been needed to pass key bills, while GOP’s thin majority puts Republican agenda at risk. WSJ
James Carville, the Cajun who can’t stop ragin’ Maureen Dowd
Thursday: Biden hosts a campaign fundraiser for his re-election campaign in New York with former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
Can Barack Obama save Joe Biden’s election campaign? Facing an election battle with Donald Trump, the US president has called in his charismatic predecessor to support his campaign, despite the pair’s complex relationship. The Times
The rogue Kennedy presidential campaign that tech billionaires can’t stop buying into: Robert F Kennedy Jr, the conspiracy theorist nephew of JFK, is expected to join forces with Nicole Shanahan, the ex-wife of Google’s founder. His voters could be a headache for Biden. The Times
+ On Tuesday, RF Kennedy, Jr. is set to unveil his choice of running mate at a rally in Oakland, California.
NYT: Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she would not vote for Donald Trump and declined to rule out leaving the GOP
Tammy Murphy, wife of New Jersey governor, drops out of US Senate race: WP reports Murphy’s exit leaves Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ), who has been surging in polls, as the overwhelming favorite for the nomination in the heavily Democratic state.
WP: Former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel faces sharp criticism after NBC hiring
NBC’s Chuck Todd blasts network as backlash to hiring ex-RNC chief grows: WSJ reports Todd’s on-air criticism comes as MSNBC’s president seeks to assuage internal concerns about the hiring of Ronna McDaniel.
Deepfake Kari Lake video shows coming chaos of AI in elections WP
Lawmakers face tough lobbying on TikTok—from their own kids: Moms and dads of Congress debating a ban or forced sale of app get an earful at home from their teens and tweens. WSJ
*** Disruption + Innovation ***
Ghost of Microsoft stalks Apple as DOJ takes its shot: Bill Gates has said his legal battle distracted him from the rise of mobile. WSJ
Mustafa Suleyman brings knowledge and past controversy as he joins Microsoft’s AI effort: The software giant is betting on the artificial intelligence pioneer’s experience to bring the people and ideas it needs to stay ahead in the AI race. WSJ
How Big Tech is winning the AI talent war: Microsoft’s agreement with two founders of Inflection is the latest sign that deep-pocketed companies are scooping up much of the expertise in AI. FT
Founder Emad Mostaque exits AI picture start-up StabilityAI: Emad Mostaque has resigned from Stability AI after a series of problems hit the company. The Times
Bloomberg: OpenAI courts Hollywood in meetings with film studios, directors
+ Startup pitching its new AI video generation tool, Sora
+ CEO Altman attended LA parties during Oscars weekend
Want to know if AI will take your job? I tried using it to replace myself: The ‘Cognitive Revolution’ will automate tasks done by hundreds of millions of workers. The best way to understand which of us will go first is direct experience with AI. Christopher Mims
Thursday: The sentencing of former chief executive of cryptocurrency exchange FTX Sam Bankman-Fried, who was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
A TikTok ban won’t fix social media’s collective trap: Why so many of us use platforms we dislike. FT
Netflix’s Co-CEOs are nothing alike. That’s a good thing. Hollywood czar Ted Sarandos and data-obsessed techie Greg Peters have gotten the streamer back on track.
WSJ
Big Tech’s latest obsession is finding enough energy: The AI boom is fueling an insatiable appetite for electricity, which is creating risks to the grid and the transition to cleaner energy sources. WSJ
This startup promised to help fashion go green. Brands didn’t want to pay for it. Many clothing brands say environmentally friendly materials are key to their future, but uptake has been sluggish. WSJ
*** Culture ***
‘Hermès has it in the bag’: Legal experts weigh Birkin lawsuit: The luxury brand was hit with an antitrust lawsuit over its sales practices around the Birkin bag, a status symbol that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. WP
First he came for cancel culture. Now he wants to cancel smartphones: NYU professor Jonathan Haidt became a favorite in Silicon Valley for his work on what he called the “coddling” of young people. Now, he has an idea for fixing Gen Z. NYT
*** Sport ***
British woman beats world’s hardest race — with 99 seconds to go: The Times reports Jasmin Paris runs into the record books by conquering the 100-mile course.
+ Paris became the first woman to finish the brutal 100-mile Barkley Marathons race in Tennessee inside the limit, clocking a time of 59 hours, 58 minutes and 21 seconds — just 99 seconds inside the cut-off.
Saturday: The annual Men’s and Women’s Oxford vs Cambridge Boat Races take place from Putney to Mortlake on London’s river Thames.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
ITK Daily | March 25
