OpenAI locks down: ChatGPT-maker adding biometric checks to guard AI secrets from spies, report says
Earlier this year, DeepSeek shocked the industry by releasing a powerful AI model that rivalled the likes of ChatGPT and Gemini – except, it was built at less than half the cost of these Google and OpenAI models. As the Chinese model began to pick up popularity, OpenAI shared its claims saying that DeepSeek may have used 'distillation' techniques – where a smaller AI model is trained to copy the behaviour of a larger, more advanced one – to recreate its technology at a fraction of the cost. OpenAI shared these claims earlier this year. The company eventually said that it has evidence that DeepSeek copied its technology. Though DeepSeek did not respond to the accusation, the incident reportedly sparked serious changes at OpenAI. Notably, distillation is a common machine learning practice, but OpenAI says it violates its terms of service when done using ChatGPT's outputs. It is a bit like copying a famous artist's painting, brushstroke for brushstroke, without permission. Do you note the irony?While these changes began quietly last year, they reportedly accelerated after DeepSeek's release in January caused alarm in tech circles and raised concerns about how a lesser-known company could build such capable AI models so quickly.- Ends
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Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Limited results from EU-China summit, India's visa resumption, and the Chinese mega dam
Senior European Union (EU) officials arrived in Beijing for a summit marking 50 years of EU-China diplomatic relations on Thursday (July 24). In the lead-up, it was reported to be a two-day affair, but ended up being curtailed to one day at Beijing's request. It is unclear what prompted the decision. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her speech that EU-China trade ties were at a 'clear inflection point,' citing their trade imbalance of $358 billion, which is in China's favour. She also raised the issue of recent restrictions on rare earth minerals' exports, in which China is a global leader. In last week's tracker, we mentioned the meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese President Xi Jinping, during the minister's first visit to China in five years. The minister noted the ongoing efforts to normalise bilateral relations after the 2020 standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This week, India said it will resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals after a five-year pause, beginning Thursday. Finally, China announced that construction had begun at a mega hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, which also flows through India as the Siang and the Brahmaputra. Upon completion, this would be the largest project of its kind. India has previously raised concerns about it as the lower riparian country (one located downstream). Here is a closer look at these developments: EU officials met with China's President, Xi Jinping, and Premier Li Qiang. The summit saw stark reminders from Europe on some persistent trade issues, such as cheap Chinese goods in EU markets due to the 'overcapacity' of China's industrial sector. Von der Leyen largely attributed the trade imbalance to 'an increasing number of trade distortions and market access barriers.' She added, 'Unlike other major markets, Europe keeps its market open to Chinese goods… However, this openness is not matched by China.' The EU expressed its expectation for access to China's market in priority areas such as meat, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. It highlighted the negative impact of China's export controls on rare earths, which are crucial to the functioning of several key industries, and on rare earth magnets used in the automobile industry, urging China to lift restrictions. UPSHOT: A report in the Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece Global Times described the ties as 'one of the world's most influential bilateral partnerships – an exemplary model of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation across different systems and civilizations.' However, this language is not reflective of the current state of the relationship. Expectations were low going into the meeting because the two sides have not made progress in resolving longstanding issues. One reason, according to analysts, is that the need for cooperation is no longer being felt as urgently. While the EU may soon sign a deal on tariffs with the United States, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will be in Sweden from July 27 to 30 for economic and trade talks with the US. Thus, the one factor that was seen as driving their closeness is, for now, being managed. Further, Europe continues to have several grievances with Beijing, including over its support for Russia in the Ukraine war. Von der Leyen said they expected China to use its influence to bring Russia to accept a ceasefire. Even as China is yet to agree on the question of Russia, senior leaders and officials, including Xi Jinping, are increasingly recognising the need to correct industrial overcapacity for a host of reasons. Not antagonising trade partners is one of them. As Von der Leyen said, 'Rebalancing our bilateral relation is no longer optional, it's essential.' Another key shared interest between the two is climate change and green energy investments. While the two sides released a joint statement, noting goals like accelerating the global renewable energy deployment, no major commitments were made. Earlier this week, India announced that Chinese nationals can now apply for visas through application centres in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The pause came amid the Covid-19 pandemic and was later extended following the LAC stand-off. As The Indian Express earlier reported, about 2 lakh visas were issued to Chinese nationals in 2019, and about 1.63 lakh in 2018, according to official data. UPSHOT: It comes alongside other recent measures intended to normalise the bilateral relations, including the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra. In June, the two countries' officials also discussed the resumption of direct flights. While the number of visas issued to China has been low in the past, Chinese nationals' entry into India also matters from an economic perspective. Last year, The Indian Express reported that at least two Union ministries — Electronics and Information Technology and Commerce and Industry — were pushing for easier visa norms for the entry of Chinese technicians. India's domestic industry had raised concerns that export orders were not being fulfilled due to delays in granting visas. One example was how the leather sector, which imported and installed Chinese machinery, was finding it difficult to operationalise plants without the requisite personnel. On its part, China announced the resumption of all types of visas for Indian travellers in March 2023. However, one industry body chair in India previously said that visas have long been a problematic issue between the countries, and that 'the Chinese tend to approve visas applied by Indian importers but delay or block visa requests by government officials and exporters.' Work has begun on what Chinese Premier Li Qiang recently called the 'project of the century'. Discussed for years in China, the dam in Medog County will have a capacity of generating 60,000 MW. This would be thrice the current largest hydro power project in the world, the Three Gorges Dam, which is also located in China. In the past, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has described it as a ticking time bomb for India, saying, 'The issue is that China cannot be trusted. No one knows what they might do.' The Indian External Affairs Ministry said it conveyed its concerns to China last year, but on Wednesday, a Chinese official spokesperson said it will not have 'any negative impact on the downstream regions', presumably referring to India and Bangladesh. UPSHOT: The project is undoubtedly significant, just in terms of its sheer size. For China, it is an opportunity to ensure energy security and push forward with its green energy goals. However, as experts have previously told The Indian Express, even in the absence of any ill intentions from China, there are good reasons to be concerned. The size of the reservoir and the fact that the Himalayas are young mountains prone to landslides and other geological activities heighten the risks of a major ecological disaster. What complicates the matter is the limited avenues for bilateral cooperation on such issues. While the sharing of river data was also one of the intended goals under the normalisation process, no major breakthrough on that front has been announced so far. Additionally, India has proposed an 11.2 GW Upper Siang Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh to guard against future changes in the river's water flow. However, it has faced some opposition on the ground and has seen slow progress. Rishika Singh is a Senior sub-editor at the Explained Desk of The Indian Express. She enjoys writing on issues related to international relations, and in particular, likes to follow analyses of news from China. Additionally, she writes on developments related to politics and culture in India. ... Read More
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump tariffs leave costly China supply question unanswered
President Donald Trump 's recent flurry of trade deals have given Asian exporters some clarity on tariffs, but missing are key details on how to avoid punitive rates that target China's supply chains. Trump unveiled tariffs of 20% for Vietnam and 19% for Indonesia and the Philippines, signaling those are the levels the US will likely settle on for most of Southeast Asia, a region that ships $352 billion worth of goods annually to the US. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Finance Healthcare Product Management Technology others healthcare Management MCA Operations Management Degree Design Thinking Others CXO Data Science Cybersecurity Artificial Intelligence Data Analytics Digital Marketing Leadership MBA Public Policy Data Science Project Management PGDM Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 Months IIM Calcutta SEPO - IIMC CFO India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Fintech & Blockchain India Starts on undefined Get Details He's also threatened to rocket rates up to 40% for products deemed to be transshipped, or re-routed, through those countries — a move largely directed at curbing Chinese goods circumventing higher US tariffs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Sleep Apnea Ruined My Life – Then I Found This Simple Trick Health Insight Undo But still unclear to manufacturers is how the US will calculate and apply local-content requirements, key to how it will determine what constitutes transshipped goods. Southeast Asian nations are highly reliant on Chinese components and raw materials, and US firms that source from the region would bear the extra tariff damage. That's left companies, investors and economists facing several unanswered questions about Trump's tariffs that appear aimed at squeezing out Chinese content, according to Deborah Elms, head of trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore. Live Events 'Is that raw materials? All raw materials? Above a certain percentage?' she said. 'How about parts? What about labor or services? What about investment?' In an agreement with Indonesia last week, the White House said the two countries would negotiate 'rules of origin' to ensure a third country wouldn't benefit. The deal with Vietnam earlier this month outlined a higher 40% tariff rate for transshipped goods. And Thai officials, who have yet to secure a deal, detailed that they likely need to boost local content in exports to the US. Missing Details The Trump administration isn't providing much clarity on the matter right now. US officials are still working out details with trading partners and looking at value-based local content requirements, to ensure exports are more than just assembled imported parts, according to a person familiar with the matter, who didn't want to be identified discussing private talks. A senior Trump administration official also said this week that details on the approach to transshipment are expected to be released before Aug. 1, the deadline for when higher US tariffs kick in. Some factories are already adjusting their supply chains to comply with rules that will require more locally-made components in production. Frank Deng, an executive at a Shanghai-based furniture exporter with operations in Vietnam — and which gets about 80% of business from the US — said in an interview his firm is making adjustments as authorities appear to be more strictly enforcing country-of-origin rules. Vietnam has always had specific local content requirements for manufacturers, Deng added, including that a maximum of 30% of the volume of raw materials originates from China, and the value after production in Vietnam must be 40% higher than the imported raw materials. 'We've been struggling to meet all the standards so that we can still stay in the game,' Deng said. 'But I guess that's the only way to survive now.' For most of Southeast Asia, reducing the amount of Chinese-made components in manufacturing will require a complete overhaul of their supply chains. Estimates from Eurasia Group show that Chinese components make up about 60% to 70% of exports from Southeast Asia — primarily industrial inputs that go into manufacturing assembly. About 15% of the region's exports now head to the US, up about four percentage points from 2018. Local Content The US has become increasingly vigilant about China's ability to bypass US trade tariffs and other restrictions through third countries since Trump's first trade war in 2017. Thailand signaled its frustration over the lack of clarity for how much local content is needed in goods exported to the US to avert transshipment rates, but noted it will likely be much higher than a traditional measure of 40%. 'From what we've heard, the required percentage could be significantly higher, perhaps 60%, 70%, or even 80%,' Deputy Prime Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said July 14. 'Emerging countries or new production bases are clearly at a disadvantage,' he said, as their manufacturing capabilities are still at an early stage and must rely on other countries for raw goods. Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia have all taken steps this year to address Trump's concerns, increasing scrutiny of trade that passes through their ports including new rule-of-origin policies that centralize processing and imposing harsh penalties on transshippers. Developing nations may still struggle to enforce Trump's rules or comply with the rules if it means going up against China, their largest trading partner and geopolitical partner. 'The reality is it's not enforceable at all,' said Dan Wang, China director at Eurasia Group. 'Chinese companies have all kinds of ways to get around it and those other countries have no incentive to enforce those measures, or capacity to collect the data and determine local content.'
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
China urges global consensus on balancing AI development, security
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills China's Premier Li Qiang warned Saturday that artificial intelligence development must be weighed against the security risks, saying global consensus was urgently needed even as the tech race between Beijing and Washington shows no sign of remarks came just days after US President Donald Trump unveiled an aggressive low-regulation strategy aimed at cementing US dominance in the fast-moving field, promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI the World AI Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on Saturday, Li emphasised the need for governance and open-source development, announcing the establishment of a Chinese-led body for international AI cooperation."The risks and challenges brought by artificial intelligence have drawn widespread attention... How to find a balance between development and security urgently requires further consensus from the entire society," the premier said China would "actively promote" the development of open-source AI , adding Beijing was willing to share advances with other countries, particularly developing ones."If we engage in technological monopolies, controls and blockage, artificial intelligence will become the preserve of a few countries and a few enterprises," he said."Only by adhering to openness, sharing and fairness in access to intelligence can more countries and groups benefit from (AI)."The premier highlighted "insufficient supply of computing power and chips" as a has expanded its efforts in recent years to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China, concerned that these can be used to advance Beijing's military systems and erode US tech its part, China has made AI a pillar of its plans for technological self-reliance, with the government pledging a raft of measures to boost the January, Chinese startup DeepSeek unveiled an AI model that performed as well as top US systems despite using less powerful a time when AI is being integrated across virtually all industries, its uses have raised major ethical questions, from the spread of misinformation to its impact on employment, or the potential loss of technological a speech at WAIC on Saturday, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Geoffrey Hinton compared the situation to keeping "a very cute tiger cub as a pet"."To survive", he said, you need to ensure you can train it not to kill you when it grows a video message played at the WAIC opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said AI governance would be "a defining test of international cooperation".The ceremony also saw the French president's AI envoy, Anne Bouverot, underscore the "an urgent need" for global an AI summit in Paris in February, 58 countries including China, France and India -- as well as the European Union and African Union Commission -- called for enhanced coordination on AI the United States warned against "excessive regulation", and alongside the United Kingdom, refused to sign the summit's appeal for an "open", "inclusive" and "ethical" AI.
