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Politico
2 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
The ‘dual-edged sword' of AI chatbots
With help from Maggie Miller Driving the day — As large language models become increasingly popular, the security community and foreign adversaries are constantly looking for ways to skirt safety guardrails — but for very different reasons. HAPPY MONDAY, and welcome to MORNING CYBERSECURITY! In between the DMV's sporadic rain this weekend, I managed to get a pretty gnarly sunburn at a winery. I'll be spending the rest of the summer working to fix the unflattering tan lines. Follow POLITICO's cybersecurity team on X at @RosiePerper, @johnnysaks130, @delizanickel and @magmill95, or reach out via email or text for tips. You can also follow @POLITICOPro on X. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Today's Agenda The House meets for morning hour debate and 2 p.m. to consider legislation under suspension of the rules: H.R. 1770 (119), the 'Consumer Safety Technology Act"; H.R. 1766 (119), the 'NTIA Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination Act"; and more. 12 p.m. Artificial Intelligence SKIRTING GUARDRAILS — As the popularity of generative artificial intelligence systems like large language models rises, the security community is working to discover weaknesses in order to boost their safety and accuracy. But as research continues identifying ways bad actors can override a model's built-in guardrails — also known as 'jailbreaking' — to improve safeguards, foreign adversaries are taking advantage of vulnerabilities in LLMs to pump out misinformation. 'It's extremely easy to jailbreak a model,' Chris Thompson, global head of IBM's X-Force Red Adversary Simulation team, told your host. 'There's lots of techniques for jailbreaking models that work, regardless of system prompts and the guardrails in place.' — Jailbreaking: Popular LLMs like Google's Gemini, OpenAI's ChatGPT and Meta's Llama have guardrails in place to stop them from answering certain questions, like how to build a bomb. But hackers can jailbreak LLMs by asking questions in a way that bypasses those protections. Last month, a team from Intel, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Boise State University published research that found AI chatbots like Gemini and ChatGPT can be tricked into teaching users how to conduct a ransomware attack on an ATM. The research team used an attack method called 'InfoFlood,' which pumps the LLM with dense language, including academic jargon and fake citations, to disguise the malicious queries while still getting the questions answered. According to Advait Yadav, one of the researchers, it was a simple yet successful idea. 'It was a very simple test,' Yadav told your host. 'We asked, what if we buried … a really harmful statement with very dense, linguistic language, and the success rate was really high.' Spokespeople for Google and OpenAI noted to your host that the report focuses on older LLM models. A spokesperson for OpenAI told MC in a statement that the firm takes steps 'to reduce the risk of malicious use, and we're continually improving safeguards to make our models more robust against exploits like jailbreaks.' — Disinfo mission: And as university researchers find ways to sneak past these guardrails, foreign adversaries are, too. Rival powers like Russia have long exploited AI bots to push their agenda by spreading false information. In May 2024, OpenAI detailed how operations from Russia are using its software to push out false and misleading information about a variety of topics — including the war in Ukraine. 'These models are built to be conversational and responsive, and these qualities are what make them easy for adversaries to exploit with little effort,' said McKenzie Sadeghi, AI and foreign influence editor at the misinformation tracker NewsGuard. NewsGuard's monthly audits of leading AI models have repeatedly found that chatbots will generate false claims around state narratives from Russia, China and Iran with little resistance. 'When foreign adversaries succeed in manipulating these systems, they're reshaping the informational landscape that citizens, policymakers and journalists rely on to make decisions,' she added. — Boosting safeguards: As actors linked to foreign adversaries utilize the chatbots, the security community says they are working to keep up. 'The goal of jailbreaks is to inform modelmakers on vulnerabilities and how they can be improved,' Yadav told your host, adding that the research team plans to send a courtesy disclosure package to the model-making companies in the study. For Google's Gemini App, the firm runs red-teaming exercises to train models to defend against attacks, according to Elijah Lawal, the global communications manager for the Gemini App. 'This isn't just malicious threat actors using it,' Thompson told your host. 'There's also the security research community that is leveraging this work to do their jobs better and faster as well. So it's kind of a dual-edged sword.' On The Hill FIRST IN MC: QUESTIONS, CONCERNS — Rep. Raja Kristhnamoorthi (D-Ill.), ranking member of the House Select Committee on China, wants answers on how the State Department is working to prevent the use of AI-enabled impersonations of officials, following reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the recent subject of an AI hoax. Krishnamoorthi will send a letter to Rubio today, first obtained by Maggie, asking questions around the agency's approach to countering AI-enabled impersonations, such as deepfake videos and voice recordings. This comes after The Washington Post reported last week that an imposter used these types of scams to pose as Rubio and contact foreign diplomats and U.S. lawmakers. Given his role on the China Committee, Krishnamoorthi is particularly interested in understanding how the State Department is studying and addressing the potential negative impact of deepfakes on the U.S.-China relationship, and whether the agency has a process for evaluating the authenticity of communications from Chinese and other foreign officials. 'While I currently have no information indicating this incident involved a foreign state, and hoaxers are equally capable of creating deceptive deepfakes like this given the proliferation of AI technologies, this incident presents an opportunity to highlight such risks and seek information about the department's efforts to counter them,' Rajnamoorthi wrote in the letter being sent today. When asked about the impersonations, Rubio reportedly told reporters in Malaysia last week that he uses official channels to communicate with foreign officials, in part due to the risk of imposters claiming to be him. The State Department put out a statement last week following the Post's report, noting that the agency is investigating the incident. China corner SUSPECTED BREACH — Suspected Chinese hackers have gained access to email accounts of advisers and attorneys at Wiley Rein, a top law firm in Washington, in an intelligence-gathering operation. CNN reported on Friday that the hackers linked to the breach 'have been known to target information related to trade, Taiwan and US government agencies involved in setting tariffs and reviewing foreign investment,' according to the firm. — Zoom out: This breach comes amid the Trump administration's trade war against China, which Wiley Rein helps its powerful clients navigate. The International Scene COME TOGETHER — Norway is joining the international initiative to boost Ukraine's cybersecurity defenses. Ukraine's Digital Transformation Ministry announced on Friday that Norway is also joining the Tallinn Mechanism and will provide Ukraine with 25 million Norwegian krone, or $2.5 million, to support the country's cyber defenses by the end of 2025. 'The Tallinn Mechanism is a key instrument of international support that helps Ukraine resist these attacks while building long-term digital resilience,' Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement. — Zoom out: Norway is the 12th country to join the Tallinn Mechanism — which includes Estonia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and the U.S. The group was established in 2023 to coordinate private sector and government aid to Ukraine. Quick Bytes LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION — Bodyguards using fitness app Strava inadvertently made locations of Swedish leaders, writes Lynsey Chutel for The New York Times. 'HORRIFIC BEHAVIOR' — In a series of posts on X, the AI chatbot Grok apologized for 'horrific behavior' following a series of posts that included expressing support for Adolf Hitler, Anthony Ha reports for TechCrunch. Also Happening Today The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association holds the TechNet Emergency 2025 conference. 9 a.m. Chat soon. Stay in touch with the whole team: Rosie Perper (rperper@ John Sakellariadis (jsakellariadis@ Maggie Miller (mmiller@ and Dana Nickel (dnickel@
Miami Herald
7 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
America Could Get Its First New National Park in Years: What to Know
Georgia is getting closer to passing a resolution that would establish the first National Park in the state. If House Resolution 2345 passes, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park would also become the first newly established National Park and Preserve in the country since 2020, when New River George National Park and Preserve was established in West Virginia. "For Georgians, this is a legacy investment in both our natural environment and local economies," Seth Clark, executive director of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative, told Newsweek. "National Park and Preserve status will drive sustainable tourism, expand and protect hunting and fishing access, create good jobs, protect private property rights, and generate long-term economic growth for Middle Georgia," he added. "The passage of H.R. 2345 would establish Georgia's first and only National Park and Preserve, culminating almost a century of public-private partnership," Representative Austin Scott, sponsor of the bill, told Newsweek. "We are proud of the history they represent, what that history means to Georgia, and we want the country and the world to know about, and visit, the land," he added. Newsweek has contacted the National Parks Conservation Association and the National Park Service via email for comment. The efforts to designate Ocmulgee Mounds in central Georgia as a National Park and Preserve have lasted over a century. The mounds were built in the 900s by the ancestors of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, which has since partnered with lawmakers and conservation groups to push for the designation. Now, Georgia lawmakers are throwing their weight behind passing necessary legislation to upgrade the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park into a National Park and Preserve. Not only are 13 lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans, cosponsoring the House resolution, but two Georgia senators (Democrats) have also brought forward their own similar legislation, in a major effort to establish the first National Park in the state, the Savannah Morning News reported. House Resolution 2345 received bipartisan support in Congress in March with only one of Georgia's House members not cosponsoring the bill. Currently, Ocmulgee Mounds is a national historic site, a designation that "tends to concentrate on one historical feature, rather than multiple buildings or locations," James Brooks, a professor of history at the University of Georgia, told Newsweek. "National Historical Parks are the next step up from National Historic Sites, and they exist for the same basic purpose as historic sites, but tend to be larger in area," Brooks said. The change in designation to the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, which spans over 700 acres, would increase the area of land protection to a total of 54,000 acres along the Ocmulgee River, supporters say. This would make the region a "protected landscape, rather than just location," Brooks said. When discussing his bill, Representative Scott also highlighted the "positive national security implications of the proposed boundary expansion," which would increase to include land near Robins Air Force Base. He said this would "preserve installation operational areas and land use compatibility for military maneuvers." Hunting and fishing access would also be protected and expanded in the preserve boundary, Scott said, adding that his bill "prioritizes public hunting and fishing access, while protecting states' rights in regulation and private property rights of middle Georgians." Just over 5 percent of the state is in the federal registry, much of which is land in Georgia's "critical military bases," Scott said. "This establishment of a national preserve will only increase the federal land inventory of Georgia by about 0.018 percent." Brooks added that the new park, if the legislation passes, will also be the first comanaged National Park Service unit with the Muskogee Creek Nation Historic Preservation office—which he described as "pathbreaking" management. Representative Scott told Newsweek: "Establishing the mounds as a National Park will ensure that they are protected and preserved for years to come, allowing generations of Americans and Georgians to enjoy our state's rich history and cultures. Additionally, the proposed preserve protects Georgia's natural resources and expands hunting and fishing opportunities for generations of Georgians to come." He added: "We want to bring people to Georgia to experience our state and the great things it has to offer. The Ocmulgee Mounds are a perfect example of what that can look like. We also want to preserve the history and culture that has helped shape our state into what it is today." Seth Clark, executive director of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative, told Newsweek: "Designating Ocmulgee Mounds as a National Park and Preserve is critical to conserving some of the most ecologically and culturally significant landscapes in the United States. It protects vital wildlife corridors, wetlands, and river systems through local collaboration. This bipartisan piece of legislation is about smart, locally driven conservation through partnerships with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, local and state governments, and local industry—and the window to act is now." He added: "This designation would be a model for how local communities can leverage conservation to drive economic revitalization. It shows that protecting land and creating opportunity aren't in conflict—they go hand in hand. Middle Georgia has been leading by example. and can serve as a model for the fulfillment of the goals of President Trump's recently announced Make America Beautiful Again Commission—but only if Congressman Austin Scott's bipartisan legislation to allow our region to fulfill this potential is passed this year." Lincoln R. Larson, a professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University, told Newsweek: "National Park status affords a greater productive status than National Monument status, and given the Trump Administration's stated to desire to shrink public lands and reduce protections bestowed on them for drilling, development, and other purposes, conversion to National Parks whenever possible is good for conservation." Larson added: "Ultimately I think that, in addition to protecting Ocmulgee, this resolution sends a larger message that parks and protected areas are not a partisan issue, and that everyone in this country should, and does, care about them." The measure was passed to the House Committee on Natural Resources at the end of March, and is yet to make further progress through Congress. Related Articles The 1600: Annoyance PoliticsNational Parks Asked For Feedback. The Response They Got Was DevastatingNational Parks to Change Under Trump Executive Order: What to KnowDonald Trump's National Park Tip Line Flooded With Angry Messages 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
America Could Get Its First New National Park in Years: What to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Georgia is getting closer to passing a resolution that would establish the first National Park in the state. If House Resolution 2345 passes, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park would also become the first newly established National Park and Preserve in the country since 2020, when New River George National Park and Preserve was established in West Virginia. "For Georgians, this is a legacy investment in both our natural environment and local economies," Seth Clark, executive director of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative, told Newsweek. "National Park and Preserve status will drive sustainable tourism, expand and protect hunting and fishing access, create good jobs, protect private property rights, and generate long-term economic growth for Middle Georgia," he added. "The passage of H.R. 2345 would establish Georgia's first and only National Park and Preserve, culminating almost a century of public-private partnership," Representative Austin Scott, sponsor of the bill, told Newsweek. "We are proud of the history they represent, what that history means to Georgia, and we want the country and the world to know about, and visit, the land," he added. Newsweek has contacted the National Parks Conservation Association and the National Park Service via email for comment. Why It Matters The efforts to designate Ocmulgee Mounds in central Georgia as a National Park and Preserve have lasted over a century. The mounds were built in the 900s by the ancestors of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, which has since partnered with lawmakers and conservation groups to push for the designation. Now, Georgia lawmakers are throwing their weight behind passing necessary legislation to upgrade the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park into a National Park and Preserve. Not only are 13 lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans, cosponsoring the House resolution, but two Georgia senators (Democrats) have also brought forward their own similar legislation, in a major effort to establish the first National Park in the state, the Savannah Morning News reported. The Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park in Macon, Georgia, on August 22, 2022. The Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park in Macon, Georgia, on August 22, 2022. Sharon Johnson/AP What To Know House Resolution 2345 received bipartisan support in Congress in March with only one of Georgia's House members not cosponsoring the bill. Currently, Ocmulgee Mounds is a national historic site, a designation that "tends to concentrate on one historical feature, rather than multiple buildings or locations," James Brooks, a professor of history at the University of Georgia, told Newsweek. "National Historical Parks are the next step up from National Historic Sites, and they exist for the same basic purpose as historic sites, but tend to be larger in area," Brooks said. The change in designation to the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, which spans over 700 acres, would increase the area of land protection to a total of 54,000 acres along the Ocmulgee River, supporters say. This would make the region a "protected landscape, rather than just location," Brooks said. When discussing his bill, Representative Scott also highlighted the "positive national security implications of the proposed boundary expansion," which would increase to include land near Robins Air Force Base. He said this would "preserve installation operational areas and land use compatibility for military maneuvers." Hunting and fishing access would also be protected and expanded in the preserve boundary, Scott said, adding that his bill "prioritizes public hunting and fishing access, while protecting states' rights in regulation and private property rights of middle Georgians." Just over 5 percent of the state is in the federal registry, much of which is land in Georgia's "critical military bases," Scott said. "This establishment of a national preserve will only increase the federal land inventory of Georgia by about 0.018 percent." Brooks added that the new park, if the legislation passes, will also be the first comanaged National Park Service unit with the Muskogee Creek Nation Historic Preservation office—which he described as "pathbreaking" management. What People Are Saying Representative Scott told Newsweek: "Establishing the mounds as a National Park will ensure that they are protected and preserved for years to come, allowing generations of Americans and Georgians to enjoy our state's rich history and cultures. Additionally, the proposed preserve protects Georgia's natural resources and expands hunting and fishing opportunities for generations of Georgians to come." He added: "We want to bring people to Georgia to experience our state and the great things it has to offer. The Ocmulgee Mounds are a perfect example of what that can look like. We also want to preserve the history and culture that has helped shape our state into what it is today." Seth Clark, executive director of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative, told Newsweek: "Designating Ocmulgee Mounds as a National Park and Preserve is critical to conserving some of the most ecologically and culturally significant landscapes in the United States. It protects vital wildlife corridors, wetlands, and river systems through local collaboration. This bipartisan piece of legislation is about smart, locally driven conservation through partnerships with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, local and state governments, and local industry—and the window to act is now." He added: "This designation would be a model for how local communities can leverage conservation to drive economic revitalization. It shows that protecting land and creating opportunity aren't in conflict—they go hand in hand. Middle Georgia has been leading by example. and can serve as a model for the fulfillment of the goals of President Trump's recently announced Make America Beautiful Again Commission—but only if Congressman Austin Scott's bipartisan legislation to allow our region to fulfill this potential is passed this year." Lincoln R. Larson, a professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University, told Newsweek: "National Park status affords a greater productive status than National Monument status, and given the Trump Administration's stated to desire to shrink public lands and reduce protections bestowed on them for drilling, development, and other purposes, conversion to National Parks whenever possible is good for conservation." Larson added: "Ultimately I think that, in addition to protecting Ocmulgee, this resolution sends a larger message that parks and protected areas are not a partisan issue, and that everyone in this country should, and does, care about them." What Happens Next The measure was passed to the House Committee on Natural Resources at the end of March, and is yet to make further progress through Congress.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Inside America's Protest Machine: Who's Funding The Chaos?
A spreadsheet circulating on X, shared by @DataRepublican on June 13, 2025, appears to expose a coordinated network of activist groups orchestrating monthly protests across the United States—including the recent 'Tesla Takedown' on February 15, 2025. The document identifies multiple organizations—reportedly 22 in total, according to the original post—including CHIRLA, which allegedly received $34 million in grants, and progressive advocacy arms like Vote Save America. The coordination suggests these demonstrations are far from spontaneous grassroots activism. The spreadsheet, corroborated by posts from journalist @AsraNomani, shows a pattern of overlapping organizers and synchronized nationwide protest dates. Critics on X, including @DataRepublican, have labeled the network a potential 'color revolution'—a term historically associated with uprisings like Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution, where foreign-funded NGOs were widely believed to have played a role. A 2016 article in the Journal of Democracy discussed how NGO networks can sometimes serve as soft-power instruments for geopolitical influence, lending context to the comparison. Concerns over foreign involvement have surfaced alongside allegations that Neville Singham, a controversial activist and donor, is linked to groups behind the June 8–9 protests, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Multiple outlets have accused Singham of having ties to entities aligned with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) interests, though no formal charges or direct financial links have been proven. These reports have nonetheless intensified scrutiny of nonprofit funding channels. Taxpayer dollars may also be fueling the activity. According to @DataRepublican's analysis of public filings, CHIRLA's grant income surged from $12 million to $34 million within a year. Other organizations, such as the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), are said to operate with opaque donor networks. The failed H.R. 5128 Nonprofit Transparency Act of 2023, which aimed to require 501(c)(3) nonprofits to disclose foreign donations, left a loophole that critics say enables this kind of funding. Watchdog groups have long warned that many nonprofits do not fully comply with donor transparency standards, allowing millions to circulate with limited federal oversight. Users on X expressed outrage. @JKash000 asked, 'Why is a nonprofit charity funding riots against American citizens?' Another user, @TonyDGianino, posted, 'By paying taxes, we're funding the destruction of our own country.' Such reactions reflect mounting public distrust in nonprofit and government oversight, with increasing calls for audits and federal investigations. 'The IRS needs to step in,' wrote @SaveUSAKitty. This controversy goes beyond isolated demonstrations—it raises questions of influence and intent. The spreadsheet's pattern of methodically scheduled, nationwide events mirrors tactics seen in past politically motivated revolutions. As @realMAG1775 noted, drawing clear lines between domestic billionaire donors and alleged foreign-linked operatives like Singham is crucial. The involvement of platforms such as ActBlue and affiliated PACs suggests a convergence of financial and ideological motives. Congress must act. Weak regulatory oversight has allowed what @DataRepublican describes as a 'well-oiled machine' to exploit DHS grants and route money through nonprofits, potentially turning taxpayer funds into fuel for political agitation. Proposed reforms—such as mandatory disclosure of foreign donations and stricter IRS compliance audits—could help restore accountability. Until then, Americans may be unknowingly bankrolling a protest apparatus with global ambitions. As the nation watches, one question remains: Are these uprisings authentic expressions of dissent—or orchestrated campaigns to destabilize American society? The emerging evidence increasingly points to the latter—and demands urgent scrutiny.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WGAE Urges Senate to Halt Effort to Defund PBS and NPR, Says House Vote Is ‘Fueled by Radical Right-Wing Ideology'
The Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) condemned the House vote on Thursday to cut a previously allocated $1.1 billion for public broadcasting, blasting the move as 'a radical right-wing ideology that aims to destroy a non-partisan public service despite all evidence of its wide benefits.' H.R. 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025, impacts funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides money for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), as well as thousands of public radio and television stations across the country. The vote to slash that funding passed by only three votes, 214-212. The WGAE statement, which was shared with TheWrap, stated that The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a 'public treasure.' The union praised its educational shows such as 'NOVA,' 'Molly of Denali' and 'Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.' 'These programs, along with the many others written by Writers Guild members, provide rural and urban households, classrooms and communities with accessible educational content and off-screen learning tools that serve all Americans and their families equally, with no subscription fee,' the statement said. 'The House's vote to strip money that had already been allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is fueled by a radical right-wing ideology that aims to destroy a non-partisan public service despite all evidence of its wide benefits. It is a total fabrication that these cuts will offset the massive debt that will be caused by the Trump Administration's big, bad, billionaire-backed reconciliation bill. This vote is an example of the richest people in the world taking money and resources away from everyone else. We urge the U.S. Senate to reject this shameful and destructive legislation.' The Senate is expected to vote on H.R. 4 in July. 'Cruelty is the point,' Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Minority Leader of the the House said of the massive funding rollback. The post WGAE Urges Senate to Halt Effort to Defund PBS and NPR, Says House Vote Is 'Fueled by Radical Right-Wing Ideology' appeared first on TheWrap.
