Digital Trade and Data Governance News
- EU-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement Signed – The EU and Singapore have signed a Digital Trade Agreement, reinforcing their commitment to high standards in digital trade, including data flows, digital trust, and emerging technologies.
- White House Withdraws Data Broker Regulation Plan – The Trump administration has scrapped a proposed rule that would have restricted data brokers from selling Americans' sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers.
Artificial Intelligence News
- Decentralized AI Development – Startups Flower AI and Vana have collaboratively developed Collective-1, a 7-billion-parameter LLM trained using a distributed network of internet-connected GPUs, bypassing traditional centralized data centers.
- U.S. Considers Easing AI Chip Export Restrictions to Gulf Nations – President Trump has indicated that the U.S. may relax restrictions on exporting advanced microchips to select Gulf countries, a policy initially implemented by the Biden administration to prevent potential diversion to China.
- Chip Rules - The US rescinded chip diffusion rules created by the Biden Administration.
- AI's Disproportionate Impact on Women's Employment – A recent report by the United Nations' International Labour Organization reveals that artificial intelligence poses a greater risk to jobs traditionally held by women, particularly in high-income countries.
- Musk’s Grok AI Deployment in U.S. Government Raises Conflict Concerns – Elon Musk's DOGE is reportedly expanding the use of his AI chatbot, Grok, within federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, without proper authorization.
- OECD & EU Draft AI Literacy Framework – The OECD and European Commission have unveiled a draft AI Literacy Framework for primary and secondary education, aiming to equip students with the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes to engage with AI technologies responsibly and effectively.
What We're Reading
- New UK Government AI Consultation – The UK government has launched an AI tool named "Consult" to expedite the analysis of public consultation responses, claiming it can process data 1,000 times faster than human officials.
- Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence – Elon University and the American Association of Colleges and Universities have released the 2025 edition of the Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence, offering students practical advice on using AI responsibly
- Securing AI Data Access – The Foundation for American Innovation urges the U.S. to secure access to high-quality foreign datasets through trade agreements and legislative measures, aiming to maintain AI leadership by enabling cross-border data flows for advanced model training.
- UNDP’s 2025 Human Development Report – The United Nations Development Programme's 2025 Human Development Report, titled “A Matter of Choice: People and Possibilities in the Age of AI,” highlights a significant global slowdown in human development progress to its lowest in 35 years.
- NAPA Report on Balancing Data Sharing and Privacy – The National Academy of Public Administration examines how federal agencies can enhance fraud prevention and program efficiency through expanded data sharing while safeguarding privacy to build public trust.
- Structural Constraints in Governing a Global Digital Economy – A recent study published in Global Studies Quarterly examines the structural challenges faced by governments in regulating the global digital economy.
Career Opportunities
- Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity Invites Your Papers - JOIn invites your paper to be submitted. JOIn is an open access journal that combines interdisciplinary research, as well as theoretical, methodological, and applied work on open innovation, open business model, entrepreneurship, complexity, and evolutionary change in the economy
- Call for Papers - The Cambridge Forum on Technology and Global Affairs invites submissions for its upcoming issue, focusing on the role of open technologies in addressing global challenges amidst geopolitical instability, climate change, and rapid technological advancement.
Opportunities to Comment
- OECD & EU Draft AI Literacy Framework – The OECD and European Commission have unveiled a draft AI Literacy Framework for primary and secondary education, aiming to equip students with the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes to engage with AI technologies responsibly and effectively. The draft framework, open for public consultation through late 2025, represents the first coordinated international effort to standardize AI education for ages 6-18.
- EU Seeks Input on Data Use for AI Development – The European Commission has launched a public consultation to gather views on how data can be accessed and used responsibly to advance artificial intelligence innovation
