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close video What does the US need to gain the AI “edge” over China?

AI runs on an internet connection and whatever country can provide widespread broadband will have an advantage in the field, a Milken Institute director says.

Countries that invest in widespread broadband access and internet connectivity will gain an edge in AI technology, a financial tech director told Fox News. 

"We have an issue right now with broadband access," Nicole Valentine, the fintech director of the Center for Financial Studies at the Milken Institute, an economic think tank, said. "If we open up this divide of broadband, we open up the opportunities, then we can bring more people to the table, more solutions to the table, more ideas to the table." 

ChatGPT lists ways AI can help humanity. (Leon Neal/Getty Images / Getty Images)

AI programs such as ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion and AutoGPT require a stable internet connection to analyze data and create information for users. However, 19 million Americans — or 6% of the population — have below average speeds, according to a report from the Federal Communications Commission.EXPANDED BROADBAND ACCESS WILL GIVE US EDGE IN AI RACE: FINTECH DIRECTOR close video What does the US need to gain the AI “edge” over China?

AI runs on an internet connection and whatever country can provide widespread broadband will have an advantage in the field, a Milken Institute director says.

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Increasing internet accessibility with consistent speeds can effectively broaden the number of people who use AI, Valentine told Fox News. Making the technology more widely available within the U.S. means more consumers can become fluent with it, allowing for more innovation — and will ensure America has an "edge" in the space as other countries adopt machine learning, she said.

"What I love about generative AI is its ability for us to actually look at all of this data and create a big application on top of it," Valentine told Fox News. "So the fact that we can take platforms, we can take datasets, we can make it all smarter, that's what's most important."

Increasing access to broadband internet will put AI in the hands of more Americans, giving the U.S. an edge in AI, Nicole Valentine told Fox News. (Fox News Digital/ Nikolas Lanum / Fox News)

"AI has had the highest adoption rate, higher than the Internet, faster than the Internet," she said. "It's one of those applications that if put into the hands of platform owners, retail consumers, businesses, it's going to basically increase productivity."

The Milken Institute, an independent economic think tank, hosted a summit this week where speakers and atendees were widely supportive of the expansion of AI in the U.S.

Other countries have also been quick to embrace AI.

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China has a robust AI sector and is a key competitor in the race for dominance over the technology, China researcher Gordon Chang told Fox News last month. And from 2015 to 2021, U.S. firms invested over $40 billion in Chinese AI companies, according to a Georgetown University study. 

President Joe Biden is mulling an executive order to restrict China from accessing U.S. AI technology, according to reports. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital / Fox News)

In an effort to keep an advantage regarding AI, the White House is mulling an executive order keeping technology-related investments out of China.

Valentine said the U.S. should look to bolster domestic AI accessibility. 

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"We have all of this technology in areas that are more concentrated," Valentine said. Investing in expanding AI access will help the country "deal with the biggest issues of our time," she said.

"AI is going to be a great tool," Valentine told Fox News. "It's a tool that we all need to know how to use."

To watch the full interview with Valentine, click here. 

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Entertainment

Police take no further action over Bob Vylan’s London performance

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Police take no further action over Bob Vylan's London performance

Police will take no further action over alleged chants at a Bob Vylan concert in London.

Met Police had launched an investigation after allegations the singer, real name Pascal Robinson-Foster, was heard in footage saying “death to the IDF (Israel Defence League)”.

The footage was filmed at a performance supporting Iggy Pop, 78, at Alexandra Palace in May.

In a video, Mr Robinson-Foster is also alleged to have said: “Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel.”

But the Met Police confirmed they are closing the investigation following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The Glastonbury performance led to a police investigation. Pic: PA
Image:
The Glastonbury performance led to a police investigation. Pic: PA

‘No further action will be taken’

A spokesperson for the force said: “On Wednesday 2 July, officers became aware of footage that appeared to have been filmed at Alexandra Palace in London on 28 May. An investigation was launched into the language used in the footage.

“Early investigative advice was sought from the Crown Prosecution Service who considered a number of potential offences but determined that, based on the information and material available, there would likely be insufficient evidence to take the case forward.

“As a result, officers have decided that no further action will be taken. We recognise the concerns that the footage caused, particularly among many in London’s Jewish communities.

“It emerged during a period where we have seen a concerning rise in antisemitic hate crime.

“We continue to work closely with community representatives to understand those concerns, to ensure the safety and security of Jewish Londoners and to provide reassurance moving forward.”

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It followed footage of Mr Robinson-Foster allegedly leading a chant of “death, death to the IDF” during a BBC live-streamed performance at Glastonbury Festival, in June earlier this year, leading to an investigation from Avon and Somerset Police.

A man, in his 30s, understood to be Mr Robinson-Foster, had voluntarily attended an interview on Monday in relation to the band’s Glastonbury performance, the force said.

Police added the individual was not arrested but an investigation is ongoing.

After the Glastonbury appearance, the group were dropped from a number of festivals.

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Politics

Thousands of NHS staff to be made redundant after funding agreed

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Thousands of NHS staff to be made redundant after funding agreed

Thousands of job cuts at the NHS will go ahead after the £1bn needed to fund the redundancies was approved by the Treasury.

The government had already announced its intention to slash the headcount across both NHS England and the Department of Health by around 18,000 administrative staff and managers, including on local health boards.

The move is designed to remove “unnecessary bureaucracy” and raise £1bn a year by the end of the parliament to improve services for patients by freeing up more cash for operations.

NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Treasury had been in talks over how to pay for the £1bn one-off bill for redundancies.

It is understood the Treasury has not granted additional funding for the departures over and above the NHS’s current cash settlement, but the NHS will be permitted to overspend its budget this year to pay for redundancies, recouping the costs further down the line.

‘Every penny will be spent wisely’

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to make further announcements regarding the health service in the budget on 26 November.

And addressing the NHS providers’ annual conference in Manchester today, Mr Streeting is expected to say the government will be “protecting investment in the NHS”.

He will add: “I want to reassure taxpayers that every penny they are being asked to pay will be spent wisely.

“Our investment to offer more services at evenings and weekends, arm staff with modern technology, and improving staff retention is working.

“At the same time, cuts to wasteful spending on things like recruitment agencies saw productivity grow by 2.4% in the most recent figures – we are getting better bang for our buck.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting during a visit to the NHS National Operations Centre in London earlier this year. Pic: PA
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Health Secretary Wes Streeting during a visit to the NHS National Operations Centre in London earlier this year. Pic: PA

Mr Streeting’s speech is due to be given just hours after he became entrenched in rumours of a possible coup attempt against Sir Keir Starmer, whose poll ratings have plummeted ahead of what’s set to be a tough budget.

Mr Streeting’s spokesperson was forced to deny he was doing anything other than concentrating on the health service.

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He is also expected on Wednesday to give NHS leaders the go-ahead for a 50% cut to headcounts in Integrated Care Boards, which plan health services for specific regions.

They have been tasked with transforming the NHS into a neighbourhood health service – as set down in the government’s long-term plans for the NHS.

Those include abolishing NHS England, which will be brought back into the health department within two years.

Watch Wes Streeting on Mornings With Ridge And Frost from 7am on Sky News.

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World

Chinese hackers are sabotaging key infrastructure in Australia, spy chief warns

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Chinese hackers are sabotaging key infrastructure in Australia, spy chief warns

Hackers working for the Chinese military and government have been probing Australia’s key infrastructure and telecoms network, warns spy chief.

Mike Burgess, director-general of security for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, warned Australians could have their water and electricity supplies cut off as well as extensive banking trouble if hackers managed to cause widespread telecoms disruption.

“Foreign governments have elite teams investigating these possibilities right now,” Mr Burgess insisted.

However, China‘s foreign ministry accused Burgess’s statement of spreading false narratives.

Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

The warning demonstrates the difficulty faced by Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese in trying to keep China close economically while trying to mitigate security concerns.

Burgess said espionage was estimated to have cost the country A$12.5bn (£6.2bn) last year, including billions in trade secrets and intellectual property.

In particular, he highlighted the activities of the Chinese hacking groups Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon.

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He highlighted how Salt Typhoon had previously penetrated US telecoms systems intending to disrupt operations and pre-position for potential sabotage.

How Chinese hackers compromised the US

In December, Washington said China had hacked dozens of countries and at least eight major US telecommunication companies, including: AT&T, Verizon and Lumen Technologies.

This resulted in officials in Beijing having access to the private texts and calls of a “large number” of Americans.

US officials later urged Americans to use encrypted messaging apps to minimise the chances of China intercepting their communications.

Senior White House official Anne Neuberger said authorities didn’t believe any classified communications had been compromised.

A senior US official said that China’s access was large enough to risk an “ongoing compromise”.

China rejected the accusations that it was responsible for the hack.

Burgess also warned that Australian companies could be crippled as trade competitors or that elections could be affected.

Chinese officials made complaints to the Australian government and private sector about ASIO whenever he spoke
publicly about China, Burgess said during a speech last week. “It won’t stop my resolve,” he said.

Not the first time alarms have been raised

Concerns were raised in Canberra in February after Chinese warships conducted live-fire drills with minimal warning in the Tasman Sea.

Australian authorities only heard about the drills when a commercial pilot for Virgin Australia notified Airservices Australia.

Chinese frigate Hengyang, one of three vessels involved in the circumnavigation of Australia. Pic: Australian Defense Force /AP
Image:
Chinese frigate Hengyang, one of three vessels involved in the circumnavigation of Australia. Pic: Australian Defense Force /AP

The drills resulted in 49 flights having to change their path.

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