Showing 1 - 10 of 14,798
Kyiv faces 'difficult' May as arms supply faces delays
News, Peter Apps, Published on 08/05/2024
» Shortly after the US House of Representatives signed off its $61 billion (2.2 trillion baht) deal of military support for Ukraine last month, social media feeds run by the government in Kyiv showed US-supplied HIMARS batteries firing 16 rockets in quick succession into nearby territory held by Russia.
The rise of AI in political warfare
News, Published on 07/05/2024
» This year promises to be a whopper for elective government, with billions of people -- or more than 40% of the world's population -- able to vote in an election. But nearly five months into 2024, some government officials are quietly wondering why the looming risk of AI hasn't, apparently, played out. Even as voters in Indonesia and Pakistan have gone to the polls, they are seeing little evidence of viral deepfakes skewing an electoral outcome, according to a recent article in Politico, which cited "national security officials, tech company executives and outside watchdog groups". AI, they said, wasn't having the "mass impact" that they expected. That is a painfully shortsighted view. The reason? AI may be disrupting elections right now, and we just don't know it.
The winner-take-all economy is ruining art, too
News, Published on 06/05/2024
» I was on the whole disappointed by this year's Whitney Biennial -- it was hard for me to tell if one video installation was art or an HR training video -- but as an economist, I have to admit the exhibition was successful in at least one respect: It did what art is supposed to do, which is to hold up a mirror to our society and economy. And this year's biennial shows how America's elite institutions are stifling innovation and creativity.
Our freedoms depend on press freedom too
News, Published on 06/05/2024
» In just the first week of this year, at least 18 journalists were assaulted while covering alleged election irregularities and violence in Bangladesh. Then, in early February, journalists in Pakistan were hindered from covering elections by a wave of violence, widespread internet blackouts, and mobile-network suspensions. In March, journalists in Turkey were shot at and banned from observing local elections.
Catching the AI wave
News, Editorial, Published on 06/05/2024
» Microsoft's announcement that it will build a data centre in Thailand, seizing the momentum of AI-driven advances in Southeast Asia, is welcome.
PM takes page from Thaksin's playbook
News, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 06/05/2024
» The cabinet reshuffle may trigger speculation about cracks in the Pheu Thai Party, owing to the departure of prominent figures like Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara. The shift indicates that ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra is taking the reins of the party.
Reshuffle cements Srettha's grip
News, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 06/05/2024
» After eight months at the helm, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin staged a much-anticipated cabinet reshuffle with unexpected drama and unsurprising consolidation. As head of a coalition government, Mr Srettha appears more "prime ministerial" as the reshuffle has strengthened his hand to implement the ruling Pheu Thai Party's flagship policies.
Burnout rate shows price of success
News, Published on 01/05/2024
» The search for success can be elusive, and possibly nowhere more so than in Singapore, one of the most competitive and overworked places on the planet. Long hours are the norm, a reputation it has built since the island-state gained independence from Malaysia almost 60 years ago and had to carve an identity for itself in an uncertain and scary world.
Is China stockpiling resources in case of future war?
News, Published on 29/04/2024
» In the eastern Chinese port of Dongying, the start of 2024 has often seen several tankers docked simultaneously discharging Russian crude oil into a new 31.5-million-barrel storage facility completed late last year.
Must media democratisation be bad for us?
News, Published on 29/04/2024
» Sometimes, the fulfilment of a promise feels like punishment. When the radio was invented more than 100 years ago, the German playwright Bertolt Brecht observed that its full potential could be explored only after it had become a communication tool, rather than merely a distribution channel. After all, there is a big difference between the few being able to speak to the many, and everyone being able to speak with everyone else.