Swedish researchers are raising concerns about the emergence of AI-generated “research findings” appearing in Google Scholar, various databases, and scientific journals. They warn that the abundance of false information could undermine trust in the sciences, posing a serious threat to society. Meanwhile, the Chinese company Deepseek is shaking up the AI world. The startup offers AI models and a chatbot that can compete with leading models from Silicon Valley. In Germany, charges have been filed against a suspected cyber extortionist, believed to be part of a global cybercrime group.
Generative Artificial Intelligences (AI) can be used to create deliberately misleading documents that appear convincingly scientific and are optimized to be prioritized by public search engines, especially Google Scholar. Swedish scientists warn about this. Such secretly AI-generated “research findings” carry the risk of undermining science. These false “results” could also be used to influence a society or its decision-makers into making certain decisions.
The Chinese AI startup Deepseek has caused a stir in the tech world. Last week, the company announced that its new AI chatbot can match the capabilities of large language models like ChatGPT or Gemini at a fraction of the cost. The training of the Chinese AI system was reportedly much faster and cheaper. Access to the model is also more affordable for customers. As a result, stock markets have adjusted their high valuations of US tech companies downward, causing a stir. Meta reportedly set up a crisis team. Nvidia’s stock price is falling, and OpenAI is under pressure.
After several years of international investigations, a 45-year-old Ukrainian was arrested in Slovakia in June last year by the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office. He was extradited to Germany in September. According to prosecutors, the man is suspected of encrypting data from 22 German companies and institutions with malware in 2019 and demanding ransom for its release. The affected entities include the Württemberg State Theater Stuttgart and several medical product manufacturers. The economic damage is estimated to exceed 2.4 million euros. The suspect has now been charged and is believed to be part of a globally operating cybercrime group.
In China, a new record has been set in nuclear fusion research. At the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), an experimental fusion reactor in Hefei in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui, scientists have been working since 2006 on achieving nuclear fusion, where the nuclei of hydrogen isotopes deuterium (D) and tritium (T) are fused. Several records have already been set at EAST. The latest achievement is considered a crucial step towards a functional fusion reactor, according to one of the researchers. The findings are also expected to benefit the European research reactor International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).
Recently, there have been repeated incidents involving undersea cables running through the Baltic Sea. Publicly, alleged sabotage by the so-called Russian shadow fleet was considered the cause. The ships reportedly dragged their anchors deliberately across the seabed. However, a recent newspaper report suggests that intelligence agencies believe it was accidental. Now, another undersea cable, a fiber optic connection between Latvia and Sweden, has been damaged about 130 kilometers off the Latvian coast.
In other news, recent updates for iPhones, iPads, and Macs bring modest changes. A fundamental change is coming with Apple Intelligence. The supervisory board of Deutsche Telekom has extended CEO Tim Höttges’ contract by another two years, bending its own rules. Apple is upgrading its entire iPhone line to USB-C, and the necessary microcontroller has been decoded. Rising license costs for VMware are prompting small and medium-sized enterprises to switch, although the transition is not cheap. US President Donald Trump has announced a $500 billion AI data center, which will benefit only one company. Ubisoft is taking further steps in response to its deep crisis, closing a studio in England and cutting 65 jobs in Düsseldorf. Last year, more electric cars were sold worldwide than ever before, despite declining numbers in some countries. The James Webb Space Telescope is currently one of the most important research instruments, but budget cuts may limit its operation. Meta is following Microsoft, Amazon, and Google by investing around $300 billion in AI data centers. The iPad was an immediate hit for Apple and was soon seen as the “future of computing.” After 15 years, it remains a significant product.