China is taking decisive steps to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) while simultaneously cracking down on criminal activities within its borders and abroad. The country executed four members of the Bai family mafia, notorious for running scam centers in Myanmar, according to state media reports on BBC World. This action is part of a broader crackdown on scam operations in Southeast Asia that have entrapped numerous individuals.
The Guangdong court convicted more than 20 members and associates of the Bai family of fraud, homicide, injury, and other crimes, BBC World reported. Last November, the court sentenced five individuals to death, including the clan's patriarch, Bai Suocheng, who died of illness after his conviction. Last week, China executed 11 members of the Ming family mafia, further demonstrating its commitment to combating these criminal enterprises.
Meanwhile, China's leadership views AI as a transformative technology akin to the steam engine, electricity, and the internet, according to the NY Times. In late January, President Xi Jinping told officials that AI would drive the country's economic growth in the next decade. However, Xi warned that China must not allow the technology to spiral out of control and must act early and decisively to prevent problems.
The growing demand for AI computing power is also prompting innovation in the private sector. Elon Musk's SpaceX has applied to launch one million satellites into Earth's orbit to power AI, BBC Technology reported. The application claims that "orbital data centers" are the most cost and energy-efficient way to meet this demand, as terrestrial capabilities are being outpaced by the expanding use of AI. SpaceX's existing Starlink network has nearly 10,000 satellites in orbit.
In other international news, a study by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights has concluded that international law meant to limit the effects of war is at a breaking point, The Guardian reported. The study, covering 23 armed conflicts over the last 18 months, found that more than 100,000 civilians have been killed, and torture and rape are committed with near impunity.
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