Tech Diplomacy Now: CHIPS Act Architects at Krach Institute Welcome Commerce Department’s SK hynix Announcement
“The collaboration between the Commerce Department, SK hynix, and Purdue is the perfect example of the power of Tech Diplomacy." - Krach Institute CEO Michelle Giuda
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Course Announcement
Tech Diplomacy Updates
Top News of the Week
Latest News
Technology Strategy and Policy
Artificial Intelligence
Telecommunications Networks and Infrastructure
Critical Minerals
Synthetic Biology
Quantum
Advanced Aerospace Technology
Semiconductors and Microelectronics
Energy and Climate
Opinion and Commentary
The Last Word
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CHIPS and Science Act Award to Purdue-based SK hynix Helps Realize Bipartisan Bill’s Potential to Secure Trusted Tech Supply Chain
The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue celebrates the U.S. Department of Commerce’s nearly $1 billion grant and loan package to SK hynix’s AI memory chip facility at Purdue Research Park, as a part of the CHIPS and Science Act. This investment builds on SK hynix’s earlier commitment of $4 billion to establish a state-of-the-art semiconductor facility at Purdue.
Keith Krach, co-founder of the Krach Institute and one of the architects of the CHIPS and Science Act, noted that this collaboration will help secure the U.S. semiconductor supply chain and create high-skill jobs. “Most importantly, this award will help the U.S. and the free world maintain our competitive edge over authoritarian adversaries,” Krach said.
Top News of the Week – The Battle Over Open-Source AI Models
In the competition between two tech giants, OpenAI and Meta, a rift has emerged over whether open-source AI models are superior to proprietary AI models. The outcome may have broad economic and national security implications.
Key Points:
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg argues that open-source AI models are superior because it is a fool’s errand to believe that companies can protect their code from countries like China and because placing restrictions on sharing AI research will simply slow down American innovation.
Chinese companies and the Chinese Government have embraced open-source AI models and Zuckerberg’s arguments about impeding innovation align with their own.
OpenAI CEO Mark Altman thinks open-source AI models have their place, but views the potential harms of countries like China gaining access to the most advanced AI models as far greater than the costs to innovation. He goes so far as to recommend that certain AI training data and code must stay within the United States.
More Background:
New U.S. Commerce Department report endorses ‘open’ AI models – TechCrunch, July 29, 2024
Who will control the future of AI? A democratic vision for artificial intelligence must prevail over an authoritarian one. – Sam Altman, Washington Post, July 25, 2024
AI race: Alibaba, Tencent quickly adopt Meta’s new Llama 3.1 model amid excitement – SCMP, July 25, 2024
Why Chinese companies are betting on open-source AI – MIT Technology Review, July 24, 2024
Open Source AI Is the Path Forward – Meta, July 23, 2024
Mark Zuckerberg Stumps for ‘Open Source’ A.I. – NYTs, July 23, 2024
Latest News
Google Violated Antitrust Laws in Online Search, Judge Rules – NYTs, August 5, 2024
Mideast Braces for More Violence Amid Warnings of Iranian Attack – WSJ, August 5, 2024
UN staff fired over possible links to 7 October attack – BBC, August 5, 2024
Bangladesh’s Leader Resigns and Flees Country After Protests – NYTs, August 5, 2024
Taiwan is making a TV show about a Chinese invasion. And it’s hitting close to home – CNN, August 4, 2024
Ukraine confirms F-16s have arrived in country as Zelensky heralds ‘new chapter’ in fight against Russia – CNN, August 4, 2024
TikTok Collected U.S. Users’ Views on Gun Control, Abortion and Religion, U.S. Says – WSJ, July 27, 2024
Technology Strategy and Policy
US expected to propose barring Chinese software in autonomous vehicles – Reuters, August 5, 2024
Moscow’s Spies Were Stealing US Tech — Until the FBI Started a Sabotage Campaign – Politico, August 4, 2024
China imposes export controls on drones and parts with potential for military use – SCMP, July 31, 2024
US Weighs Restrictions on China’s Access to AI Memory Chips – Bloomberg, July 31, 2024
ASML shares pop 7% after report that U.S. will exempt allies from new China chip restrictions – CNBC, July 31, 2024
UAE blocks meetings between AI firm G42 and US congressional staffers, spokesperson says – Reuters, July 30, 2024
US border agents must get warrant before cell phone searches, federal court rules – TechCrunch, July 29, 2024
The US Makes Its Own Semiconductor Supply Chains – Geopolitical Futures, July 24, 2024
Artificial Intelligence
Xi Jinping calls for hi-tech ‘smart system’ to boost China’s border defence – SCMP, August 1, 2024
Microsoft scales back AI partnership with Emirati firm amid concerns over China ties – Politico, August 1, 2024
Artificial Intelligence Gives Weather Forecasters a New Edge – NYTs, July 29, 2024
China Is Closing the A.I. Gap with the United States – WSJ, July 25, 2024
AI trained on AI garbage spits out garbage – MIT Technology Review, July 24, 2024
Eyes Wide Open: Harnessing the Remote Sensing and Data Analysis Industries to Enhance National Security – CSET, July 2024
Telecommunications Networks and Infrastructure
Justice Department sues TikTok, accusing the company of illegally collecting children’s data – AP, August 2, 2024
China’s high stakes and deepfakes in the Philippines – The Strategist, August 2, 2024
Turkey blocks access to Instagram. It’s in response to removal of posts on Hamas chief, reports say – AP, August 2, 2024
New CCTV cameras in Hong Kong to be equipped with facial recognition technology, security chief says – HKFP, July 26, 2024
Cyber attacks on shipping rise amid geopolitical tensions – FT, July 26, 2024
Critical Minerals
World’s biggest lithium producer urges state help to compete with China – FT, August 4, 2024
Commodity bulls’ dash for the exit sends prices tumbling – FT, August 2, 2024
Critical minerals, critical decisions – Lowy Institute, July 29, 2024
Indonesia moves to reduce Chinese ownership of nickel projects – FT, July 25, 2024
China's rare earth rule to speed supply chain shifts: Solvay CEO – Nikkei Asia, July 24, 2024
Synthetic Biology
China’s Ozempic Test – The Wire China, August 4, 2024
AI-Made Bioweapons Are Washington’s Latest Security Obsession – Bloomberg, August 2, 2024
How Innovative Is China in Biotechnology? – ITIF, July 30, 2024
America Is Running Out of Generic Drugmakers. Another One Is on the Brink. – WSJ, July 26, 2024
Quantum
Honeywell Weighs Quantinuum IPO at $10 Billion Valuation – Bloomberg, July 26, 2024
PsiQuantum plans to build the biggest quantum computing facility in the US – MIT Technology Review, July 25, 2024
DARPA Dares Quantum Computing Community to Succeed! Will it? – HPC Wire, July 25, 2024
Advanced Aerospace Technology
DLR Reusable Flight Experiment (ReFEx) Launch Slips to 2025 – European Spaceflight, August 5, 2024
NASA and SpaceX launch a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station – Spaceflight Now, August 3, 2024
Canada concludes negotiations on use of US space launch technology – Reuters, August 2, 2024
A mid-September test flight of Vulcan could permit a military launch this year – Ars Technica, July 23, 2024
Semiconductors and Microelectronics
ASML’s Powder Keg: Despite export restrictions on the Dutch company’s most advanced chip machines, China has become ASML’s biggest customer. – The Wire China, August 4, 2024
Qualcomm revenue from China smartphone makers grows 50%, driven by AI – Nikkei Asia, August 1, 2024
Intel to Cut Thousands of Jobs to Reduce Costs, Fund Rebound – Bloomberg, July 30, 2024
ASML shares pop 7% after report that U.S. will exempt allies from new China chip restrictions – CNBC, July 31, 2024
TSMC to start construction of first European chip plant in August – Nikkei Asia, July 30, 2024
Nvidia Devises Special Server Design to Boost China Sales – The Information, July 24, 2024
China Is Getting Secretive About Its Supercomputers – WSJ, July 23, 2024
Tracing the Emergence of Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography – CSET, July 2024
Energy and Climate
The Changing Global Energy Map – National Interest, August 4, 2024
Opinion and Commentary
America Isn’t Ready for the Wars of the Future. And They’re Already Here – Mark A. Milley and Eric Schmidt, Foreign Affairs, August 5, 2024
China’s Fortress Economy – Jimmy Goodrich, IGCC, July 30, 2024
The Limits of the China Chip Ban: Washington’s Export Controls Could End Up Helping Beijing – Hanna Dohmen, Jacob Feldgoise, and Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, July 24, 2024
What's Wrong About ‘Chat XiPT’ Is Bigger Than China – Catherine Thorbecke, Bloomberg, July 23, 2024
The US Needs a Techno-Industrial Strategy – Liza Tobin, Project Syndicate, July 17, 2024
The Threat of China’s Shipbuilding Empire – Matthew Funaiole, CSIS, May 10, 2024
The Last Word
“If we want to ensure that the future of AI is a future built to benefit the most people possible, we need a U.S.-led global coalition of like-minded countries and an innovative new strategy to make it happen.”
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
About: Tech Diplomacy Now
The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue is the world’s preeminent trusted technology accelerator. As the leader of the new category of Tech Diplomacy, the Institute integrates technology expertise, Silicon Valley strategies, and foreign policy tools to build the Global Trusted Tech Network of governments, companies, organizations and individuals to accelerate the innovation and adoption of trusted technology and ensure technology advances freedom.