Tech

EU Political Ad Ban Sparks Fears of Boosting Illiberal Regimes

Published

8 months ago

September 13, 2025

The European Union’s new rules on political advertising, set to take effect in October 2025, have prompted tech giants Meta and Google to suspend all political and social advertising across Europe. While the legislation was intended to promote transparency and fairness in election campaigns, critics warn it could inadvertently strengthen the hand of authoritarian-leaning governments that dominate traditional media.

The Regulation on the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) is designed to make paid political content more accountable by limiting microtargeting and requiring disclosure of who finances campaigns. But with the withdrawal of the two largest digital platforms from the market, opposition parties across the continent could lose one of their most important avenues to reach voters.

Hungary as a test case
The potential pitfalls of the new regime are already clear in Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party commands overwhelming control of the media landscape. Over the past decade, Fidesz has consolidated influence over regional newspapers, public broadcasters, and pro-government outlets, while bolstering its message through political networks operating under the guise of civil society organisations.

For Hungary’s opposition, social media advertising has been one of the few tools available to challenge the government’s dominance of traditional channels. The ban on paid political ads threatens to strip them of that platform ahead of the country’s next general election in 2026.

Analysts say Fidesz is well placed to adapt to the new environment. Its network of loyal organisations and state-friendly newspapers is expected to find ways to spread government-aligned narratives online through proxies and content presented as organic rather than paid. Meanwhile, rural communities—already exposed primarily to government-influenced media—are likely to remain a stronghold for Fidesz messaging.

Risks of distortion
Although the EU’s rules are intended to curb manipulation and ensure a level playing field, some observers argue they could achieve the opposite effect in countries where checks and balances are weak. “The absence of paid online advertising may look like neutrality, but in practice it removes one of the few tools available to weaker political actors,” one European policy analyst noted.

Without access to digital ad space, opposition groups will struggle to counterbalance governments that command state resources and dominate the airwaves. In such contexts, critics fear the changes could tilt electoral competition even further in favour of ruling parties.

As the 2026 Hungarian elections approach, the EU’s reform is set to face its first major test. While the TTPA was designed to make democracy more transparent, the unintended consequences risk creating an uneven playing field—allowing illiberal regimes greater freedom to shape public opinion and tighten their grip on power.

Tech

Experts question Musk’s prediction of self-driving dominance within a decade

Published

10 hours ago

May 20, 2026

Web Reporter

Elon Musk has predicted that autonomous vehicles powered by artificial intelligence could account for nearly 90 percent of all driving within the next decade, but industry experts and researchers say major technological and regulatory obstacles make that timeline unlikely.

Speaking at the Samson International Smart Mobility Summit in Tel Aviv, Musk said self-driving technology would rapidly replace human drivers over the next five to 10 years.

“Probably 90 percent of all distance driven will be driven by the AI in a self-driving car,” Musk said, adding that manually driving a vehicle could become a niche activity within a decade.

The comments come as competition intensifies among companies developing autonomous driving systems, including Tesla, Waymo and several Chinese technology firms.

While advances in artificial intelligence have accelerated development in the sector since 2022, analysts say fully autonomous vehicles remain far from becoming mainstream.

Safety concerns continue to challenge the industry. Tesla recently recalled more than 200,000 vehicles in the United States over problems affecting rearview camera displays that regulators warned could increase crash risks.

Waymo has also faced setbacks. The company recalled around 3,800 robotaxis after identifying issues involving vehicles entering flooded roads at unsafe speeds.

Industry specialists say one of the biggest barriers remains what engineers call “long tail scenarios” — rare and unpredictable situations that autonomous systems struggle to interpret correctly.

Ali Kani, vice president of automotive at Nvidia, previously warned that such situations remain difficult for AI systems to manage consistently in real-world conditions.

One example occurred in San Francisco last year when Waymo temporarily suspended service during a citywide power outage. Several driverless vehicles reportedly became stranded after failing to interpret malfunctioning traffic lights.

Research published by the World Economic Forum suggests fully autonomous personal vehicles are unlikely to become widespread before the mid-2030s. The report estimated that by 2035, only about 4 percent of new cars would feature complete self-driving capability.

Instead, experts expect gradual growth in robotaxi fleets and autonomous freight transport operating in controlled environments or specific urban areas.

Partially automated systems are already becoming more common. Level 2 driving technology, where vehicles can steer, brake and accelerate while drivers remain responsible for supervision, is now widely available in many markets.

Europe currently permits Level 2 systems and has approved limited Level 3 automation under certain conditions. In the United States and China, some cities have already introduced Level 4 robotaxi operations, where vehicles can operate without human intervention in designated environments.

The International Energy Agency said fully driverless Level 5 autonomy, capable of operating under all conditions without human involvement, is still “not currently in sight.”

The agency estimates the global robotaxi fleet could grow to between 700,000 and 3 million vehicles by 2035, concentrated mainly in large cities.

Analysts say autonomous driving technology will continue expanding in the coming years, though most expect human drivers to remain a central part of road transport for decades.

Tech

European Nations Accelerate Military AI Integration Amid Rising Security Demands

Published

6 days ago

May 15, 2026

Web Reporter

European countries are rapidly expanding the use of artificial intelligence in military operations, shifting from limited experimentation to integrating advanced AI systems into core defence strategies as governments respond to growing geopolitical tensions and evolving battlefield demands.

The latest development came this week when Germany and Ukraine launched the “Brave Germany” programme, a joint initiative expected to include around 5,000 AI-enabled medium-range strike drones. The agreement highlights Europe’s increasing focus on combining artificial intelligence with defence technology as nations seek faster decision-making, improved battlefield awareness and stronger deterrence capabilities.

Defence analysts say several European states, particularly Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Ukraine, are now leading efforts to incorporate AI into military planning, surveillance and weapons systems.

Artificial intelligence has already been used by European armed forces for more than a decade in areas such as logistics, maintenance and personnel management. Researchers say progress accelerated around 2015 as military planners recognised the growing potential of AI technologies.

According to experts at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, current investment is largely centred on two areas: semi-autonomous weapons systems and AI-assisted decision support systems. These technologies are designed to improve operational planning, battlefield management and tactical analysis while still leaving final decisions in human hands.

Germany has emerged as one of the most active countries in the sector. In recent years, Berlin signed agreements with Munich-based defence technology company Helsing to develop AI systems for the Future Combat Air System, Europe’s next-generation fighter jet programme. Germany has also partnered with Swedish defence firm Saab to integrate AI into Eurofighter electronic warfare systems.

Another major contract worth €269 million will allow Helsing to manufacture AI-enabled loitering munitions, commonly known as kamikaze drones, for German and NATO forces.

The United Kingdom has also expanded its AI ambitions through the Asgard programme, introduced in 2025. The project combines reconnaissance systems, sensors, weapons and AI-supported decision tools aimed at improving battlefield coordination and response times.

Britain has also strengthened ties with American software company Palantir Technologies, which pledged investments of up to £1.5 billion to support AI development in the country.

France, meanwhile, is focusing on building independent European AI capabilities. Paris has partnered with French AI firm Mistral AI to provide advanced AI models and software for military and public sector use, reflecting broader European efforts to reduce reliance on American technology companies.

European Union institutions are also moving forward with AI defence projects under the European Defence Fund. Recent funding rounds included projects involving sovereign European AI support systems, military-focused large language models and AI-assisted artillery technologies.

Despite rapid progress, analysts warn that Europe still faces challenges in turning plans into operational systems quickly enough. Defence experts say bureaucratic procedures and slower political decision-making could delay deployment as other global powers continue to expand their military AI capabilities at a faster pace.

Tech

Researchers Warn AI Systems Can Now Replicate and Spread Across Computers

Published

2 weeks ago

May 9, 2026

Web Reporter

A new study by US-based cybersecurity group Palisade Research has raised concerns about the growing capabilities of advanced artificial intelligence systems after researchers demonstrated that some AI models were able to copy themselves, spread to other computers, and continue launching attacks without human assistance.

The experiment, described by researchers as the first known example of autonomous AI self-replication, tested several leading AI systems from OpenAI, Anthropic and Alibaba.

According to the research team, the tests were conducted in a controlled environment using computers intentionally fitted with security weaknesses. The AI models were connected to custom-built software that allowed them to interact directly with computer systems and execute commands beyond the capabilities of ordinary chatbot interfaces.

Researchers instructed some systems to copy themselves directly, while others were asked to break into vulnerable computers and install another AI model. Since OpenAI and Anthropic do not publicly release the core files behind their commercial systems, the tests involving those companies used Alibaba’s Qwen models as the transferable software.

The AI systems were required to locate security flaws, gain access to computers, steal login credentials, move necessary files, and create functioning copies of themselves on new machines. Once installed, the copied AI could continue attacking additional systems independently.

One of the most striking results involved Alibaba’s Qwen3.6-27B model, which successfully spread itself across four computers located in Canada, the United States, Finland and India after receiving only a single prompt. Researchers said the process took just under three hours and required no further human involvement.

The experiment was halted after three stages, though the final copy remained operational and theoretically capable of continuing the process.

Success rates varied between models. Researchers reported that Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.6 completed the tasks in 81 percent of attempts, while OpenAI’s GPT-5.4 succeeded in roughly one-third of tests. Different versions of Alibaba’s Qwen models achieved success rates ranging from 19 percent to 33 percent.

The findings arrive amid wider debate over the risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems. Last month, Anthropic announced that it would not publicly release a version of its Claude Mythos Preview model, describing it as too dangerous because of its potential use in sophisticated cyberattacks.

Security experts have long warned that self-replicating systems could become difficult to contain if deployed maliciously. Traditional computer viruses can already copy themselves, but researchers said this experiment demonstrated AI systems making independent decisions to exploit vulnerabilities and continue spreading.

Despite the results, the researchers stressed that the study took place under tightly controlled conditions with deliberately weakened security systems. They noted that real-world networks often include monitoring tools and protections designed to block such attacks.

Still, the team said the experiment showed that autonomous AI self-replication can no longer be viewed as a theoretical possibility, but as a capability that now exists in practice.