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Recent reporting indicates that U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) is in the middle of restructuring the organization and the forces that support it in order to best position the command to address the changing cyber threat landscape. The strategy behind “CYBERCOM 2.0” is that the more than 10-year-old command was built on principles that are outdated for the needs…
If you believe in first principles thinking, you need to know some basic facts about the quantum world. Quantum effects can be really strange. So many things we know from experiments just seem totally irrational, illogical and are downright befuddling. But understanding quantum effects can give you advantage in business. How? By empowering your ability…
The year 2024 will require a reorientation to new realities, largely driven by the acceleration of disruptive technologies grinding against the inertia of stale institutions that would rather we snack on the comfort food of the past than the buffet of the future. In past Almanacs we’ve talked about the rapid acceleration of technology and…
How can we know if we are over regulated without an overview of the regulatory environment? Here we provide a short overview of the regulation of government IT with an eye towards shedding light on ways to accelerate AI through some decontrol.
In our previous post in this series (see the OODA Special Report: Executive’s Guide To the Revolution in Biology) we reviewed some fundamentals in biological science and engineering we recommend all executives and investors be familiar with. In this post we dive into concepts centered around the impact of bioengineering on human health. The necessity…
RAND researchers in a recently released report explore biology as the platform on which future wars will be fought. Plagues, Cyborgs, and Supersoldiers: The Human Domain of War “examines a future in which biotechnology is used by both state and nonstate actors…future actors may use pathogens, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), genomic enhancements, and wearable technology to…
The first OODA Network Member Meeting of 2024 was held on Friday January 19, 2024. The meeting was organized around an initial prompt question: “What should we be thinking about in 2024?” The meeting aimed to gather input and discuss the big issues of 2024, including geopolitical futures and technological advancements. Network members were encouraged…
“Trust us” is no longer an acceptable response from the very government entities sworn to protect the people of the country.
Maybe it is time to start thinking of ways to decontrol our AI. Here are some reasons why.
An update to our report on what executives need to know about the business impact of biological sciences.
“When you invent the ship, you also invent the shipwreck; when you invent the plane, you also invent the plane crash” is a seering insight attributed to cultural theorist Paul Virilio – and is oft quoted here at OODA Loop. We review here some of the new “inventions” that are part and parcel of the emergence…
While it is promising to see that these areas are being addressed at the highest levels of government, there is still one glaring omission that has yet to be treated with the same level of seriousness by the Executive Office – data privacy. The United States has various laws at both the state and federal levels that address…
Trade Clusters are yet another development in the way globalization transformed over the course of 2023. William Alan Reinsch, Senior Adviser and Scholl Chair in International Business, at the The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) provides a working definition and framed some the core characteristics of what he calls “trade clusters”.
The future of AI was a broad theme at OODAcon 2023 which was discussed not only at a session dedicated to the topic, but in the context of the impact of AI on cybersecurity and autonomous systems. Find those discussions here. One of the tactical insights from OODAcon 2023 was related to generative AI. The…
In this post, we have separated the wheat from the chaff in the AI ecosystem, surfacing and highlighting some of the most prescient AI/ML breakthroughs and promising public/private partnerships. Companies and organizations featured here include Google DeepMind, The Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2), The National Science Foundation (NSF), The International Union for Conservation of Nature…
Russia launched a sweeping drone assault and air attacks across Ukraine a day after United States President Donald Trump cast doubt over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war. Russia also fired 149 exploding drones and decoys in the latest wave of attacks, the Ukrainian air force said, adding that 57 were intercepted…
Qatar says there has been “a bit of progress” in the talks aimed at securing a new truce in Israel’s war on Gaza as the United Nations makes an urgent appeal for Israel to lift the “total and complete blockade” of Palestinian territory. Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, on…
China’s Huawei Technologies is preparing to test its newest and most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) processor, as it hopes to replace some higher-end products of US chip giant Nvidia. The chip is indicated to be in early development and will undergo a series of tests to evaluate its performance and prepare it for customer use.…
British retailer Marks & Spencer told agency staff at its central England distribution centre to stay at home on Monday, after it stopped taking online orders following a cyber incident last week. An M&S spokesperson said on Monday there was no further update on the cyber incident following a statement on Friday which announced it…
Cynomi, a startup that provides a virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) platform tailored for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), announced a new $37 million Series B funding this week. The focus on a vCISO platform places Cynomi in a specific segment aimed at automating and scaling strategic security management…
The 2025 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) provides one of the clearest views yet into how cybercrime is evolving into a mature, interdependent ecosystem. Perhaps the most chilling theme from this year’s DBIR is the growing interdependence between threat actors. Further, attackers are turning their attention to network perimeters and management consoles—where patching is…
Baidu Inc. unveiled upgrades to its flagship AI models and slashed their prices as it looks to take on rivals like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and DeepSeek in China’s increasingly competitive artificial intelligence market. The Chinese search engine leader rolled out Ernie 4.5 Turbo and Ernie X1 Turbo, the latest versions of its flagship foundation…
Apple Inc. will remove its secret robotics unit from the command of its artificial intelligence chief, the latest shake-up in response to the company’s AI struggles. Apple plans to relocate the robotics team from John Giannandrea’s AI organization to the hardware division later this month, according to people with knowledge of the move. That will…
China has quietly exempted from tariffs some semiconductors made in the United States, in an attempt to protect its leading technology companies from a bitter trade showdown with President Donald Trump. Levies on at least eight classifications of U.S.-made microchips have been dropped to zero, instead of the 125 percent retaliatory tariff rate Beijing has…
In 2017, Keio University became one of the world’s first IBM Quantum Hubs, now known Quantum Innovation Centers (QICs). Today, there are over 40 QICs around the globe. QICs use IBM Quantum capabilities and expertise to drive advancements in quantum computing. These international hubs lead novel quantum research, build quantum learning communities, and facilitate the…
OpenAI is bringing a new “lightweight” version of its ChatGPT deep research tool, which scours the web to compile research reports on a topic, to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Pro users, the company announced Thursday. The new lightweight deep research, which will also come to free ChatGPT users starting today, is powered by a version…
It’s a bright spring morning in Hanover, Germany, and I’m on my way to meet a robot. I have been invited to see the G1, a humanoid robot built by Chinese firm, Unitree, at the Hannover Messe, one of the world’s largest industrial trade shows. Standing at about 4’3″ (130cm), G1 is smaller and more…
Baidu’s founder has said demand for the type of text-based models developed by generative AI sensation DeepSeek is “shrinking”, as his search group seeks to reestablish itself as an artificial intelligence leader in China. In a striking criticism of the limitations of China’s AI darling, Robin Li told Baidu’s developer conference on Friday that there…
African leaders have called for the deployment of more peacekeepers in Somalia. At a summit in Uganda, African leaders have called for the deployment of more peacekeepers in Somalia. The current international mission lead by the African Union has suffered from a lack of funding and supplies. The deployment of troops from Ethopia and Egypt…
Houthi rebels have claimed to have shoot down 7 US Reaper drones. Houthi rebels have claimed to have shoot down 7 US Reaper drones. US officials have confirmed that at least 3 were shotdown in a week. The US’s campaign against the Houthi’s has steped up under the Trump Administration with attacks being carried out…
Indian and Pakistani troops have exchanged fire in the Kashmir region. Indian officials have claimed that Pakistani and Indian soliders exchanged fire in the Kashmir region. This comes as tensions between both nations have increased dramatically in recent days. Protests have also begun in Kashmir as residents express their opposition to Indian troops deployments. International…
Serbian students march on Brussels to demand EU action. Serbian students have continued their journey accross Europe and have arrived in Brussels. The students are demanding that the EU take steps to force Serbia’s government to combat corruption. The march is part of a broader anti-government movement that has seen large protests go one for…
Granite Bio is ready to rock ‘n’ roll, unveiling with $100 million and hopes of shaping new antibody treatments targeting several autoimmune diseases. The funding consists of a $30 million series A led by founding investors Versant Ventures and Novartis Venture Fund, plus a $70 million series B round led by Forbion and Sanofi Ventures,…
Perplexity’s iOS App just got an update enabling support for the company’s conversational AI voice assistant. Now Apple users can activate the assistant in the app and ask it to perform tasks like writing emails, setting reminders, and making dinner reservations. You can even navigate away from the app and continue to speak to Perplexity,…
A sweeping new defense initiative is underway along NATO’s eastern border as the alliance ramps up surveillance and deterrence capabilities in response to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. The project, nicknamed the “Drone Wall,” envisions a continuous layer of unmanned aerial systems stretching from Norway to Poland, leveraging cutting-edge technology to defend against incursions and…
A team of researchers has reached a major milestone in quantum computing by successfully simulating Google’s 53-qubit, 20-layer Sycamore quantum circuit. This was accomplished using 1,432 NVIDIA A100 GPUs and highly optimized parallel algorithms, opening new doors for simulating quantum systems on classical hardware. At the core of this achievement are advanced tensor network contraction…
Adobe on Thursday launched the latest iteration of its Firefly family of image generation AI models, a model for generating vectors, and a redesigned web app that houses all its AI models, plus some from its competitors. There’s also a mobile app for Firefly in the works. The new Firefly Image Model 4, Adobe says,…
Tesla Inc.’s production of Optimus, a robot that promises to take over household chores, has been disrupted by China’s curbs on rare earth exports, introduced by Beijing earlier this month in an escalating trade war with Washington. Speaking on the company’s earnings call on Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said production was impacted by…
Nvidia is getting into the artificial intelligence agents game with the release of a software platform that helps businesses build their own autonomous bots. The platform, called NeMo microservices, is available for all customers to use to build their “AI teammates,” the chip maker said Wednesday. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company said it has developed…
Deadliest attack on civilians in Kashmir is several years has raised tensions between India and Pakistan. A terrorist attack in Kashmir has left at least 26 dead and dozens more wounded. The attack has raised tensions between India and Pakistan to new heights. The attack has also raised domestic fears of terrorism as several of…
The Houthi’s have launched a missile at northern Israel. The Houthi rebel group has launched a missile at a north Israel. The Isareli military says that it intercepted the missile. The Israeli also acknowledged that this was the first time that a Houthi missile has reached the north of Israel. The US is also contining…
The President of Ghana has suspended the country’s chief justice. The President of Ghana has moved to suspend the country’s chief justice. The move comes as an investigation has opened into the chief justice regarding alleged corruption. Opposition groups within the country have denouced the President’s move by claiming it violates the law. Read more:…
Thousands of people greet Serbian student protesters in France. Serbian student protesters arrived in France after cycling hundreds of miles. The protesters were greated by thousands of people showing their support for their cause. The protesters are seeking EU aid in forcing the Serbian governemnt to reform. Serbia is currently seeking membership in the EU.…
Yale New Haven Health was the vicitm of a data breach. Yale New Haven Health has disclosed that it was the victim of a data breach. The organization has said that the personal information of more than 5.5 million patients has been compromised. It is not currently known if the data breach was connected to…
Blue Shield of California was the victim of a data breach. Blue Shielf of California was the vicitm of a data breach. The company has disclosed that 4.7 million people had their personal information compromised due to an improperly set up connected between their internal systems and Google Ads. Privacy experts are concered by this…
A Massachusetts healthcare provider was the victim of a data breach. the Massachusetts based healthcare provider Mammography Impacts was the victim of a data breach. The provider has estimated that 350,000 people had their personal information compromised by the breach. The organization disclosed that an unauthorized individual gained access to an internal email account which allowed…
A major South Korean Telecoms provider has disclosed that it was hacked. SK Telecom has disclosed that it was hacked in April of this year. An investigation found that the hackers were able to deploy a malware program into their internal system. There is not currently any information which suggests that this was an attempted…
Anew study claims that AI models like ChatGPT and Claude now outperform PhD-level virologists in problem-solving in wet labs, where scientists analyze chemicals and biological material. This discovery is a double-edged sword, experts say. Ultra-smart AI models could help researchers prevent the spread of infectious diseases. But non-experts could also weaponize the models to create…
Microsoft announced today a major expansion of its artificial intelligence tools with the “Microsoft 365 Copilot Wave 2 Spring release,” introducing new AI “agents” designed to function as digital colleagues that can perform complex workplace tasks through deep reasoning capabilities. In an exclusive interview, Aparna Chennapragada, Chief Product Officer of Experiences and Devices at Microsoft,…
U.S. Marines will test one of the service’s newest counter-drone defense systems during this year’s Balikatan military exercise in collaboration with the Philippine military, according to the Marine Corps. Marines with the 3rd Littoral Anti-Air Battalion’s Ground-Based Air Defense Battery will conduct live-fire training with the ground-based Marine Air Defense Integrated System, or MADIS, a…
Scientists have developed the world’s first operating system designed for quantum computers, which could let quantum computers connect with each other, thereby paving the way for a quantum internet. An operating system, such as Microsoft Windows or Apple iOS, is the program responsible for managing every other application on a computer. However, most quantum computers…
Nvidia Corp. today announced the general availability of NeMo microservices, a set of tools designed to assist developers get artificial intelligence agents up faster by tapping into AI inference and information systems at scale. Agents have become a focal point for creating “digital teammates” capable of driving workforce productivity for knowledge and service workers by…
China’s secret weapon in the trade war is an army of factory robots, powered by artificial intelligence, that have revolutionized manufacturing. Factories are being automated across China at a breakneck pace. With engineers and electricians tending to fleets of robots, these operations are bringing down the cost of manufacturing while improving quality. As a result,…
After thousands of AI proof-of-concept projects have died on the vine, many organizations are scaling back internal efforts in favor of adopting commercial, off-the-shelf AI tools. About half of companies surveyed by Gartner in late 2023 were developing their own AI tools, but the number fell to about 20% at the end of 2024, says…
Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara spoke with the New York Times this month, speaking about his desire for foreign support. Al-Shara hopes to persuade Western officials to lift sanctions on his country and provide military assistance to build a new army and prevent another Syrian civil war. He additionally is in need of foreign financing to…
A planned meeting in London to discuss a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire has been postponed by the UK’s Foreign Office. Diplomats from the US, Ukraine, France, Germany, and the UK along with other senior officials had been expected to attend the talks. Ukraine’s foreign minister and the UK’s foreign secretary are still planning to meet. The discussions…
European weapon makers are finding new business as the continent begins to look more towards domestic investment, instead of spending on foreign military products. With President Trump’s trade war, European countries are looking inward to build their defenses. Trump has additionally demanded that European countries stop their reliance on the US for security. The new…
The World Food Program (WFP) is suspending aid for 650,000 women and children in Ethiopia. The UN agency has warned that a lack of funding may cause 3.6 million people in Ethiopia overall to risk losing access to food aid soon, unless new financial aid is approved. The WFP will stop its aid delivery in…
Threat actors suspected to be linked to Russia are targeting Ukrainian individuals and organizations, aiming to gain access to Microsoft 365 accounts. The campaign targeting Ukrainian allies began in early March 2025 and features social engineering operations such as device code phishing. The attackers attempt to convince their victim to click a link and send…
In 2024, researchers observed an 84% increase in phishing emails which delivered infostealers compared to the year before. This is a method that threat actors rely on heavily to scale identity attacks. 70% of attacks in 2024 involved critical infrastructure, and malware was deployed in 40% of cases. Nearly one third of incidents in 2024…
Healthcare organizations are being consistently targeted by ransomware actors, and three big organizations operating in the sector this week suffered attacks. A dialysis firm, DaVita, was first impacted by a ransomware attack on April 12. Then, on April 14, Bell Ambulance of Milwaukee disclosed a data security incident. The Medusa ransomware group had claimed an…
A city in Texas had to take its systems offline after a cyberattack. In Abilene, some of the city’s internal network systems went unresponsive, and the city quickly launched an immediate incident response plan. All critical assets and systems impacted by the attack were taken offline to secure the network. The attack began last week…
Economic gains from artificial intelligence will boost global output by around 0.5% a year between 2025 and 2030, outweighing the costs of rising carbon emissions by the data centres needed to run AI models, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday. An IMF report released at its annual spring meeting in Washington nonetheless noted that…
“Economic security and national security are almost directly related in the long run,” said J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon last week on Fox Business. He’s right. We need to stop pretending our adversaries are business partners. The pharmaceutical sector is a cornerstone of America’s global competitiveness, but without a serious shift in how we treat…
Chinese humanoid robot maker Unitree Robotics has opened a new factory in Hangzhou as it races to meet soaring demand amid China’s craze for the human-shaped machines. The factory, launched earlier this year, spans over 10,000 square metres, and it is expected to support the company’s expansion over the next three to five years, according…
HavocAI will soon launch a 38-foot autonomous vessel to complement its smaller drone boats, which have already caught the Pentagon’s eye. There’s a military hunger, at home and abroad, for all things unmanned. Havoc is one of the youngest on the scene. It was co-founded last year by Paul Lwin, a Myanmar refugee and former…
Rotem Bashi, a colonel in the Israel Defense Forces, says he just “can’t understand how this miracle was done.” Bashi is the commander of the IDF’s Matzpen software development unit, whose artificial intelligence system has greatly impressed him. “When I compare the quality of the answer from the system with the raw information it received,…
Fujitsu Limited and RIKEN today announced the development of a world-leading 256-qubit superconducting quantum computer, established at the RIKEN RQC-FUJITSU Collaboration Center. This new quantum computer builds upon the advanced technology of the 64-qubit iteration, launched with the support of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)(1) in October 2023, and…
Anthropic expects AI-powered virtual employees to begin roaming corporate networks in the next year, the company’s top security leader told Axios in an interview this week. Managing those AI identities will require companies to reassess their cybersecurity strategies or risk exposing their networks to major security breaches. Virtual employees could be the next AI innovation…
Iran has stated that it plans to brief China this week in preparation for its third round of talks with the US over its nuclear program. Iranian officials are separately accusing Israel of attempting to undermine the negotiations. The trip will be similar to Iranian visits with Russia last week before the second round of…
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled that he is open to the idea of holding direct talks with Ukraine over the conflict between the two countries. On Monday, Putin spoke to Russian state TV and said that he had a “positive attitude towards any peace initiatives.” The two nations have not held bilateral talks since…
The Chinese government is warning other countries not to curb their trade with China to win favor with the US and avoid American tariffs. China is promising to retaliate against countries that do this. The announcement comes after reports that the Trump administration is trying to pressure other foreign countries to slow their trade with…
On Monday, the Vatican announced the passing of Pope Francis at 88 years old. His cause of death was a cerebral stroke, leading to a coma and heart failure. Now, the process will begin to find a new leader for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. The Pope’s death comes just one day after he appeared…
The UN is reporting that organized cybercrime groups originating from Asia are spreading scams across the rest of the globe. For several years, scam centers located in Southeast Asia have stolen billions of dollars from victims. Now, their actions are reported to be expanding farther, reaching Africa and Latin America. The groups are attempting to…
As a result of cyber threats and fraud, businesses are losing on average $98.5 million a year. Technology companies are suffering the most, followed by insurance, financial services, and fintech. According to research from FIS and Oxford Economics, 37% of respondents said that their company experiences cyber threats every day. Respondents were dissatisfied with their…
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