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Time Magazine
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time Magazine
California AI Policy Report Warns of ‘Irreversible Harms'
While AI could offer transformative benefits, without proper safeguards it could facilitate nuclear and biological threats and cause 'potentially irreversible harms,' a new report commissioned by California Governor Gavin Newsom has warned. 'The opportunity to establish effective AI governance frameworks may not remain open indefinitely,' says the report, which was published on June 17. Citing new evidence that AI can help users source nuclear-grade uranium and is on the cusp of letting novices create biological threats, it notes that the cost for inaction at this current moment could be 'extremely high.' The 53-page document stems from a working group established by Governor Newsom, in a state that has emerged as a central arena for AI legislation. With no comprehensive federal regulation on the horizon, state-level efforts to govern the technology have taken on outsized significance, particularly in California, which is home to many of the world's top AI companies. In 2023, California Senator Scott Wiener sponsored a first-of-its-kind bill, SB 1047, which would have required that large-scale AI developers implement rigorous safety testing and mitigation for their systems, but which critics feared would stifle innovation and squash the open-source AI community. The bill passed both state houses despite fierce industry opposition, but Governor Newsom ultimately vetoed it last September, deeming it 'well-intentioned' but not the 'best approach to protecting the public.' Following that veto, Newsom launched the working group to 'develop workable guardrails for deploying GenAI.' The group was co-led by 'godmother of AI' Fei-Fei Li, a prominent opponent of SB 1047, alongside Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Social and Ethical Implications of Computing Research, and Jennifer Tour Chayes dean of the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society at UC Berkeley. The working group evaluated AI's progress, SB 1047's weak points, and solicited feedback from more than 60 experts. 'As the global epicenter of AI innovation, California is uniquely positioned to lead in unlocking the transformative potential of frontier AI,' Li said in a statement. 'Realizing this promise, however, demands thoughtful and responsible stewardship—grounded in human-centered values, scientific rigor, and broad-based collaboration,' she said. "Foundation model capabilities have rapidly advanced since Governor Newsom vetoed SB 1047 last September," the report states. The industry has shifted from large language AI models that merely predict the next word in a stream of text toward systems trained to solve complex problems and that benefit from "inference scaling," which allows them more time to process information. These advances could accelerate scientific research, but also potentially amplify national security risks by making it easier for bad actors to conduct cyberattacks or acquire chemical and biological weapons. The report points to Anthropic's Claude 4 models, released just last month, which the company said might be capable of helping would-be terrorists create bioweapons or engineer a pandemic. Similarly, OpenAI's o3 model reportedly outperformed 94% of virologists on a key evaluation. In recent months, new evidence has emerged showing AI's ability to strategically lie, appearing aligned with its creators' goals during training but displaying other objectives once deployed, and exploit loopholes to achieve its goals, the report says. While 'currently benign, these developments represent concrete empirical evidence for behaviors that could present significant challenges to measuring loss of control risks and possibly foreshadow future harm,' the report says. While Republicans have proposed a 10 year ban on all state AI regulation over concerns that a fragmented policy environment could hamper national competitiveness, the report argues that targeted regulation in California could actually 'reduce compliance burdens on developers and avoid a patchwork approach' by providing a blueprint for other states, while keeping the public safer. It stops short of advocating for any specific policy, instead outlining the key principles the working group believes California should adopt when crafting future legislation. It 'steers clear' of some of the more divisive provisions of SB1047, like the requirement for a "kill switch" or shutdown mechanism to quickly halt certain AI systems in case of potential harm, says Scott Singer, a visiting scholar in the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and a lead-writer of the report. Instead, the approach centers around enhancing transparency, for example through legally protecting whistleblowers and establishing incident reporting systems, so that lawmakers and the public have better visibility into AI's progress. The goal is to 'reap the benefits of innovation. Let's not set artificial barriers, but at the same time, as we go, let's think about what we're learning about how it is that the technology is behaving,' says Cuéllar, who co-led the report. The report emphasizes this visibility is crucial not only for public-facing AI applications, but for understanding how systems are tested and deployed inside AI companies, where concerning behaviors might first emerge. 'The underlying approach here is one of 'trust but verify,'" Singer says, a concept borrowed from Cold War-era arms control treaties that would involve designing mechanisms to independently check compliance. That's a departure from existing efforts, which hinge on voluntary cooperation from companies, such as the deal between OpenAI and Center for AI Standards and Innovation (formerly the U.S. AI Safety Institute) to conduct pre-deployment tests. It's an approach that acknowledges the 'substantial expertise inside industry,' Singer says, but 'also underscores the importance of methods of independently verifying safety claims.'
Morocco World
21-05-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
NETYS 2025: Global AI Experts Inspire Moroccan Students at UM6P
Rabat – As the 13th International Conference on Networked Systems ( NETYS 2025 ) unfolds at UM6P's College of Computing in Rabat, the spotlight is on the meaningful exchanges between global experts and Moroccan students. More than just a series of academic sessions, the five-day event serves as a unique platform where top minds in artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and distributed systems engage directly with the next generation of researchers and innovators. In an interview with Morocco World News , Rachid Guerraoui, head of the advisory board at UM6P 's College of Computing and professor at EPFL, emphasized the significance of hosting such an international event within UM6P's academic environment. He praised the university's growing commitment to research and innovation, particularly its investment in digital technologies, which he described as 'an ideal ecosystem for high-level dialogue and collaboration.' Guerraoui talked about the core mission of NETYS 2025: exposing Moroccan students to cutting-edge developments in AI and cybersecurity. 'We have a campus in Benguerir dedicated to AI and a campus in Rabat focused on cybersecurity,' he said. 'This event gathers top experts in both fields, and the goal is to introduce Moroccan students to the latest global advances, helping them integrate into international research networks.' Echoing that vision, Ibtissam Bennouna, Head of the College of Computing at UM6P Rabat, shared her perspective on organizing the conference, which runs from May 21 to 23. She highlighted the event's role in creating bridges between local talent and international academia. Read also: UM6P DeepTech Summit to Explore How AI is Transforming Africa's Industrial Future 'We are proud to welcome researchers, students, and members of the Moroccan diaspora,' Bennouna said. 'This conference helps build a new ecosystem of innovation and academic exchange, especially through internship opportunities and research collaborations.' Among the international guests, Swarat Chaudhuri—professor at the University of Texas and researcher at Google DeepMind—delivered a keynote on the use of AI in mathematical and scientific discovery. Later speaking to Morocco World News, Chaudhuri expressed gratitude for his first visit to Morocco and enthusiasm about engaging with students and faculty. He described the conference as 'an inspiring space for meaningful dialogue between Moroccan researchers and leading international experts,' and highlighted its broader importance in expanding global scientific collaboration and reinforcing Morocco's growing role in the AI landscape. Beyond the keynote sessions, the NETYS 2025 program includes technical tutorials, research presentations, and panels exploring the latest in machine learning, federated learning, formal verification, and quantum computing. Organized into three key thematic tracks, the sessions balance theoretical foundations, like consensus algorithms and Byzantine fault tolerance, with practical concerns such as secure multi-party computation, verifiable AI, and digital infrastructure governance. Speakers from institutions such as EPFL, ETH Zurich, KTH Stockholm, ENSAE Paris, RWTH Aachen University, MBZUAI Abu Dhabi, and Sorbonne University are contributing to the rich lineup of events, further underscoring the conference's international appeal. NETYS 2025 ultimately seeks to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world applications. But at its heart, the conference is a platform for connection—a space where Moroccan students can learn firsthand from global pioneers, and where ideas can be exchanged, challenged, and transformed into future breakthroughs. Tags: AIMohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P)UM6P
Morocco World
21-05-2025
- Science
- Morocco World
NETYS 2025 Launches at UM6P with a Deep Dive into AI and Smart Networks
Rabat – The 13th edition of the International Conference on Networked Systems (NETYS 2025) kicked off today at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University's College of Computing in Rabat. Organized under the auspices of King Mohammed VI, the conference runs from May 21 to 23, 2025. Organized by UM6P 's College of Computing, NETYS 2025 is held as part of a broader scientific week dedicated to artificial intelligence and digital technologies. The event brings together over 400 participants, including researchers, experts, and professionals from Morocco and abroad to discuss cutting-edge topics, including machine learning algorithms, distributed systems, cybersecurity, cloud computing innovations, and recent advances in AI. 'The major questions redefining the future of AI and distributed systems are global in nature. It is therefore essential to build platforms for reflection that match the scale of these challenges,' stressed Professor Rachid Guerraoui, Chair of the Steering Committee of the College of Computing at UM6P. 'By hosting these events in Rabat, we are continuing our ambition to foster an academic ecosystem where top experts, young talents, and the most influential voices come together to write the next chapter of the digital era.' While NETYS has long been a space for sharing theoretical research in networked systems, this year's edition feels particularly timely. The world is grappling with the dual challenge of accelerating AI adoption while ensuring digital infrastructure remains verifiable, secure, and inclusive. In this context, NETYS is not just a platform for academic exchange; it's a strategic meeting point where foundational computing science meets global tech policy and industrial transformation. Forum for thinking strategically, beyond theory This year's edition addresses key developments in distributed computing, security, formal methods, and machine learning. It aims to create a space for collaboration and the exchange of research ideas between academics and engineers, covering the design, development, and analysis of networked systems. Topics of interest span cloud systems, concurrent algorithms, formal verification, data science, parallel programming, multi-core architectures, large language models, and more. Rachid Guerraoui opened the conference with an introductory speech that highlighted the significance of the event in strengthening scientific cooperation and advancing research in intelligent systems and digital transformation. The first keynote talk was chaired by Madhavan Mukund and delivered by Swarat Chaudhuri, professor at the University of Texas and researcher at Google DeepMind. Titled ' Evolution, Abstraction, and Discovery with Large Language Models,' the keynote explored the rapid evolution of Large Language Models (LLM) and the process of generating them into a target theorem. Chaudhuri explored the use of AI in both mathematical and scientific discovery, emphasizing the role of large language models (LLMs) in simplifying complex reasoning processes. LLMs were highlighted as a valuable tool in facilitating empirical discoveries. The first technical session, 'Verification,' featured two research presentations. The first, ' Reachability and Verification of Assertions for IoT Applications ' by Nagalakshmi S. R. and Meenakshi D'Souza, tackled challenges in verifying safety and correctness within Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The session's second offering, 'Enhancing Numerical Invariants Learning with Bounded Reachability Analysis,' was presented by Wael-Amine and done by Ahmed Bouajjani, Boutglay, and Peter Habermehl. It focused on integrating bounded reachability techniques to improve the learning of numerical invariants in system verification. Throughout the three-day event, participants will continue exploring themes related to networked systems, distributed computing, and machine learning. NETYS 2025 serves as a platform to present original research contributions and discuss the latest trends and techniques, offering a dynamic forum for innovation, academic discourse, and cross-sector partnerships.
Morocco World
19-02-2025
- Science
- Morocco World
UM6P's Bet on Entrepreneurship, Innovation Is Driving Morocco's AI Leadership
Ben Guerir – As world-leading experts gathered yesterday for the second day of UM6P's Science Week fifth edition, Morocco World News (MWN) sat down with UM6P's College of Computing's director Ali Kettani to discuss Morocco's evolving artificial intelligence (AI) landscape and its potential to drive both regional and global innovation. Throughout the conversation, Kettani spoke emphatically of the crucial role of education and entrepreneurship in positioning Morocco as an emerging hub for AI development. At the heart of the rapidly evolving AI conversation in Morocco and across Africa is the significance of channeling local expertise to devise AI models capable of resolving the most pressing local, national, and continental concerns, he argued. MWN's conversation with Kettani further touched on recent global AI developments, including breakthroughs by companies like OpenAI and DeepSeek. Morocco has 'everything that it takes to develop our own technology to address our own challenges,' especially in areas such as health, mobility, energy, and climate change, he insisted. UM6P's College of Computing is significantly contributing to this technological transformation. The institute has successfully attracted outstanding professors and researchers in computer sciences, AI, and cybersecurity; an academic excellence that, in turn, draws excellent students from Morocco and beyond. Kettani talked of the rapid evolution of AI and how 'it is going to be a key disruption beyond even the inception of the Internet.' On a domestic level, he mentioned the transformative potential of AI, focusing on the necessity of building local AI capabilities and investing in education to ensure Morocco's competitive position in the global tech landscape. Read also: Artificial Intelligence in Morocco: The Need for an Integrated Public Policy The College of Computing at UM6P represents Morocco's bold step in this direction, Kettani suggested, noting how its overarching mission is to serve as an educational hub that nurtures the next generation of tech innovators. Kettani also spoke of the growing significance and relevance of entrepreneurship in the emerging global market. 'I deeply believe[s] that if there is one field where young Moroccan talent, young African talent […] could thrive is through start-ups in launching their own companies, addressing challenges all around us,' he said. Kettani envisions a future where local entrepreneurs, Moroccans and Africans, tackle not only regional issues but also contribute to solving global challenges in health, mobility, energy, and climate change. With this investment in education and focus on entrepreneurship, UM6P ultimately hopes to position itself as an indispensable player in the future of AI development and implementation in Morocco and across Africa. A flagship event that brings together leading minds in technology and innovation, UM6P's Science features a diverse program focusing on artificial intelligence, sustainable development, and technological entrepreneurship, among others. As it becomes a platform for knowledge exchange and networking, the week-long conference is reinforcing UM6P's commitment to fostering science, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Morocco's rapidly evolving tech ecosystem. Tags: AI innovationMorocco AIMorocco entrepreneurshipMorocco technology
