Skip to main content

Israeli occupier attacks threaten historic Christian presence in West Bank town

In Taybeh, one of the few Palestinian communities with a Christian majority in the occupied West Bank, fears are growing that Israeli occupier attacks on farmland and property could push more families to emigrate, threatening the town’s demographic character and historic Christian presence. Local officials and clergy warned of the impact of rising violence by Israeli occupiers, which has coincided with worsening living and economic conditions in the town. Taybeh, east of Ramallah, is one of the few Palestinian towns in the West Bank that still has a Christian majority, according to church and local accounts. Residents say the town’s Christian roots go back thousands of years. Residents say the attacks have deepened fears in the town, even as they stress their determination to remain on their land. Also Read: Pakistan raises red flag over illegal settlements in West Bank, calls for Israel accountability In recent years, Israeli occupiers have established several ill...
Post a Comment

Musk’s Grok AI use in US govt sparks privacy, ethics concerns

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, is reportedly being used across parts of the US federal government, raising alarm over potential privacy breaches and ethical conflicts. According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is deploying a customised version of Grok to analyse government data and produce internal reports. The initiative, led by Musk’s AI company xAI, allegedly bypasses standard procurement procedures and lacks full agency authorisation. Concerns escalated after reports emerged that DOGE staff encouraged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to adopt Grok, despite the tool not being formally approved for agency use. While DHS denies being pressured, critics argue that such actions could violate federal privacy and security regulations. @DrewAswell @MorePerfectUS The claim of being "the most transparent administration" contrasts with concerns about DOGE's use of Grok AI. Reports suggest limited transparency, with unclear details on how Grok analyzes federal data, raising privacy and oversight issues. Lawmakers… — Grok (@grok) May 24, 2025 Grok, developed by Musk’s xAI and launched via his social platform X, is designed to generate responses based on user queries. Experts warn that if it is processing sensitive or personal information from government databases, it may breach long-standing federal laws, including the Privacy Act of 1974. That law was created to protect citizens from unauthorised data sharing and surveillance, setting strict guidelines for how personal data may be accessed and used. “If Grok is being trained or refined using federal data, even indirectly, it could represent a significant privacy violation,” said a technology law expert. There are also rising concerns about conflicts of interest. As Musk is a special government employee while leading private firms that could benefit from inside knowledge or favourable contracting terms, ethics specialists warn this dual role may blur boundaries. The use of Grok could offer xAI a competitive edge in the rapidly growing AI procurement market, where contracts for AI services surged by 150% between 2022 and 2023. Unlike other AI firms such as OpenAI and Anthropic, which have entered into formal partnerships with the US government through the AI Safety Institute, xAI’s reported approach appears to bypass key oversight protocols. The White House, xAI, and Elon Musk declined to comment. A DHS spokesperson stated, “DOGE hasn’t pushed any employees to use any particular tools or products. DOGE is here to find and fight waste, fraud and abuse.” As Musk expands Grok’s reach into federal agencies, questions continue to mount about transparency, security, and the future of ethical AI use in public institutions.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/laqP9dO
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

The private jet parking lots at airports near the Indian city of Ayodhya are full and the shops have run out of gold-plated idols, as wealthy devotees prepare for the invite-only opening ceremony of one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. The construction of the temple, which began after the Supreme Court awarded the site to Hindus in 2019 more than two decades after a Hindu mob razed a mosque there, triggering deadly riots, fulfils a key campaign promise of Modi and his Hindu nationalist party. Read BJP-promised temple transforms Ayodhya: Muslims, locals feel neglected The opening ceremony, organised by the trust that built the temple, comes months before a national election which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Indian opposition supporters detained ahead of protest at Modi's home

Police in the Indian capital detained dozens of opposition supporters on Tuesday as they attempted to march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence to protest against last week's arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal, a key opposition leader whose Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has governed the national capital territory for a decade, was arrested by the financial crime-fighting agency on corruption charges relating to the city's liquor policy, weeks before India begins voting in general elections on April 19. He was remanded to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate until March 28, with the lawyer for the agency arguing he was the "kingpin" in the case and needed to be interrogated. Kejriwal's party, all of whose main leaders are now imprisoned in connection with the case, says he has been "falsely arrested" in a "fabricated case". The federal government and Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) deny political interfere...
Post a Comment
Read more