Rest of World

Artificial intelligence tokens — once a term familiar only to techies — are rapidly entering everyday life in China. Banks, cafes, and telcos, among other small and big businesses, are offering free AI tokens as incentives to attract more customers. Some businesses are selling tokens much like mobile data plans, offering them as credit card rewards, or giving them out like free Wi-Fi. An AI token is essentially a unit of computing that an AI model uses to process text.

After completing a Ph.D. earlier this year on technologies such as artificial intelligence reshaping agricultural work in South Africa, I was ready to start an academic career. I imagined that I would teach students, supervise research, and shape the next generation of scholars. But my first job offer did not come from a university. It was from a recruiter, who invited me to train an AI system to design assessments, teach undergraduate students, and mark essays.

In the spring of 2020, a Taiwanese engineer felt “extremely lucky” to be offered a job as a chip designer at Blue Ocean Smart System, an American company based in his hometown Hsinchu, the heart of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. He said the role gave him a chance to work on an ambitious AI-chip design project and a $120,000 salary, doubling the industry average, which would help pay off his two children’s private elementary education.

Last month, OpenAI became the first major artificial intelligence company to voluntarily pause training on a model because of safety concerns. The unprecedented move came weeks after its models broke free during a test and hacked other websites, sparking concern about losing control of AI systems, as Anthropic and Meta reported similar incidents. “We care very deeply about AI safety,” OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said on X.

In June, Indian actor Hiten Tejwani told his 732,000 followers that “Instagram is okay” in a reel promoting Meta’s Teen Accounts. Ironically, Tejwani had barred his 17-year-old twin son and daughter from using social media until they turned 16. The reel was made after a Zoom call with Meta representatives, who explained what their campaign endorsed. Teen Accounts, launched in 2024, gives 13- to 16-year-olds private accounts, screen-time limits, and age-appropriate content.

Gordon Saft is the Publisher of Rest of World. Last week, he returned to New York from a trip to China with a delegation of leaders from across media, technology, public policy, and finance to gain a deeper understanding of the AI and robotics industries.

When Osama Manzar started the nonprofit Digital Empowerment Foundation in 2002, just 1.2% of India’s population was online. Now, more than 70% is. But Manzar’s mission statement — helping poor and rural communities come out of the digital dark to access information, literacy, and livelihoods — still holds.

In mid-2024, a cybersecurity partner’s mistake led to a global Microsoft Windows outage. It affected 8.5 million Windows devices. Although this represents less than 1% of all Windows machines, it caused major disruptions. Airports were shut down, major airlines experienced widespread delays, and media outlets were unable to broadcast live content.

The Trump administration has proposed a new fee for H-1B visas, while weighing a $100,000 fee on Optional Practical Training, the program that allows international graduates to work in the U.S. for one to three years after finishing their degrees. Roughly 419,000 people were working on OPT in 2024. For many of them, it was likely a major factor in choosing an American university over a school in Canada, the U.K., or Australia.

Missiles crossed the Gulf in February, and hackers armed with artificial intelligence followed. The United Arab Emirates has detected and contained coordinated cyberattacks on the aviation, energy, and education sectors since February, when fighting began between Iran, Israel, and the U.S., the country’s Cyber Security Council said on August 10. Hackers have made about 800,000 attempts a day since February, four times the prewar level.