DiploNews – Issue 484 – 1 February 2024

Diplo Academy upcoming courses and programmes

❄️ Winter 2024 online courses!

Reserve your place in our popular winter courses!

• Digital Commerce
• Humanitarian Diplomacy
• Introduction to Internet Governance
• Multilateral Diplomacy
• Public Diplomacy

👉🏼 Application deadlines for certificates issued by Diplo: 7 February 2024

For further information and to apply, click the course titles above or visit Diplo’s course catalogue.

Need financial assistance? Scholarships available!

Thanks to the support from the government of Malta, partial scholarships are available for applicants from developing countries to attend upcoming Diplo online courses. These scholarships cover 30%–60% of course fees and can be applied to most online courses in 2024. Browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu

Upcoming events

◆ 9th Geneva Engage Awards (1 Feb.)

The stage is set, the nominees’ lists are out, and the clock is ticking! Join us for the 9th Geneva Engage Awards on 1 February 2024. The live stream starts at 17:00 CET. Watch the awards ceremony!

Main takeaways from our recent events

◆ Webinar: The Impact of AI on Data Collection, Exploitation, Protection, and Privacy in Africa

AI is having a tangible impact on our lives. With contributions from various experts, the webinar participants addressed the impact of AI on data in Africa. Rewatch the webinar!

For additional information, read the report Stronger Digital Voices From Africa: Building African Digital Foreign Policy and Diplomacy that we published in 2022.

Blogs and publications

◆ WEF 2024 reporting: 7 insights on AI from the 2024 World Economic Forum

How were these seven key questions addressed at the World Economic Forum 2024 annual meeting? With the aid of our AI tool, we provided coverage of all publicly broadcasted sessions on AI and digital technologies. On our page, you can find individual session reports, discussions on the seven key questions, and event statistics. Visit our WEF 2024 reporting page!

◆ The intellectual property saga: Navigating the intellectual property dilemma in AI

As AI systems frequently require extensive training datasets and proprietary algorithms, determining the scope of what constitutes a protectable trade secret becomes increasingly complex.

This DW analysis explores the influence of AI on Intellectual Property Rights, assessing its ramifications on trade secrets and trademarks, with a focus on examples from EU and US legal frameworks. Read the analysis!

◆ The New Space Race: Navigating the Stars in the 21st Century

Are we witnessing a pivotal era in the history of space research, characterised by both legacy space powers reasserting themselves and new nations stepping onto the cosmic stage? Nikola Božić analyses the modern space race, space mining as the next frontier, and beyond! Read the blog post!

◆ Discourse dynamics: Human nature and global politics

Aldo Matteucci explores the complexities of human nature and global politics, particularly focusing on the role of discourse in shaping international relations. Read the blog post!

◆ Commentary on the right to be imperfect

In a world where machines are optimised to surpass humans in many aspects, Dr Jovan Kurbalija has proposed the human right to be imperfect. In his response, Aldo Matteucci rebuts Dr Kurbalija’s proposal by discussing the nuances of imperfection, its inherent biases, and the alternative perspective – becoming a prisoner of directionality. Read the commentary!

◆ We all need accessibility. To everything. Really.

Web accessibility is often perceived as costly and challenging to implement. Ginger Paque contends that, while it is essential for individuals with disabilities, web accessibility also represents an investment in improved web content and an opportunity to engage a broader audience. Read the blog post!

◆ The Roman Inquisition: Evolution and impact

In this blog post, Aldo Matteucci analyses the historical context and evolution of the Roman Inquisition, as well as the diverse strategies adopted by the Catholic Church in response to Protestant reformers. Read the blog post!

◆ ConfTech Digest #31, December–January

Read about the latest features and improvements from Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom: People recognition, personalised backgrounds, channel announcements, reduced viewing latency, and more! Read the latest ConfTech Digest!

◆ DW Weekly

The Digital Watch weekly newsletter brings you the latest in digital policy from around the world!

• Issue #143: WEF held its annual meeting, with AI featuring heavily in discussions; Australia aims to establish an AI oversight body; India enters the LLM race; the IMF urges retraining for AI job impacts; OpenAI adjusts policy; Baidu denies military links
• Issue #144: Leaked details on the EU AI Act’s consolidated text create anticipation; the European Commission proposes establishing the European AI Office; the US Federal Trade Commission’s inquiry into tech giants’ AI investments reflects growing concerns

◆ DW reporting: Concluding session of the UN Cybercrime Ad Hoc Committee

With the assistance of our AI tool, we are currently reporting from all publicly broadcasted sessions of the UN Cybercrime Ad Hoc Committee, which is being held until 9 February 2024 in New York. Visit the dedicated page!

Latest videos

◆ Rome call for AI ethics [Byte-sized Insights #9]

Religious communities are increasingly involved in the discussion on digital issues such as the development of ethical AI. For example, the Vatican issued the Rome Call for AI Ethics, setting the tone.

◆ DWshorts #20: Digital Trends and Hot Topics in 2024

Explore this year’s digital landscape: from historic elections to global data privacy makeovers, AI’s impact on the digital economy, and the latest in cybersecurity.

Don’t miss…

◆ AI and digital trends for Geneva in 2024 and beyond

In this article, published by Geneva Solutions, Dr Jovan Kurbalija writes about the nine major AI and digital trends he predicts will drive discussions in Geneva this year, including protecting intellectual property rights from AI, the digital economy, and humanitarian assistance. Read the article.

◆ Webinar: Open-Source (Generative) AI for Public Services Innovation

Dr Jovan Kurbalija participated in ITU’s AI for Good webinar Open-Source (Generative) AI for Public Services Innovation. Watch the recording below!

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