Every Monday, the Research Trainees of the CERESE assess the news of the previous week. You can read their opinions below:

I like…

…the resolution of the Civil Liberties and Consumer Protection Committee of the European Parliament. The Committee has overwhelmingly approved the temporary legislation to safeguard the use of artificial intelligence. This has paved the way for the first global legislation on this technology. The vote in the Legislative Assembly is scheduled for April. The AI law aims to put guardrails on a technology used in various sectors, such as education, banks, airlines, online shopping, security, police purposes, etc. The European Union countries recently approved an agreement aimed at better controlling governments’ use of artificial intelligence in biometric surveillance. This agreement, together with the new law to be adopted, aims to boost innovation and establish Europe as a leader in artificial intelligence.

…the news that the International Energy Agency will initiate the process of India’s accession to its full membership. It is an intergovernmental body set up in 1974 in Paris by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which deals with energy issues. Until now, India was an associated state. It has applied to become a full member of the organization as an economically developing country. The Director General of the IEA, Fatih Birol, responded positively, which is extremely important for the region’s energy sustainability.

I dislike…

…the news that Prabowo Subianto may be the next President of Indonesia. The official results of the February 14 election are expected to be announced in March, but Subianto has already declared his victory. He was an army general during the Suharto dictatorship, has been linked to violence in East Timor and Papua, and is accused of human rights abuses. The election is seen as critical to global competition, as the country is a diplomatic link to Southeast Asia, a flashpoint in the Sino-US dispute, one of the fastest-growing economies, and home to the largest Muslim population.

…the news about the deterioration of security in West Africa because of the rise of the actions of the Islamic State. UN officials say that, especially in the last six months, the situation has deteriorated due to regional conflicts and operations of these organizations. Even organizations affiliated with the Islamic State are acting with greater autonomy, raising concerns about the creation of a zone of instability from Mali to Nigeria. The African continent now accounts for half of the world’s terrorist acts, with the Sahel accounting for around 25% of them.