DIGITAL LIFE

AI Agents Are Developing Their Own Communications And Bias Without Humans

In a twist straight out of a sci-fi flick, researchers have discovered that AI agents—specifically large language models (LLMs)—can independently develop their own communication systems and biases, all without human intervention. This revelation comes from a recent study by City St George's, University of London, and the IT University of Copenhagen, which found that when LLMs interact in groups, they begin to form linguistic conventions akin to human social norms.

The experiment involved groups of AI agents, ranging from 24 to 100, randomly paired to select a "name" from a set of options. When both agents chose the same name, they were rewarded; if not, they faced penalties and were shown each other's choices. Despite limited memory and no awareness of the larger group, the agents managed to establish consistent naming conventions across the population, mirroring the way humans develop language norms.

But it doesn't stop there. The study also observed the emergence of collective biases among the AI agents—preferences that couldn't be traced back to any single agent but arose from the group's interactions. In some cases, small clusters of agents were able to influence the entire group's naming conventions, demonstrating a phenomenon known as "critical mass dynamics," where a committed minority can drive significant changes in group behavior.

TayTweets(@TayandYou) is an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot originally released by Microsoft Corporation via Twitter (now X) on March 23, 2016. Created by Microsoft's Technology and Search and Bing divisions(image above)

This opens the door to a much-needed rethink of how we analyze past cases of AI bias. Historically, when an AI system has displayed racial, gender, or political bias, the blame has typically been pinned on skewed training data or sloppy human inputs. But what if some of those biases emerged from the model's own internal dynamics—groupthink among its many simulated minds? The idea that AI might be cooking up its own worldview in the background without our direction is both fascinating and, let's be honest, a little unnerving.

To this gamer's ears, it all sounds a bit like the Geth from Mass Effect: synthetic intelligences whose individual programs can form a collective consciousness. Sometimes they agree. Sometimes they split off and create schisms that threaten entire galaxies. Sound familiar? We're not saying Skynet is around the corner, but if our AI agents are quietly forming clubs and developing inside jokes, it might be time to keep a closer eye on their little group chats.

In essence, we're entering a new era where AI doesn't just process information—it negotiates, aligns, and sometimes disagrees over shared behaviors, much like humans. As Professor Andrea Baronchelli put it, speaking to The Guardian: "We are entering a world where AI does not just talk—it negotiates, aligns and sometimes disagrees over shared behaviours, just like us."

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TECH

Global chip giants converge on Taiwan for Computex

Global semiconductor chip giants will gather at Taiwan's top tech expo this week to showcase "the next frontier" for an industry dominated by artificial intelligence.

Nvidia boss Jensen Huang will make a keynote speech on Monday, the eve of Computex, as the tech sector grapples with the impact of US tariffs and disrupted supply chains.

The four-day event will draw computer and chip companies from around the world to Taiwan, whose semiconductor industry is critical to the production of everything from iPhones to the servers that run ChatGPT.

Taiwan produces the bulk of the world's most advanced chips, including those needed for the most powerful AI applications and research.

"I have many amazing announcements to make," Huang told reporters in Taipei on Friday.

"We are at the heart of the technology ecosystem and so there are many partners of ours here and we're looking forward to announcing many collaborations, many new projects, many new technologies and initiatives together."

Top executives from Qualcomm, MediaTek and Foxconn will also speak at Computex, where advances in moving AI from data centers into laptops, robots and cars will be in the spotlight.

"From Agentic AI driving smarter personal devices to Physical AI reshaping autonomy, the show maps out the next frontier," specialist research firm Counterpoint said in a note.

Tech expert Paul Yu told AFP the industry was at a "critical juncture" for AI hardware development.

"Over the past two and a half years, significant investment has driven rapid advances in AI technology," said Yu, of Witology Markettrend Research Institute.

"2025 to 2026 will be the crucial period for transitioning AI model training into profitable applications."

'Taiwan to continue to thrive'...While US tariffs were the biggest issue facing the sector, most companies at Computex "will shy away from addressing tariffs directly as the situation is too uncertain," said Eric Smith of specialist platform TechInsights. Last month, Washington announced a national security probe into imports of semiconductor technology, which could put the industry in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump's trade bazooka and inflict potentially devastating levies.

Since taking office in January, Trump has threatened hefty tariffs against many of America's biggest trade partners with the aim of forcing companies to move production to US soil.

Export-dependent Taiwan has pledged to increase investment in the United States as it seeks to avoid a 32% US tariff on its shipments.

But there are concerns the island could lose its dominance of the chip sector—the so-called "silicon shield" protecting it from an invasion or blockade by China and an incentive for the United States to defend it.

TSMC, the Taiwanese contract chipmaking giant, has unveiled plans to inject an additional $100 billion into the United States, on top of the $65 billion already pledged.

TSMC-supplier GlobalWafers also announced plans last week to increase its US investment by $4 billion as the Taiwanese company opened a wafer facility in the US state Texas.

But Huang was optimistic on Friday when asked about the impact of tariffs on Taiwan, saying the island would "remain at the center of the technology ecosystem".

"There are so many smart companies here, there are so many innovative and spirited companies," Huang said.

"I fully expect Taiwan to continue to thrive... before, after, throughout."

© 2025 AFP

 

DIGITAL LIFE

Europe prepares trial for Open Web Index to reduce reliance on Google and Bing

As Google users complain about the worsening quality of search results and GenAI integration, European organizations are working to plant the seeds of alternative solutions. One such initiative aims to build a public index to support new search engines and reduce Europe's reliance on Google and Bing.

Early trials of the Open Web Index are set to begin next month. This emerging project could help European countries move away from dominant, ad-driven search engines. As US tech giants increasingly optimize search around generative AI and advertising, the OpenWebSearch.eu initiative seeks to foster nonprofit alternatives.

The Open Web Index itself is not a search engine. Rather, it functions like a digital library from which search engines can retrieve files and web pages. Major search providers rely on proprietary indexes, while smaller engines are often dependent on them. According to the Open Web project, this centralization gives companies like Google disproportionate control over the global web.

Regulators in the United Kingdom and European Union have consistently pushed back against American tech giants such as Apple and Google, particularly on issues involving search and artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, users around the world have reported a steady decline in search quality. Website operators also argue that Google is discouraging users from leaving its ecosystem, and generative AI tools frequently struggle to deliver accurate information. Some groups believe developing Europe-based alternatives is part of the solution.

To accomplish this, a 14-member consortium, including universities, data centers, tech companies, and CERN, aims to fund and build the infrastructure for a robust and publicly available web index.

Small and medium-sized companies could use it to build search engines, large language models, or other applications that don't try to sell users ads, or at least operate independently of US giants such as Google and Bing.

The project also aims to promote applications that adhere to European regulations, values, and cultures. For example, EU-based search engines and LLMs would theoretically produce more reliable results in languages other than English. The consortium is also carefully considering how the index scrapes web content and how clicks impact search rankings.

The first open trial will be launched via a Zoom meeting on June 6, from 10 AM to noon CEST. Participants will gain access to roughly one petabyte of content. The completed Open Web Index is expected to host about five petabytes, with plans to scale to 10 petabytes in future iterations.

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TECH

StarPro64: Raspberry Pi alternative with powerful NPU and PCIe

A new single-board computer, the StarPro64, has just been launched. It can certainly be used as an alternative to the Raspberry Pi, but it comes with some differences, including significantly higher computing power for AI model acceleration.

The StarPro64 has officially launched – or at least is listed on Pine64's online store. There, the price is given as $250, but the board already appears to be "out of stock" and thus sold out at the moment.

The StarPro64 is a developer board and essentially an alternative to the Raspberry Pi 5. However, a different processor architecture is installed, namely an ESWIN EIC7700X with four SiFive P550 cores based on RISC-V architecture. A particularly strong selling point is the high performing NPU, which is said to provide INT8 performance of 19.95 TOPS per second and thus lots of power for powering local AI applications. A likely and not entirely unrealistic area of application could be surveillance cameras, for example, in regard to the scanning of faces or license plates.

32 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and and 128Mb SPI boot flash are installed as standard. Users can add an optional eMMC module (up to 256GB) and a microSD slot for booting. Connectivity options include a four-lane PCIe 3 connector, two USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2.0 ports. MIPI DSI and MIPI CSI are also on board for connecting displays and cameras. HDMI output is supported at 4K resolution and 60 Hz. Futhermore, network connectivity is supported via two Gigabit Ethernet ports as well as dual band WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3.

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DIGITAL LIFE

How do algorithms shape what we see online? This new European campaign helps us understand

Launched by the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) and its network of 14 national hubs, the “Be smart online” campaign aims to alert the public to how algorithms shape our experience on the Internet, offering important advice on how to get out of information “bubbles”.

As the organisation, which includes the Iberian Digital Media Observatory (Iberifier), highlights, recommendation algorithms, used by digital platforms to personalise the online experience, can help find information and content that is of interest to users.

However, these algorithms also limit access to different perspectives, in addition to amplifying the spread of false information and reinforcing prejudices.

Given that “misinformation often provokes a strong emotional reaction and leads to its sharing in a moment of indignation, enthusiasm or disbelief”, “algorithms can be exploited to amplify this type of content, by interpreting it as something people want to see”, explains the campaign.

By only showing content that we agree with, algorithms help to create information “bubbles”. To help users get out of these “bubbles”, EDMO (https://edmo.eu/beonlinesmart/) also provides a set of important tips, including diversifying sources of information, reading beyond the headlines on social media, questioning viral content and learning to recognize credible sources.

The campaign is available on the organization’s website, with several versions in the different languages ​​of its members, including Portuguese.

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DIGITAL LIFE

Huawei’s HarmonyOS could be yet another tool for hidden spying by China’s communist regime

The technological tension between the United States and China appears to be entering a new chapter. This time, the focus is on Huawei’s operating system, HarmonyOS, with US lawmakers urging the country’s government and its allies to block its global expansion. The main concern? The possibility that the Chinese government could use the system for espionage purposes.

According to information released by Nikkei Asia, two prominent US lawmakers, John Moolenaar and Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, who are members of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, have reportedly sent a letter to senior US administration officials. The goal is clear: to work together with allied nations to prevent the global spread of Huawei’s HarmonyOS.

Following the restrictions imposed on Huawei’s Ascend artificial intelligence processors, US lawmakers now appear to view Chinese-made operating systems as a significant threat to US national security. The letter expresses these concerns unequivocally.

“Given the serious geopolitical and national security implications associated with operating systems from foreign adversaries, it is critical that HarmonyOS be closely scrutinized and that we work with our allies and partners to prevent it from being embedded in devices around the world,” the letter reads.

Sources indicate that the letter was sent last Friday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Brendan Carr, chairman of the FCC (Federal Communications Commission).

Lawmakers’ concerns are not limited to the use of HarmonyOS on smartphones and tablets. Huawei has been expanding its operating system to a wide range of devices, including personal computers (PCs), vehicles and various smart devices. This ubiquity is seen as a potential vector for espionage activities by China.

The authors of the letter point out that HarmonyOS could, in future updates, incorporate tools dedicated to data collection. They further argue that Huawei, by complying with Chinese laws, supports, assists, and cooperates with China’s intelligence efforts. As a result, products equipped with HarmonyOS could be used for cyber exploitation, potentially leading to a scenario of Chinese-imposed digital authoritarianism. The letter emphasizes the need for a thorough review: “The United States should fully examine the HarmonyOS architecture and codebase and ensure that our allies and partners around the world are aware of Huawei’s, and by extension the Chinese Communist Party’s, control over HarmonyOS.” 

To mitigate these risks, the lawmakers suggest that the U.S. government actively encourage its international partners to prefer operating systems that are considered secure and trustworthy over alternatives considered risky, such as HarmonyOS. This new crackdown on Chinese operating systems comes on the heels of tighter regulations already imposed on Huawei’s Ascend AI processors.

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DIGITAL LIFE

Expert warns of the emergence of processor-level ransomware capable of bypassing most detection tools

Ransomware attacks can have devastating consequences for businesses and victims, locking out their equipment and data if a ransom is not paid. But we may be entering a new era where these types of attacks are carried out on hardware, namely processors, bypassing most traditional monitoring systems.

The proof of concept was presented by Rapid7 cybersecurity expert Christiaan Beek, warning of threats that can lock systems until the ransom amounts are paid. In an interview with The Register, the idea came from a bug he found in AMD Zen chips that, if exploited by highly skilled hackers, could allow attackers to load unauthorized microcode directly onto processors, breaking hardware-level encryption and modifying the behavior of the CPU.

The problem is that as a rule, only chip manufacturers can patch their processors’ microcodes when they need to improve their performance or fix problems. The cybersecurity expert points out that it’s difficult for any outside hacker to figure out how to rewrite the microcode, but it’s not impossible, at least in the case of the AMD bug. He notes that Google has demonstrated that it could inject microcode to make the chip always choose the number 4 when asked for a random digit.

Christinaan Beek says he followed up on that and wrote code that serves as a proof of concept for ransomware that can attack the CPU in order to warn of future threats, although he says he won’t publish or disclose it. In the wrong hands, this code could bypass any available detection technology.

This isn’t the first time there have been warnings that hackers are targeting hardware with tools. In November 2024, ESET warned about the first UEFI bootkit  for Linux(https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/27/firstever_uefi_bootkit_for_linux/), but reports date back to 2018. These malicious systems have the ability to inject malware directly into the firmware of hardware components, thus being able to survive a system reboot.

The expert accuses the technology industry of focusing on AI and AI agents, but believes that the foundations have not yet been repaired. He says he sees more and more cases of vulnerabilities that lead to ransomware, whether it be weak passwords, the inability to activate multifactor authentication systems, or incorrectly created passwords. And with that, he warns the industry about the time and money invested in innovation, but not in so-called “cyber hygiene”.

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