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A prominent AI conference in Washington focusing on US defence technology was interrupted by Palestine protesters for a second day on Tuesday.
Former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt was speaking before hundreds of people at the AI+ Expo when demonstrators stood up and shouted at the technology tycoon: “Shame on you! Your AI is being used in genocide!"
Mr Schmidt told the moderator, not directly acknowledging the several protesters: “Let's just wait until the audience can hear us."
Mr Schmidt is also the chairman of the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), which is the main organiser of the AI+ Expo. SCSP describes itself as an organisation that “seeks to recapture the competitive mindset and unifying national mission from past eras, and then adapt them to the age of AI and 21st-century strategic rivalry”.
Alphabet-owned Google, like several other US-based tech firms, has come under intense criticism for its AI-military defence contracts with Israel.
On Monday, protesters interrupted US Navy Secretary John Phelan as he spoke at the conference. “AI should not be used in genocide,” several people yelled.
In both instances, demonstrators tried to unfurl Palestinian flags as people shouted allegations that AI is being used unfairly and disproportionately against Gazans.
For Mr Phelan, the protesters also displayed a banner that specifically accused the AI-tech firm Palantir. “Palantir kills in Gaza,” read the sign, which was ripped away from the protesters.
The moderator of the discussion, Mike Gallagher, who is also head of defence at Palantir, decided to address the protests.
“How wonderful to live in a country where people are allowed to speak their minds and ask questions of their governments,” he said. “Because the adversaries we're up against, whether they're genocidal communists in Beijing or Islamic jihadists in the Middle East, do not.”
Demonstrators are increasingly targeting the booming AI sector. Palantir, Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton, Google and Microsoft - which sent representatives to the event - have faced criticism from pro-Gaza protesters.
In recent months, Microsoft has had its company events interrupted by demonstrators and former employees who say the company’s AI tools are being used by the Israeli military in its assault on Gaza.
In responding to the claims, the company recently announced an internal review had found “no evidence” its products have been used to harm people in Gaza. That review, however, according to demonstrators, left more questions than answers.
In May, Palantir’s chief executive Alex Karp spent more than 10 minutes sparring with a protester over the company's AI technology being used in the Israel-Gaza war.
“Your AI technology kills Palestinians,” the protester shouted. Mr Karp quickly responded: “Mostly terrorists, that’s true.”
The anger related to AI being used in military operations has shown no sign of slowing. Among those speaking at this week's AI conference is Alexandr Wang, chief executive of the increasingly powerful tech firm Scale AI.
It too, has come in for criticism for its revenue generated from defence contracts. In a recent interview, Mr Wang defended his company's business model.
“We’re at the brink of this incredibly powerful new technology, and the applications for national security are obvious,” Mr Wang said during a discussion at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington. “It’s going to be imperative for the US to stay ahead.”
Israel's punishing campaign in Gaza – which followed the 2023 attacks by Hamas-led fighters on Israel that resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the capture of 240 hostages – has killed at least 54,100 people and injured at least 123,208. The war has prompted heightened Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in the US.
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Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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UAE and Russia in numbers
UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years
Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018
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The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023
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The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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The specs: 2018 Audi Q5/SQ5
Price, base: Dh183,900 / Dh249,000
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder / 3.0L, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic / Eight-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,000rpm / 354hp @ 5,400rpm
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Fuel economy: combined 7.2L / 100km / 8.3L / 100km
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
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