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Before the G7, China held its own summit
As the leaders of the world’s richest major democracies gather in Japan for the G7 summit, which begins today, China begins its own conference with the leaders of five Central Asian countries. The split-screen diplomacy comes as tensions rise between the West and China.
Beijing’s inaugural China-Central Asia summit, which began yesterday, is part of an effort to counter what it sees as a US-dominated world order that is trying to contain and suppress China. (At the G7, leaders will address what the US describes as China’s growing assertiveness.)
China greeted the leaders of the five former Soviet republics – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – on the tarmac with a crowd of dancers and jumping children. With the two-day summit, China is trying to fill some of the void left by Russia. The war in Ukraine has weakened some of Russia’s influence in Central Asia, and China sees it open.
China’s interest in the region also stems from concerns about violence and ethnic tensions in the Xinjiang region, which borders Central Asian countries. China sees economic prosperity in the region as a way to stabilize Xinjiang, analysts say.
Meta gives AI crown jewels
The tech industry’s race to develop artificial intelligence has been derailed by the decision to give away powerful systems for free. In February, Meta released LLaMA, the same AI technology that powers ChatGPT, as open source software that anyone can use to create their own chatbot.
“Meta now has zero control,” says colleague Cade Metz. “It’s out in the wild.”
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, believes that sharing its underlying AI engine will spread the company’s influence and undermine its rivals. Meanwhile, companies like Google and OpenAI have only become more secretive about their AI tools, fearing they will be used to spread disinformation, hate speech and other toxic content.
“Open source tends to win,” Cade said. “The difference now: The technology can be dangerous.”
Separate: OpenAI released a new version of ChatGPT for iPhone that responds to voice requests.
Myanmar junta stymies help
Days after Typhoon Mocha made landfall in Myanmar, aid groups are still waiting for the military regime’s approval to send supplies. For the survivors, the threat is growing.
Aid groups fear that the death toll – estimated at more than 450 – will only rise as people suffer from food shortages, disease, lack of clean water and loss of homes. Survivors also face the threat of unexploded landmines that may change during the flood.
The civil war also affected relief efforts. The fighting took place in many areas affected by the typhoon. Rescue workers, activists and survivors say the junta is reluctant to grant access to outsiders because it wants to control who receives aid.
Background: In 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar and killed more than 135,000 people. The death toll also rose due to the storm and the military government was criticized for its slow response.
refugees: Most of the dead were Rohingya Muslims who were among those moved to relocation camps more than a decade ago, the minister for humanitarian affairs and disaster management for the Government of National Unity said.
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What didn’t your therapist tell you? There are some things you just can’t say to your face. “Therapy itself, it’s a bit of a dance – you want to see what the other person brings, and you dance with them,” said the psychologist. “If they do a waltz, you can’t break hip-hop.”
Did Warhol violate copyright law?
The US Supreme Court certainly thinks so.
In a 7 to 2 ruling, the judge said the artist did not have the right to set another Prince’s photo into a series of portraits.
“A photographer’s original work, like any other photographer, is entitled to copyright protection, even against famous artists,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor said for the majority. The photographer, Lynn Goldsmith, received almost no money or major credit for the images.
In her opinion, Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the decision “will stifle all creativity” and “make the world poorer.” The art world generally agrees: Many fear this outcome, because artists always lend to each other. (He also noted that Andy Warhol, who died in 1987, altered the photograph in various ways.)
“There are many things judges can do with the stroke of a pen, but rewriting art history is not one of them,” Warhol biographer and critic wrote in The Times. “He’s stuck with appropriation as one of the great artistic innovations of the modern era. His job is to make sure the law recognizes it.”
PLAY, WATCH, EAT
What to cook
Put the potato chips in the omelette. (Seriously.)
What See
“Berlin,” by Bea Setton, is a funny and unsettling debut about a young woman in a new city.
What to Watch
In “Sanctuary,” a dark psychosexual romantic comedy, a wealthy heiress and a longtime employee compete for control of their relationship.
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