We tend to talk about artificial intelligence in the context of productivity, research and labour disruption. Yet this week, a new AI feature had millions around the world turning photos into <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/2025/04/01/ghibli-ai-trend-dubai-abu-dhabi/" target="_blank">Studio Ghibli-inspired images</a>. If you don't know what that means, it's OK. We discuss that later in this newsletter. The point is, for all the potential breakthroughs technology provides, sometimes the world just wants to have fun. <b>The Big Story</b> <b>In brief |</b> <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2025/03/31/tiktok-deadline-update-trump-ban/" target="_blank">Tensions over TikTok are again</a> dominating headlines. Another deadline is approaching that would require China-based ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, to divest the platform from its portfolio, or possibly be banned in the US. So far, ByteDance hasn't indicated that it wants to completely divest, and <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/us/2025/04/02/tiktok-ban-april-5-washington/" target="_blank">it's bolstering its presence in Washington</a> to fight this over the long haul, if necessary. Meanwhile, there's a <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2025/04/02/andreessen-horowitz-joins-list-of-potential-tiktok-buyers-as-ban-deadline-looms/" target="_blank">long list of US investors</a> and companies that want a piece of the TikTok pie. <b>Why it matters |</b> The axiom of data being the new oil is truly at the heart of the debate over TikTok. The video platform provides an unprecedented amount of user data based on likes, dislikes and attention spans. Whoever controls that data has a decided strategic advantage. That's why many US legislators are so concerned, and partly why China-based ByteDance is so reluctant to give up full control. This isn't just about a social media platform for entertaining videos – it's much bigger than that. <b>Quoted | </b><i>"A bad deal would lead to legal chaos, damage investor confidence, and set a dangerous precedent for foreign control of US tech … there’s still time for a ‘deal of the century’ – but only one that fully complies with the law"</i> – Republican Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House select committee on China <b>Generating interest |</b> OpenAI's ChatGPT <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2025/03/31/chatgpt-users-sam-altman-one-million/" target="_blank">attracts 'one million users in an hour'</a> after adding image generation features <b>Missing link |</b> It's now operational in Oman, but what country in the Middle East is <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2025/03/27/starlink-internet-service-now-available-in-oman/" target="_blank">next in line for Starlink?</a> <b>Seized assets |</b> FBI busts <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2025/03/28/hamas-crypto-funds-fbi-doj/" target="_blank">$1.5 million Hamas cryptocurrency funding ring</a> <b>AI termination </b>| Pro-Palestine Yale scholar <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/2025/04/01/pro-palestine-yale-helyeh-doutaghi-ai/" target="_blank">Helyeh Doutaghi officially sacked by university</a> Distributed denial-of-service attacks <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/2025/04/02/ddos-attacks-outpacing-other-cyber-threats-in-israel-georgia-and-mexico-new-report-says/" target="_blank">have become the dominant tactic for cyber warfare</a>, with countries including Israel, Georgia, Mexico and Turkey experiencing a significant increase in such incidents during 2024, according to a new report <b>This is a signal:</b> As indicated in the report, although not discussed at length, artificial intelligence is lowering the barrier that previously existed in terms of the knowledge needed to make distributed denial-of-service attacks possible. With AI becoming more prevalent and geopolitical angst showing no sign of slowing down, you can be sure that DDoS attacks will become more common, with more consequences as our lives become dependent on secure digital infrastructure. Lunar microwave <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/space/2025/03/28/aqualunar-challenge-lunar-microwave-purifies-ice-to-create-drinking-water-for-astronauts/" target="_blank">purifies ice to create drinking water</a> for astronauts Apple flags change <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2025/04/01/apple-flags-change-in-syria-emoji-for-ios-184/" target="_blank">in Syria emoji for iOS 18.4</a> Opinion: What the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/editorial/2025/04/03/ghibli-chatgpt-openai-ai-technology-art-culture/" target="_blank">Ghibli craze tells us about big tech</a> SpaceX’s Fram2 private astronauts <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/space/2025/04/02/spacexs-fram2-private-astronauts-become-first-to-enter-earths-polar-orbit/" target="_blank">become first to enter Earth's polar orbit</a> Nothing personal: <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2025/04/03/nothing-personal-phone-3a-takes-an-essential-dive-into-genai/" target="_blank">Phone (3a) takes an 'essential' dive</a> into GenAI
