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Earth Intelligence

14 Jan 2024 — 8 min read

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U.S. Houthi Strikes
Cybersecurity AI

Week Recap:

France is set to expand its nuclear energy capacity, with plans to build eight new nuclear reactors. This development comes in addition to six European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) previously announced by President Emmanuel Macron. Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher stated that this expansion is crucial for France to achieve its carbon reduction targets. A forthcoming draft law will formally include these additional reactors, shifting them from a previously considered option to a definitive plan.
Louisiana is initiating its first two offshore wind farm projects, Cajun Wind and Diamond Offshore Wind. Governor John Bel Edwards and the state’s Department of Natural Resources have already given their approval to these ventures. Cajun Wind is being developed by Vestas Wind Systems through its North American branch, Steelhead Americas, while Mitsubishi is behind the Diamond Offshore Wind project.
At the recent CES electronics trade fair, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a new virtual assistant, marking a significant advancement in artificial intelligence integration in vehicles. This assistant is designed to offer context-relevant suggestions and engage in meaningful dialogues with users. It is programmed to communicate in different emotional tones and can ask intelligent questions for clearer understanding, enhancing the interactive experience for users in the car.
Apple has announced the launch of its mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, set to be available on February 2. Pre-orders for the device will begin on January 19 at 8 AM EST The Vision Pro, priced at $3,500 with 256GB of storage, will be available in Apple stores and online.
A U.S. Navy sailor, Petty Officer Wenheng Thomas Zhao, 26, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for accepting approximately $15,000 in bribes from a Chinese intelligence officer. In return for the money, Zhao provided photos of unclassified but sensitive U.S. military information. He pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and receiving a bribe last October.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) gave the green light to 11 Bitcoin-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a significant move that marks the first such approval in the U.S. This decision is set to expand the accessibility of Bitcoin to a broader range of investors through the traditional financial market. A Bitcoin ETF allows investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin without the complexities of direct cryptocurrency trading.
OpenAI launched the GPT Store, a significant addition to its AI product line, now available to ChatGPT Plus, Enterprise, and Team subscribers. This platform enables users to create and customize their own AI chatbots, a user-friendly feature that doesn't require programming skills. The store is part of OpenAI's effort to make AI more accessible and practical for everyday use.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported an attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis on international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden. On January 11, around 2 AM Sana’a time, the Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile from Yemen, which was observed impacting the water by a commercial vessel. Fortunately, no injuries or damage were reported. This incident marks the 27th such attack by the Houthis on international shipping since November 19.
In response, CENTCOM forces, along with allies from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain, conducted joint strikes targeting Houthi facilities in Yemen. These operations aimed to diminish the Houthis' ability to continue their attacks on U.S. and international vessels in the Red Sea. The strikes focused on disabling radar and air defense systems, as well as destroying storage and launch sites for various offensive weapons.
This week, senior U.S. and Chinese military officials convened at the Pentagon to discuss defense relations between the two countries. The meeting, a two-day event, marked the resumption of the U.S.-China Defense Policy Coordination Talks, which were last held in September 2021 and are the first in-person discussions since January 2020. The U.S. delegation was led by Michael S. Chase, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia, and hosted Chinese Army Maj. Gen. Song Yanchao.
In a recent cyberattack in November, Fidelity National Financial, a player in real estate services, suffered a data breach affecting 1.3 million customers. The company acknowledged in a regulatory filing that an unauthorized party accessed its systems, deploying non-self-propagating malware and extracting data. In response, FNF has informed the affected customers and relevant state attorneys general and regulators.
SpaceX has marked a milestone by facilitating the first text message exchange between T-Mobile phones using its Starlink satellites. Achieved on January 8, this test utilized one of the new Direct to Cell Starlink satellites, launched just six days earlier. These satellites, part of an initiative to deliver cellular signals to standard LTE phones, are slated to provide text messaging services to T-Mobile's U.S. customers and international carriers within the year, expanding to voice and data services by 2025.

U.S. Houthi Strikes:

On January 13th, at 3:45 AM Sana'a time, U.S. forces launched a targeted military strike against a Houthi radar site in Yemen. This operation was conducted by the USS Carney (DDG 64), employing Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. The strike was a continuation of actions that began on January 12th, aiming to diminish the Houthis' ability to attack maritime vessels, including commercial ships, by targeting a key radar installation used for such assaults.
The U.S. military's decision to carry out this strike comes in the context of ongoing hostilities in the region. Since November 19, 2023, Houthi militants have been involved in 28 incidents against vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. These attacks have employed a range of weaponry, including anti-ship ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise missiles. Such actions are deemed illegal under international law and pose a significant threat to maritime safety and security.
It's crucial to distinguish these U.S. strikes from Operation Prosperity Guardian. Operation Prosperity Guardian is a separate multinational defensive effort that involves over 20 countries. The coalition's focus is on maintaining security and stability in strategically important maritime areas: the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. These regions are vital for international shipping and trade, and protecting them is essential for global economic stability.
Participating nations contribute naval and air resources, intelligence, and logistical support to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through these waters. The operation involves patrolling, escorting ships, surveillance, and information sharing among coalition members. This collaborative effort highlights the importance of international cooperation in safeguarding critical maritime corridors against various threats, including piracy, terrorism, and unauthorized military activities.

Cybersecurity AI:

On January 9th, Neurolattice released WhiteRabbitNeo-33B-v1 on Hugging Face, a platform known for a wide range of AI models. This Large Language Model (LLM) is designed for cybersecurity tasks, both offensive and defensive, and stands out with its 33 billion parameters, making it one of the most advanced publicly available cybersecurity models.
WhiteRabbitNeo-33B-v1 is unique not just for its capabilities but also because it is open-source. This means that the model's code is publicly accessible and can be freely used and modified by anyone. For businesses, this opens up opportunities to customize the model to their specific cybersecurity needs, enhancing their ability to protect against and respond to cyber threats.
As an open-source tool, WhiteRabbitNeo-33B-v1 represents a significant resource for those in the cybersecurity field, including professionals and enthusiasts. However, due to its potential for misuse, users are advised to adhere to ethical standards. Hosted on Hugging Face, the model is part of a community that aims to advance AI technology responsibly, offering a vast array of models and tools for various applications.

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