AI Weapons

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Global Recap
February 06, 2025 • Read in: 9 minutes

Hi Global Recap readers,

You may have noticed I’ve been pushing back the newsletter send time for a while. It was a conscious choice—I wanted to gather as much news as possible and pick the most compelling stories.

Lately, though, there hasn’t been much late-breaking news to justify the delay, so yesterday, I switched back to earlier sends.

😥 And wouldn’t you know it? The very day I commit, Trump drops one of his most controversial statements—right after I hit send.

But before we get into that, let’s talk about Google’s recent AI policy shift and what it could mean.

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Google Changes
AI Principles

Google has recently updated its “AI Principles,” removing a previous commitment to avoid using its artificial intelligence for weaponry or surveillance.

Remember Google’s old motto, “Don’t be evil”?

It was a core principle set by its founders, but now, many are questioning just how far the company has drifted from that original ideal. Is the Terminator ready to become a reality in the near future?

AI Commitment

  • The previous pledge not to develop AI for weapons or surveillance is no longer part of the company’s principles.

  • This is a notable shift from Google’s earlier stance.

Geopolitical Context

The revised principles come amid a fierce global race for AI supremacy, particularly between the US and China.

  • Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, emphasized the need for democracies to lead in AI development.

  • The revised principles signal a push to broaden AI technology and services, reaching more users—including governments.

Historical Stance

Previously, Google had stringent rules against using AI for potentially harmful applications.

  • In 2018, Google chose not to renew Project Maven, a government contract involving drone video analysis.

  • The company also withdrew from bidding on a $10 billion Pentagon cloud contract.

The New Approach

The updated AI principles highlight a more balanced risk-benefit analysis.

  • Google now states it will “proceed where we believe that the overall likely benefits substantially exceed the foreseeable risks and downsides.”

  • This new stance aligns with international law and human rights principles.

  • Google CEO Sundar Pichai and his team are aggressively pursuing federal government contracts.

Internal and External Reactions

Google’s workforce and external observers have mixed feelings about these changes.

  • Hundreds of Google employees protested and some resigned over the company’s involvement in projects like Project Nimbus with the Israeli government.

  • The new principles might deepen internal rifts, especially with existing ideological divides. Google’s workforce is already split, with critics accusing many employees of excessive “wokeness.”

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Trump's Controversial
Gaza Takeover

President Donald Trump wants to turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” but it’s not going over well.

His proposal to transfer Palestinians out of Gaza and have the US take over the area is drawing heavy criticism from global leaders.

Trump's Bold Idea

Trump's plan is as ambitious as it is controversial: resettle over 2 million Palestinians out of Gaza to surrounding nations like Egypt and Jordan.

  • He also expressed intentions to clean up destroyed buildings and rebuild so it is a more hospitable for people to live in.

International Backlash

However, world powers are not impressed.

  • Russia, China, and Germany condemned the plan, warning it would foster “new suffering and new hatred.”

  • Saudi Arabia outright rejected the proposal.

  • Human rights advocates labeled the plan “ethnic cleansing.”

But this last point is widely debated. Here’s the opposing view:

• Egypt, for instance, has a heavily fortified border with Gaza, blocking refugees from entering.

• Even King Abdullah of Jordan has outright rejected the idea of taking in Gazans.

• Why? Many argue it's because they recognize that a majority of Gazans still support the terrorist rule of Hamas, and it may cause radicalism to prosper within their borders.

• This raises a crucial question—after decades of failed attempts to resolve the Gaza issue interally through the same methods, isn’t it time to try something different?

Here’s yet another video of Hamas allegedly shooting a blindfolded Gazan at a public square. 👇️ 

VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED
Click for video

Aides Defend, but Step Back

Trump's aides are sticking to their guns but are also backtracking on some elements.

  • Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the proposal as “outside of the box” thinking but clarified there are no commitments to deploy US troops.

  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested Gazans should be “temporarily relocated” for rebuilding, rather than permanently resettled.

🇧🇪 BELGIUM
Brussels Metro
Shooting Incident

Just yesterday, we covered Sweden’s deadliest mass shooting.

Now, Belgian police are hunting two suspects after a shooting at Brussels’ Clemenceau metro station. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

The Shooting

The incident happened around 6:00 am (0500 GMT) on February 5, 2025, at the Clemenceau metro station.

  • Two men were seen fleeing into the station with machine guns after the shooting.

  • No injuries were reported.

  • Police quickly launched a manhunt in the metro tunnels.

  • Authorities suspect a drug-related motive rather than terrorism.

Suspects on the Run

The suspects, who were armed with automatic weapons, aimed at one person but missed.

  • VRT, a Belgian broadcaster, suggested the incident was likely drug-related.

  • They have been spotted on CCTV entering the station and opening fire.

Metro System Affected

The incident led to partial closures of several metro stations around Clemenceau, paralyzing traffic.

  • Heavily armed police assembled at Clemenceau for a massive search.

  • The entire Brussels metro system reopened by 2:00 pm (1300 GMT).

🇫🇷 FRANCE
French Government
Survives Crucial Vote
(For Now)

French Prime Minister François Bayrou.

France’s government just dodged a political bullet.

On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, Prime Minister François Bayrou survived a no-confidence vote, buying himself a brief break from the political chaos.

This means France can finally see their 2025 budget go through.

Narrow Escape

A few weeks ago, we discussed this vote, and back then, many had doubts about the vote as the government is currently very fractured. Yet here we are—the government barely scraped through the no-confidence vote.

  • The no-confidence motion was supported by only 128 out of 577 lawmakers, falling short of the absolute majority needed.

  • Had it passed, Bayrou and his cabinet would’ve had to pack up and leave.

Budget Bill's Triumph

The passing of the budget bill is a big deal.

  • France has been running on stopgap funding since the start of 2025.

  • The budget aims to save €50 billion through tax increases and spending cuts.

  • The bill will get its final thumbs-up from the Senate on Thursday.

Bayrou's Continued Challenges

However, Bayrou's troubles are far from over despite this win.

  • He faces a divided lower house with centrist-conservative supporters and opposing left-wing and right-wing parties (not much wiggle room it seems).

  • Critics argue that the budget bill, though passed, won’t resolve the deeper political divides.

Government Stability (For Now)

For the moment, France has a semblance of stability.

  • This is the fourth prime minister change in just a year, which is unusually fast for France.

  • Bayrou's leadership continues amid ongoing challenges, including international concerns such as the Ukraine war.

Political Tactics

Bayrou's use of a constitutional provision to bypass a final vote exposes him to no-confidence motions.

  • This tool is common in situations without a majority but is seen by some as undemocratic.

  • Previous Prime Minister Michel Barnier used the same tactic in December but was ousted.

Not a good record…