Saturday, April 19, 2025
The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

Saturday, April 19, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Breaking News
Ad:

https://nordictimes.com/tech/nato-implements-ai-system-for-military-operations/

Tech

NATO implements AI system for military operations

The future of AI

Published 17 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Modern warfare increasingly resembles what only a few years ago was science fiction.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The military pact NATO has entered into an agreement with the American tech company Palantir to introduce the AI-powered system Maven Smart System (MSS) in its military operations.

The Nordic Times has previously highlighted Palantir’s founder Peter Thiel and his influence over the circle around Trump, and how the company’s AI technology has been used to develop drones that can identify Russians and automate killing.

NATO announced on April 14 that it has signed a contract with Palantir Technologies to implement the Maven Smart System (MSS NATO), within the framework of Allied Command Operations, reports DefenceScoop.

MSS NATO uses generative AI and machine learning to quickly process information, and the system is designed to provide a sharper situational awareness by analyzing large amounts of data in real time.

This ranges from satellite imagery to intelligence reports, which are then used to identify targets and plan operations.

Terminator
In the “Terminator” movies, the remnants of the Earth’s population fight against the AI-controlled Skynet weapon system.

Modernizing warfare

According to the NATO Communications Agency NCIA, the aim is to modernize warfare capabilities. What used to require hundreds of intelligence analysts can now, with the help of MSS, be handled by a small group of 20-50 soldiers, according to the NCIA.

Palantir has previously supplied similar technology to the US Army, Air Force and Space Force. In September 2024, the company also signed a $100 million contract with the US military to expand the use of AI in targeting.

The system is expected to be operational as early as mid-May 2025.

The new deal has also caused financial markets to react and Palantir’s stock has risen. The company has also generally seen strong growth in recent years, with revenues increasing by 50% between 2022 and 2024.

Criticism and concerns

Palantir has previously been criticized for its cooperation with the Israeli Defense Forces, which led a major Nordic investor to cancel its involvement in the company. Criticisms include the risk of AI technology being used in ways that could violate human rights, especially in conflict zones.

On social media, the news has provoked mixed reactions. Mario Nawfal, a well-known voice on platform X, wrote in a post that “NATO goes full Skynet”, …referring to the fictional AI system in the Terminator movies, where technology takes control of the world.

Several critics express concerns about the implications of technology, while others see it as a necessary step to counter modern threats.

NATO and Palantir emphasize that technology does not replace human decision-making. They emphasize that the system is designed to support military leaders and not to act independently.

Nevertheless, there is a growing debate and concern about how AI’s role in warfare could affect future conflicts and global security. Some analysts also see the use of US technologies such as MSS as a way for NATO to strengthen ties across the Atlantic.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

TNT is truly independent!

We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.

Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…

https://nordictimes.com/tech/openai-may-develop-ai-weapons-for-the-pentagon/

Tech

OpenAI may develop AI weapons for the Pentagon

The future of AI

Published 14 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Sam Altman's OpenAI is already working with defense technology company Anduril Industries.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, does not rule out that his and his company will help the Pentagon develop new AI-based weapon systems in the future.

– I will never say never, because the world could get really weird, the tech billionaire cryptically states.

The statement came during Thursday’s Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threat, and Altman added that he does not believe he will be working on developing weapons systems for the US military “in the foreseeable future” – unless it is deemed the best of several bad options.

– I don’t think most of the world wants AI making weapons decisions, he continued.

The fact that companies developing consumer technology are also developing military weapons has long been highly controversial – and in 2018, for example, led to widespread protests within Google’s own workforce, with many also choosing to leave voluntarily or being forced out by company management.

Believes in “exceptionally smart” systems before year-end

However, the AI industry in particular has shown a much greater willingness to enter into such agreements, and OpenAI has revised its policy on work related to “national security” in the past year. Among other things, it has publicly announced a partnership with defense technology company Anduril Industries Inc to develop anti-drone technology.

Altman also stressed the need for the US government to increase its expertise in AI.

– I don’t think AI adoption in the government has been as robust as possible, he said, adding that there will be “exceptionally smart” AI systems in operation ready before the end of the year.

Altman and Nakasone – a retired four-star general – attended the event ahead of the launch of OpenAI’s upcoming AI model, which is scheduled to be released next week. The audience included hundreds of representatives from intelligence agencies, the military and academia.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/sweden/swedish-authors-meta-has-stolen-our-books/

Sweden

Swedish authors: Meta has stolen our books

The future of AI

Published 8 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Kajsa Gordon and Anna Ahlund are two of the authors who signed the open letter.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Meta has used Swedish books to train its AI models. Now authors are demanding compensation and calling on the Minister of Culture to act against the tech giant.

The magazine The Atlantic recently revealed that Meta used copyrighted works from authors around the world without permission or compensation. Swedish authors are also among them.

In an open letter, published in the Schibsted newspaper Aftonbladet, 53 Swedish children’s and young adult authors accuse Meta of copyright infringement.

“Meta has vacuumed our books and used them as a basis for creating AI texts. They have also often used translations of our books to train their AI models in multiple languages. This copyright infringement is systematic”, the authors write.

Among the affected authors who signed the letter are Anna Ahlund, who had five works stolen, Kajsa Gordon, who had eight works stolen, and Pia Hagmar, who had 51 works stolen. The authors point out that there is a wide range of authors in fiction and non-fiction who have had several works stolen, and that many authors do not yet know that they have been affected.

“Our words are being exploited”

The authors are now calling on Sweden’s Minister of Culture Parisa Liljestrand to act against Meta and demand a license fee for the use of copyrighted texts.

“We refuse to accept that our words are being exploited by a multi-billion dollar company without our consent or compensation”.

It also demands that Meta disclose which Swedish authors are used to train its AI model, and that authors have the right to deny the tech giant use of the texts.

“The Swedish government often talks about strengthening children’s reading. A prerequisite for reading is that Swedish cultural policy makes it possible to be an author”, the authors conclude

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/tech/what-we-know-about-the-newly-launched-grok-3/

Tech

What we know about the newly launched Grok 3

The future of AI

Published 20 February 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Elon Musk’s AI company xAI has launched the third-generation language model Grok 3, which the company says outperforms competitors such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. During a live presentation, Musk claimed that the new model is “maximally truth-seeking” and ten times more capable than its predecessor.

Grok 3, trained using 100,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs at xAI’s Colossus Supercluster in Memphis, USA, is described as a milestone in artificial intelligence. According to xAI, the model has a unique ability to combine logical reasoning with extensive data processing, which was demonstrated by creating a game that mixes Tetris and Bejeweled and planning a complex space journey from Earth to Mars during the presentation. Musk emphasized that Grok 3 is designed to “favor truth over political correctness” – a direct criticism of competitors he considers too censored.

Technical capacity and competitiveness

According to data from xAI, Grok 3 has outperformed GPT-4o and Google’s Gemini in academic tests, including doctoral-level physics and biology. The model comes in two versions: the full-scale Grok 3 and the lighter Grok 3 mini, which prioritizes speed over accuracy. It also introduces the DeepSearch feature, an AI-powered search engine that compiles information from across the internet into coherent answers.

Early tests by experts such as Andrej Karpathy, former head of AI at Tesla, confirm that Grok 3 is at the forefront of logical thinking, but he also notes that the differences against competitors such as OpenAI’s o1-pro are marginal. Still, the development time is impressive: xAI built its supercomputer in eight months, compared to the industry standard of four years, according to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

Availability and reviews

Grok 3 is first released to paying users of X (formerly Twitter) through the Premium+ subscription. A more expensive tier, SuperGrok, provides access to advanced features like unlimited image generation. However, Musk warned during the launch that the first version is a “beta” and may contain bugs – a call for patience.

Criticism of the launch has been harsh. Researchers and tech experts question xAI’s benchmark results, which they say are difficult to verify independently. Others point to risks of training AI on data from X, where misinformation and spam posts are common.

Some experts, such as AI researcher Findecanor, also criticize the name “Grok” – a term from science fiction describing deep understanding – saying it is misleading for a model that they say lacks genuine insight. In addition, Musk’s previous controversial statements about the potential dangers of AI have created skepticism about his own platform.

Vision for the future

Despite the criticism, xAI is betting big. The company plans to release Grok 2 as open source once Grok 3 is stabilized, which would allow community contributions to the technology. A voice feature and integrations for businesses via API are also in the works.

Meanwhile, a power struggle is underway in the AI industry. Musk recently tried to buy OpenAI for $97 billion, an offer rejected by CEO Sam Altman, who described it as an attempt to “destabilize” the competitor. With Grok 3, xAI is positioning itself as a key player in the global AI race – but the question is whether its promises can be fulfilled without increasing polarization around the ethics and trustworthiness of the technology.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/tech/us-and-uk-back-away-from-international-ai-declaration/

Tech

US and UK back away from international AI declaration

The future of AI

Published 15 February 2025
– By Editorial Staff
US Vice President JD Vance stresses that “pro-growth AI policies” should take priority over security.
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Sweden and 60 other countries have signed an AI declaration for inclusive, sustainable and open AI. However, the United States and the United Kingdom have chosen to opt out – a decision that has provoked strong reactions.

The AI Declaration was developed in conjunction with the International AI Summit in Paris earlier this week, and its aim is to promote inclusive and sustainable AI in line with the Paris Agreement. It also emphasizes the importance of an “ethical” approach where technology should be “transparent”, “safe” and “trustworthy”.

The declaration also notes AI’s energy use, something not previously discussed. Experts have previously warned that in the future AI could consume as much energy as smaller countries.

Countries such as China, India and Mexico have signed the agreement. Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway have also signed. The United States and the United Kingdom are two of the countries that have chosen not to sign the agreement, reports the British state broadcaster BBC.

“Global governance”

The UK government justifies its decision with concerns about national security and “global governance”. US Vice President JD Vance has also previously said that too much regulation of AI could “kill a transformative industry just as it’s taking off”. At the meeting, Vance stressed that AI was “an opportunity that the Trump administration will not squander” and said that “pro-growth AI policies” should be prioritized over security.

French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, defended the need for further regulation.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

N

Polaris of Enlightenment

News

Other

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Follow TNT socials!

X-twitter Facebook Telegram Instagram

© 2022-2025 The Nordic Times TNT.
All rights reserved.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Donate

Our independent journalism needs your support!
Consider a donation.

You can donate any amount of your choosing, one-time payment or even monthly.
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Donate
Dont miss another article!

Sign up for our newsletter today!

Take part of uncensored news – free from industry interests and political correctness from the Polaris of Enlightenment – every week.