Technology

Following the conclusion of the election process in Kosovo, concerns about the security and reliability of the electronic results reporting system have raised numerous controversies. A simple data entry application used by the Central Election Commission (CEC) has been facing serious problems. On election night, the CEC’s IT systems were unavailable for a period of time, directly affecting the publication of preliminary results. This caused delays in the counting process and created uncertainty among political parties and citizens. The company responsible for developing the application has stated that it was only responsible for developing the platform, while state institutions were responsible for its operation and maintenance. This statement has fueled further debate, highlighting the lack of clarity about technical responsibilities. Cybersecurity experts have emphasized that the platform’s supporting infrastructure was not up to the mark to effectively handle and filter traffic. In addition to the technical failure, the application has also faced other unusual problems. Some reports suggest that the data entered did not match the actual results from the polling stations, making the situation even more complicated. The head of the CEC, Kreshnik Radoniqi, who was appointed to this position by President Vjosa Osmani, has stated that security and justice institutions have been invited to investigate the problem. According to him, the CEC is awaiting the final report, which is expected to clarify the cause of the problems and provide recommendations to avoid similar situations in the future. To overcome these challenges, the CEC and the Municipal Election Commissions were forced to process the data manually, a process that, despite the delays, has been assessed as necessary to preserve the integrity of the elections

At the Artificial Intelligence Summit in Paris, US Vice President JD Vance warned that excessive regulation could harm the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. He criticized European efforts to impose strict regulations, saying such an approach could stifle innovation and economic development. Vance stressed the importance of a lighter approach to regulation to ensure the US maintains its leadership in the AI sector. The comments come as the European Union is implementing the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive law to regulate the technology, which came into force in August 2024. Meanwhile, the US and the UK have not signed an international declaration on the responsible development of AI, highlighting global divisions in approaches to AI governance. French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen defended the need for regulation to maintain public trust in AI, stressing the importance of a balance between innovation and security. They also announced new investments to strengthen Europe's position in the field of AI.

Meta has unveiled its Frontier AI Framework, placing restrictions on some advanced artificial intelligence systems that could pose serious risks. While CEO Mark Zuckerberg has advocated for an open approach to AI development, the new document shows that the company will not publish models that could aid in cyberattacks, the creation of biological weapons or other serious threats. Meta categorizes these systems into high risk and critical risk. High risk systems can aid in attacks, but without guaranteeing success, while critical risk systems can have catastrophic consequences that cannot be mitigated in the context of their use. The risk assessment is not based on precise empirical tests, but on analysis by the company’s internal and external experts, as Meta believes that the science of assessing AI is not yet developed enough to provide accurate measurements. If a system is classified as high risk, Meta will restrict access to it and will not publish it until it reduces the risk to a moderate level. For systems with critical risk, the company will stop development and put security measures in place to prevent technology leakage. This strategy shows that, even as Meta continues to promote an open approach to AI, it is putting restrictions in place to protect global security.

Kosovo continues to lag behind in the research and development (R&D) sector, with a budget that remains far from European standards. In 2024, the government has allocated around 15 million euros to this sector, which accounts for only 0.1% of GDP – significantly below the European Union’s target of 3% of GDP. As a result, the country lags behind in technological development and scientific innovation, making it difficult to compete in international markets. By comparison, Israel is the country that invests the most in research and development, allocating 5.56% of GDP to this sector. Similarly, the United States of America invests around 3.46% of GDP in R&D, a percentage that allows these countries to lead in innovation and technology.

Meta has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump after Facebook suspended his account in 2021, The Wall Street Journal reports. Facebook suspended Trump’s account after the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, accusing him of violating the platform’s policies after he expressed sympathy for the mob that was committing the violence. The initial decision was a 24-hour ban, which was later changed to an indefinite suspension. Twitter (now X) and YouTube also banned Trump from their platforms, but both later reinstated him. Trump filed a lawsuit against Facebook, Google and Twitter in 2021, but the case had been pending since the fall of 2023. According to The Wall Street Journal, negotiations for a settlement resumed in earnest after Mark Zuckerberg visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in November.