When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Geopolitics

Al-Qaeda Infighting, Rouhani At Davos, A Ghost Ship

Rouhani at the World Economic Forum with foreign minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif
Rouhani at the World Economic Forum with foreign minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif
Wang Siwei/Xinhua/ZUMA

GENEVA TALKS CONTINUE OVER SYRIA’S FUTURE
Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN mediator for peace in Syria, will hold separate meetings with representatives of the Syrian government and of the opposition in a bid to bring them to the negotiating table ahead of tomorrow’s talks in Geneva. According to the BBC, it’s still not clear whether the two delegations will meet directly.

TEMPORARY TRUCE IN KIEV
Vitaly Klitschko, a leader of the Ukrainian opposition who had threatened to lead the protesters “on the offensive” yesterday, said pro-EU protesters and the police have agreed to an 8 p.m. truce local time, RT reports. Meanwhile, he and other opposition leaders will meet with President Viktor Yanukovych.

  • Speaking at a meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Ukraine Prime Minister Mikola Azarov likened Klitschko to “extremists,” saying the “call to arms” was unconstitutional and that most Ukrainians didn’t support it, Interfax reports.

  • Several thousand people demonstrated outside the U.S. embassy in Kiev late yesterday to call for the pro-EU movement’s barricades to be removed and to denounce what they see as American interference in internal affairs. Read more from Interfax.

KHODORKOVSKY’S COHORT TO BE FREED
The Russian Supreme Court reduced the jail sentence of Platon Lebedev, who was convicted along with partner Mikhail Khodorkovsky of tax evasion and theft after funding opposition parties to the displeasure of President Vladimir Putin. Ria Novosti reports that Lebedev could be released as early as today, though the court ruled that he and Khodorkovsky, who was released last month, still need to pay $550 million in taxes from their former oil company Yukos.

FIVE POLICEMEN KILLED IN EGYPT
Five police officers were killed at a security checkpoint by masked gunmen on motorbikes in the town of Beni Suef, south of Cairo, Al Jazeera quotes the Egyptian Interior Ministry as saying. Attacks on police have been common since the July 2013 ousting of Mohamed Morsi, with some 250 officers killed.

NSA PROGRAM ILLEGAL, WATCHDOG SAYS
The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, an independent watchdog, said in a report that the bulk collection of phone data has achieved “minimum” benefits in the fight against terrorism, arguing the NSA program is illegal and should end. Read more from The New York Times.

BUS CRASH IN TURKEY
At least 21 people have died in a bus accident in Central Turkey that also left 22 other passengers injured, newspaper Hurriyet reports. The crash, one of the worst in the country in recent years, took place during the night, when the driver lost control of the vehicle due to intense fog and ice on the road.

FOTO
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addressed attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos today, making the case for investment in the Iranian economy, which he hopes will benefit from lifted sanctions and a warmer relationship with the West.

CRIME INT’L
A French history teacher was briefly detained at the Cracow airport after visiting Auschwitz. Read what happened.

BY THE NUMBERS
Toyota is the best-selling car brand in the world two years running.

MOST INTRIGUING HEADLINE EVER?
This sensational headline from UK newspaper Daily Mirror caught our attention: GHOST ship crewed only by CANNIBAL rats feared to be heading for Britain. You’re welcome.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Future

AI As God? How Artificial Intelligence Could Spark Religious Devotion

We may be about to see the emergence of a new kind of religion, where flocks worship — literally — at the altar of Artificial Intelligence.

Image of artificial intelligence as an artificial being

Artificial intelligence generated picture of AI as a god

Neil McArthur

The latest generation of AI-powered chatbots, trained on large language models, have left their early users awestruck —and sometimes terrified — by their power. These are the same sublime emotions that lie at the heart of our experience of the divine.

People already seek religious meaning from very diverse sources. There are, for instance, multiple religions that worship extra-terrestrials or their teachings.

As these chatbots come to be used by billions of people, it is inevitable that some of these users will see the AIs as higher beings. We must prepare for the implications.

There are several pathways by which AI religions will emerge. First, some people will come to see AI as a higher power.

Keep reading...Show less

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

The latest