In today’s Weekend Edition:
* a report on Nordic Fest, this year bringing a well-round guest experiences including film, debates, literature and quality music;
* a quick talk with British filmmaker, journalist and poet Charlie Ottley on season 3 of Flavours of Romania (coming up this September on Netflix) and his two songs produced with the help of AI
Representatives of 58 countries from all continents convened in Paris on Tuesday to endorse a joint statement for “artificial intelligence that is to be open, inclusive and ethical”. At the end of a session jointly chaired by France and India, the participants “underlined the need for a global reflection integrating inter alia questions of safety, sustainable development, innovation, respect of international laws including humanitarian law and human rights and the protection of human rights, gender equality, linguistic diversity, protection of consumers and of intellectual property rights.” EU countries, Canada, India, China and the African Union are among the entities, which have endorsed the aforementioned statement.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, who co-hosted the conference, has been quoted by Radio Romania correspondent in Paris as saying, “we want a framework that prevents AI from being used for mass control or destruction.” He added that building trust in AI and its spread is a challenge for governments, civil society, investors and private player. The European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has announced the launch of the Champions Initiative, a private-public partnership for record investment in the field at community level of roughly 200 billion Euros.
“We want Europe to be one of the leading AI continents and this means embracing a way of life where AI is everywhere. We want AI to be a force for good. We want an AI where everyone collaborates and everyone benefits. This is our path. This is our European path”, von der Leyen went on to say.
Also attending the meeting, the Romanian Minister of the Economy and Digitalization, Bogdan Gruia Ivan, has told Radio Romania that Bucharest is ready to play its part in the development of this technology of the future.
Bogdan Gruia Ivan:” Europe has eventually understood how important it is to be at the table of those who are shaping the world’s future. And Romania is here for this reason. A couple of days ago we signed a 64-million Euro agreement for the Romanian AI hub, which is connecting the technical universities in Romania and which automatically includes us into this European Commission project as a regional research hub.”
As international media has noticed, the USA and Britain are not among the signatories of the aforementioned document due to some opinion differences on regulating the new technologies. Unlike Europe, which wants to move faster, at the same time being a framework in the development of artificial intelligence, the Americans want that “all possible efforts be made to encourage pro-growth politics in the area”. The new US vice-president, J.D. Vance, explains that heavy regulation in the field could kill AI. Some commentators believe that the positions of London and Washington have highlighted two confronting world visions.
(bill)
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that up-to-date health-related data is a critical instrument in effective public health measures and responding to crises. Moreover, the pandemic brought about a massive acceleration in the adoption of digital tools, but, as stakeholders argue, complex obstacles persist that make it difficult for the full potential of digital health data to be achieved.
The European Health Data Space, a key pillar of a strong EU healthcare system, is designed to overcome these obstacles. It is a framework for the exchange of specific health-related data, which establishes clear rules, common standards and practices, digital infrastructures and a governance framework for the use of electronic health data by patients and for research, innovation, policy-making, patient safety, statistics or regulatory purposes. Cristina Berteanu, Ph.D. medical sciences:
Cristina Berteanu: “It is the first European data space that begins with healthcare and completely changes the paradigm, in the sense that the patient has priority over data ownership and can connect with other patients from the member states, but also with doctors in Romania and in all the other member states. Secondly, access to such data by researchers or by policy-makers is very well defined within a legal framework, which has rules for data access. It will bring important progress in discovering new molecules, in creating strategies and public policies, including prevention and customised medicine, because with access to anonymised data, targeted treatments can be created much more precisely and much more easily. Work is already underway on this European data space that will have to be operational as of 2025. This requires significant digitisation in all member states and we hope that we are making progress considering that 207 hospitals in Romania have access to funds for digitisation under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.”
In addition to patients being able to access and share this data more easily, while retaining greater control over it, healthcare professionals will be able to do their job more easily and effectively. Thanks to improved interoperability, they will be able to access a patient’s medical history, thus broadening the set of information relevant to treatment and diagnostic decisions, including when patient data is located in another EU member country.
Also, by supporting the exchange of data between healthcare providers within countries and across borders, healthcare providers will avoid the duplication of tests, with positive effects for patients and healthcare costs. Researchers will have access to larger amounts of representative and high-quality data and will be able to access data in a more efficient and less expensive way, through a data access platform that guarantees patient data confidentiality.
Regulators and decision-makers will also have easier access to healthcare data for more effective policy-making and better operation of evidence-based healthcare systems. This, Brussels says, will lead to better access to healthcare, reduce costs, increase efficiency, strengthen research and innovation and help build more resilient healthcare systems.
Electronic patient records, smart hospitals, the concept of Big Data and the use of artificial intelligence are part of the medicine of the future. And some of them are already present in Romania. The first smart hospital in Romania, a pilot project that will help digitise the entire healthcare system, will be opened in Târgu Mureș. But what does a smart hospital entail? Cristina Berteanu:
Cristina Berteanu: “The use of electronic patient records, telemedicine, cybersecurity, the use of robots in surgery. Also, the use of virtual reality in training medical staff and doctors, as well as Big Data and the development of AI algorithms to use this concept as best we can in various areas of prevention, healthcare strategy, to ensure the quality, precision and speed with which test results are given”.
In Romania, revolutionary technologies and artificial intelligence are already used in many fields, starting with radiology, imaging, radiotherapy, and data collection. The new technologies that are already used in Romanian healthcare help in early diagnosis, in creating personalised treatment plans and in the molecular characterisation of tumors, especially when we talk about cancer, doctor Cristina Berteanu also explained. (AMP)
This year, RRI asks you in what way you think AI will change the world. What will the jobs of the future be like? To what extent will we depend on AI? Who and how will have to regulate the use of AI? Which are, in your opinion, the pros and cons of using AI?
We are waiting for your contributions, to include them in our November 3rd show. You can send them by email, to engl@rri.ro, or on Facebook. You can also send audio messages on WhatsApp, at +40744312650, or you can send us your phone number and we will call to record your contribution. Thank you!
LAW The Romanian Senate is hosting debates on Monday on a draft law initiated by the co-ruling National Liberal Party on maintaining the flat income tax for the next ten years. No other laws aimed at amending or eliminating the flat income tax, are to be endorsed until December 2033. According to the initiators, this measure is meant to ensure predictability, financial stability and a trustworthy environment for the population and investors alike. The Social-Democrats, partners with the liberals in the ruling coalition, do not support this measure yet as they were pretty much in favour of progressive taxation. The Chamber of Deputies is to vote on tougher penalties for human trafficking, slavery or child pornography. The Romanian government has recently endorsed the national strategy against human trafficking, which provides for the creation of an integrated mechanism of funds destined for the protection and support of the victims.
MESSAGE In a message conveyed on the occasion of the Day of the Romanians all over the World on Sunday, President Klaus Iohannis urged the Romanians to keep their identity, language and the Romanian traditions. Iohannis added that he constantly promoted the setting up of professional communities between the Romanians abroad and those at home, thus creating a tighter connection between the business people, scientists, physicians and Romanian artists from the world over, who worked together to accomplish many successful projects. On Sunday, Bucharest saw the last day of the 7th edition of a festival known as ‘Here and There’, an event that comprises a series of activities staged by the Department for the Romanians all Over the World jointly with the Union of the Fine Artists in Romania. For three days, the event brought together Romanian artists from the country and abroad, activating in various fields of creation such as fine arts, design, music, film, etcetera and also members of academia and business environment from the Romanian communities abroad. This year’s edition has been attended by hundreds of Romanians from the Diaspora and the historical communities in 34 countries.
TENNIS Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian on Sunday conceded defeat to Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in the first round of Roland Garros, the year’s second Grand Slam tournament. The ninth-seeded Ostapenko secured a win in a two setter 4-6, 5-7. Three Romanians have remained on the competition’s main draw. Sorana Cirstea, who will be playing Anna Blinkova of Russia, Ana Bogdan who will be up against Elsa Jacquemot of France and Irina Begu, who will take on Argentine challenger Julia Riera.
AI Romania is going to have an AI Research Institute where it intends to develop its own technological solutions, cooperate with international partners and train top experts in this field, the country’s Finance Minister, Marcel Bolos, wrote on Facebook. According to Bolos, the Ministry he’s leading has already started to use AI in order to detect anomalies as well as in its anti-fraud operations. The construction of the first center of AI research in Romania kicked off at the Technical University in Cluj Napoca through an investment of 21 million Euros.
FILMS “Anora”, a thriller directed by American Sean Baker, has won the Palme d’Or trophy at the 77th edition of the Film Festival in Cannes. Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light”, a film about sisterhood in Mumbai, has reaped the Grand Prix, the festival’s second-highest honour, while ‘Emilia Perez’ of the French director Jacques Audiard, has won the Jury Prize. Romanian production “Three Kilometers to the End of the World” has reaped the Queer Palm, an alternative award given every year to productions addressing LGBT issues. Another two Romanian productions, NASTY, directed by Cristian Pascariu, Tudor D. Popescu and Tudor Giurgiu, which portrays the life of Romania’s tennis legend Ilie Nastase, and “Human Violins” by Ioana Mischie have also been screened during this famous international film festival.
(bill)
Increasingly present in our lives, technology enriches and transforms various sectors and industries. The banking system is no exception, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) being vital to maintain a competitive level and offer a better experience to customers, according to specialists in the field. Streamlining administrative processes, personalizing banking services, preventing fraud and improving customer experience are just some of the areas where the introduction of artificial intelligence can bring significant advantages. However, there are also risks, mainly related to data protection and shortage of jobs.
How can artificial intelligence contribute to protecting and securing financial resources and sensitive data? First, by detecting and preventing cyber-attacks in a faster and more accurate way, which is one of the key features of banking firewalls using AI. Then, artificial intelligence can quickly assess and analyze a large volume of data in real time, enabling the effective identification of threats and the implementation of appropriate security measures. AI algorithms can also be used to automate repetitive and routine tasks, such as verifying documents and their authenticity or opening bank accounts, for example.
AI technology can be used to analyze customer data and to provide personalized solutions regarding account management, financial planning or investments. Experts say that the use of artificial intelligence in the banking system can also play a crucial role in fraud detection and prevention, as machine learning algorithms can be trained to identify patterns and anomalies in transactions, alerting banks over possible fraud.
From the perspective of a central bank, artificial intelligence is a promising tool for balancing inflation, according to Cristian Popa, a member of the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), present at a conference on this topic. He explained that, similar to the influence of globalization, which played down inflation in the past decades, artificial intelligence, by streamlining and optimizing economic processes, offers good prospects for stabilizing prices, in a context marked by significant challenges.
Cristian Popa: “The process of taking monetary policy decisions is all the more complex during periods defined by huge structural changes, such as the ones under way. I am talking about globalization, which is shrinking, regulation, which is becoming more intense, protectionism, which is growing, the peace dividend, which disappears or about directing part of the expenses to the military sector, to the detriment of education and health. The population, that ages simultaneously with the decrease in the birth rate, the energy dividend, which disappears, the problem of fiscal deficits, which is growing and the transition to green economy, which also involves new costs, are some other examples. All these structural changes seem to indicate that the pressure of inflation will be present for a long time. But there is a change that can work in the opposite direction, as artificial intelligence can limit the impact of the mentioned structural changes, if it is large enough, stimulating sustainable economic growth through higher labor productivity and opening new paths to innovation and progress.”
Cristian Popa believes, however, that the pace of these changes is still uncertain and that the widespread impact of the implementation of AI technology can be felt only in the long term, as it requires a period of gradual adjustment and more intense collaboration between people and technology. What artificial intelligence does in the long run is enhance certain abilities that we can capitalize on in new professional opportunities, Cristian Popa explained. But, he added, there are risks associated with data protection and its correct interpretation by artificial intelligence. That is why, the BNR will support innovation, but will keep an eye on macro-stability and is expected to have an approach that takes into account the level of risk in terms of artificial intelligence. That is, a permissive approach towards non-critical banking activities, but a firm one about core activities, current realities causing the central bank to view, for example, with some reluctance the transformation of the digital assistant into an expert in banking risk management or in decision-making as regards granting loans, Cristian Popa also said.
Risks associated with artificial intelligence include the loss of jobs, as certain processes are automated, as well as data privacy risks, given that artificial intelligence requires access to customers’ personal data. All in all, experts say, in 2030 it is expected that the use of artificial intelligence in the Romanian banking sector and many other sectors for that matter, to be widespread and fully integrated in most banking processes and services. (EE/AMP)
Deepfake technology, which
usesartificial
intelligence to create false online content in order to deceive users, has been
gaining ground in Romania as well recently. Videos are circulated, which allegedly
feature public figures, but which are in fact images and speeches created by AI.
Fake footage of president Klaus Iohannis, of the energy minister Sebastian
Burduja, and of the central bank governor Mugur Isărescu has been already
created and shared online.
Romanian authorities have repeatedly warned against
attempted online frauds using altered images and recordings. The minister for
research, innovation and digitisation Bogdan Ivan says talks are held with major
internet platforms and that a set of filters will be introduced, which would
make posting fake AI-created content more difficult. He estimates that
legislation introducing penalties for infringers will be in place by April.
The Chamber of Deputies is already working on a bill
in this respect. Fines of up to EUR 40,000 and even prison sentences of up to
two years are being considered for those who produce and post deepfake material
online or in other mass-media, without cautioning viewers that the material in
question contains fictional situations.
The bill was tabled by MPs from the Social Democratic
Party, the National Liberal Party, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians
and other ethnic minorities. The Social-Democrat MP Robert Cazanciuc explained:
Robert Cazanciuc: The bill does not prohibit the use of deepfake,
but rather requires that the authors of such messages include a video or audio
warning in their materials.
In turn, the head of the Polytechnic University of
Bucharest, Mihnea Costoiu, believes the regulation of AI usage is necessary:
Mihnea Costoiu: I believe we need regulations concerning
artificial intelligence, but what we must also take into account is that any regulation,
or most regulations, may hinder its development to some extent.
The main opposition parties, on the other hand, argue
that the bill is not fully in line with relevant EU recommendations, and want
the text reviewed in Parliament’s specialist committees. EU member states have
unanimously approved a set of regulations concerning artificial intelligence,
following intensive negotiations with regard to the balance between innovation
and security. The deal, dubbed the AI Act, defines the world’s first rules for
artificial intelligence, which must be safer and must comply with the
fundamental rights recognised in the European Union. (AMP)
Procesul Hiroshima pentru Inteligenţa Artificială a fost înfiinţat la Summit-ul G7 din primăvară. Această iniţiativă este parte a unei game mai largi de discuţii privind aşa-numitele limite de siguranţă pentru inteligenţa artificială, inclusiv în cadrul Organizaţiei pentru Cooperare şi Dezvoltare Economică, la Consiliul pentru Comerţ şi Tehnologie Statele Unite – Uniunea Europeană şi în cadrul altor parteneriate digitale ale Uniunii Europene.
Anul acesta, Comisia Europeană a început să lucreze activ cu partenerii G7 pentru a dezvolta principiile și Codul de conduită privind folosirea Inteligenţei Artificiale. Aceste angajamente vor trebui să respecte viitoarea legislaţie europeană privind Inteligenţa Artificială, aflată acum în discuţia statelor membre.
Președinta Comisiei Europene, Ursula von der Leyen a reamintit că, deşi potențialele beneficii ale inteligenței artificiale pentru oameni și economie sunt uriașe, accelerarea dezvoltării acestor sisteme aduce și noi provocări. Şefa Comisiei a arătat că Acordul G7 şi Codul Voluntar de Conduită reflectă valorile europene şi a cerut dezvoltatorilor de Inteligenţă Artificială să îl semneze şi să îl aplice cât mai curând posibil.
Cele unsprezece principii directoare oferă îndrumări pentru organizațiile care dezvoltă şi folosesc sisteme avansate de IA, pentru a promova siguranța și încrederea în tehnologie. Acestea includ angajamente de atenuare a riscurilor și abuzurilor și de identificare a vulnerabilităților, pentru a încuraja astfel schimbul responsabil de informații, raportarea incidentelor și investițiile în securitatea cibernetică. Este prevăzut şi un sistem de etichetare care va permite identificarea conținutului generat de IA.
Codul de conduită voluntar va promova, de asemenea, guvernarea responsabilă a Inteligenţei Artificiale la nivel global. Ambele documente vor fi revizuite și actualizate după caz, inclusiv prin consultări cu părţile interesate, pentru a se asigura că rămân adecvate scopului lor și răspund la această tehnologie în evoluție rapidă. Liderii G7 au cerut organizațiilor care dezvoltă sisteme avansate de inteligență artificială să se angajeze în aplicarea Codului internațional de conduită. Primii semnatari vor fi anunțați în viitorul apropiat.
Parlamentarii europeni îşi doresc să existe o definiție uniformă pentru inteligenţa artificială, neutră din punct de vedere tehnologic, astfel încât ea să se poată aplica sistemelor din prezent şi din viitor. Proiectul stabileşte obligații pentru furnizori și utilizatori în funcție de nivelul de risc pe care inteligenţa artificială îl poate genera. Astfel, sistemele care ar putea afecta siguranța oamenilor vor fi interzise. Printre acestea se numără tehnicile subliminale sau manipulative, cele care exploatează vulnerabilitățile oamenilor sau sunt utilizate pentru clasificarea persoanelor în funcție de comportamentul lor social sau statutul socio-economic.
Deputații europeni au în vedere interzicerea utilizării intruzive și discriminatorii a unor sisteme AI, cum ar fi:sistemele de identificare biometrică la distanță în spații accesibile publicului, excepţie făcând autorităţile de urmărire penală;cele de clasificare biometrică ce utilizează caracteristici sensibile cum sunt cele de gen, rasă, etnie, statut, cetățenie, religie sau orientare politică; sistemele de recunoaștere a emoțiilor utilizate de forțele de ordine, de grăniceri, la locul de muncă sau în şcoli; sistemele de inteligență artificială folosite pentru a influența alegătorii în campaniile electorale și în recomandările făcute pe platformele sociale.
Modelele de bază generative, cum ar fi Chat GPT, ar trebui să respecte cerințe suplimentare de transparență, cum ar fi precizarea faptului că un conținut a fost generat de AI. Deputații europeni doresc să sporească dreptul cetățenilor de a depune plângeri cu privire la sistemele de inteligență artificială și de a primi explicații despre deciziile bazate pe sisteme de inteligență artificială cu risc ridicat, care le afectează în mod semnificativ drepturile. Înainte de a începe negocierile cu Consiliul privind forma finală a legii, acest proiect de mandat de negociere trebuie să fie avizat de întregul Parlament European, urmând ca votul să fie dat în sesiunea 12-15 iunie.
The military conflict caused by Russia in neighboring
Ukraine takes place in cyberspace too. Some researchers are saying that we are
talking about the biggest war of the cybernetic era, and the most significant
escalation on both sides.
Early in the conflict, Moscow launched an impressive
number of destructive attacks against dozens of Ukrainian networks, managing to
damage the Viasat satellite network, and cause grief for Ukraine’s defenses. A
few weeks in, the pace of such attacks went down, and right now, almost a year
into the war, the main cybernetic activity that Russia carries out in relation
to Ukraine is intelligence gathering. In addition to challenges caused by the
war, China’s technological advance, and the pandemic, which moved a lot of
activities online, are as many reasons for cyberscurity to be more and more of
a reason for worry.
In this geopolitical context, with so many uncertainties,
things are sure to stay the same, with organizations at all levels being more
and more exposed to the threat of cybercrime. The global costs of cybercrime
are expected to go up by 15% per year until 2025, and amount to more than 10
trillion dollars a year, as seen in a report by Cybersecurity Ventures, much
higher than the cumulative profits of drug trafficking worldwide. The new kinds
of online fraud will become more elaborate and harder to detect, as computer
crime perpetrators are moving towards using artificial intelligence tools,
according to the National Cybersecurity Directorate in Bucharest. The security
of institutions is under careful care by experts and authorities, but regular
users are much more exposed, and need assistance to fend off the many kinds of
attacks they are vulnerable to.
Among the most widely used fraud attacks for
stealing personal data are phishing attacks by e-mail, which ask for
identifying data through spurious offers, the National Cybersecurity
Directorate in Bucharest warns. At the same time, many misleading messages are
also disseminated on social media and search engines, as explained for Radio
Romania by Mihai Rotariu, the head of communication for the directorate, who
provided a few examples:
Mihai Rotariu: As we begin this year, we see an increase in attempts at
online fraud. As usual, the attackers are using the context we are in, and are
trying to take advantage of commercial discounts associated with winter. More
to the point, they are launching phishing campaigns using the visual identity
of popular brands, which are usually more active during this period. We are
talking about commercial banks, retailers, some online services, and delivery
services. We have even witnessed fraud attempts using the image of some public
institutions, such as the police, the fiscal authority, or even Europol. Most
phishing attacks occur by e-mail, but they can be propagated through social
media or text messaging, SMS, and the goal of attackers is to harvest personal
data, be they financial or authentication data, mainly by redirecting the
potential victim to cloned websites. These are sites that look like the real
ones, but have a slightly different address, and are in another domain. Which
is vital to pay careful attention to the name and security status of a websites
where we use personal data.
It is no secret that attackers are relying more and more
on artificial intelligence, enhancing and automating their activities, adapting
to the context better, and having a better rate of success. However, we should
not panic, says Mihai Rotariu:
Mihai Rotariu: If we have cybersecurity routine, and good online
hygiene, we should not panic, because we can sidestep about 90% of attacks.
When I am talking about routine, I am referring to forming reflexes when acting
online, formed just like the ones in real life. For instance, when we cross the
street, we look right and left and check the traffic light. This is the case
with links we access too. We don’t click on a link from an unknown source
before running a check on the source, using a security solution. At the same
time, we have to know clearly that most companies that offer online services,
especially banks, would never send e-mails with links for updating or verifying
authentication data. You should never go to websites for, let’s say, online
banking through a link sent by SMS or e-mail, or through sponsored ads, you
should only use the smartphone app. We also recommend you enter the website
address manually in your Internet browser, taking care not to end up carelessly
on such cloned sites. You should pay close attention to the exact name of the
domain, because attackers substitute digits for letters, and if we rush through
the process we could be fooled into thinking we are on the original site, but
in fact we are on the cloned site. Last but not least, pay close attention to
offers online that look too good to be true.
Mihai Rotariu added that we should always check with the
company purporting to make the online promotional offers before acting on the
purchase. (C.C.)
The military conflict caused by Russia in neighboring
Ukraine takes place in cyberspace too. Some researchers are saying that we are
talking about the biggest war of the cybernetic era, and the most significant
escalation on both sides.
Early in the conflict, Moscow launched an impressive
number of destructive attacks against dozens of Ukrainian networks, managing to
damage the Viasat satellite network, and cause grief for Ukraine’s defenses. A
few weeks in, the pace of such attacks went down, and right now, almost a year
into the war, the main cybernetic activity that Russia carries out in relation
to Ukraine is intelligence gathering. In addition to challenges caused by the
war, China’s technological advance, and the pandemic, which moved a lot of
activities online, are as many reasons for cyberscurity to be more and more of
a reason for worry.
In this geopolitical context, with so many uncertainties,
things are sure to stay the same, with organizations at all levels being more
and more exposed to the threat of cybercrime. The global costs of cybercrime
are expected to go up by 15% per year until 2025, and amount to more than 10
trillion dollars a year, as seen in a report by Cybersecurity Ventures, much
higher than the cumulative profits of drug trafficking worldwide. The new kinds
of online fraud will become more elaborate and harder to detect, as computer
crime perpetrators are moving towards using artificial intelligence tools,
according to the National Cybersecurity Directorate in Bucharest. The security
of institutions is under careful care by experts and authorities, but regular
users are much more exposed, and need assistance to fend off the many kinds of
attacks they are vulnerable to.
Among the most widely used fraud attacks for
stealing personal data are phishing attacks by e-mail, which ask for
identifying data through spurious offers, the National Cybersecurity
Directorate in Bucharest warns. At the same time, many misleading messages are
also disseminated on social media and search engines, as explained for Radio
Romania by Mihai Rotariu, the head of communication for the directorate, who
provided a few examples:
Mihai Rotariu: As we begin this year, we see an increase in attempts at
online fraud. As usual, the attackers are using the context we are in, and are
trying to take advantage of commercial discounts associated with winter. More
to the point, they are launching phishing campaigns using the visual identity
of popular brands, which are usually more active during this period. We are
talking about commercial banks, retailers, some online services, and delivery
services. We have even witnessed fraud attempts using the image of some public
institutions, such as the police, the fiscal authority, or even Europol. Most
phishing attacks occur by e-mail, but they can be propagated through social
media or text messaging, SMS, and the goal of attackers is to harvest personal
data, be they financial or authentication data, mainly by redirecting the
potential victim to cloned websites. These are sites that look like the real
ones, but have a slightly different address, and are in another domain. Which
is vital to pay careful attention to the name and security status of a websites
where we use personal data.
It is no secret that attackers are relying more and more
on artificial intelligence, enhancing and automating their activities, adapting
to the context better, and having a better rate of success. However, we should
not panic, says Mihai Rotariu:
Mihai Rotariu: If we have cybersecurity routine, and good online
hygiene, we should not panic, because we can sidestep about 90% of attacks.
When I am talking about routine, I am referring to forming reflexes when acting
online, formed just like the ones in real life. For instance, when we cross the
street, we look right and left and check the traffic light. This is the case
with links we access too. We don’t click on a link from an unknown source
before running a check on the source, using a security solution. At the same
time, we have to know clearly that most companies that offer online services,
especially banks, would never send e-mails with links for updating or verifying
authentication data. You should never go to websites for, let’s say, online
banking through a link sent by SMS or e-mail, or through sponsored ads, you
should only use the smartphone app. We also recommend you enter the website
address manually in your Internet browser, taking care not to end up carelessly
on such cloned sites. You should pay close attention to the exact name of the
domain, because attackers substitute digits for letters, and if we rush through
the process we could be fooled into thinking we are on the original site, but
in fact we are on the cloned site. Last but not least, pay close attention to
offers online that look too good to be true.
Mihai Rotariu added that we should always check with the
company purporting to make the online promotional offers before acting on the
purchase. (C.C.)
Funeral. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, signed, on Tuesday, the book of condolences opened at the UK Embassy in Bucharest. The head of the Romanian state will participate in the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The Custodian of the Crown of Romania, HRH Margareta, and Prince Consort Radu will also attend the funeral service which will be held at Westminster Abbey in London, on September 19th, Buckingham Palace announced on Saturday. The day will be a bank holiday in Britain, as the new monarch, Charles III, authorized on Saturday in one of his first orders. World leaders, including the president of the United States, Joe Biden, and representatives of the royal houses are expected to attend the funeral of Elizabeth II, who died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. Meanwhile, the new king – Charles III – continues his tour around the kingdom with visits to each of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Forum. Romania and the Republic of Moldova plan to intensify joint efforts to mitigate the negative effects of the current context generated by the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, the lack of material and human resources, the disruptions in the functioning of international trade chains and galloping inflation worldwide. The statement was made, in Bucharest, by the Prime Minister of Romania, Nicolae Ciucă, during the forum “Moldova – Romania: Capital Bridges” – the first high-level forum dedicated to the promotion of the capital markets on the two banks of the Prut. Romania will continue its support, including the technical and financial assistance program, based on the non-reimbursable aid of 100,000,000 euros made available to the Republic of Moldova, assured the Prime Minister, in the context of the visit to Bucharest of his counterpart from Chisinau, Natalia Gavriliţa. Nicolae Ciucă also said that Bucharest wants to contribute, in the future, to the implementation of projects that can help Chisinau join the European Union family more quickly.
Visit. Romanian Defense Minister Vasile Dincu is paying a formal visit to Israel until Friday. According to a communiqué issued by the Defense Ministry, the Ministers agenda includes talks with his Israeli counterpart, formal ceremonies at the Yad Vashem memorial, the Holocaust Museum and the Childrens Memorial as well as visits to companies in the defense industry. The two ministers will be tackling topical issues such as security in the Middle East and the Black Sea, as well as the stage and prospects of bilateral cooperation in the field of defense.
Pope. On Tuesday, on the first day of his apostolic journey to Kazakhstan, Pope Francis urged dialogue and multilateralism in the face of Russias “senseless and tragic war” in Ukraine. “I have come here as a pilgrim of peace, seeking dialogue and unity. Our world urgently needs peace: it needs to recover harmony”, Pope Francis said from the stage of the Qazaq Concert Hall in capital Nur-Sultan. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who supports the war in Ukraine, was expected to attend the Seventh Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, held in Kazakhstan, and Pope Francis had stated, several times, that he was willing to talk to him. The two met in 2016 in Cuba, the first meeting between a pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch. At the meeting in Nur-Sultan, 100 delegates from 50 countries are present.
Research. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă had, on Tuesday, in Bucharest, a meeting with the delegation of the Lockheed Martin company, led by the vice-president for international affairs, Ray Piselli. At the meeting, it was announced the launch in Romania of the American companys investment in AI R&D. According to a Government release, the results of the research, which will be carried out in the framework of the collaboration between Lockheed Martin and the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, will be applied in the field of national security and environmental sciences. The Prime Minister welcomed the decision of the global aerospace and security company to start research and development activities in Romania, appreciating that it is a new proof of the strengthening of the Romania-USA Strategic Partnership. “The government supports investments, and the economic component comes to strengthen our partnership in the military field”, Nicolae Ciuca also said.
Tennis. Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan (65 WTA) qualified, on Tuesday, for the second round of the WTA 250 tournament in Portoroz, Slovenia, with over 200 thousand euros in prize money. In the first round, she defeated the Australian player Ajla Tomljanovich. Also on Tuesday, the Romanian player Gabriela Ruse (96 WTA) was defeated by the Ukrainian Lesia Ţurenko (92 WTA), 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, in the first round of the tournament. Ruse and Bogdan will be partners in the doubles event. (MI)
Banii europeni sunt mană cerească pentru mulţi, dar unora le lasă un gust amar. Despre aceştia din urmă am discutat cu dl. Ionuţ Pătrăhău, care a fost multă vreme bancher, iar de câţiva ani se ocupă cu proiectele de atragere a fondurilor europene în zona IT.
Fondurile au fost atractive, iar programele se adresau exact nevoilor firmelor. Marea problemă a fost şi rămâne birocraţia. E un efort destul de mare să aplici, după care procesul de aprobare durează 6 luni, până la un an. Ce ar trebui să facă firma în acel an? Micile companii sunt dinamice, se dezvoltă, pivotează, fac o grămadă de acrobaţii ca să se menţină în piaţă. Apoi, odată proiectul aprobat, firma trebuie să investească pe banii ei, eventual dintr-un credit, urmând ca, după alte luni de zile, să-i fie decontate sumele.
Toate acestea fac accesarea fondurilor europene extrem de dificilă pentru IMM-uri. Ele sunt o sanşă pentru companiile mari, e adevărat, dar nu pentru cele mici. Stiu că există preocupări la nivelul UE pentru dezvoltarea de clustere IT sau a inteligenţei artificiale, dar, din păcate, nu sunt gândite astfel încât să poată fi accesate cu adevărat. Mă refer aici la finanţări de minimum 200.000 Euro, pentru că transformarea unei companii mici are nevoie măcar de această sumă.
Sumele mărunte se pot adresa afacerilor de cartier, făbricuţelor de pâine şamd. In acele cazuri, lucrurile sunt mult mai simple, există şi programul de stat prin care mulţi au accesat 50.000 Euro, dar, şi la ei, nevoia de investiţii a firmei diferă de cerinţele autorităţilor, care se referă mai mult la active fixe. Puţină lume are nevoie de active fixe, ci de capital circulant.
EP ELECTIONS – In Romania, the campaign for the European elections due on May 26 continues. As many as 13 political parties are part of it. The candidates running in the elections are former ministers or experienced MEPs, former prime ministers or mayors, popular journalists and even an ex-president. The Romanians living abroad can cast their votes at 114 polling stations, most of them in Italy, Spain and the Republic of Moldova. A referendum on justice called by President Klaus Iohannis takes place at the same time with the European elections. The head of state pointed out on Wednesday that Romanians must not be afraid to vote for their European Parliament representatives and in the referendum, and once again urged them to come to polling stations on May 26.
BLACK SEA Funds and financing systems for the “blue economy, investments in ecoports and smart connectivity for transport systems were among the topics approached on the first day of the Black Sea Investment Forum, hosted on May 22 and 23 by the Black Sea coast city of Constanta and organized by the Romanian Transport Ministry and the European Commission. Over 200 participants are looking at the future of regional transport businesses. The event is designed to support and encourage investments and the improvement of the EU business environment by removing barriers to investment and promoting sustainable funding. The Forum aims at facilitating connections between entrepreneurs and top-level authorities in the region, as well as between institutions or companies from EU member states and European and international financial institutions.
OECD 42 members and partners of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) adopted in Paris on May 22 the Principles on Artificial Intelligence. The 36 OECD members and 6 partner countries, including Romania and 5 south-American countries, committed to comply with international standards promoting artificial intelligence (AI) that is innovative and trustworthy and that respects human rights and democratic values. The topic of the OECD Council Meeting held this week in Paris is “The digital revolution in service of sustainable development: opportunities and challenges. Taking part are the foreign, finance and economy ministers of the 36 member countries. Romania, which is not a member, takes part as a guest country and is represented by the Communications Minister Alexandru Petrescu. He said in Paris that Romania is currently drawing up its first national AI strategy, which will be posted for public debate by the end of the year.
POPE – Online applications for attendance at the religious services held by Pope Francis in Romania will continue until May 31. Hundreds of thousands of people have already registered. Besides Romanians, Christians from neighboring countries such as Hungary, Serbia and Ukraine, but also from far away countries like Pakistan, Rwanda, South Africa, Australia and Israel, will come to Romania for the Popes visit. Pope Francis makes a three-day apostolic visit to Romania from the 31st of May to the 2nd of June following an invitation from President Klaus Iohannis and the Catholic Church in Romania. The motto of the visit is “Lets walk together. The Pontiff will travel to the capital Bucharest, Iasi, the biggest city in the east of the country and home to a sizeable Roman-Catholic community, Blaj, in the centre, the spiritual capital of the Romanian Greek-Catholics and the Marian shrine in Sumuleu Ciuc, in the centre, in an area with a majority ethnic Hungarian population.
CULTURE The Romanian Culture Minister, Valer-Daniel Breaz, will chair on Thursday in Brussels the Culture and Audio-Visual section of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council, which is scheduled to adopt 2 sets of political guidelines on supporting youth creativity and European co-productions. The Council will also discuss new prospective measures to fight disinformation and to regain the confidence of European citizens in the mass media. On Wednesday night, the Romanian official and the European Commissioner Tibor Navracsics announced the winners of the EU Prize for Literature.
BREXIT – The British government approved PM Theresa Mays plan on Brexit, including the compromise measures that are to be included in the law that is to be voted on early next month. The draft law includes the idea of a temporary customs union until future general elections are held as well as measures to guarantee EU workers rights and to protect the environment. The passing of the Brexit law by the House of Commons is an almost impossible mission for the government, even though the measures proposed might persuade some of the Labour MPs to vote for it, newspapers write.
(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)
Președinția română este
concentrată atât pe obținerea celor mai bune rezultate în negocierile pe
marginea dosarelor legislative curente, cât și pe dezbaterea unor teme europene
de interes deosebit precum strategia viitoare a UE privind digitalizarea post
2020, a spus eurodeputatul Claudia Țapardel:
Încă de la începutul mandatului meu am susținut cât
de importantă este revoluția digitală, mai ales pentru sectorul de transporturi
și turism și cu siguranță în viitor economia europeană se va axa pe o piață digitală
foarte puternică. În acest sens mă bucur că un dosar foarte important referitor
la promovarea echitații și transparenței dintre platformele online și
furnizorii de servicii va fi finalizat pe durata președinției României fiind
primul act legislativ european care reglementează acest sector și mă bucur de
asemenea că am fost raportor pe acest dosar. Raportorul propune o reglementare
la nivel european care să asigure transparența în ceea de privește modul în
care operează agenții economici pe platformele online și care să asigure un
echilibru între formele tradiționale de business și cele bazate exclusiv pe
tehnologiile digitale așa cum este cazul economiei colaborative. În calitatea
mea de raportor pe acest dosar am încercat să creez un echilibru și să obțin
cele mai bune beneficii pentru cei trei actori implicați în acest sector:
furnizorul de bunuri și servicii, platformele online și consumatorul final, adică cetățeanul european.
Printre prioritatile Presedintiei române mai sunt
inteligența artificială, calculul de înaltă performantă și accesul la date 5G.