Good morning, readers!

It’s Friday also! You know what that means: time to wrap up the week and get ready for some weekend fun. But don’t worry, we’ll be keeping an eye on the G20 summit in India to bring you the hottest scoop when we’re back on Monday.

Today’s topics are sizzling with variety: AI, social media, nuclear weapons, stocks, and hands.

Yes, hands. You’ll see why. 👇🏻

Today’s geopolitics hotspots:

How China is using AI to trigger US voters

Microsoft is accusing China of using AI to stir up hate and controversy among US voters on social media. Its analysts say these these images are getting more realistic and harder to spot. But China says it’s all “malicious speculation.”

🗳️ Triggering US voters.

These images are meant to trigger different political groups in the US. But for those in the know, hands are a dead giveaway that an image is AI-generated. Just take a look at these examples provided by Microsoft in their report:

• China is found to be using fake or stolen identities to run social media accounts.

• These accounts then pretend to be friends with authentic US voters to entice them to share the images—in efforts to “ride the algorithm” and go viral.

🏛️ Why It Matters

Generative AI platforms like Midjourney have largely “tackled” the infamous “hand problem.” Don’t misunderstand—misinformation has always been around. But with the rise of AI tools, it’s become a whole new ball game. These tools have made spreading falsehoods both cheaper and more effective.

As these technologies continue to improve, their role in spreading political misinformation could shake the very foundations of democracies and societies worldwide.

💡 What’s being done?

To combat this, Google has launched its invisible watermark tool for AI-generated images. Will this be enough to shield our digital world from foreign interference?

🌟 Today’s gem

Quick updates

Click the country's name for more.👇🏻

🇺🇸 United States:

US launches ICBM that can hit anywhere in 30 minutes.

North Korea isn’t the only one that can launch nuke missiles. The US also launched an unarmed ICBM from California to the Marshall Islands, showing off its nuclear firepower. The missile carried three dummy warheads that could split and target different locations. The test was part of a routine check of the US nuclear deterrent system, which is due for an upgrade soon.

🇨🇳 China:

China bans iPhones for all government workers.

If you’re an Apple shareholder, you might want to look away for now. China has just taken a huge bite out of Apple’s potential profits by forbidding its government officials from using iPhones. Although its impact is yet unclear, shareholders don’t seem too thrilled. The move is part of China’s plan to cut off its reliance on foreign tech and safeguard its secrets.

🇷🇺 Russia:

Remember this guy? Well, he is missing.

Igor Konashenkov, Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman, has gone missing for five days. No more daily updates on the war in Ukraine, just text updates. His absence is making people question: Where is he? Is he okay?

Has he been struck by “unfortunate circumstances” too?

🇲🇱 Mali:

Mali massacre: 64 dead in twin attacks by jihadists.

Al-Qaida’s cronies strike again, blowing up riverboats and storming military bases in Mali. So much for the government’s claims that the Wagner Group is keeping the extremists at bay.

The extremist Islamist group JNIM is gloating over the bloodshed, which claimed the lives of 49 civilians and 15 soldiers.