Mastering 'the art of brainwashing,' China intensifies AI censorship

China has once again extended its policy of censorship and surveillance as it looks to keep artificial intelligence (AI) models in check even as it races to advance the ever-expanding technology.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has introduced more regulative measures to make sure its home-based tech companies adhere to the party’s ideological rules. 

All AI firms are required to participate in a government review which analyzes the companies' large language models (LLMs) to ensure they "embody core socialist values," as first reported by the Financial Times last week.

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China has long worked to suppress information accessible over the internet through the use of its "Great Firewall" — which has been used to block a litany of items perceived as bad for the CCP, such as information surrounding the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre or memes comparing Chinese President Xi Jinping to Winnie the Pooh. 

This firewall is being extended to the AI arena as China rushes to advance its technologies while still governing the content it creates. 

China’s Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) is now requiring AI companies like ByteDance, Moonshot and 01.AI to take part in a review process that analyzes how effectively their programs are censoring the LLMs they are building.

Chatbot systems are being developed to not only collect sensitive keywords but to also block information on questions relating to banned topics, often involving queries relating to human rights. 

The AI systems in turn spit out responses like "try a different question" or "I have not yet learned how to answer this question. I will keep studying to better serve you."

But in a move to prevent the chatbots from blocking too many questions, CAC policies dictate that LLMs should not reject more than 5% of all questions, according to the Financial Times report. 

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Instead, blanket answers deemed politically correct have been created to answer specific types of questions, though controlling LLMs responses is an uphill battle for developers. 

China’s continued pursuit to control the narrative among its own population speaks to a greater threat, AI expert Arthur Herman, senior fellow and director of the Quantum Alliance Initiative with the Hudson Institute, told Fox News Digital.

"That is the future that China has charted for its own citizens," Herman said. "This is also how they see… being able to control the world of others."

Herman pointed to China’s burgeoning relationship with the global south, where social media platforms like WeChat have taken off.

"There will inevitably be a social control, a mind control, element that goes into those programs… and to shape a world that looks more and more like China wants it to look," he said.

Herman also warned that these strategies are not only playing out on internet platforms in authoritarian nations, but anywhere that the platforms are accessible, including the U.S.

"They have mastered the art of brainwashing through TikTok," Herman said. "Chinese engineers have found a way to create a social media platform which is highly addictive, and which is also highly geared towards brainwashing its users to see the world in a certain way and to respond to visual and audio cues in a certain way."

Herman said China’s use of TikTok technologies is just a "foretaste" of how Beijing can use AI applications to manipulate populations beyond its borders.

"China sees AI as a means by which to change people's minds," he said. "AI's ability to enhance those kinds of brainwashing and mind control applications is so powerful…that even when you're not actually under a surveillance camera, even when you're not actually listening to or watching government-inspired propaganda… there are other subtler ways in which your mind is being changed and adjusted simply by your interaction with things that are taking place in daily life — which are more and more directed by how the Communist Party wants you to see the world."

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Australian surfer saved by off-duty police officer after shark ripped off leg, doctors hope to reattach it

Kai McKenzie, 23, was surfing off New South Wales in Australia when he was attacked by a shark, New South Wales police said. 

"Clinging to life, he was able to catch a wave back to the beach," a fundraising site set up for McKenzie said. "A retired police officer used his dog’s lead as a tourniquet to stem the bleeding before the victim could be airlifted to hospital."

Amazingly, McKenzie’s leg washed up on the beach after the attack and doctors are hoping to be able to reattach it. 

McKenzie has undergone surgery and remains in critical but stable condition, according to ABC News Australia and the fundraising site. 

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Luke Short, who makes McKenzie’s surfboards, told ABC they had all hoped "we heard it wrong."

"It's amazing that he's survived," he added. 

His surf team RAGE called McKenzie the "toughest person we know."

"Sending love to @kai_mckenzie the youngest RAGE boy on the team and the toughest person that we know," the team wrote on Instagram this week. "Yesterday he was attacked by a shark and has lost his leg while surfing in Port Macquarie. He has been through a lot breaking his back last year, he never once complained always just got on with doing what he loved as soon as possible. He is an inspiring person. The whole rage gang loves you man and we will see you soon."

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Kirran Mowbray of NSW Ambulance called McKenzie "courageous" during a 7News Sydney on-air broadcast. "He turned around, caught a wave into shore."

She added that the off-duty officer "used the lead off a dog as a tourniquet to wrap around the young man’s leg and essentially saved his life."

Kevin Young, vice president of Bite Club, a shark attack survivors club, told the broadcast: "And I know he lost a leg and they packed it with ice and they’re going down to try to reattach it. That just blows my brain that that might be possible." 

Mid North Coast Police Chief Insp. Stuart Campbell said they would be working to try to find out what type of shark bit McKenzie. 

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Port Macquarie Hastings Lifeguards later reported the beach had reopened after the attack. 

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US forces destroy Houthi drones as terror group continues aggressive actions at sea

U.S. forces in the Middle East have destroyed Houthi drones in Yemen in the past 24 hours, the military said Friday. 

Separately, forces with the U.S. Central Command destroyed three uncrewed Houthi surface vessels operating of the Yemeni coast, CENTCOM said. 

"It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region," a Centcom statement said. "These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure."

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U.S. forces have engaged with Iran-backed Houthi drones and militia for months following the group's assault on commercial ships in the Mediterranean Sea. The group began targeting merchant ships in opposition to Israel's war against Hamas. 

Last week, Israel launched surgical strikes against the Houthis after the terror group fired a lethal drone into Tel Aviv, resulting in the death of an Israeli and at least 10 injured and severe damage to buildings. 

The strike took place near the U.S. consulate building in Tel Aviv.

"The fire that is currently burning in Yemen, is seen across the Middle East," Israel's Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said after the strikes in Yemen. "The first time that the Houthis harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required."

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95 Libyan nationals arrested in South Africa at suspected secret military training camp

South African police arrested 95 Libyan nationals in a raid on a suspected secret military training camp on Friday and authorities said they were investigating whether there were more illegal bases in other parts of the country.

The camp was discovered at a farm in White River in the Mpumalanga province, about 360 kilometers (220 miles) northeast of Johannesburg, police said.

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National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said in a post on the social media site X that the Libyans stated they had entered the country on study visas to train as security guards, but police investigations suggest they have received military training.

The Newzroom Afrika TV news channel broadcast pictures of the site of the arrests, showing a military-style camp with large green and khaki tents set up in a row. Dozens of men were seen lining up as they were arrested. They were wearing civilian clothing.

Local government official Jackie Macie said investigations were ongoing and the owner of the farm would be questioned. He said authorities received information that there were similar secret camps near two other towns in Mpumalanga province.

The province borders neighboring countries Mozambique and Swaziland and is an area of concern for South African authorities with regards to illegal immigration.

Police and authorities have not said whether the camps are suspected of being connected to a particular group or conflict.

Macie said investigations would establish if there was a network of camps in South Africa and show "why they are here doing military training in our country."

Police said the men may be linked to crimes reported in communities close to the farm in recent months.

"We have serious cases which have been opened with the police, including cases of rape and armed robberies, which complainants claim were committed by unknown foreigners who seem to be of Asian descent," said police spokesman Donald Mdhluli.

"We take what we have found here today very seriously because we don’t know who was training them, what were they being trained for and why that training is happening here in South Africa. It may be a threat not only to South Africa but also to the entire southern Africa region."

Police said the operation to arrest the Libyans and close down the camp began two days ago. Macie said the Libyan nationals had been in the country since at least April.

"The 95 individuals taken into custody are all Libyan nationals and are currently being questioned by the relevant authorities," Mpumalanga acting provincial police commissioner Maj. Gen. Zeph Mkhwanazi said in a statement.

Mdhluli, the police spokesman, said the country's security regulator had confirmed that the kind of training that appears to have been taking place at the camp was well beyond the scope of training for security guards.

"The kind of equipment we found here shows that there was intense military training taking place here. This was basically a military base."

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Paris rail system disrupted just hours before Olympics opening ceremony Friday

A major rail system in France has been massively disrupted ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremonies later today.

Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF) tweeted Friday morning that "Following this massive attack aimed at paralyzing the high-speed line network, a large number of trains were diverted or canceled."

Jean-Pierre Farandou, the CEO of SNCF, told reporters Friday the attacks on the rail system included "arson" and intentionally damaging cables. The state-run rail line said it doesn't know who's behind the attacks.

Trains to and from Paris will ultimately be affected, and SNCF said approximately 800,000 travelers could feel the effect.

"Affected travelers will be contacted by email or SMS. We ask all travelers who can to postpone their trip and not to go to the station," the rail line continued.

SNCF called the attacks on the three railway lines — the Atlantic, North and East — "an attack on France."

Farandou said rail cables, which are there for safety, became damaged and will need repair.

"Therefore we have to pull them back together one by one, reconnect all these cables and test them. It’s a question of security. We have to make sure we test them so when trains are back up and running, they are safe," Farandou said.

Farandou said that for one of the fires, two destinations were hit, adding that it was "a premeditated, calculated, coordinated attack" that indicates "a desire to seriously harm" the French people.

In addition to the French population, this will be a busier-than-normal weekend and two weeks with spectators from around the world flocking to France for the Games, the first in Paris in 100 years since the city hosted the 1924 Games. Paris also hosted the 1900 Games.

French sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castera said Olympic organizers would "ensure the proper transport of all delegations to the competition sites."

The Opening Ceremony will be on the Seine River beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET, the first kickoff to a Summer Olympics that won't be held in a stadium setting.

There have been no reports of injuries.

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Netanyahu to meet Trump as Israeli leader looks to rekindle relationship

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to meet former President Trump on Friday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in an effort to repair a fractured relationship.

After President Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election, Netanyahu congratulated President-elect Biden, prompting Trump to call out the Israeli leader and was quoted as saying "I haven’t spoken to him since," according to comments released from an interview with Israeli journalist Barak Ravid. "F--k him," Trump added.

In his tweet, Netanyahu said, "Congratulations Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Joe, we’ve had a long and warm personal relationship for nearly 40 years, and I know you as a great friend of Israel," Netanyahu wrote on Twitter. "I look forward to working with both of you to further strengthen the special alliance between the US and Israel."

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Netanyahu is now working to repair his relationship with Trump. During his Thursday speech to Congress, the prime minister paid tribute to Trump’s accomplishments in the Middle East.

"I want to thank President Trump for his leadership in brokering the historic Abraham Accords. Like Americans, Israelis were relieved that President Trump emerged safe and sound from that dastardly attack on him, dastardly attack on American democracy. There is no room for political violence in democracies," said the Israeli leader.

Trump and his Mideast team brokered the Abraham Accords, a series of diplomatic normalization agreements between Israel and the Sunni Arab countries of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

Netanyahu continued in his speech "I also want to thank President Trump for all the things he did for Israel, from recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, to confronting Iran’s aggression, to recognizing Jerusalem as our capital and moving the American Embassy there. That’s Jerusalem, our eternal capital never to be divided again."

Michael Makovsky, president and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, told Fox News Digital, "It’s very important for both men and both the U.S. and Israel that Netanyahu and Trump have a very positive meeting tomorrow, and I’m sure that will be the case. They had a close relationship when Trump was president, but then Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Netanyahu a couple of times. Still, Trump knows the Republican base is very pro-Israel, with the latest example being all the Republican-led standing ovations yesterday during Netanyahu’s speech to Congress."

"Trump can also pick up some independent or Democratic voters upset about Biden’s shift on Israel this year and the concern over [Vice President] Kamala Harris’ views toward Israel," Makovsky said. "Anyway, Trump is fundamentally pro-Israel. And Netanyahu keenly understands that strong U.S. backing, both in public and private, is pivotal to Israel addressing its many post-10/7 threats in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, etc., and the chances of normalization with Saudi Arabia; and if Trump is re-elected, they need to have close personal ties, which is critical for Trump. In any case, it’s critical for U.S. national security interests for the U.S. to have close ties with Israel."

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The new chapter in Trump-Netanyahu relations looks to already be unfolding, with Trump welcoming the Israeli leader’s recognition of his Mideast diplomatic breakthroughs.

Trump told "Fox & Friends" on Thursday that Netanyahu was "very nice to me yesterday. He mentioned me in the speech very nicely, and I appreciated that he's coming to see me."

The former president, however, warned the Israeli leader that he needs to put the prosecution of the war against the U.S.-designated terrorist movement Hamas on the fast track: "I want him to finish up and get it done quickly. You got to get it done quickly because they are getting decimated with this publicity. And, you know, Israel is not very good at public relations."

Trump also said that Hamas’ mass slaughter of nearly 1,200 people, including more than 30 Americans, on Oct. 7 in southern Israel would not have happened if he had been re-elected in 2020: "Oct. 7th would have never happened if I was president. There was no chance. Iran was broke, they had no money for Hamas or Hezbollah. It just wouldn't have happened, zero chance."

Trump said the nine-month war in Gaza to root out Hamas terrorists has lasted too long: "I'd make sure that it gets over with fast. You have to end this fast. It can't continue to go on like this. It's too long, it's too much. You got to get your hostages back."

Hamas continues to hold more than 100 hostages in Gaza, including eight Americans.

"This is a very tricky moment for a foreign leader to come to the United States. Asking for meetings with Biden, Harris and Trump was the appropriate way to handle it," Richard Goldberg, who served on the National Security Council during the Trump administration, told Fox News Digital.

Goldberg, who is now a senior adviser for the Washington, D.C.-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, continued, "I think you’d probably see a return to a formula that best promotes security, stability and peace: maximum pressure on Iran and maximum support to Israel."

Fox News' Caitlin McFall contributed to this article.

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Security concerns around Olympic games lead to arrests with French authorities on high alert

France will provide elite police officers to safeguard Israeli athletes throughout the Olympic Games due to security concerns as the opening ceremony gets underway Friday. 

"There are those who seek to undermine the celebratory nature of this joyous event," Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote in a letter to his French counterpart. 

"We currently have assessments regarding the potential threat posed by Iranian terrorist proxies and other terrorist organizations who aim to carry out attacks against members of the Israeli delegation and Israeli tourists during the Olympics," Katz added. 

European authorities have remained on high alert as the Olympics bring an influx of threats and security concerns, especially with the presence of Israel. Some terrorist and radical groups want to see the country punished for its actions in the Gaza Strip. 

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Tensions remain so high that a video of a fake Palestinian threat of attacks on France made the rounds on social media before a security source could tell the AFP that the video likely originated from "a Russian operation under a ‘false flag,’" pointing to "several clues" that betray the authenticity of the video. 

French authorities have designated roughly 1,000 elite anti-terrorist officers to provide a "ring of steel" for the Israeli team amid anti-Israel protests, Reuters reported. Officials happily reported that the first competition involving Israeli athletes, a soccer match between Israel and Mali Wednesday, passed a security test. 

Israel’s Shin Bet security agency will work with the French police to keep the area and Games safe for their athletes, but other criminal threats remain major concerns as the games get underway. 

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Belgian police on Thursday detained seven people suspected of planning a terrorist attack, with authorities reporting that the individuals may have participated in "the activities of a terrorist group," including financing and preparing for an attack. 

The police explained that "the specific targets of the attack had not yet been determined," but the threat had risen to the level of requiring police raids on 14 homes across Belgium, according to German outlet DW. 

The timing of the raids — just one day before the Games begin — prompted questions of links between the attack and the competition, but Belgian and French authorities did not comment on whether there were any such links. 

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The preparation and focus on more international tensions has also allowed other crimes to occur before the Games get underway. French prosecutors earlier this week opened an inquiry after an Australian woman reported that five men allegedly attacked and gang-raped her. 

An investigative source told The Telegraph the woman was wandering around the northern Pigalle district in Paris over the weekend in an apparent state of distress and disarray. She then reportedly confronted one of her alleged attackers in a kebab shop, but he fled before police could arrive. 

CCTV footage captured the latter confrontation, but Paris prosecutors would not comment on the video while confirming a gang-rape investigation. No arrests have been made, nor have police released any descriptions of the alleged attackers. 

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