Author: Frank Salvato

There’s a hard truth staring businesses and policymakers in the face: the cybersecurity battlefield is expanding faster than the people qualified to defend it. While headlines fixate on the latest breach or ransomware payout, the deeper crisis is structural—and it’s getting worse. Cybercrime is now projected to cost the global economy more than $10 trillion annually, a figure that would rank it among the largest economic forces on the planet if it were a nation. Yet at the very moment this threat is exploding, the pipeline of skilled defenders is breaking down, hollowed out by misguided education models, regulatory overreach,…

Utah has emerged as the nation’s most consequential testing ground for artificial intelligence in healthcare, launching a first-of-its-kind pilot program that allows an AI system developed by Doctronic to evaluate and process routine prescription renewals for certain medications. Supporters argue the initiative could improve access to care, reduce delays in obtaining needed medications, and help address physician shortages, particularly in rural communities. Critics, including members of Utah’s medical licensing establishment, warn that delegating clinical decision-making to algorithms introduces serious questions about safety, transparency, liability, and oversight. Although physicians currently review AI-generated decisions before prescriptions are finalized, state officials ultimately envision…

Baseten, an artificial intelligence infrastructure startup focused on helping companies deploy and operate open-source AI models, is finalizing a $1.5 billion fundraising round that values the company between $11 billion and $13 billion. The company’s rapid rise reflects a broader shift in the AI marketplace as enterprises push back against the escalating costs associated with premium closed-source models offered by major providers. By providing inference infrastructure and access to computing resources from multiple cloud providers, Baseten enables businesses to run increasingly capable open-source models at substantially lower costs. The development underscores a growing trend in which AI customers prioritize cost…

A growing number of state prison systems are embracing artificial intelligence and advanced data tools to address one of the most persistent problems in criminal justice: recidivism. According to recent reporting, 19 state prison systems are now using technology developed by Recidiviz, a nonprofit organization that consolidates fragmented corrections data and applies AI-assisted tools to help prison officials identify rehabilitation opportunities, improve case management, and better prepare inmates for reentry into society. Supporters argue that better data and predictive insights can reduce repeat offenses, improve public safety, and save taxpayers money. Skeptics, however, continue to raise concerns about transparency, accountability,…

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the war in Ukraine from a conflict driven primarily by manpower and conventional weapons into one increasingly defined by data, automation, and machine-speed decision-making. Recent reporting indicates that AI-enabled systems are shortening the time between identifying a target and striking it, while advanced drone networks, commercial satellite intelligence, and battlefield analytics are giving Ukrainian forces new tools to offset Russia’s larger population and military resources. The conflict is becoming a real-world laboratory for the future of warfare, where technological superiority may prove as important as troop strength. From a conservative perspective, Ukraine’s experience underscores a…

Google is moving aggressively to challenge Nvidia’s dominance in artificial intelligence hardware by expanding the commercial reach of its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) and adopting many of the financing and ecosystem-building strategies that helped Nvidia become the dominant force in AI computing. The company is backing large-scale data-center projects, providing financial guarantees, investing in cloud infrastructure partnerships, and marketing specialized AI chips directly to customers. While Nvidia still controls the overwhelming majority of the AI accelerator market through its GPUs and software ecosystem, Google’s vast financial resources, growing TPU adoption, and willingness to subsidize infrastructure development signal that the AI…

A sweeping cybersecurity investigation has revealed that millions of consumer devices inside American homes—including low-cost streaming boxes, digital picture frames, Android-based electronics, and compromised mobile applications—have been quietly transformed into “residential proxy” networks that allow cybercriminals and state-sponsored hackers to route internet traffic through unsuspecting U.S. households. The discovery began after investigators traced suspicious activity linked to a Russian intelligence-backed hacking operation and ultimately uncovered a vast infrastructure that has reportedly involved hundreds of thousands of residential IP addresses and potentially tens of millions of infected devices. Security researchers warn that these networks help foreign adversaries conceal their identities while…

Federal energy regulators have launched a sweeping effort to modernize transmission-grid rules in response to the explosive growth of artificial intelligence infrastructure and the unprecedented electricity demands of large-scale data centers. Rather than imposing a single national standard, regulators directed regional grid operators to justify or revise existing interconnection policies, with the goal of accelerating AI-related development while protecting consumers from higher utility costs and preserving grid reliability. The move aligns with the Trump administration’s broader strategy of strengthening America’s competitive position against China in the race for AI leadership, while addressing mounting concerns that existing power-grid regulations are ill-equipped…

A potentially transformative shift in battery technology is emerging through the use of 3D printing, allowing batteries to be integrated directly into the structure of devices rather than being confined to traditional cylindrical or pouch-shaped cells. The technology promises lighter consumer electronics, longer-range drones, improved military systems, and eventually more efficient electric vehicles. Several startups are pursuing different approaches, from printing complete battery systems into available space within products to streamlining battery manufacturing by eliminating energy-intensive production steps. While commercialization remains in its early stages and widespread adoption may still be years away, defense and aerospace applications are becoming key…

Washington is moving fast on artificial intelligence regulation—but not necessarily in the right direction. What’s emerging from federal agencies and legislative proposals is a familiar pattern: a sprawling, bureaucratic response to a rapidly evolving technology, heavy on compliance frameworks and light on actual risk mitigation. The result is a regulatory environment that may look tough on paper but does little to address the real dangers already unfolding inside American enterprises. Meanwhile, the most pressing threats—shadow AI usage, uncontrolled agentic systems, and preventable operational failures—are accelerating largely unchecked. The core problem isn’t that policymakers are paying attention to AI. It’s how…