Topline

Pope Francis is set to attend the G7 summit on Friday and is expected to urge world leaders to adopt AI regulations, a subject the Pope has spoken about several times in the past, including after he was the subject of viral AI-generated images that many believed were real.

Key Facts

• The Vatican announced Pope Francis would attend the Group of 7 conference in Italy on Friday to discuss ethical concerns surrounding artificial intelligence during a session dedicated to AI, becoming the first pope to participate in the summit of leaders.
• The Pope fell victim to AI in the past: AI-generated deepfake images of the Pope in a white puffer jacket and bedazzled crucifix—dubbed the “Balenciaga Pope”—went viral last year and racked up millions of views online, causing some people to believe the pictures were real.
• He spoke about the fake images during a speech in Vatican City in January, warning about the rise of “images that appear perfectly plausible but false (I too have been an object of this).”
• Pope Francis has spoken out about the danger of AI before, and he’s expected to urge world leaders at the G7 conference to work together to create AI regulations.
• During the G7 meetings, Italy is expected to advocate for the development of homegrown AI systems in African countries, further work is expected to be done on the Hiroshima Process—a G7 effort to safeguard the use of generative AI—and leaders from places like the U.S. and the U.K. are expected to promote AI regulations introduced in their countries, according to Politico.
• Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, said in a statement in April the Pope was invited to the G7 conference to help “make a decisive contribution to defining a regulatory, ethical and cultural framework for artificial intelligence.”
• The Vatican also announced Pope Francis will have bilateral conversations with leaders of other countries, including President Joe Biden, President Samoei Ruto of Kenya and India’s Prime Minister Narenda Modi.

Key Background

The Pope has been speaking out about the need for artificial intelligence regulation for years. The Vatican has been promoting the “Rome Call for AI Ethics” since 2020, which lays out six principles for AI ethics, which include transparency, inclusion, impartiality, responsibility, reliability and security and privacy. As part of the August 2023 announcement for this year’s World Day of Peace of the Catholic Church—which was held on Jan. 1—-the Pope warned of the dangers of AI, saying it should be used as a “service of humanity.” He called for “an open dialogue on the meaning of these new technologies, endowed with disruptive possibilities and ambivalent effects.” In December 2023, the Pope called for an international treaty to regulate AI as part of his World Day of Peace message. He urged world leaders to “adopt a binding international treaty” to regulate AI development, adding it shouldn’t just focus on preventing harm, but should also encourage “best practices.” The Pope noted that although advancements in technology and science lead to the betterment of humanity,” they can also give humans “unprecedented control over reality.”

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Tangent

Italy—one of the G7 summit’s rotating hosts—became the first country to temporarily ban AI chatbot ChatGPT in March 2023 after Garante, an Italian data protection regulator, claimed the chatbot violated the European Union’s privacy laws. Garante claimed ChatGPT exposed payment information and messages, and allowed children to access inappropriate information. Other countries that have passed or introduced laws regulating AI include Australia, China, the European Union, the U.S., Japan and the U.K.

Original news here.

The most serious obstacle to digital transformation in companies is the mismatch between the skills of employees and the ever-increasing pace of innovation, concludes a global report by SoftwareOne.

Key Facts

• Nearly two-thirds (62%) of survey respondents indicated that they do not have sufficient skills to work with artificial intelligence (AI), while at the same time, 41% of organizations are having difficulty finding qualified employees with AI experience and knowledge.
• The lack of cloud skills has increased the workload of employees (62% of respondents) and has led to significant consequences, including burnout and increased turnover.
• Nearly a quarter of global IT managers (23%) are considering leaving their jobs precisely because of this shortage, while at the same time, for 84% of companies, retaining IT talent is becoming a significant challenge.
• Talent retention problems in companies are further exacerbated by team conflicts. 34% of the respondents point to the lack of skills to work with cloud technologies as a reason for tension between them and the direct manager, and 42% perceive it as a reason for conflicts in the team. One in five (22%) respondents said they did not feel comfortable asking for additional training to improve their skills.

Important Quote

“Rapid advances in AI and generative AI create exciting prospects for companies around the world, but when it comes to teams, organizations are sitting on a ticking time bomb if they don’t upskill and upskill their employees to realize AI’s potential,” says Brian Duffy, CEO of SoftwareOne.

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What To Watch For

The research highlights the importance of prioritizing employees working more closely with advanced technology, which is proving key amid growing skills gaps in cloud and AI. This would significantly transform organizational dynamics, with 97% of companies planning to upskill their employees, the survey found.

“Our research shows that a large number of organizations are planning to enhance the capabilities of their IT teams to accelerate AI and cloud deployments. By putting people at the center and demonstrating the benefits of innovation for their roles in the organization, companies can build a supportive and positive environment that helps retain employees, increases productivity and makes work more meaningful.”

Tangent

The SoftwareOne Cloud Skills Report surveyed 500 senior management respondents in the UK, Benelux, North America and Australia, exploring how the cloud skills shortage is affecting IT teams and what plans are in place to address it in 2024

After Elon Musk won support from Tesla shareholders to pay out a $56 billion compensatory bonus and move the company’s headquarters to Texas, the billionaire announced his next ambitious goal: to turn the $25 trillion electric car company around.

Key Facts

• The entire value of the S&P 500 currently stands at $45.5 trillion, according to FactSet. Tesla’s CEO said his company’s Optimus humanoid robots could eventually make the automaker worth more than half that amount.
• Musk, who characterized himself as a “pathological optimist” at the 2024 annual shareholder meeting in Austin, Texas, said Tesla was embarking not only on a “new chapter” in its life, but was about to write an entirely “new book”. Optimus seems to be one of the main characters.
• Tesla first revealed its plans to work on humanoid robots in 2021 at an AI Day event, unveiling a dancer in a jumpsuit that looked like a sleek, androgynous robot.
• In January, Tesla showed off Optimus robots folding laundry in a demo video that was immediately criticized by robotics engineers as a hoax. The robots were not autonomous but rather operated with humans at the controls.

What To Watch For

At Thursday’s shareholder event, Musk didn’t reveal exactly what Optimus might do today. He speculated that the robots would one day act like R2-D2 and C-3PO from the Star Wars movie. They could cook or clean for you, work in a factory or even teach your children, Musk suggested.

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As for shareholder value, Musk said Optimus could be the catalyst to lift Tesla’s market capitalization to $25 trillion someday.

Speaking to a crowd of mostly adoring fans in an auditorium at the Gigafactory, Musk promised that Tesla would move to “limited production” of the Optimus in 2025 and test humanoid robots in its factories next year.

The company, he predicts, will have “over 1,000 or several thousand Optimus robots running Tesla” by 2025. All of these are far-fetched even for Musk, who is known for making ambitious promises to investors and customers that don’t come true, from developing software that can turn an existing Tesla into a self-driving, drop-in vehicle, to battery-swapping EV stations.

Big Number

Reaching a market cap of $25 trillion would mean Tesla would be worth about eight times Apple. The iPhone maker is currently the world’s largest company by market capitalization, just ahead of Microsoft. At Thursday’s close, Tesla was valued at about $580 billion, making it the 10th most valuable company in the S&P 500. Musk did not provide a time frame for reaching $25 trillion. He said autonomous vehicles could propel the company to a market capitalization of $5 trillion to $7 trillion.

A Look Into The Future

Tesla shares have fallen 27% this year as the company expects sales to decline, linked in part to an aging lineup of electric vehicles and increased competition in China. The company has also implemented drastic layoffs. Musk encouraged investors to look beyond the current state of the business and more toward the future of autonomous driving, robots and artificial intelligence.

Taking the stage after the shareholder votes were read, Musk said, “I just want to start by saying I love you guys.”

Among his boldest claims on Thursday was Musk’s declaration that Tesla has advanced so far in silicon development that it has surpassed Nvidia when it comes to the interface, or process, that trained machine learning models use to make inferences from new data.

Nvidia shares have jumped nearly ninefold since the end of 2022, driven by demand for its AI chips. The company is now worth about $3.2 trillion.

One concern swirling around Musk is his focus on Tesla given all his other commitments. He owns and operates social media company X, is the CEO of SpaceX and the founder of The Boring Co. and Neuralink. He launched another startup, xAI, in March of last year, and the company recently raised $6 billion in venture funding.

Musk was asked by a shareholder at the meeting how important he personally is to Tesla’s future.

“I’m a useful accelerator of that future,” he said, emphasizing his role in innovation.

He said that when it comes to humanoid robots, other companies, including tech startups, are chasing the market. Competitors include Boston Dynamics, Agility, Neura and Apptronik.

“What really matters is whether we can be much faster than everybody else and have our product ready a few years before theirs and be better,” Musk said.

The Cyprus Electricity Authority (EAC) is currently managing projects worth a total of €92 million, co-financed by the EU. These initiatives are part of the “THALEIA 2021-2027” Political Cohesion Program, with the EU covering 70% of the funding.

Major Projects Overview

• Transmission Infrastructure Upgrades (€43 million): This involves the installation and enhancement of transmission substations and other electrical equipment to ensure more reliable power delivery.
• Geographic Information System Expansion (€5 million): The development and expansion of GIS capabilities to improve the management and planning of the electrical network.
• Optical Fiber Network Implementation (€17 million): Integration of optical fiber within the distribution system to enhance communication and data transfer efficiency.
• Distribution System Automation (€27 million): The installation of SCADA/ADMS systems to automate and optimize the distribution network, improving response times and reliability.
• Transmission Line Upgrades (€10 million): Utilizing the reconductoring method to enhance the capacity and efficiency of existing transmission lines.

Strategic Goals

These projects aim to modernize Cyprus’s electrical infrastructure, increase efficiency, and enhance the overall reliability of the power grid. The emphasis on automation and advanced technology integration aligns with broader EU objectives of creating a more resilient and sustainable energy network.

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The successful execution of these projects is expected to have a significant positive impact on Cyprus’s energy sector, fostering economic growth and ensuring a more stable power supply. This initiative reflects a strategic commitment to leveraging EU funds to bolster national infrastructure, thereby supporting long-term development goals.

Recent Eurostat data reveal that 13.8% of young people in Cyprus, aged 15 to 29, were neither employed nor in education or training (NEET) in 2023. This figure, although showing a decline from the 20.4% recorded in 2013, remains higher than the EU average of 11.2%. Cyprus ranks fifth highest in NEET rates within the EU. The European Pillar of Social Rights aims to reduce NEET rates to 9% by 2030, a target already achieved by several EU countries.

Despite a decrease of 0.9 percentage points from 2022, Cyprus continues to face challenges in integrating young people into the workforce or educational systems. The persistent NEET rate underscores the need for targeted policies and programs to address the barriers preventing youth from engaging in employment or education.

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The Cypriot government, in collaboration with the European Union, is working on various initiatives to tackle this issue. These include vocational training programs, apprenticeships, and initiatives aimed at improving access to higher education and job opportunities for young people. The goal is to equip the youth with the necessary skills and qualifications to meet the demands of the modern labour market.

Economic and Social Implications

High NEET rates have significant economic and social implications. Young people who are neither working nor studying are at a higher risk of social exclusion, poverty, and long-term unemployment. Addressing this issue is crucial for fostering a more inclusive and resilient economy.

As Cyprus strives to meet the 2030 target, continuous efforts are needed to reduce the NEET rate further. This involves not only government action but also the participation of businesses, educational institutions, and the community in creating an environment that supports youth engagement in productive activities.

TheSoul Publishing, a leading digital studio, has announced the launch of World’s Fair Communications, a new strategic communications agency targeting Cypriot companies aiming to enhance their global presence. The agency, headquartered in the United States, is co-founded by Craig Radow and Eric Schultz, both former senior executives at TheSoul Publishing with extensive backgrounds in global communications and media relations.

World’s Fair Communications will offer a range of services, including media relations, crisis communication, brand identity, and content strategy, focusing on elevating the global communications footprint of Cypriot businesses.

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Experienced Leadership

Radow and Schultz bring over four decades of combined experience in media and public relations. Their previous roles at TheSoul Publishing and other high-profile companies have equipped them with the expertise needed to navigate the complexities of global communications. Their leadership is expected to drive the agency’s success in helping Cypriot companies achieve international recognition.

 TheSoul Publishing’s Vision

Arthur Mamedov, CEO of TheSoul Publishing, expressed excitement about the new venture, highlighting the successful collaboration with Radow and Schultz in building TheSoul’s global communications department. The new agency aims to replicate and expand these successes to benefit other Cypriot companies, leveraging TheSoul’s strategic communication capabilities.

Loan demand continued to decline in the first quarter of 2024, with banks attributing the decline to high interest rates, while the terms and conditions for granting loans to businesses became tighter in the first quarter of 2024 after three consecutive quarters in which they had remained unchanged.

The criteria for lending to households remained stable.

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According to the Central Bank’s Bank Lending Survey for the first quarter of 2024, the credit standards, as well as the terms and conditions for loans to enterprises, tightened in the first quarter of 2024, mainly due to Banks’ reduced risk tolerance, as well as their perception of increased risk about the general economic situation and the outlook for the economy.

On the other hand, the credit standards for loans to households remained unchanged in the first quarter of 2024, for mortgage loans, consumer and other loans.

The terms and conditions for housing loans also remained unchanged while they tightened for consumer credit and other lending to households.

The net demand for business loans decreased, in the first quarter of 2024, and at the same time, the net demand for housing loans as well as for consumer credit and other lending also decreased.

However, the survey notes that increased financing needs for fixed investment, possibly reflecting the positive growth prospects of the Cypriot economy, as well as debt refinancing/restructuring, contributed positively to loan demand.

As far as households are concerned, the net decline in demand for mortgage loans is attributed by banks to higher interest rates, lower consumer confidence and a weakening housing market outlook.

Finally, according to banks’ expectations for the second quarter of 2024, the lending criteria for both businesses and households are expected to remain unchanged compared to the previous quarter. At the same time, a decline in net demand for consumer and other loans from households is expected, while both net demand for business loans and mortgage loans from households are expected to remain stable.

Minister of Labour and Social Insurance Yiannis Panayiotou has conveyed the government’s commitment to adequate wages and dignified pensions promoting more social justice in citizens’ everyday life.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Labour, Panayiotou made the statements while addressing the Plenary of the ILO’s Global Coalition for Social Justice held in Geneva, on 13 June.

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The Global Alliance was set up during the 2023 ILO Conference, aiming to promote social justice in the shaping of public policy and social dialogue between social partners, numbering more than 250 participants including governments, workers and employers’ organisations and other international organisations.

Cyprus was one of the first states to respond to the invitation by ILO Director-General, the Ministry said.

In his address, Panayiotou said universal and lasting peace can only be consolidated if it is based on social justice.

“This is what we are defending in this body for over a century and our commitment will continue to be in place for the years and generations to come,” he added.

Panayiotou stressed that the Cypriot government remains “dedicated to safeguarding better wages and better pensions, adequate income for all those actively participating in the labour market so we could maximize the economy’s capacity and to secure our citizens’ welfare.”

“Our government is determined to actively participate in the Global Alliance because we believe in its cause and we want our Alliance to succeed,” he said.

The Y. Georgiades & Associates announced that it has joined Dentons’ Nextlaw Referral Network, enabling it to connect its clients to high-quality lawyers around the world. Nextlaw Referral Network is the largest legal referral network in the world, with more than 750 member firms and 36,000 lawyers across 200+ countries.

The managing partner Mr Yiannos Georgiades said, “By joining Nextlaw Referral Network, we can now provide our clients with the best of all worlds by continuing to serve them where we currently have offices, while also being able to direct them to top-tier lawyers in other jurisdictions where they need legal counsel and business advice. We can build on our trusted relationships with our clients by putting the full resources of the global, legal powerhouse at their disposal.”

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Aleksandra Pimenides, Director of Member Services at Nextlaw Referral Network said, “We’re proud to have Y. Georgiades & Associates LLC as part of our network. We’re only as good as the quality of our member firms and Y. Georgiades & Associates LLC makes us stronger and better able to meet the needs of our other members’ clients in Europe and on a more international level.”

Nextlaw Referral Network was created by Dentons, the largest law firm in the world. The network, which is free to join, employs a detailed screening system to guarantee the quality of its member firms and has developed proprietary technology to allow members to identify lawyers at other member firms with the appropriate experience where clients need legal counsel.

Y. Georgiades & Associates LLC is recognized for its commitment to delivering high-quality legal services, driven by a passion for justice and a deep understanding of our clients’ needs. The firm stands by its clients, representing individuals, businesses, and corporations across a spectrum of industries. They provide robust and reliable legal counsel, making them a trusted advisor in Cyprus and beyond.

Y. Georgiades & Associates LLC champions innovative tech startups and investors, strengthening the ecosystem by establishing private equity and VC funds focused on technology. The firm ensures robust IP protection through patent and trademark registration, due diligence, and essential agreements while offering comprehensive tax, regulatory, and compliance advice and strong dispute representation.

Another individual, holder of the Cypriot nationality and two companies registered in Cyprus are included in the list of new sanctions imposed by the US against Russia on Wednesday.

The US Treasury Department announced new sanctions on more than 300 individuals and entities to degrade Russia’s capability to pursue its war of aggression against Ukraine.

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In OFAC’s updated list, Bulat Akhatovich Yanborisov, a Russian who also holds Cyprus citizenship, is included. According to a US Treasury Department press release, Russia-based Silk Way Rally Association holds an annual off-road rally race that the U.S.-designated Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) uses as a front for intelligence operations.

The GRU has given awards to Bulat Akhatovich Yanborisov, the head of Silk Way, for his work. Bulat appears to use his properties in Europe as transit points for GRU officers. Bulat, who is Silk Way’s CEO and general director, alongside his son Amir Bulatovich Yanborisov, uses Silk Way’s logistical infrastructure to procure anti-UAV and radioelectronic warfare equipment for use on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Moreover, the Cyprus-registered companies Picotin Holdings Ltd and Sentimare Enterprises Ltd were also added to the list of sanctions. According to the US Department of State, the two companies are linked to Vladimir Olegovich Potanin, one of the wealthiest oligarchs in Russia, who formerly served as a Deputy Prime Minister for the Russian Federation.

Potanin has been on the sanctions list since December 2022. The Department is designating four Liechtenstein-based foundations, Paloma Foundation, Spero Foundation, Natwin Foundation, and Cafar Foundation, as well as two Cyprus-based entities, Sentimare Enterprises Ltd and Picotin Holdings Ltd and one UAE-based entity, Sentimare Me Ltd, connected to the scheme.

Given that Potanin was previously the ultimate beneficial owner of Sentimare Enterprises Ltd and his minor children’s current equal ownership of the four foundations, the US Department of State believes that Potanin retains control of the four foundations and thus the control of Sentimare Enterprises Ltd, that is controlled by the four foundations.

Moreover, it notes that Sentimare Me Ltd and Picotin Holdings Ltd are being designated for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Sentimare Enterprises Ltd, since they are both wholly owned by Sentimare Enterprises Ltd.