This is odd, ETH Zurich is one of the top ML research labs in the world. They routinely work with Disney! Are they going to block Germany and Max Planck Institute as well? (who commonly work with ETH Zurich)<p><a href="https://studios.disneyresearch.com/researchlab/disney-research-zurich/" rel="nofollow">https://studios.disneyresearch.com/researchlab/disney-resear...</a><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/disneyresearchhub" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/disneyresearchhub</a>
Switzerland restricts access to its own allies of weapons that it sold to other countries because of internal concerns about how that could affect the country in the future. This seems to be at least partially similar to that.<p>At this point AI could absolutely be considered potentially threatening in the future.
Well, Switzerland should restrict access to what is now called "The Magnificent Seven" (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla):<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/us-tightens-its-grip-ai-chip-flows-across-globe-2025-01-13/" rel="nofollow">https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/u...</a><p>This article falsely claims that "the US leads AI development right now". A very high percentage of research and implementers is from the EU, China and Russia (e.g., Sutskever).
A good example of how fragile technology really is.<p>First off, you need rare metals to make chips, so you need access to them. Then you need complex chip frabrication technology that a single company[1] in The Netherlands creates and owns. Then you need to build these incredible sterile and complex factories of which there are only a hand full across the global.<p>Or having built up a relationship to a country that can get you the chips that you can't manufacture yourself, either that country has a change of political system or a third country threatens you with sanctions if you continue to have dealings with that country.<p>It all seems to be built on shifting sources of silicon.<p>[1] <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/24/asml-the-biggest-company-in-europe-youve-probably-never-heard-of.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/24/asml-the-biggest-company-in-...</a>
How realistic is blocking anyway? Europe’s sactions on machine parts towards Russia are just being bypassed by buying via intermediaries in countries which are not sanctioned. I dont see how this can be different for tiny computer chips.
Recent discussion:<p>"Poland fumes over US block on AI chips" (114 comments): <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42778386">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42778386</a>
This restriction makes no sense.<p>The US says "18 countries may purchase our AI chips", but what I understand is "90% of the world may purchase Chinese AI chips".<p>China just needs to infiltrate Taiwan, which is geographically and culturally closer than the US.
> US President Donald Trump has also announced that the USA will not introduce the global minimum tax.
Corporations are the legal structure<p>Well well well, who'd have thought!<p>3 months ago on "Italy stiffens terms of digital services tax in 2025 budget":<p>> I thought this was what was being implemented to fix that -> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_minimum_corporate_tax_rate" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_minimum_corporate_tax_r...</a><p>> You can sit around and wait for decades until this might get meaningfully implemented, loopholes get closed and enforcement is strict. Great step by Italy to refuse that and just implement a measure in the meantime. Can always be repealed if indeed things get fixed on a global level.<p>[1] <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41942974">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41942974</a>
It doesn't matter now as deepseek has shown. Also this was done under Binden so we have no idea what Trump will do.<p>However it does spoil the relationship and maybe the next time around when Switzerland is ready to spend 6B Swiss Francs on planes it won't be US made ones.<p>Additionally if Trump doesn't follow the agreed upon global minimum tax which Switzerland also bent over backwards for why would it do any such agreement with the US in the future?
It's no surprise the Swiss have been classified as second tier country given plenty of evidence Switzerland has enabled money laundering for an adversary.<p>You can't both deny an ally amo to claim neutrality while holding their enemies cash amo.<p>Russia’s Alpine Assets: Money Laundering and Sanctions Evasion in Switzerland.<p><a href="https://www.csce.gov/press-releases/hearing-russias-alpine-assets-money-laundering-and-sanctions-evasion-in-switzerland/#:~:text=Swiss%20banks%20are%20estimated%20to,Swiss%20banks%20at%20the%20time." rel="nofollow">https://www.csce.gov/press-releases/hearing-russias-alpine-a...</a>
Trump is winning the intimidation wars so far. But I wonder when "everybody else" the 7.6bn or so get fucked off and start creating treaties and deals that are bad for the US.
> US President Donald Trump has also announced that the USA will not introduce the global minimum tax.<p>Corporations are the legal structure that enables, creates and sustains modern life. Taxes reduce the amount of money that will be pushed through that structure. There are people who's entire worldly possessions were made by companies. It is a little more qualitative, but the people with the most and best corporations are typically the people with the most rapidly improving standards of living too.<p>Although it makes sense that people want to tax them, instituting a global minimum tax has always been a stupid idea. It is like mandating a minimum number of days people must not work, or that they have to ingest poison on. If anything there should be a global maximum tax rate. Leave countries the option to make the world better.