Image by Maxim Hopman, from Unsplash
Strategic AI Investment And Skilled Labor Essential For Economic Growth, Study Finds
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Countries investing in AI can boost productivity and economic growth significantly.
- Skilled labor and strong internet infrastructure enhance AI’s effectiveness.
- U.S. leads in AI patents, but the U.K. shows better production efficiency.
A new study announced yesterday by the University at Buffalo reveals that countries investing in AI can significantly enhance productivity and economic growth. However, the research emphasizes that a strategic approach is essential to fully leverage these advancements.
As AI takes center stage in technological innovation, understanding its business value is critical. While some research has examined firm-level impacts, the researchers state that a gap remains in the literature concerning country-level perspectives.
This study investigated the effect of AI innovation on production efficiency across nations, analyzing traditional economic inputs, such as capital and labor, alongside AI-related factors.
Published in the Decisions Analytics Journal , the study highlights that AI innovation, measured by the number of related patents and capital investment, is most effective when paired with a skilled labor force, and a robust internet infrastructure.
Co-author Raj Sharman, PhD, a professor of management science and systems, states,
“AI innovation has the potential to transform economies, but our study shows that more patents and investments do not automatically translate into higher production efficiency”
The study revealed that high-skilled labor is often necessary to integrate AI inputs into production. Nevertheless, the researchers note that as AI capabilities evolve, their impact of labor input may diminish.
Findings indicate that while the United States leads in AI innovation, with the highest number of patents, the United Kingdom boasts the best production efficiency.
“The U.K. has performed better despite its lower investment in AI because they’ve used their resources better and have more effectively integrated AI into their work,” said Sharman.
In contrast, China ranks fourth in AI innovation but exhibits the lowest production efficiency among the countries studied.
The researchers suggest that one possible explanation for this result is that China remains in the early phases of AI investment from the 2010s.
The researchers do nevertheless mention limitations in their study. Specifically, a small sample size and short observation periods, which restrict the generalizability of the results.
The researchers suggest that future research is recommended to use larger datasets and longer timeframes to capture the evolving dynamics of AI investments and their effects on production efficiency.
Finally, exploring the interaction of AI investments with regulatory factors, workforce education, and infrastructure quality could provide deeper insights.
The study’s findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and businesses seeking to harness the potential of AI.
According to these reusts, countries must focus on building a synergistic relationship between AI, skilled labor, and infrastructure to achieve optimal production efficiency and drive economic growth in the future.
Image by Jesse Collins, from Wikimedia Commons
Personal Data Of Congressional Staffers Leaked On The Dark Web
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Personal data of 3,191 congressional staffers leaked on the dark web.
- Leaks likely caused by staffers using official emails on risky sites such as dating and adult websites.
- Nearly 1 in 5 congressional staffers has exposed information online.
A study by the security firm Proton revealed on Tuesday that personal information for approximately 3,191 congressional staffers has been leaked on the dark web, as first reported by The Washington Times (TWT).
The leaked data includes passwords, IP addresses, and details from various social media platforms.
TWT reports that many of these leaks likely resulted from staffers using their official email addresses to register for various services, including high-risk sites such as dating and adult websites, which later suffered data breaches.
“This situation highlights a critical security lapse, where sensitive work-related emails became entangled with less secure, third-party platforms,” Proton said in a statement to TWT.
Proton, in collaboration with Constella Intelligence, discovered 1,848 passwords belonging to political staffers available on the dark web. Alarmingly, one staffer had 31 passwords exposed, as reported by TWT.
“The volume of exposed accounts among U.S. political staffers is alarming, and the potential consequences of compromised accounts could be severe,” noted Eamonn Maguire, head of account security at Proton noted, as reported by TWT.
Proton estimates that nearly 1 in 5 congressional staffers has their information visible online, with approximately 300 staffers exposed in over 10 separate leaks, notes TWT.
The firm has reached out to all affected individuals to alert them, clarifying that the exposed information is unrelated to its services, which include encrypted email accounts and password managers, said TWT.
In addition to this breach, a broader investigation by Proton and Constella published on Tuesday exposed over 4,000 political figures from the U.K., EU, U.S., and France. In May 2024, the initial search revealed that around 40% of official emails from British, EU, and French politicians had been compromised.
British MPs were the most exposed, with 68% of their email addresses found on the dark web, followed by 44% of EU MEPs and 18% of French deputies and senators. The investigation expanded in September 2024 to include U.S. political staffers, with 20% of them found to have leaked email addresses.
In total, 2,545 passwords were discovered in plain text across all researched regions, raising significant concerns about cybersecurity hygiene, particularly if the exposed passwords were reused for official accounts.
Proton states that this issue could result in severe consequences, given that many of these officials and staff hold senior positions with access to highly sensitive government data.
Compounding this event, a report published yesterday by ReliaQuest highlights that advanced persistent threat (APT) groups are likely to disrupt the upcoming U.S. elections through cyberattacks, including hack-and-leak operations.
ReliaQuest advises organizations to adopt a defense-in-depth strategy to mitigate these business-specific risks. This approach should include robust cybersecurity measures, continuous monitoring, and comprehensive employee training.
