Welcome to the July 18, 2025 edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for computer professionals three times a week.

HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

• Malaysia Tightens Rules on Movement of U.S.-Made AI Chips
• Lovelace Report Reveals £2 Billion to £3.5 Billion Annual Loss from Women Leaving U.K. Tech
• ChatGPT Is Changing the Words We Use in Conversation
• Japan Sets Internet Speed Record
• Global Crackdown Hits Pro-Russian Cybercrime
• Microsoft, U.S. National Lab Tap AI to Speed Up Nuclear Power Permitting Process
• Nearly 3 Out of 4 Oracle Java Users Say They've Been Audited in the Past 3 Years
• China's Cyber Sector Amplifies Beijing's Hacking of U.S. Targets
• Study on AI Therapy Chatbots Warns of Risks, Bias
• Drones, AI and Robot Pickers: Meet the Fully Autonomous Farm
• U.S. to Spend $1 Billion on 'Offensive' Hacking Operations

Malaysia Tightens Rules on Movement of U.S.-Made AI Chips

Permits will now be required for all high-performance AI chips that originate from the U.S. entering or leaving Malaysia, the country's Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry said this week. This comes after recent reports of a Chinese company operating in Malaysia using servers equipped with Nvidia and other AI chips to train large language models. Malaysia’s emergence as a datacenter hub has drawn investment from major global tech players, as well as increased geopolitical scrutiny.
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Lovelace Report Reveals £2 Billion to £3.5 Billion Annual Loss from Women Leaving U.K. Tech

The 2025 Lovelace Report reveals that 40,000 to 60,000 women leave tech jobs in the U.K. each year, at a cost of £640 million to £1.3 billion (U.S.$860 million to U.S.$1.75 billion) annually due to productivity losses, frequent job switching, and onboarding costs. Drawing on data from 600 U.K. tech-focused businesses and 500 women's experiences, the report finds that most women leave their jobs due to unequal pay, limited access to higher-profile projects, and poor advancement opportunities.
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ChatGPT Is Changing the Words We Use in Conversation

Researchers at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Human Development found that ChatGPT is subtly altering human speech patterns. The team identified "GPT words" like "delve" and "realm" that ChatGPT frequently adds when editing text. The researchers then tracked these words across more than 360,000 YouTube videos and 771,000 podcast episodes, comparing them to synonyms rarely used by the chatbot. Their analysis found a marked increase in GPT word usage in spoken language since the chatbot’s release.
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Japan Sets Internet Speed Record

Researchers in Japan successfully transmitted data at a speed of 125,000 gigabytes per second (Gbps) across 1,120 miles (1,802 km), setting an unverified world record for Internet speed and more than doubling the previous record of 50,250 Gbps. The achievement was made possible by a newly developed optical fiber that features 19 fibers that are collectively the same thickness as most existing single-fiber cables.
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Global Crackdown Hits Pro-Russian Cybercrime

In a coordinated operation, European and U.S. authorities launched a crackdown on the pro-Russia hacking group NoName057(16). The operation disrupted a global attack infrastructure comprising more than 100 computer systems, and a significant portion of the group’s central servers was taken offline. The group’s supporters are primarily Russian-speakers who use automated tools to launch DDoS attacks. Initial attacks were focused on Ukraine, but have expanded to include countries that support Ukraine in its defense.
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Microsoft, U.S. National Lab Tap AI to Speed Up Nuclear Power Permitting Process

A partnership between Microsoft and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) aims to determine how to leverage AI to accelerate the document-compilation process to obtain permits for new nuclear power plans. They plan to produce the engineering and safety analysis reports required for the application process using Microsoft's AI systems. INL's Scott Ferrara said the technology potentially could help existing nuclear facilities complete the necessary evaluations to apply for operating-license amendments allowing them to boost power output.
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Nearly 3 Out of 4 Oracle Java Users Say They've Been Audited in the Past 3 Years

A survey of 500 IT asset managers conducted by Dimensional Research on behalf of ITAM Forum and Azul found 73% of organizations using Oracle Java were audited in the past three years, prompting nearly 80% to migrate or plan to migrate to open source alternatives. One-quarter of respondents cited challenges in tracking application use across complex software configurations, with 54% of respondents spending more than $100,000 annually and 27% more than $500,000 per year to resolve licensing non-compliance issues.
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China's Cyber Sector Amplifies Beijing's Hacking of U.S. Targets

Chinese hackers are expanding their targets and working harder to maintain access once detected, according to current and former U.S. officials. Different Chinese government agencies are leading different hacking campaigns with different goals, while Beijing is letting private companies launch their own hacking campaigns and cyberattacks by hiring hackers who have uncovered "zero-day" flaws in software used across the U.S. Officials say China no longer seems to be deterred by U.S. indictments and even works with criminal hacking groups.
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Study on AI Therapy Chatbots Warns of Risks, Bias

A Stanford University study evaluating five AI-powered mental health chatbots found they pose safety risks by exhibiting biases and failing to respond appropriately in high-risk situations. In one experiment, the chatbots reacted with greater stigma toward conditions like schizophrenia and alcohol addiction than toward depression. Newer large language models showed similar biases, indicating that technical advancements have not mitigated the issue.
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Drones, AI and Robot Pickers: Meet the Fully Autonomous Farm

Farms are moving toward full autonomy thanks to advances in AI, robotics, and digital tools. High costs and the lack of broadband Internet in rural areas, however, pose major obstacles. Although some farmers are turning to edge computing, cloud-based systems will be essential for autonomous farms. Technologies being deployed on farms include autonomous tractors, robots and drones capable of picking fragile fruits, sensors that provide soil analysis, virtual fences to rein in livestock, and remote sensing and image analytics tools.
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U.S. to Spend $1 Billion on 'Offensive' Hacking Operations

The U.S. plans to allocate $1 billion over four years to "offensive cyber operations" through the U.S. Department of Defense under the recently-passed budget bill. While the specific tools and methods have not been detailed, the provision indicates the funding is intended to boost the capabilities of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which operates in the Asia-Pacific region.
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