Welcome to the October 6, 2025 edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for computer professionals three times a week.

HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

• Evaluation of DeepSeek AI Models Finds Shortcomings, Risks
• Almost 1 Billion Salesforce Records Stolen, Hackers Claim
• Europe’s AI Startups Look Stateside for Bigger Checks, Quicker Deals
• Mice's Motion Sensors Can Be Used to Spy on Users
• Huawei Used TSMC, Samsung, SK Hynix Components in Top AI Chips
• Amazon Resumes Drone Delivery After Arizona Crashes
• In a Sea of Tech Talent, Companies Can’t Find the Workers They Want
• Berners-Lee Says Today's Internet Exploits Users for Data
• The Hidden Subsea Cable Battle Between U.S. and China
• Molecular Qubits Communicate at Telecom Frequencies
• Walmart Steps Up Automation with Labor-Saving Sensors
• System Enables Drones to Swap Tools Midair

Evaluation of DeepSeek AI Models Finds Shortcomings, Risks

A U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) evaluation of Chinese developer DeepSeek’s AI models found major shortcomings compared with U.S. systems. The report said DeepSeek lags in performance, cost, security, and adoption, with models more vulnerable to hacking and censorship risks that could threaten U.S. developers, consumers, and national security. Tests across 19 benchmarks showed U.S. models like OpenAI’s GPT-5 outperform DeepSeek in nearly all areas.
[ » Read full article ]

Almost 1 Billion Salesforce Records Stolen, Hackers Claim

A hacker group calling itself “Scattered LAPSUS$ Hunters” claimed to have stolen nearly 1 billion Salesforce records containing personal data, targeting companies that use Salesforce’s software rather than the platform itself. The hackers allegedly used “vishing,” or voice phishing, to trick IT staff. They also claimed responsibility for previous attacks on U.K. retailers Marks & Spencer and Co-op, as well as Jaguar Land Rover.
[ » Read full article ]

Europe’s AI Startups Look Stateside for Bigger Checks, Quicker Deals

European AI startups are increasingly heading to the U.S. for funding. U.S. investors spent about $14.2 billion across 549 European AI and machine-learning venture capital deals this year, up from $11.7 billion in all of 2024. Domestic regulatory pressure also is driving EU startups to relocate, as they keep software engineering teams in Europe, where the per-capita share of AI specialists is 30% higher than in the U.S. and nearly three times greater than in China.
[ » Read full article *May Require Paid Registration ]

Mice's Motion Sensors Can Be Used to Spy on Users

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, found that high-performance optical mice can be turned into makeshift microphones. By capturing tiny surface vibrations and processing them with AI, the team was able to reconstruct the speech of users at their desks. Mice with sensors of 20,000 dots per inch (DPI) or higher were found to be especially vulnerable, meaning many gaming peripherals could be exploited if connected to compromised computers.
[ » Read full article ]

Huawei Used TSMC, Samsung, SK Hynix Components in Top AI Chips

Huawei’s latest Ascend 910C AI chips contain key components from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix, according to researchers at Canada's TechInsights. The chips use TSMC-manufactured dies and older HBM2E memory from Samsung and SK Hynix, likely stockpiled before U.S. export restrictions tightened. While Huawei has sought to increase domestic production, it remains dependent on these foreign components, which experts say could constrain China’s AI chip development once existing inventories run out.
[ » Read full article ]

Amazon Resumes Drone Delivery After Arizona Crashes

Amazon restarted drone deliveries in Tolleson, AZ, two days after suspending operations because two Prime Air MK30 drones had crashed into a crane, causing significant damage but no injuries. Amazon said an internal review confirmed no technical faults with the drones, though it is adding enhanced landscape inspections to detect moving obstacles like cranes. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident.
[ » Read full article ]

In a Sea of Tech Talent, Companies Can’t Find the Workers They Want

U.S. colleges more than doubled the number of computer science degrees awarded from 2013 to 2022, according to U.S. data, while the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts businesses will employ 6% fewer computer programmers by 2034 than they did last year. Yet many companies say they can’t find qualified workers for AI roles, despite offering exorbitant salaries. Startups and major firms alike describe searching for rare “prodigies” capable of tuning AI systems with near-instinctive precision, while experienced developers without direct AI experience struggle to get interviews.
[ » Read full article *May Require Paid Registration ]

Berners-Lee Says Today's Internet Exploits Users for Data

Speaking at Harvard University on Oct. 1, ACM A.M. Turing Award laureate Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, called for user autonomy over their data, net neutrality, and a more decentralized Web experience. Berners-Lee also criticized popular digital platforms for data exploitation and addictive algorithms. Said Berners-Lee, "The Web is being hijacked from an 'intention economy' to an 'attention economy,'" adding that "the user has been reduced to a consumable product for the advertiser."
[ » Read full article ]

The Hidden Subsea Cable Battle Between U.S. and China

The global race over undersea Internet cables is intensifying as the U.S. and China vie for control of infrastructure critical to AI and cloud computing. Cable investment is expected to jump from $900 million in 2023 to $15.4 billion by 2028, with big tech firms like Meta, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft driving new projects to secure bandwidth. The U.S. has pressured allies to avoid Chinese suppliers, citing security risks, while Beijing pushes its own networks. The competition has also sparked concerns, and acts of sabotage and espionage to subsea cables.
[ » Read full article *May Require Paid Registration ]

Molecular Qubits Communicate at Telecom Frequencies

Molecular qubits developed by a team of researchers led by David Awschalom at the University of Chicago operate at the same frequencies as telecommunications technology. The qubits allow information to be encoded in the molecule's magnetic state and accessed using light at wavelengths compatible with existing optical technologies. "By demonstrating the versatility of these erbium molecular qubits, we’re taking another step toward scalable quantum networks that can plug directly into today’s optical infrastructure,” said Awschalom.
[ » Read full article ]

Walmart Steps Up Automation with Labor-Saving Sensors

Walmart will deploy sensors across its 4,600 U.S. stores by 2026 to track 90 million grocery pallets annually, expanding its automation push. Partnering with San Diego-based Wiliot, Walmart will monitor the location, temperature, and condition of shipments, including perishables, using Bluetooth-enabled microchip labels. The retail giant, which employs 2.1 million workers globally, said the technology will eliminate repetitive tasks rather than staff.
[ » Read full article *May Require Paid Registration ]

System Enables Drones to Swap Tools Midair

A cooperative drone system developed by researchers at Westlake University in China, the U.K.'s Loughborough University, and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands allows multiple drones to swap tools mid-air. The FlyingToolbox system allows a “toolbox drone” carrying task-specific end-effectors and a “manipulator drone” that autonomously docks above it to exchange tools.
[ » Read full article ]