Rethinking

• Major tech companies, including Meta and Amazon, are spending over $1 trillion annually on AI infrastructure, significantly reducing their free cash flow. • To fund this expansion, hyperscalers may issue approximately $175 billion in debt this year, a massive increase from the five-year average of $30 billion. • Oracle serves as a primary example of this financial strain, with its credit-default swap spread exceeding 125 basis points—a level not seen since the 2009 financial crisis.

• Microsoft has introduced "Project Perception," a new initiative aimed at redesigning the "Cyber Stack" to address the evolving challenges of AI-driven security. • The project responds to a shifting landscape where autonomous systems can now reason and adapt, while the cost for attackers to launch offenses is decreasing. • This shift is critical because the volume, velocity, and complexity of digital assets requiring protection are growing faster than traditional security methods can handle.

• South Korea is rethinking its K-content IP strategy to ensure local creators retain ownership and structural wealth rather than allowing international streamers to capture most of the profits from hits like Squid Game. • The shift focuses on reclaiming content distribution and strengthening negotiating positions to move beyond relying on overnight viral sensations. • This strategic pivot is seen as essential for transforming temporary global enthusiasm into lasting cultural and economic strength.

• Author of the new book "Decolonising Disease: Pandemics, Public Health and Pathogenic Novels" explores the intersection of colonialism, imperialism, and epidemic disease. • The work draws critical parallels between the COVID-19 pandemic and historical Ebola outbreaks, specifically those in Congo/Zaire and Sudan in 1976 and West Africa from 2014–16. • By centering transnational perspectives, the book aims to provide a meaningful intervention in how global health and medicine are understood through a colonial lens.