###### December 19, 2024

Although there is disagreement among German companies over whether AI will lead to the creation or replacement of jobs, many expect higher productivity through the integration of AI. It is still unclear what impact artificial intelligence will have on IT sector jobs in the long term. [Research by Bitkom](https://www.bitkom.org/Presse/Presseinformation/KI-ersetzt-IT-Jobs), a digital group, shows a complex situation where different companies have different opinions on the ramifications of AI. Depending on the role held, some are seeing job losses, while others are seeing a growing need for IT specialists.

According to the study, 15% of organizations expect to lose IT jobs to artificial intelligence. However, 38% predict that AI-related activities will lead to the creation of new jobs. Companies believe AI will fill vacancies, according to 20% of respondents. Ralf Wintergerst, chairman of Bitkom, sees AI as an opportunity to at least partially close the skills gap rather than as a danger to the labor market.

Everyone agrees that AI will change the nature of IT jobs. A third of companies anticipate the emergence of new professional positions such as those of rapid engineers or AI trainers. Meanwhile, 18% of them envision a future in which there will no longer be a need for IT professionals with AI skills, and 25% of them anticipate a reduction in certain professions. Because AI relieves workers of repetitive tasks, 44% of companies expect increased productivity.

Bitkom's survey, which examined how AI is changing the role of IT professionals, covered 852 German companies with three or more employees. The group defends the political and economic interests of its more than 2,000 members, the majority of whom come from the IT and telecommunications sectors. Additionally, according to a [recent Bitkom study](https://www.bitkom.org/Presse/Presseinformation/Haelfte-der-Berufstaetigen-trotz-Urlaub-erreichbar), half of the workforce is still available during the Christmas holidays.

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Bitkom Study Reveals: The Impact of AI on Job Dynamics within Germany’s Tech Sector

[Waymo](https://waymo.com/), which is owned by Alphabet, will test its self-driving car technology in Tokyo in early 2025. This will be the first time the company has used its robotaxis on public roads outside the United States. Waymo's road trips project, which aims to adapt its technology to different locations around the world, each with distinct problems, includes expanding to Japan. It will be difficult to navigate left-hand traffic and crowded urban environments in Tokyo.

These experiments, previously targeted on certain weather and environmental conditions – such as the intense heat of Death Valley, California, or torrential rains in Miami – were carried out in a dozen American cities. Buffalo, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and Seattle were all used as test cities. In each city, Waymo typically starts with a small fleet and maps the terrain by hand before moving to autonomous testing under human supervision.

Waymo is collaborating with local taxi operator Nihon Kotsu, which will oversee and maintain the Waymo fleet, and with taxi app GO for its trials in Tokyo. In order to map important parts of Tokyo, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa and Kōtō, Nihon Kotsu drivers will first drive the cars by hand. Additionally, Waymo and Nihon Kotsu are working closely to train their employees to drive Jaguar I-Pace self-driving cars.

This news follows [GM's statement](https://news.gm.com/home.detail.html/Pages/news/us/en/2024/dec/1210-gm.html) that its Cruise robotaxi development was ending, as well as the cancellation of a planned autonomous ride-sharing service in Japan with Honda. The cancellation comes after Honda, Cruise and GM jointly [announced in October 2023](https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/18/gm-cruise-and-honda-to-launch-robotaxi-service-in-japan/) that they would launch a robotaxi service in Tokyo in 2026 with Cruise's specially created robotaxis, The Origin.

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Alphabet's Waymo to Begin Self-Driving Car Tests in Tokyo in 2025


As AI technology advances, misinformation continues to grow and businesses are becoming increasingly vulnerable. A London-based startup called Refute is tackling this problem by identifying and thwarting misinformation aimed at businesses. Playfair Capital and Episode 1, two UK-based investors, are leading the company's recent pre-seed investment round, which raised £2.3 million ($2.9 million).

These disinformation efforts are driven by a number of variables, such as geopolitical tensions and the use of generative AI to create fake documents. These sophisticated operations frequently target executives, supply chains and organizations, causing significant financial and reputational damage.

Refute distinguishes itself from its competitors who primarily focus on detection thanks to its comprehensive strategy for identifying and combating disinformation. Finding “threat actors” and their actions is part of the company’s efforts to identify disinformation operations. The limitations of current social media and media monitoring technologies, primarily passive and intended for marketing purposes, explains Tom Garnett, co-founder and CEO of Refute in an [interview with TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/13/as-ai-fueled-disinformation-explodes-here-comes-the-startup-counterattack/). As a result, they are useless for combating the complex and multifaceted nature of disinformation threats.

This strategy draws on Garnett's experience in national security, where he created large data analysis systems at Detica and BAE Systems. It has used comparable technologies to combat financial crime and cyberattacks in the corporate sector.

Vlad Galu, co-founder of Refute, knows the effects of disinformation firsthand because he grew up in Romania in an era of technological advancement and regulatory ambiguity. Initially, he worked to develop core internet infrastructure in Romania and the CEE countries, which required strong defenses against a range of threats.

Other investors in this round included angel investors Charlie Songhurst, Carlos Espinal, James Chappell and Alastair Paterson, in addition to Notion Capital and Amadeus Capital Partners.

According to Andrew Sheffield of Playfair Capital, the information landscape is changing, making it harder to distinguish fact from fiction and making it less costly to spread misinformation. He highlighted Garnett and Galu's expertise in data analysis, cybersecurity and handling difficult security issues.

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Combating Misinformation: Refute's Secures £2.3 Million in Pre-Seed Round

###### December 11, 2024

Microsoft responded to an actively exploited vulnerability by releasing key security upgrades for its products, including Windows, Office, SharePoint and Hyper-V. As ongoing attacks have been reported, administrators of current versions of Windows Desktop and Windows Server are advised to ensure that Windows Update is enabled and the most recent security patches are installed. 

Many versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, as well as many versions of Windows Server, including 2008 and 2022, are affected by the [currently exploited vulnerability](https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49138) (CVE-2024-49138, classified as “high” risk). Successful attackers are granted enhanced user permissions, including system-level privileges, which can cause serious damage. These attacks frequently use a combination of vulnerabilities to execute malicious code. Microsoft has not revealed information on the scale of these attacks or how they are carried out.

Current versions of Windows and Windows Server include a significant vulnerability ([CVE-2024-49112](https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-49112)) that affects the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). There are no details yet on how these attacks take place or how administrators might recognize affected systems. Microsoft advises administrators to disconnect domain controllers from the Internet if they fail to deploy this security update in a timely manner.

Additional “high” threat level vulnerabilities have been discovered in a number of malware-prone Windows components, such as Remote Desktop Services and Hyper-V. Office is also susceptible to virus attacks and hackers can obtain and use data without authorization.

Microsoft also fixed a security flaw that was already under active attack during this November Patch Day.

_Ready to protect the digital world? Join Code Labs Academy's_[ _Cybersecurity Bootcamp_](https://codelabsacademy.com/courses/cybersecurity) _and gain the hands-on skills you need to defend against cyber threats._


Bitkom Study Reveals: The Impact of AI on Job Dynamics within Germany’s Tech Sector

Alphabet's Waymo to Begin Self-Driving Car Tests in Tokyo in 2025

Combating Misinformation: Refute's Secures £2.3 Million in Pre-Seed Round

Microsoft Releases Critical Security Updates for Windows and Office Amid Active Exploits