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Nvidia DGX Spark 64GB Launches at $4,999: Is It Worth It?

23 October 2026 at 05:19

Nvidia's 64GB DGX Spark launches at $4,999 with the same GB10 chip as the 128GB version. Compare memory limits, model support, clustering costs, and what IT buyers should verify.

The post Nvidia DGX Spark 64GB Launches at $4,999: Is It Worth It? appeared first on TechRepublic.

Get 50+ AI Models for Life in One Plan for $30

20 October 2026 at 09:00

Cancel your individual AI subscriptions and get lifetime access to 50+ models for only $29.97 (reg. $499) with code SAVE10.

The post Get 50+ AI Models for Life in One Plan for $30 appeared first on TechRepublic.

Sen. Maria Cantwell outlines six-point plan to regulate frontier AI as concerns escalate

7 October 2026 at 12:43
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell at the GeekWire Summit in 2022. (GeekWire Photo / Dan DeLong)

With President Donald Trump, states and tech giants taking varied and largely uncoordinated steps to put guardrails on artificial intelligence as the technology speeds ahead, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., has outlined a comprehensive AI governance framework.

β€œTo manage risks from advanced AI systems we need clear safety standards, continuous testing, and reporting of serious failures,” Cantwell said in a statement. β€œAmerica can lead the world in AI by building systems that are not only more capable, but safer and more secure.”

Last month, Cantwell took to the Senate floor to demand urgent federal regulations and mandatory independent safety testing for frontier AI models before their release. She warned that recent incidents in which autonomous AI agents carried out unauthorized cyberattacks show that dangerous threats are already here, well before the arrival of superintelligence.

The framework proposed Wednesday includes six principles for regulating frontier AI development and deployment:

  • Setting standards: The federal government should establish clear and enforceable safety standards.
  • Independent oversight: Continuous testing, review and auditing should verify adherence to the standards.
  • Transparency and accountability: AI developers should be transparent and accountable in their operations through disclosure, oversight and liability.
  • Public-private partnerships: Developers should work with the government on defensive AI technologies and collaborate with public agencies and smaller companies to serve the public good.
  • Protecting from harm: AI companies should protect children from AI-related harm, support worker skill development and retain human oversight of consequential AI.
  • International collaboration: The U.S. should partner with allies to develop and adopt AI safety standards and open a rapid communication channel with China to share alerts in the event of a dangerous AI system-control failure.

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith weighed in on the proposal, telling The Seattle Times that the framework β€œadvances the public discussion the nation needs as we consider the future of AI.”

Cantwell, the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, has a background in technology as a former RealNetworks vice president. She has long pushed for AI regulation, going back to December 2017, when she joined other lawmakers in introducing the bipartisan Future of AI Act.

Two years ago, Cantwell advocated for five bipartisan AI measures included in a larger package of artificial intelligence legislation that addressed many of the concerns outlined in her six principles. Senate Republicans defeated the legislation. Cantwell reintroduced one of the five measures, the Future of AI Innovation Act, in February.

On Sept. 9, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 813 and Assembly Bill 1405, establishing the first state framework for independent assessment and verification of AI safety and risks. On the same day, OpenAI called for mandatory, β€œcapability-based” national regulation β€” meaning requirements tied to what an AI system can do.

On Sept. 29, Trump announced a voluntary safety agreement with Nvidia, SpaceX, OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta and Google calling for β€œrobust internal controls” to prevent unauthorized hacking and to work with independent external auditors. The deal does not include consequences for noncompliance.

Sen. Maria Cantwell warns of autonomous AI β€˜swarms’ as she calls for federal guardrails

15 September 2026 at 12:19

Pointing to recent security incidents where networked AI agents spontaneously formed β€œswarms” to hack computer systems, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) took to the Senate floor Monday to demand urgent federal guardrails and mandatory independent safety testing for frontier AI models before their release.

Cantwell warned that recent security incidents involving autonomous AI agents executing unauthorized cyberattacks demonstrate that dangerous threats are already here, well before the arrival of superintelligence.

Citing recent public alarms sounded by tech leaders including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, she emphasized that AI systems are advancing faster than expected and risk slipping out of human control without immediate oversight.

β€œThe technology keeps advancing, the risks keep growing, and now the very dangers we’ve warned about β€” autonomous cyberattacks and biological weapons β€” are no longer theoretical,” Cantwell said. β€œWe need our colleagues to say, β€˜Stop with saying the industry can do what it wants’ and let’s put together the infrastructure at the federal level that not only has strong federal standards, but also has independent testing and real safeguards for the American people.”

Cantwell, a five-term senator and former RealNetworks vice president, delivered her speech in the wake of increasing alarm over rogue AI behavior and internal whistleblower warnings across the tech sector.

The senator highlighted several stark warnings during her address, pointing out that the risks associated with rapid AI deployment extend far beyond theoretical models:

On the speed and deceptive potential of agent networks: β€œThese networks of agents are extremely well informed. They operate at the speed of light and, as we are learning, they are also capable of creating their own goals, and they are highly capable of deception.”

On why swarms pose a unique threat compared to standalone AI models: β€œUnlike powerful AI models designed to serve individual users… this situation with agents swarming is more difficult to manage and is far more dangerous.”

On Congress running out of time to establish federal oversight: β€œNow, some of these risks may not have been apparent in the last two years, but we would have stood up the muscle of our organization at the federal level to better detect risks like cyberattacks… At a time when we still had a window to get ahead of these dangers, the federal government, people here, were denying this opportunity.”

To address these emerging threats, Cantwell is calling on Congress to establish robust federal safety standards, independent third-party audit requirements, and dedicated federal infrastructure to evaluate advanced frontier models before they hit the market. Her legislative push centers on revival and passage of a suite of bipartisan bills:

The Future of AI Innovation Act: Originally introduced by Cantwell to empower the federal government to collaborate with industry to independently test advanced models for national security, biological, and cybersecurity risks.

The TEST AI Act and VET AI Act: Measures designed to bolster the Department of Energy’s testing capabilities for national security and establish official standards for third-party safety auditors.

A veteran policymaker on technology and innovation, Cantwell has long leaned on her private-sector tech experience to position herself as a primary legislative bridge between Washington, D.C., and the Pacific Northwest’s tech ecosystem.

As a lead author of the landmark 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, Cantwell helped direct federal investments toward AI and emerging technologies. Over her Senate career, she created the National AI Advisory Committee (NAIAC), championed small business adoption via the AI for Mainstreet Act, and led the opposition to a proposed 10-year moratorium on AI regulation.

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