The Bureau of Industry and Security's upcoming export controls on advanced AI semiconductors will introduce hurdles that could push U.S. allies closer to China, a technology think tank and a semiconductor industry group said this week. Both the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and the Semiconductor Industry Association urged President Joe Biden's administration to reverse course. ITIF said it should “immediately” rethink the "overdesigned, yet underinformed" restrictions, which are expected to be published as an interim final rule before Biden leaves office. SIA, "deeply concerned by the unprecedented scope and complexity" of the potential regulation, asked the government to instead issue the restrictions as a proposed rule -- which would allow for industry feedback and possible revisions without a set effective date -- or allow the new Trump administration to decide how to move forward.
Global Digital Inclusion Partnership launches fellowship program, with Robert Pepper, ex-FCC and Facebook, and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka of South Africa as inaugural senior fellows ... Jason Kim, ex-Millennium Space Systems, named CEO of Firefly Aerospace.
Viasat names Gary Chase, ex-Delta Air lines, as CFO ... RFMW, provider of radio frequency, microwave and power components, promotes Mike Carroll to senior vice president-global sales.
Scott Agnew replaces Jim Bugel as AT&T president-FirstNet, effective Sept. 1 ... Ryan Mulhall promoted by Governor Kim Reynolds (R) to executive director, Iowa Communications Network... Dan Domenech, American Association of School Administrators, resigns from the USAC board, effective Dec. 31... John Perrino, ex-Stanford Internet Observatory, joins the Internet Society as a senior policy and advocacy expert.