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Dear Reader,

 

The C4DT weekly newsletter brings you a selection of articles or books that interested us.

 

Enjoy reading!

C4DT Team

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Weekly Picks
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Canada bids to lead middle powers in AI sovereignty race

Politico — 04/06/2026

Katherine's take

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Canada's new AI strategy treats AI as critical infrastructure and targets all layers of the sovereignty stack, from cloud infrastructure and semiconductor capacity to data ownership and talent development. Notably, the strategy includes support for SMEs as a key lever toward AI sovereignty. I'm eager to see what AI sovereignty will look like in five years for these 'middle power' countries - Canada, Japan, India and others - and what paths they will have taken to get there.

Commission proposes tech sovereignty package to strengthen Europe's digital autonomy and resilience

European Commission — 03/06/2026

Olivier's take

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The EU's Technological Sovereignty Package represents a significant strategic development. It intends to establish Europe as a credible third force between the US and Chinese tech blocs, showcasing a clear ambition to develop the entire tech stack, from semiconductors to cloud computing, artificial intelligence and open-source software. This approach contrasts with Switzerland's slower decision-making processes. However, as always, success depends on mobilizing private capital and industry. Concrete funding and timelines, as well as talent and skills development, remain noticeably absent in the proposal.

Der Nachrichten­dienst profitiert vom Zeitgeist

Republik — 02/06/2026

Linus' take

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Schon das alte Nachrichtendienstgesetz wurde von der DigiGes und anderen Organisationen als zu eingreifend für die Privatsphäre bezeichnet. Hinzu kommt, dass die bisherigen Lauschangriffe auf die Netzkommunikation durch den Schweizer Nachrichtendienst vom Bundesgericht als grundrechtswidrig festgestellt wurden. Jetzt soll eine überarbeitete Version mit noch mehr Abhörrechten Eingang ins Schweizer Recht finden - das ist sicher nicht förderlich für den Schutz unserer Privatsphäre.

Let’s talk about encrypted reasoning

cryptographyengineering.com — 29/05/2026

Carine's take

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Amongst all the big news, I really like blog posts like this - just a cryptographer finding an interesting oddity, deciding to dig into it, and sharing their findings with the rest of us, even if nothing big came of it.

Artificial Intelligence for Software Engineering: From Probable to Provable

Communications of the ACM — 26/05/2026

David's take

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The author resists both the hype that AI will replace software engineers and the reflex to dismiss it. Probably correct isn't good enough for professional software: errors compound across modules until correctness and trust collapse. His answer is pairing AI code generation with AI-assisted formal specification, verified by proof tools at every step. Trustworthy software must be provably correct, not just probably correct.

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New Publication
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C4DT Focus #11, titled “With AI supercharging information, trust is more than ever at stake“

 

Why read?

How do you know this wasn’t produced by an AI?  You don’t. Not immediately. And that split second of doubt? That’s exactly what this piece is about. The line between human and machine-made content is blurring fast — and what’s on the other side of that line affects what you believe, what you trust, and what you do. Two experts, prof. A. Cavallaro (EPFL) and Philippe Stoll (Red Cross) on the front lines of this fight have things to say. It won’t take long to read. But it might change how you read everything else.

 

Where to access? Click here

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Upcoming Events
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16 June 2026: C4DT Session at the Swiss IGF — Digitalization and Democracy, Friends or Foes?

 

Where? Swiss IGF, Welle 7, Bern

 

Time? 13:30 – 14:45

 

Why participate?

 

From e-voting to the e-collection of signatures, digital tools could enable wider citizen participation and bolster Swiss democratic processes. But do these benefits outweigh the potential risks? Even if we could build trustworthy digital tools that encourage political participation, what might we be giving up by moving democracy to the digital realm? What does digital integrity mean in this context, and how do we safeguard it? Switzerland has already been through some defining moments in its digital journey, from the hard-won eID process to the SwissCovid app, arguably the first digital tool to enter our daily lives at scale. What lessons can we draw from these experiences, and what can the experiences of other countries like Estonia bring to the Swiss context? 

 

For the full Swiss IGF program and registration, please click here.

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SAVE THE DATE!

 

10 November 2026: C4DT Conference on AI Sovereignty: Charting Switzerland’s Path Amid US and Chinese AI Dominance

 

Where? Starling Hotel, 1025 Saint-Sulpice

 

Time? 9:30 – 18:30

 

Why participate?

 

As the global AI landscape consolidates around US and Chinese dominance, every nation outside this duopoly faces an urgent question: how can countries retain meaningful control over a technology increasingly expected to shape their economic competitiveness, national security, and societal resilience? From the viability of sovereign cloud architectures and open-weight foundation models to the governance mechanisms needed to ensure AI systems reflect Swiss values and legal frameworks, this conference brings together industry leaders, researchers, legal experts, policymakers, and civil society actors to assess the concrete levers of AI sovereignty and work toward actionable recommendations for a Swiss sovereign AI strategy.

This event is organized by the Center for Digital Trust (C4DT), EPFL.

 

For more information, please click here.

 

For registration, please click here. Registration is free but mandatory.

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