The New York Times

US warns AI-aided hackers target Siemens S7 water systems

U.S. security agencies including CISA, the FBI and the NSA issued an advisory saying hackers are actively exploiting Siemens S7 programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used in critical infrastructure. The agencies warned attackers are using AI to generate exploit scripts that leverage publicly available information to find and compromise out-of-date or poorly secured PLCs, with water supply and wastewater systems across multiple U.S. states already affected. CISA reiterated long-standing guidance to keep such devices disconnected from the internet and cautioned rural communities are often more vulnerable. The advisory follows a series of recent intrusions attributed to suspected Iranian-linked actors targeting U.S. water and energy providers.

GOP Panics Over Ties to Big Tech and AI

Opinion piece by Gary Marcus (Aug 20, 2026) argues the Republican Party is shifting stance and 'panicking' over its prior ties to Big Tech and the AI industry. Marcus cites a statement from a new Super PAC, Guardrails Alliance, delivered by Political Director Charlie Blaettler, and notes reporting by Axios and earlier Politico commentary. The article highlights a reported move by Donald Trump away from strict anti-AI regulation toward encouraging voluntary preflight testing of frontier AI models, and observes that several prominent Republicans have expressed skepticism about the current AI industry.

AI Fails to Win Over the Public

TechCrunch reports that public sentiment toward AI is worsening despite technological progress. Multiple polls and studies (Pew Research, CNBC, Economist/YouGov) show growing consumer concern about AI’s speed, trustworthiness, and social impact. Political actors and local communities are pushing back against AI infrastructure projects — Axios reported a memo from the National Republican Senatorial Committee warning that data centers hurt electoral chances — and publishers report tech firms offering local incentives to ease opposition to data-center builds. Industry leaders including Airbnb’s Brian Chesky and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei acknowledge a trust crisis and argue the sector has not yet delivered tangible benefits for everyday people.