Alarm bells as China’s AI raises the stakes for Western nations

As your editorial makes clear, the DeepSeek artificial intelligence may well be a heartbeat from a communist Deep State (29/1).

When coupled with a ubiquitous non-Western social media app, perhaps the sky really is about to fall here in the lucky country and the rest of the free world. It is vital that we ask hard questions of the free world’s media network and its almost total inability to see the blatantly obvious ethical deterioration within its midst.

It is said that 5 per cent of the people make it happen; 20 per cent of the people watch it happen; and the remainder eventually wonder what the hell happened. Journalists comprise a significant part of the watchers, and it is way past time that they lifted their game. These days, is one allowed to say that?

L.J. O’Donoghue, Lorne, Vic

DeepSeek may have the same, deleterious effect on established American AI companies that cheap and plentiful drones have brought to sophisticated and expensive weaponry in the Ukraine war.

China is our largest trading partner and mutual co-operation is essential for our future economic growth.

Andrew Whyte, Mount Martha, Vic

Didn’t earn it

Jobs and board positions in companies, institutions, universities, the public service and political preselections that are filled as a result of gender or other identity-based targets and quotas are antithetical to the merit principle (“Trump’s war on DEI puts the wind up our diversity divas”, 29/1).

It used to be a person getting a job was the best person for the job. Nowadays, if a person gets a job or appointment under DEI, it stands for “Didn’t Earn It”.

Riley Brown, Bondi Beach, NSW

Banks feel the heat

Given an exodus of many big US and Canadian banks from the Net Zero Banking Alliance and a subsequent letter to the chief executives of our big four banks, it will be fascinating to see the response from those CEOs (“’Woke’ banks feel Trump heat on exiting UN climate pact”, 29/1).

While the interests of long-forgotten shareholders should take priority, we should not underestimate the value of the warm and fuzzy feelings gener­ated by approval from our woke elite.

Bob Miller, Leederville, WA

Not doing enough

Look at the people sent by the different countries to the 80th anniversary commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz.

England was represented by King Charles, Germany by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, France by President Emmanuel Macron, Denmark by King Frederik and Queen Mary, Ukraine by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Who led the delegation for Australia? Not our Prime Minister nor our Governor-General but rather our Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who last year failed to even go to the killing fields in southern Israel during her trip. And where were the journalists from the ABC and SBS? Nowhere to be seen.

Robert Krochmalik, Pearl Beach, NSW

Your editorial (“Reform of UN is long overdue”, 29/1) is certainly apt. President Trump has already taken action by ceasing to fund the World Health Organisation.

The problem, however, goes back to 1948. The UN created the state of Israel and since that time has taken absolutely no action to ensure its survival despite attempts by Arab states, also members of the UN, to destroy it. One can legitimately question the worth of UN’s existence.

Tiit Tonuri, Cowra, NSW

Blocking therapy

Some years ago there was condemnation of the dispensing of puberty blockers and hormones to female gymnasts so that they would stay small and be, supposedly, better at gymnastics (“State freezes hormone therapy”, 29/1). Why is it now OK to be giving ­puberty blockers and hormones to confused and mentally ill children? These children need psychiatrists and psychologists, not some brew of cocktails.

Meg Davis, Corinda, Qld

Be proud, for a change

I am nearing 100 years of age. My mother was English and one of the World War I brides to come to Australia in 1919 to marry my Australian father, whom she had met in London while he was recovering from almost losing his arm at the landing in Gallipoli.

It amazes me why the Australia Day protesters who have some white heritage are not also proud of that, instead of trying to divide us.

Just think how hard the convicts and early settlers, and the generations from then on, have worked to contribute to the ­standard we now enjoy in this wonderful country.

J.M., West Beach, SA