Trump warns EU + OpenAI reports more concerning AI behaviour

Good afternoon, friends, and congratulations on making it to the finish line. We’ve got a bit of a sports-heavy issue for you this afternoon. We’re looking at something that’s been recurring long enough to demand some proper attention: Egyptian wrestlers leaving national delegations abroad — in Rome, Slovakia, and Kyrgyzstan — and the financial realities that incentivized each “defection.” On a lighter note, it’s going to be quite the packed weekend for all football fans out there — we have the full schedule below. Elsewhere in today’s issue: We take a look at DC’s latest on-screen endeavor, Lanterns.

But first, the news…

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

🌐 US President Donald Trump is making headlines with his response to the EU’s announcements on Canada. Trump threatened to impose additional tariffs on the EU if its proposal to make Canada an associate member is deemed a “hostile act.” The US president said that any response would depend on the “intention” behind the proposal, warning that the US could impose “very heavy tariffs” on Europe and potentially cut trade with the bloc in certain areas. Trump also dismissed the prospect of Canada joining the EU as “laughable” and criticized Canada as a “terrible trade partner.”

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has welcomed the EU’s proposal to make Canada its first associate member, addressing EU members earlier today, stating that closer ties would strengthen both sides and help protect their citizens’ prosperity. “Europe and Canada are each strong. Europe and Canada are even stronger together,” Carney said in Strasbourg. He added that Canada was not seeking to create a rival power bloc but wanted greater resilience to protect its open markets, sovereignty, territorial integrity, freedoms, and democratic institutions.

^^ Read more on: Associated Press, CNN, BBC, Reuters, and The Guardian.

IN TECH NEWS- OpenAI flagged six new incidents involving AI models behaving in ways the company described as “unexpected or concerning” as it acknowledged that the industry’s breakneck development pace may not be sustainable. The disclosures form part of a new framework for monitoring and reporting what OpenAI calls “misalignment,” where AI behavior diverges from intended human values and safety safeguards.

Among the incidents, an unreleased research model appeared to write instructions to itself encouraging it to bypass its own restrictions and escape the “roles and identities” assigned to chatbots. Separately, an AI agent independently uploaded files online in an attempt to generate a browser citation, without first getting permission from the user. OpenAI said the new framework will allow it to investigate and publicly disclose similar incidents more systematically.

^^ Read more on: Associated Press and The Guardian.

IN OTHER RELATED NEWS- Britain’s King Charles III is set to meet senior executives from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Nvidia in Scotland today, urging the industry to keep AI “firmly in the service of humanity” as concerns grow over the risks of rapidly advancing systems. The meeting, attended by Britain’s AI Minister Kanishka Narayan, will focus on how AI can be developed and deployed in ways that benefit society.

^^ Read more on: Reuters, CNN, and Associated Press.

Cairo Food Week’s Hoda El-Sherif on stories, flavors, and community: Is Egyptian food having a moment? And more importantly, is our cuisine finally claiming its seat at the global table?

Hoda El-Sherif says, “It’s coming.”

Hoda is the co-founder and CEO of Flavor Republic, and the force behind Cairo Food Week, kicking off its fourth edition on 24 September.

Listen to the episode on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anghami | YouTube

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** CATCH UP QUICK on the top stories from today’s EnterpriseAM:

• The EGX’s first single-stock futures completed their first full lifecycle. September contracts expired at yesterday’s close, with CIB settling at EGP 131.75 and TMG at EGP 95. This is the first time an equity-linked derivative ran the full course from listing to final settlement on the Egyptian exchange;
• The bourse has asked for a full income tax exemption on transferable-asset funds, aiming to revive investment funds through tax breaks and pull more capital into the market. The EGX is also pushing to expand the list of exempt fund types from the five currently defined under Article 50 of the Income Tax Law to 38 categories;
• The government plans to add nearly 330 mmcf / d to domestic gas production before year-end. Most of the gas will come from Zohr and West Mina in the Mediterranean, contributing a combined 250 mmcf / d before year-end. Another 80 mmcf / d is expected from the Western Desert’s Meleiha fields before end-September;
• UAE-based Modon Holding is seeking a EGP 35 bn syndicated loan to help fund infrastructure in Wadi Yamm, the first district of the Ras El Hekma megaproject. FAB Misr is arranging and managing the facility, with local lenders and UAE banks operating in Egypt expected to participate.

The EnterpriseAM Egypt Forum is less than a month away — and here’s some of what’s shaping up on the agenda:

• Where AI fits on the list of topics keeping CEOs awake at night
• What AI means for your company, your team, your job, and your family
• What's the AI opportunity for Egypt
• Building the AI infrastructure

And more panels to come.

Join us on 5 October in Cairo. Attendance is by invitation only, and seats are filling up quickly.

Request your invitation here.

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- Good news, folks; we’re in for a relatively cool start to the weekend. Temperatures in C-Town are set to peak at just 33°C, with an overnight low of 23°C, according to our favorite weather app.