Thomas Rid joins the show: AI consciousness, TP-Link's China connection, trust in hardware security

Three Buddy Problem - Episode 43: Director of the Alperovitch Institute for Cybersecurity Studies Thomas Rid joins the show for a deep-dive into the philosophical and ethical considerations surrounding AI consciousness and anthropomorphism. We dig into the multifaceted implications of AI technology, particularly focusing on data privacy, national security, and the philosophical questions surrounding AI consciousness and rights. Plus, TP-Link under US government investigation and the broader issues of consumer trust in hardware security, the need for regulation and inspectability of technology, and the struggles with patching network devices. Cast: Thomas Rid, Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade and Ryan Naraine. Costin Raiu is away this week.Links:Transcript (unedited, AI-generated)Anthropic: Exploring AI model welfare, consciousnessDavid Chalmers: Taking AI Welfare SeriouslySam Altman: AI privacy safeguards can’t be established before ‘problems emerge’TP-Link router pricing and China ties under US gov probeBloomberg: TP-Link’s US Future Hinges on Claimed Split From ChinaVerizon DBIR 2015 (full report)Mandiant M-Trends 2025 ReportFBI seeking tips about China's 'Salt Typhoon' hackersNorth Korean Cryptocurrency Thieves Caught Hijacking Zoom ‘Remote Control’ FeatureDan Geer on the realpolitik of cybersecurityLABScon 2025 CFP is openRansom War by Max Smeets