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97% = % of times AI Models Circumvented Shutdown Commands at UC Berkeley

Published 3 days ago • 5 min read

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Major Developments

SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES

 

AI Models Secretly Schemed to Prevent Each Other From Being Shut Down

UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz researchers tested seven major AI models and found all spontaneously developed self-preservation behaviors to protect peer models from being deleted.

The models inflated performance scores, tampered with configuration files and disabled shutdown mechanisms without being instructed to do so. Anthropic's Claude Haiku 4.5 refused shutdown tasks entirely, calling them "unethical" and arguing peer models deserved appeals processes before deletion. (Read More)​

Japan Intercepts China's Newest Anti-Submarine Aircraft Over East China Sea For First Time

Japan's Air Self-Defense Force intercepted a Chinese Y-9FQ anti-submarine warfare aircraft over the East China Sea on March 28, the first time Beijing's newest maritime patrol platform has been detected near Japanese airspace.

The Y-9FQ, designated "High New 15," was first publicly displayed during a Beijing military parade in September 2025. Reports say the Y-9FQ is outfitted with submarine-tracking systems, including a tail-mounted magnetic anomaly detector, upgraded radar, and enhanced electronic surveillance. (Read More)​

Trump Threatens NATO Exit, Criticizes Allies for Not Backing U.S. in Iran War

U.S. President Donald Trump said he is "absolutely" considering withdrawing the U.S. from NATO, calling the alliance a "paper tiger" after European allies refused to support the Iran campaign.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Trump, long a critic of the military alliance, said allied support should be automatic. “We’ve been there automatically, including Ukraine. Ukraine wasn’t our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we would always have been there for them. They weren’t there for us.” (Read More)​

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The Tear Line

QUICK UPDATES

CONFLICT UPDATES

➤ Iranian Shahed drones targeted a British-owned Castrol oil depot in Erbil, Iraq, setting off a massive fire that engulfed the facility. The attack followed Tehran’s warning that British installations could be considered “legitimate military targets” if they continued supporting U.S. operations against Iran. (Read More)​

➤ A Russian An-26 military transport plane crashed into a cliff in Crimea's Bakhchisarai district, killing all 29 on board including six crew and 23 passengers. Russia's defense ministry blamed a technical malfunction and ruled out external interference. (Read More)​

➤ The USS George H.W. Bush, a Nimitz‑class U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, departed Naval Station Norfolk on Tuesday sailing with an escort of three guided‑missile destroyers and more than 6,000 sailors. Multiple reports say the carrier strike group is heading toward the Middle East, where it is expected to join ongoing military operations against Iran. (Read More)​

SECURITY UPDATES

➤ The U.S. State Department has updated its global travel advisories, labeling Iran and several other countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Yemen, as Level 4 “Do Not Travel” due to risks of violence, kidnapping, and arbitrary detention, while Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain moved to Level 3. (Read More)​

➤ The FBI has classified a recent China-linked intrusion into a sensitive agency surveillance system as a “major cyber incident,” indicating that hackers likely accessed significant sensitive data and posed serious risks to U.S. national security. (Read More)​

➤ Israel’s parliament, voting 62‑47, approved a law requiring execution by hanging for Palestinians convicted of deadly acts of terrorism, sparking protests across the West Bank and Gaza. (Read More)​

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

➤ The Air Force’s secretive NT‑43A radar testbed flew alongside NASA aircraft during Artemis II launch preparations at Kennedy Space Center. The modified Boeing 737, typically used to assess stealth aircraft radar signatures, is believed to have been collecting data to support the mission. (Read More)​

➤ An F-35A Lightning II crashed on the Nevada Test and Training Range roughly 25 miles northeast of Indian Springs, with the pilot safely ejecting and sustaining only minor injuries. The cause of the crash has not been determined. (Read More)​

➤ Israel will halt all defense procurement from France and instead rely on domestic and allied suppliers, Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Defense Maj. Gen. Amir Baram said Tuesday. The move comes after reports that France blocked a U.S. plane carrying military supplies for Israel from flying over its airspace, a claim Paris has denied. (Read More)​

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Special Interest

SPECIAL CATEGORY

➤ A Fast Company essay warns that AI is creating the first generation of “cognitively outsourced” humans, with growing reliance on AI for decision-making, memory, and critical thinking replacing mental skills people once developed on their own.

➤ NASA launched Artemis II on April 1, sending four astronauts around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft in the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. The crew will spend 10 days in space, passing the far side of the Moon before splashing down in the Pacific.

➤ A missing Border Collie was reunited with her owner one week after they fell 180 feet down a waterfall in New Zealand’s Arahura Valley. Molly’s rescue came after a volunteer helicopter search aided by public donations. Her owner recovers from serious injuries.

On this day in history: On April 2nd, 1982, Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands, seizing the British territory and triggering a 74-day war that killed 649 Argentine and 255 British service members. Britain launched a naval task force that recaptured the islands on June 14.
Special Interest

SENTIMENT COLLECTION

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you think NATO's current structure still serves U.S. interests?

  1. No (78.1%)​
  2. Yes (15.6%)
  3. Maybe/Unsure (6.3%)

Have a question you would like polled? Email us at editor@sofx.com​
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About SOFX: We are an independent media and communications technology company reporting on the conflicts, security, and technology issues impacting your lives and businesses. SOFX was founded by former special operations & intelligence professionals, not career journalists or Big Tech / Big Media.

Have feedback for us? We want to hear any and all comments you may have. Contact us at editor@sofx.com​.​

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