AI Research
“Unknown actor” using AI to impersonate Rubio, State Department cable shows
An “unknown actor” created a Signal account and used artificial intelligence to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio and contact government and foreign officials, according to a State Department cable obtained by CBS News.
The cable was sent to “All Diplomatic and Consular Posts,” and alerted them that the account was created in mid-June 2025 with the display name marco.rubio@state.gov.
“The individual contacted at least five non-Department individuals, including three foreign ministers, a U.S. governor, and a U.S. member of Congress,” the cable said. “The actor left voicemails on Signal for at least two targeted individuals, and in one instance, sent a text message inviting the individual to communicate on Signal.”
In a statement, the State Department said it is “aware of this incident and is currently investigating this matter.” The Department said it “continuously takes steps to improve the department’s cybersecurity posture to prevent future incidents.”
The story was first reported by The Washington Post.
The cable says the alleged imposter “likely aimed to manipulate targeted individuals using AI-generated text and voice messages, with the goal of gaining access to information or accounts.”
According to the cable, this effort resembled an incident in May 2025 that was investigated by the FBI of someone impersonating other senior U.S. government officials.
There was a separate and unrelated campaign that began in April 2025 of Russia-linked cyber threat actor conducting a spear-fishing campaign that targeted personal Gmail accounts associated with think tank scholars, Eastern European-based activists and dissidents, journalists and former State Department officials. In that incident, the actor allegedly posed as a fictitious State Department official and invited the targets to a meeting in an attempt to link a third-party application to their Gmail accounts. The cable said that if clicked, the application would “almost certainly” grant the actor persistent access to the Gmail accounts’ contents. For this second campaign, industry partners attributed it to a cyber threat actor associated with the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).
The cable also listed other instances of threat actors impersonating Department accounts in the past few years.
The news also follows “Signalgate” in March, when journalist Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently added to a group chat on Signal that included Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and then-National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. On the chat, the officials discussed plans to strike Houthi targets in Yemen and Waltz was later ousted due in part to the incident.
AI Research
Northumbria to roll out new AI platform for staff and students
Northumbria University is to provide its students and staff with access to Claude for Education – a leading AI platform specifically tailored for higher education.
Northumbria will become only the second university in the UK, alongside the London School of Economics and other leading international institutions, to offer Claude for Education as a tool to its university community.
With artificial intelligence rapidly transforming many aspects of our lives, Northumbria’s students and staff will now be provided with free access to many of the tools and skills they will need to succeed in the new global AI-environment.
Claude for Education is a next-generation AI assistant built by Anthropic and trained to be safe, accurate and secure. It provides universities with ethical and transparent access to AI that ensures data security and copyright compliance and acts as a 24/7 study partner for students, designed to guide learning and develop critical thinking rather than providing direct answers.
Known as a UK leader in responsible AI-based research and education, Northumbria University recently launched its Centre for Responsible AI and is leading a multi-million pound UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Citizen-Centred Artificial Intelligence to train the next generation of leaders in AI development.
Professor Graham Wynn explained: “Today’s students are digitally native and recent data show many use AI routinely. They expect their universities to provide a modern, technology-enhanced education, providing access to AI tools along with clear guidance on the responsible use of AI.
“We know that the availability of secure and ethical AI tools is a significant consideration for our applicants and our investment in Claude for Education will position Northumbria as a forward-thinking leader in ethical AI innovation.
“Empowering students and staff, providing cutting-edge learning opportunities, driving social mobility and powering an inclusive economy are at the heart of everything we do. We know how important it is to eliminate digital poverty and provide equitable access to the most powerful AI tools, so our students and graduates are AI literate with the skills they need for the workplaces of the future.
“The introduction of Claude for Education will provide our students and staff with free universal access to cutting-edge AI technology, regardless of their financial circumstances.”
The University is now working with Anthropic to establish the technical infrastructure and training to roll out Claude for Education in autumn 2025.
AI Research
Wiley Partners with Anthropic to accelerate responsible AI integration
Wiley has announced plans for a strategic partnership with Anthropic, an artificial intelligence research and development company with an emphasis on responsible AI.
Wiley is adopting the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard created by Anthropic, which aims to enable seamless integration between authoritative, peer-reviewed content and AI tools across multiple platforms. Beginning with a pilot program, and subject to definitive agreement, Wiley and Anthropic will work to ensure university partners have streamlined, enhanced access to their Wiley research content.
Another key focus of the partnership is to establish standards for how AI tools properly integrate scientific journal content into results while providing appropriate context for users, including author attribution and citations.
“The future of research lies in ensuring that high-quality, peer-reviewed content remains central to AI-powered discovery,” said Josh Jarrett, Senior Vice President of AI Growth at Wiley. “Through this partnership, Wiley is not only setting the standard for how academic publishers integrate trusted scientific content with AI platforms but is also creating a scalable solution that other institutions and publishers can adopt. By adopting MCP, we’re demonstrating our commitment to interoperability and helping to ensure authoritative, peer-reviewed research will be discoverable in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.”
The announcement coincides with Anthropic’s broader Claude for Education initiative, which highlights new partnerships and tools designed to amplify teaching, learning, administration and research in higher education.
“We’re excited to partner with Wiley to explore how AI can accelerate and enhance access to scientific research,” said Lauren Collett, who leads Higher Education partnerships at Anthropic. “This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to building AI that amplifies human thinking—enabling students to access peer-reviewed content with Claude, enhancing learning and discovery while maintaining proper citation standards and academic integrity.”
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AI Research
Avalara rolls out AI tax research bot
Tax solutions provider
“The tax compliance industry is at the dawn of unprecedented innovation driven by rapid advancements in AI,” says Danny Fields, executive vice president and chief technology officer of Avalara. “Avalara’s technology mission is to equip customers with reliable, intuitive tools that simplify their work and accelerate business outcomes.”
Avi for Tax, specifically, offers the ability to instantly check the tax status of products and services using plain language queries to receive trusted, clearly articulated responses grounded in Avalara’s tax database. Users can also access real-time official guidance that supports defensible tax positions and enables proactive adaptation to evolving tax regulations, as well as quickly obtain precise sales tax rates tailored to specific street addresses to facilitate compliance accuracy down to local jurisdictional levels. The solution comes with an intuitive conversational interface that allows even those without tax backgrounds to use the tool.
For existing users of Avi Tax Research, the AI solution is available now with no additional setup required. New customers can
The announcement comes shortly after Avalara announced new application programming interfaces for its 1099 and W-9 solutions, allowing companies to embed their compliance workflows into their existing ERP, accounting, e-commerce or marketplace platforms. An API is a type of software bridge that allows two computer systems to directly communicate with each other using a predefined set of definitions and protocols. Any software integration depends on API access to function. Avalara’s API access enables users to directly collect W-9 forms from vendors; validate tax IDs against IRS databases; confirm mailing addresses with the U.S. Postal Service; electronically file 1099 forms with the IRS and states; and deliver recipient copies from one central location. Avalara’s new APIs allow for e-filing of 1099s with the IRS without even creating a FIRE account.
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