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Mexico has sued technology company Google over its decision to update its maps platforms to match President Trump’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Friday.

Sheinbaum told reporters Friday that a suit was filed against Google but did not provide further details, The Associated Press reported.

Google did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

The reported lawsuit makes good on Sheinbaum’s threat from February, shortly after Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico on his first day in office.

Shortly after the order, the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) made the change official, prompting Google Maps to follow suit for U.S. users.

Currently, those in the U.S. only see the label Gulf of America on the map while users in Mexico see the name as Gulf of Mexico. Those elsewhere see the label “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).”

Sheinbaum’s announcement comes one day after House Republicans took the first step in codifying the executive order to rename the body of water. The legislation, titled the Gulf of America Act, cleared the House in a 211-206 vote and now heads to the Senate, where its future looks murky.

At least seven Democrats would need to join all Republicans in supporting the legislation.

Amid the backlash earlier this year, Google maintained it has a long-standing practice of applying name changes when they are updated in official government sources, like the GNIS. In a case where official names vary between nations, Google’s policy states users will see their official local names.

Sheinbaum argues Trump’s executive order only applied to the area of the continental shelf under U.S. control.

“What Google is doing here is changing the name of the continental shelf of Mexico and Cuba, which has nothing to do with Trump’s decree, which applied only to the U.S. continental shelf,” Sheinbaum said in February.

According to Sovereign Limits, a database of international boundaries, the U.S. has control over about 46 percent of the Gulf, while Mexico controls about 49 percent and Cuba about 5 percent.

Mexico’s foreign relations ministry sent letters to Google earlier this year, urging the company not to implement the changes.

In February, Sheinbaum shared Google’s response from its vice president of government affairs and public policy, Cris Turner, who said the company will not change its policy after Trump signed the order, the AP reported.

The following is an executive summary from a roundtable breakfast that focused on discussing roadblocks and solutions surrounding the integration and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) into our everyday lives.

Participants cautioned against oversimplifying AI as “magic” and emphasized the importance of understanding its actual capabilities and limitations.

It was held under Chatham House Rules, prior to The Hill’s Energy & Environment Summit on May 6 in Washington, D.C. The discussion featured a diverse group of more than 20 attendees, including U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), co-chair of the AI Caucus, and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), vice chair of the Democratic Caucus as well as business and philanthropy leaders, researchers and policy advisers. The discussion was moderated by The Hill’s Technology reporter Miranda Nazzaro and Bill Sammon, SVP of Editorial Content for The Hill.

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, so much so that there’s even a term for it. “Ubiquitous AI” refers to the concept of AI being integrated into every aspect of our lives, from everyday devices to complex systems, making it accessible and beneficial to everyone, everywhere.

While the concept sounds wonderful, putting it into practice is a different story. As lawmakers continue to grapple with how to regulate the technology, companies are scrambling to inform their opinions on the best way to create rules of the road for AI.

How will AI continue to transform our society? How should we balance AI innovation and its potential risks? What will it take to reach “Ubiquitous AI”? Using the energy sector as an example, which areas will be most impacted? And what does an informed, collaborative, and evidence-based approach to AI regulation and governance look like?

1. The Imperative of Public-Private Partnerships and Collaboration:

• Essential for Progress: There was a strong consensus that collaboration between the public and private sectors is not just beneficial but critical for the future development and responsible deployment of AI. This includes sharing expertise, resources, and understanding.
• Balancing Roles: The discussion explored the balance of leadership in AI policy. While industry drives innovation, government has a crucial role in setting top-line best practices, ensuring accountability, and establishing standards to foster trust. No single entity should operate in isolation.
• Government as an Enabler and Agenda Setter: Participants highlighted the government’s potential to proactively shape the direction of AI development through funding initiatives, prize structures, and identifying areas where AI can address societal goals (e.g., wildfire prevention).
• Addressing the Government’s Knowledge Gap: Lawmakers acknowledged the rapid pace of AI development and the need for Congress to learn from experts in the field. Initiatives like the Senate AI Caucus’s events and the ASAP project aim to bridge this gap.

2. The Challenge of Pace and the Need for Adaptive Governance:

• Industry’s Breakneck Speed vs. Government’s Deliberation: A significant concern was the stark contrast between the rapid advancements in AI and the often-slower pace of governmental processes. This raises questions about the government’s ability to keep up and regulate effectively.
• Regulation vs. Shaping: Participants suggested that instead of solely focusing on traditional regulation, the government should also focus on “shaping” the market through incentives and strategic investments.
• The Need for Adaptability: Given the constant evolution of AI, rigid rules may become quickly outdated. The discussion emphasized the importance of adaptive systems, continuous information sharing, and iterative approaches to governance.
• Challenges for Higher Education: The rapid pace also presents challenges for educational institutions in developing relevant curricula that keep pace with industry changes.

3. Sectoral Regulation as a Preferred Approach:

• Targeted Expertise: Both Congressman Lieu and Senator Rounds advocated for a sectoral approach to regulation, where existing agencies with specific expertise (e.g., FAA, FDA, Department of Agriculture) tailor AI oversight to their respective domains, rather than a single, overarching AI bill.

4. The Profound Implications of Emerging AI Capabilities:

• AI Agents: The potential of AI agents capable of autonomously executing complex tasks based on simple prompts was highlighted as both “amazing and alarming,” with uncertain societal and economic consequences.
• Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): While considered further out, the long-term implications of AGI, including potential widespread unemployment across all skill levels, were raised as critical considerations for future planning.

5. The Critical Intersection of AI and Energy:

• Growing Energy Demands: The increasing energy consumption of AI, particularly for large language models and data centers, was identified as a significant challenge. Projections suggest a substantial increase in national electricity demand due to AI.  
• AI for Energy Solutions: Conversely, the potential of AI to drive advancements in energy efficiency, material science, and the development of new energy sources was also acknowledged.
• Infrastructure and Permitting: The need for significant investment in energy infrastructure, including transmission and new generation capacity (potentially including small nuclear reactors), was discussed, along with the challenges of permitting and local acceptance.
• Resilience and National Security: Concerns were raised about the concentration of data centers in specific geographic areas and the need for a resilient and secure energy supply to support both the AI industry and national defense.

6. The Importance of Data Regulation:

• Enabling Innovation and Avoiding Fragmentation: The lack of comprehensive data regulation in the U.S. was identified as a hindrance to innovation and a potential driver of market fragmentation, as companies are forced to comply with varying international standards (e.g., GDPR in Europe).  

7. The Uncertainty of Timelines and Adoption:

• Adoption S-Curve: The discussion acknowledged that the widespread adoption of AI may follow an S-curve, potentially taking longer than current rapid advancements might suggest.
• AGI Timeline Uncertainty: The timeline for achieving AGI remains highly uncertain, impacting the relevance of different policy approaches.
• Focus on Foundational Elements: Despite timeline uncertainties, investments in fundamental research, digital infrastructure, and energy solutions were deemed crucial regardless of the specific pace of AI development.
• Comparative and Absolute Advantage: The discussion highlighted that even with absolute advantages in certain tasks, AI adoption will also be influenced by factors like cost, practicality, and comparative advantages of existing solutions.

In summary, the roundtable highlighted the urgent need for proactive and collaborative approaches to AI governance, focusing on sectoral expertise, adaptability, and addressing the significant implications for energy infrastructure and the future of work. The rapid pace of innovation necessitates continuous learning and engagement between policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers.

The crypto industry is brushing off a failed vote on a stablecoin bill in the Senate, underscoring recent progress and the hope that this isn’t the end of the line for crypto legislation. 

Democrats on Thursday blocked the Senate from moving forward with consideration of the GENIUS Act, which would create a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins. 

The bill was voted down 48-49, falling short of the 60 votes required to bring it closer to final passage. The vote was split almost entirely along party lines, after bipartisan support for the legislation fell apart last week. 

“It’s going to live to fight another day,” Kara Calvert, vice president of U.S. policy at Coinbase, told The Hill.

“Would I have liked to see the vote pass? Absolutely. Would that have made the day better? Absolutely. But I didn’t walk away thinking this bill is going to die or this issue is going away,” she added. 

A contingent of crypto-friendly Democrats pulled support for the GENIUS Act after Senate leadership moved to expedite a vote on the legislation last week.  

The Democratic senators, several of whom voted to advance the bill out of the Senate Banking Committee in March, argued that Republicans had cut off negotiations prematurely. 

They said they still had concerns about provisions on anti-money laundering, national security and a handful of other issues and could not support the current version of the bill.  

The two sides engaged in several frantic days of negotiations and appeared to be nearing a deal Thursday morning ahead of the vote. However, several Democrats said they had yet to see new bill text.  

Sen. Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Digital Assets, asked to delay the vote until Monday to give senators more time. However, his request was rejected, and Democrats voted down the bill.  

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who lambasted Democrats for blocking the bill, ultimately changed his vote to no Thursday in a procedural move that allows him to bring the measure up again. 

Cody Carbone, CEO of crypto advocacy group The Digital Chamber, described Thursday’s vote as a “setback” but argued it is “far from a defeat,” noting that leadership left open the door to reconsider the bill. 

“Last-minute negotiations prove the momentum is real, and that lawmakers on both sides understand the urgency,” Carbone said in a statement. 

“The Digital Chamber will keep working with Republicans and Democrats alike to get this across the finish line,” he added. “Stablecoin legislation isn’t a partisan issue, it’s an economic and national security imperative. America can’t afford to sit on the sidelines.” 

The Blockchain Association’s Kristin Smith similarly said the crypto industry group was disappointed in the vote but was “encouraged by the bipartisan engagement.” 

“We urge that this debate continue in earnest and that our elected officials are reminded that the fundamental nature of stablecoin technology is both pro-consumer, providing access to 21st century financial technology, and pro-American, strengthening the global hegemony of the U.S. dollar,” she said in a statement. 

Crypto legislation has gained new momentum under the Trump administration and Republican leadership in Congress, with the president and GOP lawmakers making stablecoin and market structure legislation a key priority. 

Stablecoin legislation appeared to be sailing along prior to last week’s partisan dispute. The GENIUS Act passed out of the Senate Banking Committee in March, while its House companion, the STABLE Act, advanced out of the House Financial Services Committee in April. 

However, President Trump’s own crypto ventures also appear to be throwing a wrench in his legislative priorities.  

The president and his family have continued to grow their crypto portfolio in recent months, with their crypto venture World Liberty Financial announcing last week that its new stablecoin would be used to complete a $2 billion transaction between Emirati firm MGX and crypto exchange Binance.  

The announcement, along with Trump’s other recent moves in the crypto space, have prompted concerns from Democrats that the president is attempting to profit off his office and opening up the U.S. government to foreign influence.  

It also provided new fuel for opponents of the GENIUS Act in the Senate, while prompting Democrats to walk out of a hearing on market structure legislation in the House earlier this week.  

The Bitcoin Policy Institute pushed back on some of Democrats’ concerns with the stablecoin bill Thursday, arguing it contains strong anti-money laundering provisions and suggesting conflict of interest concerns could be addressed in follow-up legislation. 

“Recent political opposition to the GENIUS Act is misplaced, as it contains robust anti-money laundering measures applicable to both domestic and foreign issuers, and any concerns regarding governmental conflicts or oversight are best handled in separate, targeted legislation rather than obstructing broadly beneficial and otherwise uncontroversial policy,” Zack Shapiro, the institute’s head of policy, said in a statement. 

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introduced a bill Friday that would require chip exports to have location-tracking systems to prevent American technology from reaching adversaries.

The bill, titled the Chip Security Act, would direct the Commerce Department to require a “location verification mechanism” on artificial intelligence (AI) chips subject to export controls.

Chip exporters would then be required to report to the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) if their products were diverted from the intended destination or tampered with.

“Expanding access to advanced technology can’t come at the cost of our national security,” Cotton wrote Friday on social platform X. “My Chips Security Act will prevent American chips from falling into the hands of adversaries like Communist China.”

Earlier this week, the Trump administration confirmed it is planning to repeal the Biden administration’s AI diffusion rule, which was announced in January in the final days of former President Biden’s term.

The rule placed caps on chip sales to most countries around the world, except for 18 U.S. allies and partners, and intended to curb foreign competition in the tech development space.

In a statement Wednesday, the BIS called the rule “overly complex, overly bureaucratic” and warned it would stifle American innovation and dominance. David Sacks, the White House AI and crypto czar, later said the rule alienated key U.S. allies and overreached on export control authority.

Several other technology companies from Microsoft to Nvidia urged Trump to loosen the rules in recent months.

The issue raises new challenges for the administration as it grapples with curbing competition from China and ensuring the success of American exporters.

The Trump administration last month rolled out new export licensing requirements for certain chips, including Nvidia’s H20 and AMD’s MI308 models. Nvidia said the rules will cost the company $5.5 billion, and Reuters reported Friday that the chip manufacturer is planning to release a modified H20 AI chip in the wake of the new rules.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday it would be “ridiculous” to think President Trump is personally benefiting from his time at the White House, calling out reporters for questions about his family’s business ventures while in office.

Ahead of Trump’s trip to the Middle East next week, Leavitt pushed back on questioning over whether any family members are joining him and if the president has any plans to meet with people involved with the family businesses while in the region.

“Not to my knowledge, and let me just get to the premise of your question that both of you have raised. I think it’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit. He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service, not just once, but twice,” she said.

Trump and his family have several business ventures in the Middle East.

The Trump Organization, which is run by the president’s son Eric Trump, recently agreed to a new Middle East golf course and real estate deal last month ahead of the president’s trip next week. President Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Leavitt insisted that the president, whose net worth has been estimated by Forbes to be in the billions, has lost money since being in office and pressed reporters on why the Biden administration didn’t get questioned on whether former President Biden was making money as president.

“The American public reelected [Trump] back to this White House because they trust he acts in the best interest of our country and putting the American public first. This is a president who has actually lost money for being president of the United States,” Leavitt said.

“I don’t remember these same type of questions being asked of my predecessor about a career politician who was clearly profiting all of this office. That is not what President Trump does, and this White House holds ourselves to the highest of ethical standards.”

The first question during Friday’s briefing was about Trump’s plans to attend a dinner next month with the top holders of his meme coin, which was unveiled shortly before he took office in January.

Leavitt insisted Trump attending the dinner is not a conflict of interest.

“The president is abiding by all conflict-of-interest laws. The president has been incredibly transparent with his own personal financial obligations throughout the years. The president is a successful businessman and I think, frankly, it’s one of the many reasons that people reelected him back to this office,” Leavitt said.

The reporter then pressed Leavitt on whether investors who think buying the coin is a way to influence the president’s views are wasting their money.

“I can assure you, the president acts with only the interest of the American public in mind, putting our country first in doing what’s best for our country. Full stop,” Leavitt said.

The event, scheduled for May 22 at Trump’s golf club near Washington, is touted as an opportunity to hear “firsthand” from Trump about the future of cryptocurrency. The top 25 holders will also receive an invitation to an “exclusive” reception with the president and a “special” White House tour.

The international airport in Newark, N.J., experienced another radar outage Friday, officials said, the second in two weeks after a late April blackout sparked chaos. 

“There was a telecommunications outage that impacted communications and radar display at Philadelphia TRACON Area C, which guides aircraft in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport airspace,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wrote in a Friday post on social platform X. 

Officials say the outage occurred around 3:55 a.m. EDT Friday and lasted approximately 90 seconds.

The FAA added that its information was preliminary and subject to change.

Air traffic controllers lost communication with planes at the Newark airport for approximately 90 seconds on April 28, leading to a series of flight delays and cancellations.

Controllers at a Philadelphia control center, who were responsible for monitoring air traffic in and out of the airport, lost radar and communication with the flights.

They were unable to “see, hear, or talk to them,” a National Air Traffic Controllers Association spokesperson told The New York Times. 

Three dozen flights were diverted that day, said Aidan O’Donnell, the general manager of New Jersey airports, according to the news outlet.

It’s unclear how many flights were affected by Friday’s outage.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has proposed a complete overhaul for the air traffic controller hiring process after shortages have raised safety concerns.

On Tuesday, Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) released a budget reconciliation proposal that would allocate $15 billion for the modernization of air traffic control technology.

President Trump ripped former President Biden’s high-speed internet program Thursday, vowing to end what he called a “racist” and “illegal” initiative.

Trump said he spoke with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the Biden-era Digital Equity Act, which allocated about $2.75 billion for programs that provide technology, including the internet, and skills for all Americans.

“We [Trump and Lutnick] agree that the Biden/Harris so-called ‘Digital Equity Act’ is totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Thursday. “No more woke handouts based on race! The Digital Equity Program is a RACIST and ILLEGAL $2.5 BILLION DOLLAR giveaway. I am ending this IMMEDIATELY, and saving Taxpayers BILLIONS OF DOLLARS!”

Biden signed the Digital Equity Act into law in 2021 as part of a $1 trillion infrastructure package to further the former administration’s “internet for all” initiative. It set aside about $60 million for grants to states and territories to come up with ways to improve access to technology, along with another $2.5 billion to implement the plans.

The Trump administration has worked to roll back several diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The internet for all program was intended to apply to a variety of groups.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the original author of the Digital Equity Act, swiped back at Trump’s post, writing in a statement, “As usual the President has no idea what he’s talking about.”

“I wrote the Digital Equity Act to help close the digital divide in America—it’s about making sure seniors can get online and equipping every student in every classroom with the tools they need to succeed, whether that’s a hotspot to take home or a laptop,” Murray wrote.

“My law provides maximal flexibility to cities, states, and Tribes so every local community can decide for themselves how they invest Digital Equity dollars—that’s why it passed with overwhelming bipartisan support,” she continued.

The grants were appropriated through Congress, and their potential cancellation is likely to face legal challenges. Murray argued Trump would be “stealing from the American people” should he refuse to spend the appropriated funding.

“It is absolutely insane that resources meant to help red and blue communities—everyone from local school districts and libraries to workforce training programs and Tribes—close the digital divide will be illegally blocked because the President doesn’t like the word equity,” Murray continued.

Google’s stock took a hit Wednesday after an Apple executive testified in court that the iPhone maker is considering adding artificial intelligence (AI) search engines to its web browser as search traffic reportedly declines. 

The search giant saw its share price tumble 9 percent when Eddy Cue, Apple senior vice president of services, took the stand. Its stock recovered slightly Thursday, rising nearly 2 percent.

Cue told the court Wednesday that search traffic on its browser Safari fell for the first time last month due to AI, Bloomberg reported. He also said Apple will likely add AI search engines, such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Perplexity, to the browser.  

“We will add them to the list — they probably won’t be the default,” he said, according to Bloomberg. 

“Prior to AI, my feeling around this was, none of the others were valid choices,” Cue added. “I think today there is much greater potential because there are new entrants attacking the problem in a different way.” 

However, Google pushed back on the claim that search traffic was falling, arguing that the number of queries has continued to grow overall, including from Apple’s devices and platforms. 

“More generally, as we enhance Search with new features, people are seeing that Google Search is more useful for more of their queries — and they’re accessing it for new things and in new ways, whether from browsers or the Google app, using their voice or Google Lens,” the company said in a statement. 

Cue’s testimony comes as part of a multiweek hearing to determine remedies after Google was found to have an illegal monopoly over online search last August.  

At the heart of the case are a series of exclusive distribution agreements that Google struck with device manufacturers and browser developers, including Apple, to make its search engine the default.  

The court found the agreements to be unlawful, and the Department of Justice is seeking to block them going forward, in addition to pushing for a breakup of Google and its Chrome browser.