Return to Transcripts main page
Quest Means Business
U.S. Marks 25 Years Since 9/11 Terrorist Attacks; Wall Street Community Reflects On 9/11 Attacks; U.S. Sources: Key Saudi Oil Pipeline System Hit By Projectiles; Rising Oil Prices Threaten To Push Inflation Higher; Anthropic: Blocked Possible Attempts To Build Bioweapons; Why Do Humans Like To Watch Robots Fail?; Cairo's Driverless Monorail, Africa's Sustainable Transport Model. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired September 11, 2026 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:19]
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: It is 9/11, twenty-five years since that disaster really changed the entire world. You are looking at employees
from Cantor Fitzgerald and also people involved with its foundation. Cantor Fitzgerald, losing hundreds of its employees on that fateful day.
The markets meantime, optimistic. All three indices are up on what was otherwise a bleak week. Those are the markets, and these are the main
events.
The U.S. is marking, as we just said, 25 years, hard to believe since the September 11th attacks brought the world's financial capital to a
standstill and of course, changed it forever.
Saudi Arabia shuts down one of its key oil pipelines after a series of attacks. And a little light at the end of the show, viral videos of face
planting robots are everywhere on social media. What that could tell us about our A.I. anxieties.
Live from New York. It is Friday, September 11th. I am Paula Newton and this is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
And good evening.
Tonight, the United States marks 25 years since the deadliest terrorist attack ever carried out on American soil. Nearly 3,000 people were killed
on September 11th, 2001. Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked passenger jets and flew them into both of the Twin Towers in New York. The buildings collapse
turned Downtown Manhattan into a wasteland for months afterward.
Two other planes were hijacked as well. One hit the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., killing 184 people. Though passengers on United Airlines
Flight 93 fought back against those hijackers. That plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania as the heroes on board tried to wrestle control from those
terrorists. It is believed the plane was targeting the Capitol Building or The White House. There were no survivors.
Four U.S. Presidents were present at today's Memorial in Lower Manhattan: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, of course, who was president at the time;
Barack Obama and Joe Biden each confronted terrorism during their presidencies in some form or another.
President Trump, meanwhile, spoke at the Pentagon. He shared a message of resilience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We were all New Yorkers that day, every one of us, we were all New Yorkers, but we were
also all Americans. We were all family. We were all patriots.
The enemy might destroy what American hands had built, but we could not touch the fight and the fire and the love in our great American hearts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Brynn Gingras reports now from the Memorial in Downtown Manhattan and Brynn, I've been watching your reporting all day. You really can't help
but be affected by it.
It is astounding to me that it has been a quarter century, but also, you know, so redeeming when you see what has become of the site 25 years later.
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, just so many sober reminders of that day, right? A quarter century, you just said it, Paula. I can't
tell you how many people I heard throughout the day today just be like "A quarter of a century. Wow!" Because it really does feel like it happened
yesterday if you were living through it. Right?
We, you know, listened all day, all morning into the afternoon those names being read. There were so many, like I said, sober reminders of the gravity
of this day. You know, I heard one woman's name read and then followed by that was her unborn child. I mean, you just think about that day, what
these people, what they went through. And it is just -- it just -- it just destroys you for this day. It is so emotional.
But I can tell you being here, being at the Memorial site and just feeling it, and it was so emotional, but there was so much hope. So many people, we
walked by or walked by as Paula, little kids, you know, they're just learning about their loved ones and they are continuing to hear the stories
of their loved ones and of the survivors, the people that rushed in the face of danger to help others.
And so those stories were coming out today, too, as they should, every single time we sit down and think about 9/11. But today, Paula was such a
special day for a select group of people and that is the thousands of people who lost their lives due to 9/11 related illnesses.
[16:05:10]
Their families have been fighting for years to get some sort of recognition as part of the yearly ceremony. And today, a seventh bell tolled at about
12:50, after all of those names were read for those families.
I want you to hear from one woman who is a survivor. She rushed to the World Trade Center site after those towers fell. She rushed to help people,
and now she is living with an autoimmune disease. I want you to hear her story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SONIA AGRON, 9/11 RECOVERY WORKER: Ten thousand people have died because they were here, because they came to help and in return, they got sick. It
is not just sick, they suffered.
So all of us had to watch our loved ones on 9/11, wondering if they were going to come home. They came home. And now, we have sat down watching them
go through this again and us going through it again.
And it just doesn t end. It just --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GINGRAS: I mean, as she said to me, Paula, someday she knows that seventh bell will ring for her. I mean, think about that. So many people are still
living with the diseases that they got and illnesses because of trying to help others on that day, 25 years later.
So it is really a day about thanking them as well, but also remembering them as we learn their stories. But again, it is a day to always remember
and of course, never forget -- Paula.
NEWTON: Yes. The pain is still so raw for so many and quite a turn that this quarter century later, some of those who suffered the health
repercussions of just being at the scene are finally being recognized.
Brynn, really grateful to you. Thank you so much.
Now, CNN's Jason Carroll reports on the timeline of the attacks.
This is a report that really bears witness 25 years later, but we have to warn you, some of you may find the images disturbing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BETTY ANN ONG, AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 11: Somebody stabbed in business class. I don't know. I think we're getting hijacked.
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): An emergency call from Betty Ong, a flight attendant on board American Airlines Flight 11,
scheduled to fly from Boston to Los Angeles. Ong is the first to alert ground operations a plane has been hijacked.
ONG: Our number one has been stabbed and our five has been stabbed.
CARROLL (voice over): There are 76 passengers and 11 crew on board. Eight twenty-four A.M., air controllers in Boston pick up the voice of the lead
hijacker, Mohamed Atta, from the cockpit as he makes an announcement to passengers.
BOSTON AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL: Is that American 11 trying to call?
MOHAMED ATTA, LEAD HIJACKER: (INAUDIBLE). We have some planes. Just stay quiet and we'll be okay.
CARROLL (voice over): Eight forty-two A.M., United Airlines flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles, carrying 51 passengers and nine crew on board, is
hijacked and turns towards New York City.
Eight forty-six a.m., the unimaginable happens to American Airlines Flight 11.
FDNY: The whole outside of the building -- there was just a huge explosion. Send every available ambulance, everything you've got to the World Trade
Center now.
CARROLL (voice over): Smoke and flames shoot out from the building's 93rd and 99th floors.
CNN ANCHOR: This just in, you are looking at obviously a very disturbing live shot there. That is the World Trade Center, and we have unconfirmed
reports this morning that a plane has crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center.
CARROLL (voice over): America watches in horror, unsure if it's a tragic accident or something else.
JEANNE YURMAN, WITNESS: The side of the World Trade Center exploded right when I looked up, and at that point, debris started falling. I couldn't
believe what I was watching.
CARROLL (voice over): Eight fifty-one a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 from Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles becomes the third U.S.
flight to be hijacked. Sixty-four are on board.
Air traffic controllers spot United Flight 175 on an erratic course.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a moment, we've got an explosion inside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The building is exploding right now. You've got people running up the street.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know what's going on.
CARROLL (voice over): Nine zero three a.m., the South Tower of the World Trade Center has been hit. Both Twin Towers now burning.
First responders from across the city race downtown and into danger.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's play. Get ready.
CARROLL (voice over): Nine zero five A.M., President George W. Bush is visiting second graders at a school in Florida and is told by his chief-of-
staff America is under attack.
Frantic calls from inside the Twin Towers flood 911 dispatch, including one from Melissa Doi, a manager at a banking software company trapped on the
South Tower's 83rd floor.
MELISSA DOI, TRAPPED ON 83RD FLOOR: We're on the floor and we can't breathe.
[16:10:10]
911: Okay. Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm, stay calm. You're doing a good job, ma'am. You're doing a good job.
DOI: It's so hot. I'm burning up.
911: Hey, Melissa. Oh my God.
CARROLL (voiceover): Nine twenty-eight A.M., a fourth aircraft is hijacked, United Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco, with 33 passengers and seven
crew members on board.
Nine thirty-seven a.m., an explosion is reported at the Pentagon near Washington, D.C.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a large fire at the Pentagon. The Pentagon is being evacuated as we speak.
CARROLL (voice over): American Airlines Flight 77, which had taken off from Washington Dulles bound for Los Angeles, carrying 53 passengers, six crew,
has crashed into the building's west side.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was like a cruise missile with wings went right there and slammed right into the Pentagon.
CARROLL (voice over): Back in New York, the Twin Towers continued to burn in front of horrified onlookers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can see the people jumping out the window. They're jumping out the window right now. Oh my God.
CARROLL (voice over): Nine fifty-five a.m., passengers on board United Flight 93 have decided to try to take back the aircraft. An airphone
operator on the line with passenger Todd Beamer later recounted his rallying cry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, AIRPHONE OPERATOR: And he turned to talk to someone else while the phone was still open, and he said, "You ready?" They must
have responded to him. He said, "Okay, let's roll."
CARROLL (voice over): Nine fifty-nine a.m.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my gosh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is about as frightening a scene as you will ever see.
CARROLL (voice over): The collapse of the South Tower of the World Trade Center shakes the ground and the nation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was one of the most horrific sights I've ever seen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The explosion shook the house clear over here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now we are getting a confirmation from United Airlines that its flight United 93 on the way to San Francisco has crashed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we looked up and we saw this huge airplane. It just looked like a big silver bomb.
CARROLL (voice over): The passengers are later credited with taking down the hijackers before the aircraft could hit its intended target, either the
nation's Capitol Building or The White House.
Ten twenty-eight A.M., the North Tower, the first tower hit that morning, also collapses.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's beyond words. It's horrifying. It's the worst thing that's ever happened. It's the most tragic thing that has happened to
America by far.
CARROLL (voice over): The World Trade Center is reduced to rubble, and much of downtown New York City is covered in debris and ash.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is just one of those awful moments that you need to look at for a minute or two to absorb exactly what has happened.
CARROLL (voice over): Two thousand nine hundred seventy-seven lives have been lost.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Our thanks to Jason Carroll for that report.
Still so stunning to see the way all that unfolded. And of course, yes, September 11th changed Wall Street forever. The Twin Towers stood just a
couple of blocks away from the New York Stock Exchange. Markets were closed for four trading days after those attacks. When trading resumed September
17th, the Dow plunged more than seven percent, its worst one day point loss at the time. But more importantly, Wall Street lost hundreds of its own
traders, brokers, analysts, executives. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters all people who came to work that morning thinking it would be like any
other day.
For the survivors, the job was, of course, to rebuild, knowing that their colleagues were gone. Twenty-five years later, members of the New York
Stock Exchange community are reflecting on that fateful day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD BOHLERT, DIRECTOR, NYSE LISTINGS: A colleague of mine came running in through the front doors, visibly shaken, covered in dust and debris. And
he said, "A plane just hit the Twin Towers as I was coming out of the path train and there is stuff falling down everywhere."
YVETTE ARLINGTON, FLOOR OPERATIONS, NYSE: We started taking people, firefighters, anybody that was -- they were covered in debris and we were
bringing them into the building and we were taking them downstairs and we were letting them shower.
KENNY POLCARI, PARTNER AND THE CHIEF MARKET STRATEGIST AT SLATESTONE WEALTH: It was an attack on everything we represent. The New York Stock
Exchange is not only about U.S. economic opportunity, but international opportunity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: New York Stock Exchange is Peter Tuchman. He is known as the most photographed man on Wall Street. And apologies, it seems we are having some
technical difficulties. We will be right back in a moment.
Oh, Peter, can you hear me?
PETER TUCHMAN, FLOOR BROKER, QUATTRO M. SECURITIES: I am here. Yes, yes, I am here. Let's go. I've got you guys.
NEWTON: Apologies. Great. So we've had some technical difficulties, we have it resolved.
Peter, I want to thank you for joining us on this day and my condolences. I know this is still a very hard day for you and so many. I remember you
telling me that there was an avalanche of ash that was coming down, and the harrowing escape that you made from the trading floor.
So how do you feel about it today, right now, 25 years later, when you can see the recovery for yourself?
[16:15:38]
TUCHMAN: You know, look, I mean, I know there is a part of my brain that still feels some surely some post-traumatic stress because I remember so
distinctly while we were inside the building and we were sort of seeing it through T.V. sets. Right? It almost did not really seem real.
And we knew it was on the outside, but it was almost like being inside of a bunker and things were happening outside. The minute the New York City
Police came in and told us, "We are going to try and evacuate you," and we descended on to Broad Street, and literally it was so pitch black at 11:40
in the morning, I could not see my hand in front of my face, and we literally walked in.
It was as if you were in Colorado in the middle of winter, and we were walking through a deep, deep snowstorm, easily two-and-a-half, three feet
of ash that we had to walk side by side with New York City Police and about seven or eight of us. Right?
I mean, literally shuffling our legs one after the other, heading down Broad Street to the Staten Island Ferry or to the tip of Manhattan,
basically to try and find a little bit of sunlight. You know, it just -- it was so surreal, you know, and then the rest of the two or three hours, as I
walked all the way through Manhattan to get home.
Today, you know, it has taken many, many decades to actually see the recovery in New York City for five years, for the first 10 years, for the
first 15 years, you could still walk down streets in the Financial District here in New York City and still see little shops that never reopened, you
know, dusty windows that never felt like they had been cleaned.
Now the Financial District is alive and well. Last night, there was New York Fashion Week at Cipriani. So, you know, a lot of younger people are
moving into the area. So, we are in a definitely deep recovery mode at the stock exchange. We are the most resilient humans around. And so we got back
to work five days -- you know, happened on a Monday. We were here the following Monday thanks to Richard Grasso and the team and all the brokers
came back to work.
And so, you know, there is that mix between, you know, trauma, resilience of spirit, you know, and that sort of patriotic wonder that is, you know,
it is America.
NEWTON: Patriotic wonder for sure. And I have to remark, and again, my condolences because I know you lost people. You lost friends that day as
well. How do you think they would see this recovery? Because it really is a tribute to them, how Wall Street has changed. And as you said, the vibrancy
of the Financial District today.
TUCHMAN: You know what? Look, I mean, that whole day, you know, look, it was not just that one day, you know, if you think about it, it changed
America forever. It changed the way we looked at people or the person next to us on the subway or anything.
You know, we had never felt that kind of that fear, you know, and that trauma before, you know, I mean, the streets became -- the streets in front
of the stock exchange became blocked off and everything.
So, you know, that was a day that changed. You know, it was kind of like, you know, Churchill's day of infamy. It was a day that changed, you know,
everybody's lives, especially people who are in the financial district.
We lost, I think over the last 20 years, we've lost more than 50 brokers, people and support staff who worked down at the New York Stock Exchange
from cancer related disease from cancer related -- you know, disease from 9/11.
So, you know, look, it is hard for me to put myself, you know, in their shoes. I would much rather they all be here and that that never would have
happened. And you know, I don t -- I can't see anything positive coming out of it at all except that, you know, those who are here are still here. The
family that is the New York Stock Exchange are still, you know, resilient and strong.
I mean, that's -- , you know this place, you ve been here. You know what it feels like. Everybody here is family. And so, you know, that's why it was
so hard to live through that and lose people. But that's why it is today, so many years later, we are still -- you know, we are still strong. The
human element is alive and well at the New York Stock Exchange, right?
No matter what we've gone through over the last 25 years, over the last five years, you know, so many things have happened, multiple wars, all, you
know, we are in the middle of a war with the Middle East right now, apparently. Right?
So, you know, the bottom line is, we stand strong, we keep going. The American economy, you know, the markets are strong. And so that s what
wakes me up every morning knowing, you know, that we are a strong family and that the New York Stock Exchange is a place where humans are still here
and we are kicking it.
[16:20:10]
NEWTON: Indeed, humans are still there. And as I say, Peter, I think, you know -- I know that the family members of the victims are very proud of
what the Financial District looks like and what the Memorial looks like. It is a place for them to come and remember and something they can be proud
of.
Peter Tuchman for us, we will continue to talk to you about markets in the future, but on this day, we thank you for helping us commemorate the 25th
anniversary.
TUCHMAN: Absolutely. My pleasure. I appreciate you asking me.
NEWTON: Thanks, Peter.
Now, when we return, inflation in the United States remained elevated in August and with the cost of oil now soaring, prices for consumers may just
keep getting higher. We will have that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:23:26]
NEWTON: Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry says a key pipeline to the Red Sea has now been shut down following a series of attacks. Now, satellite images
appear to show black smoke rising from fire damage to the system. Two U.S. officials said oil pump stations were hit Thursday by projectiles.
The Saudis now say the pipeline was closed as a precaution. The Saudi Foreign Ministry says it was a drone strike originating from Iraq.
Now oil prices have in fact retreated today, but they are up nearly nine percent on the week. Both Brent and WTI have been trading at more than
$100.00 a barrel, their highest since May. For more on what is happening in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iran and now, apparently Iraq. CNN's Kylie Atwood
joins us.
You know, it is hard to make sense here of what exactly the United States solution will be. I know you have some reporting on what they think they
can do to solve this.
One of the reasons oil prices was down is that some traders are hopeful that more supply will get through some of these choke points early next
week.
What more are you learning about what the U.S. is trying to do here?
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, this is a really critical moment, given that this pipeline, which has been such a
lifeline for Saudi Arabia after the strike was effectively closed. They used this East-West Pipeline to get their oil out to the Red Sea, to which
was the only other waterway via which they could actually export that oil.
Now, with that pipeline shut down because of these strikes that came through, according to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs now confirming
our reporting that those were drones coming from Iraq, presumably from Iranian backed militia in Iraq.
[16:25:15]
We will have to watch and see how long this pipeline is shut down for. And this comes as just yesterday, it is our reporting that Crown Prince
Mohammed Bin Salman had called President Trump and urged him for U.S. strikes on the Houthis. President Trump declined to carry out those
strikes, but we do know that the United States in recent weeks has provided additional targeting and intelligence support to those Saudi strikes going
after the Houthis.
So obviously not the U.S. carrying out the strikes on their own, but providing background support to the Saudis as they have had to mount those
offensive strikes against the Houthis, who have gotten increasingly involved in this expanding Iran War.
So, the key question now is when is this East-West Pipeline going to be back online? The Saudi Energy Ministry said that this was a precautionary
action that it took to shut down the pipeline, but we still don t know what the overall damage assessment actually is and how long it is going to take
to get this up and running.
Of course, the background being now that the Red Sea shipping is coming under new scrutiny, given the Houthis and the rise that they have had in
recent days, of course, taking a critical island and a critical port city in the Red Sea.
NEWTON: Yes, and things obviously clearly still escalating there. We will see what the new week brings.
Kylie Atwood for us. Thanks so much.
Now, headline inflation, a lot of the reason the energy prices in the U.S. came in at an annual rate of 3.4 percent in August. That's the same number
as July. And this is key here, well above the Federal Reserve's two percent target. Higher oil prices that we were just talking about caused by that
conflict in the Middle East have fueled inflation this year.
The issue is that oil prices were relatively low compared to now. You can see it there. Brent crude was trading below $90.00 for much of the month.
The conflict was escalated in recent days, pushing it to over $100.00 a barrel and that means the next inflation report, right, this one is looking
backward could be sharply higher.
With that in mind, the Fed is now widely expected to raise rates next week. CME Fed Watch says there is a nearly 90 percent chance of a 25-point basis
hike.
Joe Brusuelas is the principal and chief economist at RSM. He joins us now from London. Good to see you, Joe.
Your take is that the Federal Reserve has little choice but to raise rates. If that happens, will it have the desired effect here to at least begin to
bring down inflation? Because that's also a key question. Is it effective?
JOE BRUSUELAS, PRINCIPAL AND CHIEF ECONOMIST, RSM: Well it will do that, but only over time and if and only if they follow up with additional rate
hikes. We need to not sugarcoat this for both the American public and the global public.
The Central Banks are getting ready to engage and engage in what looks like as a synchronized set of rate hikes here to deal with the new regime,
higher inflation, and to implement the higher interest rates necessary to put the inflation genie back in the bottle.
Look, we have all seen what has happened in the Middle East. The nine percent jump in oil prices, the rising gasoline prices, rising diesel,
rising jet fuel, those are going to bleed through into everything that involves transportation services one, two, and more importantly, grocery
prices.
The Fed needs to get out ahead of the curve here and prevent an increase in inflation.
NEWTON: Yes, and like you said, it may be the beginning here. It could have one, two or three. In fact, you predict that there will be three within the
next year. But I am wondering should markets and consumers, I mean you just said we need to level with people here, should they be worried that this
energy supply shock that we heard so much about when this conflict with Iran began is actually going to materialize in the coming weeks?
BRUSUELAS: All right, the reason why we didn t get a very bad outcome early on was because of the reserves that had been built up across the global
economy. Those have been largely exhausted. Second, the Chinese really had an ability to pull back on demand because of their centrally planned
economy. Well, it would appear the Chinese and the other large Asian economies are now coming back to market. Their increasing demand.
The problem is not necessarily oil and this is really important for everybody out there to understand, it is in the distillates. Two-thirds of
the oil that was getting out of the Gulf prior to the conflict, that's been a real sharp, unexpected surprise.
[16:30:08]
But there is only one-third of the distillates that's refined product getting out of the Gulf. That's where the problem is. That's what is going
to feed through in terms of higher inflation. That's where it I going to hit consumers and those small and medium enterprises in the pocket. In the
united states, we call it the middle market; in Germany, they call it the middle shot. That's the beating heart and soul of the global economy for
many countries.
I am really worried about what inflation is going to do as we head into the later part of the year for those companies and the knock on impact on
employment.
NEWTON: I only have about 30 seconds left, Joe.
Kevin Warsh, he is on the -- his credibility is on the line here. Do you think he has any choice? The president has said over and over again that he
does not want him to raise rates.
BRUSUELAS: Fed stocked themselves in the corner. They are going to hike rates by 25 basis points. The new rate will be three, seven -- will be --
the upper boundary will be three up -- 375.4 percent.
NEWTON: And we will leave it there.
Joe, good to see you. Have a good weekend.
BRUSUELAS: Thank you.
NEWTON: Now, up next, a new warning on Artificial Intelligence, and this one is coming from a top A.I. firm. Anthropic says bad actors, their words,
may have tried to use its technology to make bio weapons.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NEWTON: A startling warning from Anthropic this time. It says it has blocked multiple accounts that may have been trying to use its powerful
artificial intelligence technology to make biological weapons.
Now, in a report released this week, Anthropic says one of the accounts blocked -- wanted a help for a research on dangerous mosquito-borne virus
that can cause months of pain.
Other cases involved bird flu and venom toxins. Anthropic also says it disrupted efforts to use its models for surveillance, scams, and to develop
conventional weapons like drones and missiles.
[16:35:07]
Hadas Gold is with me, and she tracks this very carefully.
I mean, listen, Hadas, we have to state the obvious, right?
This has been quite a week for scaring us in terms of what A.I. will become.
I mean, look, this is not new. People used to type-in how to make a bomb on the Internet all the time. Should we take comfort in the fact that this was
stopped and that it was reported?
HADAS GOLD, CNN AI CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, I think, that's a great point. Is that Anthropic was able to monitor this activity, was able to
stop this activity from happening, and is now being transparent and reporting on it as part of its effort to better inform everybody about the
ways that people may be using A.I. for nefarious activity.
This is part of a very lengthy report into this malicious activity that they found on Claude over the course of the last eight months or so since
December.
And they say that this wasn't just regular people messing around with Claude. They say that they found evidence that this was state-sponsored
groups, that these were scientists, that these were criminals, and the like.
And as you noted, one of the most concerning aspects, the most concerning malicious activity they found, was the potential use of Claude for creating
biological weapons. They didn't say for sure that they knew that the people that were using this for that were trying to create biological weapons, but
that it could have led them to that.
And they say this is one of the most serious risks of frontier A.I. models, because what an A.I. does is essentially helps condense the amount of
people and time that you would need to do this research, which normally be dozens of scientists over many months or years. Now, you can do that so
much faster. We saw that happening this past week with the math problem -- that Millennial Prize math problem that OpenAI said they were able to solve
in a matter of about 88 hours. That same thing can be applied to science.
Now, Anthropic says that they shut this down, because it wasn't typical misuse, but they say rather examples of the most notable and novel threat
activity that they have identified to date.
Again, they couldn't be sure that the scientists were not doing this for legitimate research because sometimes you have to research things, you
know, like bird flu or novel toxins or things like that because you're trying to learn about them to create an antidote to create a cure.
But because they couldn't know for sure, Anthropic decided to err on the side of caution and stop this activity from happening.
And as you noted, this wasn't the only activity that they saw. They also saw things like people trying to use it to create state-sponsored
propaganda. They saw people trying to create software to help design and deploy new types of weapons.
But the whole reason that Anthropic was able to do this was because they have what's known as a closed system. We have talked about open versus
closed A.I. systems. Anthropic's A.I. lives on their systems, and so, they are able to put in these guardrails, put in these monitoring abilities to
be able to see what's happening.
And this is one of Anthropic's sort of reasons for why they advocate for their version of A.I., this closed system. Because those open weight
systems that are very popular, they are coming out of China. They tend to be less expensive, you can download them and customize them, and they live
on your own systems and your own servers, which can be great in some ways. But in other ways, it means that there is -- there is very hard to impose
better guardrails and very hard, if not impossible, to monitor the activity in the same way that Anthropic was able to do with these cases. Paula.
NEWTON: -- the United States, but also, we have an all-important meeting coming up between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump in September. We will see if
controlling A.I. tops the agenda there.
Hadas Gold for us, thanks so much, appreciate it.
Now, if that story, as you worried about technology getting out of control, I know I'm a bit spooked. We suggest watching some robots faceplant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: I can't get enough of this.
Clips of humanoid robots tripping, falling down, and slamming into walls are bringing, yes, a lot of joy to people. All of these fails are from last
month's World Humanoid Robot Games in China.
My next guest watches video like these for her research in human robot safety. The focus is to make sure that funny failure doesn't turn into a
real-life hazard.
Changliu Liu is an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute, and she joins us now.
Good to have you on the program. We couldn't resist showing some of those clips. There are times when I feel only ridicule and contempt for these
humanoids.
But why are we so delighted when these robots fail? Some suggest it's our fear of the future and our fear of change, and our fear that A.I. will take
over.
I mean, what have you learned in your research?
CHANGLIU LIU, ASSOCIATE PROFFESOR, CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY ROBOTICS INSTITUTE: Yes, I think, definitely like there is this fear, and seeing
robots fail means humans dis superior to the robots.
[16:40:01]
And also, humanoid robots at this point is still kind of early stage. And we watch them like watch toddlers and seeing them fail is like so funny.
In my own research, that's a different story because we want those robots to be deployed in the real -- human with those -- to do those dangerous
tasks. Yes, and also, assist people maybe in the nursing homes and all of that.
And in those environment failures are unacceptable, and that's what our research is focused on. How can we provide guarantees and assurance for
those robots so then they can be safely used in a productive way.
NEWTON: Yes, they are humanoid robots, and your research, you know, is important to make sure that they do not, in the end, hurt or harm humans.
The distinction between, you know, a controlled demo and a potentially serious safety issue. This is real-world settings. That's the kind of
research you do. How close are we to being able to trust these robots?
And I know that you brought up the example of caregivers, because that's what all of us think of, right? In terms of having them in a home to help
with let's say, elders. But how far away are we from that reality?
LIU: Yes, I would like to say that in a constrained environment, which you do not have a lot of uncertainties, and you can kind of calculate all the
subsequent actions the robot need to do. We actually can already do very well.
For example, industrial robots have been there for a long while, and we have accumulated so many experience in making them work reliably. The
actual challenge comes from the case when you have open world and a lot of things are unpredictable, and that will happen when, for example, the robot
is interacting with humans, like in caregiving environments.
In those environments, we still need a lot of research to first make sure the robots can accurately understand the kind of context, and second, has
the actually the kind of safety guardrail to prevent them creating harm if some hazard happens. Yes.
But that's still a long, long way to go before we can get there. And we see a lot of very fancy demos nowadays. Those demos are kind of maybe one out
of multiple failures -- one success out of multiple failures.
And then, we see the actual failures happening that creates a gap, and also that's also one of the reason makes it so funny to human.
NEWTON: It is. I confess to you, Changliu Liu, A.I. with great comfort, and listening to you say that it is going to be many years, and I know your
research though is so important. We'll continue to follow it.
And hey, I'm glad that you are saying that it's OK to laugh because some of the stuff you guys watch it online. I know you have a compilation video as
well, and it is quite amusing.
Changliu Liu, we'll continue to follow your research, as I said. I want to thank you for joining the program.
LIU: Thank you so much.
NEWTON: And that is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. "WORLD OF WONDERS" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:46:00]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to CONNECTING AFRICA. I'm Eleni Giokos.
From roads, rail, airports, and ports, investment in big infrastructure projects can drive economic growth, improve living standards, and create
thousands of jobs. Take, for example, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a multi-billion-dollar project that is generating electricity for the
country and its neighbors, or the Dangote Group's Petroleum Refinery in Nigeria, it can refine up to 650,000 barrels a day, making products like
petrol, diesel, and jet fuel.
Or the Lobito Corridor in Angola, a massive road, rail, and port project, linking the port of Lobito to DRC's Copperbelt.
In Egypt, a new major transport project has just been delivered, and our correspondent Victoria Rubadiri reports on how it could be replicated
across the continent.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VICTORIA RUBADIRI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Gridlock and congestion are a common daily reality for commuters in Egypt's capital Cairo. With
millions of cars in a densely populated city, moving around can be challenging and slow.
Now, a new state-of-the-art rail line running above these busy streets might be the solution.
BEN LEZALA, VICE PRESIDENT, SERVICES FOR AFRICA, ALSTOM The monorail is the first of its kind in Africa, first of its kind in Egypt. It's a really
significant project. It's the first driverless system on the African continent, and it's very, very important for the growth of Cairo, moving
people around the city safely, reliably, and efficiently.
RUBADIRI (voice over): A monorail is a form of urban transport. It runs on a single rail rather than the two rails traditionally used for a train. The
major advantage monorails have over other train systems is that they have a smaller footprint in the city, often sitting above busy highways.
LAURENT VOS, PROJECT DIRECTOR, CAIRO MONORAIL, ALSTOM: This economic booming that we are observing in Egypt, the population growth, the demand
on mobility is extremely important.
For this reason, the monorail fit for purpose because it connects all the different areas in the greater city, connecting as well the old
transportation system, but to the new area, which are developed in the greater city.
RUBADIRI (voice over): For Alstom, the global transportation company building the monorail, that means creating a network capable of keeping up
with Cairo's rapid expansion.
The monorail has 74 car trains that operate on routes that run on either side of the famous Nile River.
LEZALA: Two lines: one line of 57 kilometers, 22 stations. Second line of 42 kilometers, 13 stations. It connects the center of Cairo to the east and
the west, where new cities are being developed for the expansion of the Greater Cairo region.
RUBADIRI (voice over): But it's more than just moving people from A to B. New infrastructure can also create new economic opportunities across
different sectors.
LEZALA: So, all along that route, we are unlocking economic potential. So, that's by people being able to move more quickly, more freely, more time
available to the commercial activities which are happening on the ground, with that shopkeepers, restaurants, and so on.
So, there is a huge amount of economics which gets unlocked from a system like this.
RUBADIRI (voice over): There is also another positive impact: the environment. At peak hours, the monorail is projected to transport 45,000
people per hour in each direction.
This means less cars on the road, which should reduce carbon emissions.
VOS: The solution that we are delivering here is a sustainable solution. We are building the mobility, the future of Egypt, transportation with
sustainable solution.
[16:50:03]
So, we have a train which is an electrical train, and which enable us to decarbonize the city, enable the people to stop with their car, to take a
public transportation system. And together working with private sector, and public sector, we are able to have a better quality of life in Egypt.
RUBADIRI (voice over): It's not just for Egypt, though. Alstom says that this sort of project can be replicated across the continent.
LEZALA: We are seeing throughout the African continent that, you know, with the advancement of tech, the entrepreneurial spirit of those cities, and
the adoption of various technologies, the connectivity is there.
With the economic growth that's happening as well, particularly with the boom in resources that's happening. We are seeing a much more demand in
urbanization, and that demands more transportation.
VOS: This project is the proof of concept for Africa that a transportation solution, sustainable, adaptable to rapid growth demand for the population
is possible. So, effectively, we can deploy this solution everywhere in the growing city in Africa, that can adapt the big corridors when they are
expanding their cities, that answer to the need of people to connect together to move from their job to their areas.
We are extremely proud to have delivered this project, this fantastic project which is built by Egyptian for Egyptian, and I hope tomorrow, it's
a model, a vision for the other cities in Africa to develop this solution.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Coming up, plans are unveiled for a second international airport in South Africa's Cape Town.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back. Across the continent, major infrastructure projects are generating ways to boost economic growth.
In Cape Town, a second international airport is being planned that is set to not only move people but create a new economy through opportunities
across trade, tourism, logistics, and jobs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS (voice over): On the outskirts of Cape Town, this tiny airstrip is busy with light aircraft.
NICHOLAS FERGUSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR, RSA AERO: Cape Winelands Airport is a general aviation airport. It's mainly for training airplanes. It has four
intersecting runways, two of which are in use at the moment.
GIOKOS (voice over): But it has big international ambitions. Today, a planning team is visiting the site. With their drawings laid out, they are
finalizing plans for this tiny airport to handle some of the world's largest passenger jets.
The new Cape Winelands Airport will be completely different. So, what you see today, none of this will exist. We are building a one single 3-1/2
kilometer runway. There will be hotels, cargo, fuel, fixed-based operators running, charters, everything that goes around an airport.
GIOKOS (voice over): The company behind the development, RSA Aero, says the first phase will cost around $625 million.
ADELE KLINGENBERG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PLANNING, AND STRATEGY, CAPE WINELANDS AIRPORT: So, the master plan focuses on a 2050 vision. We will
have roughly a capacity of 8 million passengers per annum.
When we start, however, we start smaller, and so, we will phase it from a 2 million passenger per annum capacity, and over time, of course, we will
grow to where we want to be.
GIOKOS (voice over): At its heart will be a new economic zone with lots of business opportunities.
WESSEL VAN DYK, DIRECTOR, BOOGERTMAN AND PARTNERS ARCHITECTS: It's a mixed- use development. There will be a mix of restaurants, retail opportunities, hotels, and then, also hangers for general aviation.
The surrounding land parcels will even have warehousing facilities, storage facilities. So, it becomes not only about the terminal and passengers
moving, but it's sort of a new neighborhood, a new precinct for the bigger Durbanville and Cape Town area.
[16:55:10]
It's also about contribution to the bigger area. Job contributions. There is going to be job creation. It's going to be a positive impact on the
bigger area.
GIOKOS (voice over): RSA Aero says its new airport won't compete or replace Cape Town's existing international terminal, which is located 25 kilometers
away. But instead, it will complement us.
FERGUSON: We will be an alternate destination airport. We will fulfill different routes, and you can see that in airports that are in close
proximity, like Gatwick and Heathrow, they offer different services. You know, Heathrow, you are doing the long-haul flights to Americas and to
Asia,
Gatwick, you are doing these short regional flights into Europe. And we think that we will probably fulfill the -- we will be the Gatwick of Cape
Town.
GIOKOS (voice over): As a result, there is set to be a major focus on air connections between countries and regions within the continent.
KLINGENBERG: In terms of our route development strategy, there's a huge focus on Africa. We want to make sure that we really unlock inter-Africa
travel.
FERGUSON: Our strongest initial business cases on the destination alternate airport, but realistically, intra-Africa direct routes into Nigeria, and we
have got that geographic advantage, being a tip of a continent that we need to try and leverage.
GIOKOS (voice over): And then, there is a new airport's location, set in the Cape's famous winelands. The new facility is being planned to blend in
naturally with its surroundings.
VAN DYK: The vernacular of the Cape Winelands, the vernacular of the Cape, there is a certain order to the whole approach of the terminal building.
Landscaping is very important, so that you will see a lot of vineyards.
There is a very formal access as you arrive. That all comes from the cultural heritage of the Cape Winelands area. And we implemented those
elements into our precinct plan, our urban design, and ultimately, our terminal building as well.
GIOKOS (voice over): With just one final planning approval outstanding, the team says it is ready to move full steam ahead with the project.
FERGUSON: Our target date for commencing the construction is April 2027. The construction period is in the region of 2-1/2 years. So, we hope to be
open to the general public and to passenger planes in late 2029.
And we have got currently five signed agreements with major airlines, where we will be offering different routes and different times and different
slots, and we want to grow that as much as possible.
GIOKOS (voice over): And it's through these growth and expansion plans that the Cape Winelands Airport hopes to turn its international ambitions into
big economic opportunities.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS (on camera): And that's it for this month's CONNECTING AFRICA. If you want to know more about the subjects we cover on this program, you can
check out our web site.
Until next month, from me, Eleni Giokos, let's keep on connecting.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
