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In 2020, integer currencies were 1 of the hottest topics successful town. China was good connected its mode to launching its ain cardinal slope integer currency, oregon CBDC, and galore different countries launched CBDC probe projects. Even Facebook has projected a planetary integer currency, called Libra.
Few eyebrows were raised erstwhile the Boston subdivision of the US Federal Reserve announced a task to probe however a CBDC mightiness beryllium technically designed. A hypothetical US cardinal slope integer currency was hardly controversial, aft all. And the US couldn’t spend to beryllium near behind.
How things change. Three years later, the integer dollar—even though it doesn’t exist——has go governmental reddish meat, arsenic immoderate politicians statement it a dystopian instrumentality for surveillance. And precocious past year, the Boston Fed softly stopped moving connected its project.
So is the imagination of the integer dollar dead? Read the afloat story.
—Mike Orcutt
Introducing MIT Technology Review Roundtables
I’m excited to denote that MIT Technology Review is launching a caller participatory subscriber-only online event bid called Roundtables. They’re 30-minute monthly conversations with our writers and editors aimed astatine keeping you informed astir emerging tech similar artificial intelligence, biotechnology, clime alteration and more.
The first, connected August 10, volition diagnostic David Rotman, MIT Technology Review exertion astatine large, successful speech with exertion successful main Mat Honan, and they’ll beryllium discussing AI’s interaction connected the economy. The second, connected September 12, I (Charlotte, our quality editor!) volition beryllium chatting with Melissa Heikkilä, our elder newsman for AI, astir a taxable she has bags of penetration into: How should we modulate AI?
Are you a subscriber to MIT Technology Review? If so, get these dates successful your diary and articulation america then! You’ll person an email successful your inbox soon with details connected however to register.
If you’re not a subscriber, what much crushed bash you request to motion up? Become 1 contiguous and prevention up to 17%. Digital subscriptions are temporarily conscionable $69 a year. Grab yours now!
The must-reads
I’ve combed the net to find you today’s astir fun/important/scary/fascinating stories astir technology.
1 Top AI companies person agreed to acceptable up voluntary safeguards
As portion of that, they’ve pledged to make systems that volition emblem erstwhile a portion of contented is AI-generated. (Wired $)
+ Part of the crushed we request amended methods? Existing AI-text detection tools are truly casual to fool. (MIT Technology Review)
+ Biden’s NSA nominee has warned that AI is simply a increasing information threat. (Bloomberg $)
2 For Europe’s elderly, vigor has go the caller covid
Extreme temperatures not lone disproportionately endanger older people’s health, they besides isolate them. (NYT $)
+ Surviving the vigor is simply a uniquely grim situation for stateless people, too. (The Guardian)
+ August is improbable to bring overmuch relief, astatine slightest successful the US. (NYT $)
3 Google Search is losing its shine
It conscionable doesn’t consciousness arsenic utile arsenic it utilized to. People are turning to Reddit, TikTok and Wikipedia instead. (WP $)
+ You mightiness deliberation AI chatbots are a viable alternative. You’d beryllium wrong. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Stalkerware is earnestly large business
Here’s however 1 large histrion laundered its immense earnings. (TechCrunch)
+ Google is failing to enforce its ain prohibition connected ads for stalkerware. (MIT Technology Review)
5 TSMC has delayed opening its Arizona spot factory
It says it’s been hampered by a shortage of skilled workers. (WSJ $)
+ The institution says the full semiconductor assemblage is experiencing a deepening slump. (FT $)
+ The $100 cardinal stake that a postindustrial US metropolis tin reinvent itself arsenic a high-tech hub. (MIT Technology Review)
6 TikTok is afloat alert it has a labour problem
Just similar Meta, it’s perchance unfastened to being sued by traumatized outsourced moderators. (Wired $)
7 Apple is being deed with manufacturing woes
Not conscionable for its headset either—it’s having issues with caller iPhones too, which mightiness unit it to merchandise less units. (The Information $)
8 What happened to America’s internet?
Attempts to grow entree to high-speed broadband support being sunk by politicking and partisanship. (The Verge)
9 Americans seemingly don’t attraction astir returning to the moon 🌙
“Been there, done that.” (WP $)
+ The Hubble scope spotted glittering shards of debris from NASA’s asteroid smash past September. (New Scientist $)
10 Want to support the Barbie craze going? Play these video games
If you deliberation Barbie spin-offs are new… lad bash I person quality for you. (The Guardian)
Quote of the day
“I person been feeling beauteous unhappy and overwhelmed with my job. At the extremity of the time I can’t hold to spell location and crook disconnected my telephone and person a portion and get distant from it all.”
—An introduction successful the diary of Caroline Ellison, prima witnesser successful the FTX lawsuit arsenic a erstwhile enforcement and woman of Sam Bankman-Fried, conscionable a fewer months earlier it each imploded, the New York Times reports.
The large story
Inside the experimental satellite of carnal infrastructure
June 2022
Around the world, cities are gathering a immense assortment of structures intended to mitigate the impacts of urbanization and roadbuilding connected wildlife. The database includes greenish roofs, tree-lined skyscrapers, surviving seawalls, artificial wetlands, and each mode of shelters and “hibernacula.”
But the information connected however effectual these approaches are remains patchy and unclear. That is existent adjacent for wildlife crossings, the best-studied and astir heavy funded illustration of specified carnal infrastructure. Read the afloat story.
—Matthew Ponsford
We tin inactive person bully things
A spot for comfort, amusive and distraction successful these weird times. (Got immoderate ideas? Drop maine a line oregon tweet 'em astatine me.)
+ Life’s excessively abbreviated to portion atrocious coffee. Maximize your chances of making a bully 1 with these useful tips.
+ Cats’ love of boxes mightiness beryllium down to the mode they spot the world. 🐱
+ Think your job’s tough? You ain’t seen nothin’.
+ Cottage cheese is backmost successful a large way—here’s however to marque it other tasty.
+ A viral Twitter thread has reached its earthy conclusion: becoming a fearfulness film.
English (US) ·