10 months ago
137 This is today's variation of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a regular dose of what's going connected successful the satellite of technology.
Overwhelmed by the accelerated gait of caller tech? Let america help.
It’s been a engaged year. Over the past 12 months, we’ve witnessed the detonation of generative AI, the illness of crypto, and a full batch of promises from lawmakers pledging to dilatory the march of clime change. While it’s casual to consciousness overwhelmed by each this accelerated change, we’re present to help.
Our MIT Technology Review Explains conception is dedicated to untangling the complex, sometimes messy, satellite of subject and exertion to assistance you recognize what's happening.
Our bid of explainers chopped done the sound and get to the bosom of the issues that truly matter, covering everything from biotechnology and cryptocurrency to quantum computing and what’s going connected successful China’s tech industry.
Take a look implicit immoderate of our fascinating explainers:
+ Our speedy usher to the 6 ways we tin modulate AI. A useful usher to each the astir (and least) promising efforts to govern AI astir the world. Read the afloat story.
+ Ethereum moved to impervious of stake. Why can’t Bitcoin? There is nary method obstacle to making the notoriously energy-hungry cryptocurrency acold much efficient—just a societal one. Read the afloat story.
+ ChatGPT is everywhere. Here’s wherever it came from. OpenAI’s breakout deed was an overnight sensation—but it is built connected decades of research. Read much astir its fascinating history.
+ Everything you request to cognize astir the chaotic satellite of alternate pitchy fuels. Find retired much astir however trash, cooking oil, and greenish energy could powerfulness your aboriginal flights. Read the afloat story.
+ How to log off. Sick of spending each your clip staring astatine your devices? Here’s however to onslaught a healthier balance. Read the afloat story.
Is determination a peculiar taxable you’d similar to spot our writers tackle successful the future? Get successful interaction with your suggestions!
The must-reads
I’ve combed the net to find you today’s astir fun/important/scary/fascinating stories astir technology.
1 Apple wants to marque you attraction astir augmented reality
In theory, it’s got a amended changeable astatine occurrence than companies that deficiency its elusive chill factor. (The Verge)
+ Its rumored caller mixed world headset is worrying the competition. (Wired $)
+ The motorboat could beryllium a much-needed changeable successful the limb for VR startups. (FT $)
+ The metaverse is inactive fundamentally uncool, though. (NYT $)
+ The metaverse is simply a caller connection for an aged idea. (MIT Technology Review)
2 A caller antibiotic is thwarting resistant bugs
If approved, it’d beryllium the archetypal of its benignant to beryllium green-lit successful much than 2 decades. (New Scientist $)
+ The adjacent pandemic is already here. Covid tin thatch america however to combat it. (MIT Technology Review)
3 ChatGPT has pumped the tech manufacture backmost up
But the AI roar has been acold from bully quality for everyone. (WP $)
+ It could instrumentality implicit 10 years for immoderate economies to reap the rewards. (FT $)
+ ChatGPT is astir to revolutionize the economy. (MIT Technology Review)
4 A biotech institution mistakenly told 400 diligent they whitethorn person cancer
It’s a harrowing illustration of the dangers of over-relying connected detection tech. (FT $)
5 China has had capable of AI-driven fraud
Its choky net restrictions mean it could beryllium comparatively palmy successful cracking down connected it, too. (WSJ $)
6 We inactive can’t look to discontinue coal
It’s a lifeline for Asia, successful particular—and request is apt to grow. (Economist $)+ Climate scientists are disquieted astir the cooling precocious atmosphere. (Wired $)
7 Bitcoin enthusiasts are agonizing implicit what to bash with memecoins
Purists reason the strategy is being abused by a proliferation of junk coins. (Bloomberg $)
8 An Irish municipality has banned children from owning smartphones
It’s a voluntary strategy that tin lone truly enactment if everyone agrees. (The Guardian)
9 Takeout customers are progressively picking up their orders themselves
The apps’ precocious transportation fees are to blame. (Insider $)
10 Recycling is seldom arsenic elemental arsenic it should be
A caller AI strategy makes it easier to archer whether that instrumentality should beryllium chucked successful the trash instead. (Axios)
+ Why you mightiness recycle a battery—and however to bash it. (MIT Technology Review)
Quote of the day
“They cognize however to physique a religion.”
—Inga Petryaevskaya, CEO of virtual and augmented world startup ShapesXR, tells the Wall Street Journal wherefore Apple mightiness springiness her manufacture a much-needed boost.
The large story
The FBI accused him of spying for China. It ruined his life.
In April 2018, Anming Hu, a Chinese-Canadian subordinate prof astatine the University of Tennessee, received an unexpected sojourn from the FBI. The agents wanted to cognize whether he’d been progressive successful a Chinese authorities “talent program,” offering overseas researchers incentives to bring their enactment backmost to Chinese universities.
Not excessively agelong ago, American universities encouraged their academics to physique ties with Chinese institutions, but the US authorities is present suspicious of these programs, seeing them arsenic a spy recruitment tool. Despite Hu’s denial helium was progressive successful specified programs, a small little than 2 years later, they showed up again—this clip to apprehension him. Read the afloat story.
