This is the latest issue of The Download, our weekday newsletter offering a daily insight into the technology landscape.
Discover the individual tracking the spies in your smartphone
In April 2025, Ronald Deibert chose to leave all his electronic devices behind in Toronto before taking a flight. Upon arriving in Illinois, he purchased a brand-new laptop and iPhone. His goal was to minimize the chance of having his personal gadgets seized, as he recognized that his profession made him a notable target for surveillance. “I approach travel with the belief that I am being observed, right down to my exact whereabouts at any time,” Deibert shares.
Deibert heads the Citizen Lab, a research facility he established in 2001 to act as “counterintelligence for civil society.” Located at the University of Toronto, it stands as one of the few organizations dedicated to investigating cyberthreats purely in the public interest, uncovering some of the most shocking digital violations of the last twenty years in the process.
For years, Deibert and his team have held the US as the benchmark for liberal democracy. However, that is now shifting. Read the complete story.
—Finian Hazen
This article is from the latest edition of our print magazine. If you subscribe now to receive future copies upon release, you will enjoy significant discounts and receive a complimentary tote bag!
Three climate innovations breaking through in 2026
—Casey Crownhart
Happy New Year! I realize it’s a bit late to say this, but it never truly feels like the year begins until our new list of 10 Breakthrough Technologies is published.
For 25 years, MIT Technology Review has curated this collection, which showcases the technologies we believe will be significant in the future. This year’s edition features several climate and energy selections, including sodium-ion batteries, next-generation nuclear, and hyperscale AI data centers. Let’s explore what made it onto the list, and what it indicates about the current state of climate technology.
This piece appeared in The Spark, our weekly newsletter focusing on the technologies available to address climate change. Sign up to ensure you receive it in your inbox first every Wednesday.
Additionally, if you’re interested in understanding why AI firms are heavily investing in next-gen nuclear, join us for an exclusive Roundtable event for subscribers only on Wednesday January 28 at 2pm ET.
The must-reads
I’ve scoured the web to bring you today’s most entertaining/important/frightening/intriguing stories related to technology.
1 AI firms are forming deep connections with the US military
And it seems they are only going to grow closer. (Wired $)
+ Three unresolved questions regarding the Pentagon’s emphasis on generative AI. (MIT Technology Review)
2 Grok will adhere to local regulations, according to X
A worldwide backlash against users making ‘undressing’ images of real individuals appears to have compelled a change. (BBC)
+ However, evidence of compliance with that statement is currently lacking. (The Verge)
+ Elon Musk could halt everything instantly if he chose to. (Engadget)
3 The drawbacks of utilizing AI in educational settings outweigh the advantages
Findings from a comprehensive study conducted by the Brookings Institution’s Center for Universal Education suggest this. (NPR)
+ AI’s major players are eager to dominate the classroom. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Trump is initiating new tariffs on advanced chips
However, they are quite narrowly focused, allowing ample opportunity for exports to China. (WP $)
+ Zhipu AI claims it has trained its first significant model entirely on Chinese chips. (South China Morning Post)
5 A police force in the UK attributed an intelligence blunder to Microsoft Copilot
After weeks of insisting that it was not using AI tools whatsoever. (Ars Technica)
+ Concerned about the use of AI by police and legal professionals? Courts are engaging with it too.(MIT Technology Review)
6 Inside the facilities where the fraud industry accumulates its fortunes
The revelations are disturbing—for instance, workers struck a gong each time they cheated someone out of $5,000. (NYT $)
+ An inside look at a romance scam facility—and how individuals get lured into working there. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Bandcamp has prohibited purely AI-generated music from its platform
It’s the first music platform to make this decision. (Billboard)
+ Is AI capable of producing new concepts? (NYT $)
8 Recall Havana Syndrome? The US might have identified the device responsible
It was purchased for millions under the previous administration, and research is ongoing. (CNN)
9 This research did not establish that social media usage leads to mental health problems in teens
While it’s a widely held belief, there is still surprisingly little evidence to support it. (The Guardian)
10 The UK plans to establish a record number of wind farms
The government is advocating for the majority of the nation’s electricity to originate from renewable sources by 2030. (BBC)
Quote of the day
“Women and girls are significantly more hesitant to engage with AI. This should come as no revelation. Women view this not as an exciting new advancement, but rather as new means to harass and mistreat us and attempt to push us offline.”
—Clare McGlynn, a law professor at Durham University, informs The Guardian that she worries the potential use of AI to harm women and girls will only intensify.
One more thing
Inside the little-known organization shaping the corporate climate agenda
As numerous companies proclaim their commitments to reducing carbon emissions, a small cadre of sustainability consultants has risen as the primary authority on corporate climate actions.
The Science Based Targets initiative, or SBTi, assists firms in creating a schedule to lower their climate impact through a mix of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and extracting carbon dioxide from the air. Following years of limited sustainability initiatives, SBTi is rapidly expanding, attracting governmental interest.
However, while the group has been commended for bringing the private sector into valuable discussions about climate emissions, its growing authority has also drawn scrutiny and raised concerns about the rationale behind a single entity setting the criteria for many of the globe’s largest corporations. Read the complete article.
—Ian Morse
We can still appreciate nice things
A space for comfort, enjoyment, and distraction to lift your spirits. (Have any suggestions? Send me a message or shoot them my way.)
+ The leaders of Japan and South Korea created a viral moment together during a jam session this week.
+ Struggling through the cold, dark winter months? Check out these tips for making it easier on yourself.
+ If you enjoy diving into the depths of Wikipedia, Freakpages is just for you.
+ Ranging from Pluribus to Stranger Things, we are really fond of hive mindsin narratives lately. ($)
