This is the current edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter delivering a daily insight into the happenings in the technology sector.
The single piece of information that might truly illuminate your career and AI
In the realm of Silicon Valley, discussions of an AI-driven employment apocalypse are increasingly common. Now, even those economists who previously minimized the risks are reconsidering.
Alex Imas, a researcher at the University of Chicago, is among them. He argues that any strategy to tackle AI’s effects will hinge on obtaining one crucial piece of information: price elasticity.
Imas contends that “we require a Manhattan Project” for this. Read the full article to understand why.
—James O’Donnell
This piece is from The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter providing insights on all aspects of AI. Subscribe to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday.
Four essentials for launching data centers into space
This January, Elon Musk’s SpaceX submitted an application to deploy as many as 1 million data centers into Earth’s orbit. The objective? To fully harness AI’s capabilities—without sparking an environmental crisis on Earth.
SpaceX is part of an expanding roster of tech companies exploring orbital computing infrastructure. But can their ambitions truly come to fruition? Here are four necessities for establishing data centers in space.
—Tereza Pultarova
This narrative is a part of MIT Technology Review Explains, our series unraveling the intricate, complex world of technology to assist you in understanding what lies ahead. Explore more in this series here.
The essential reads
I’ve scoured the internet to bring you today’s most engaging/critical/daunting/intriguing stories centered on technology.
1 Trump has put forward yet another proposal for significant reductions to US science and tech funding
He aims to cut nearly every science-oriented agency. (Ars Technica)
+ If Trump succeeds, the US may experience a costly exodus of intellect. (NYT $)
+ Premier research talent is already leaving the nation. (Guardian)
+ Fundamental science merits our most substantial investments. (MIT Technology Review)
2 Sam Altman campaigned against AI regulations he publicly endorsed
A startling report reveals that many insiders at OpenAI have doubts about him. (The New Yorker $)
+ Some refer to him as a sociopath. (Futurism)
+ OpenAI’s CFO fears it will not be ready for an IPO this year. (The Information $)
+ An impending clash over AI regulation is on the horizon in the US. (MIT Technology Review)
3 NASA’s Artemis II has shattered humanity’s historic distance record
The astronauts have traveled farther than any previous humans. (BBC)
+ Their mission incorporates technology developed by MIT. (Axios)
4 Chinese technology companies are marketing intelligence that “reveals” US military capabilities
This information comes from the fusion of AI and open-source data. (WP $)
+ AI is transforming the Iran situation into performance art.(MIT Technology Review)
5 Conflict is compelling nations to abandon hyperscalers
Fueled by Iran categorizing tech giants as military targets. (Rest of World)
+ No one desires a data center in their vicinity. (MIT Technology Review)
6 OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google have come together against AI replication from China
They’re collaborating on “adversarial distillation” information (Bloomberg $)
7 Anduril and Impulse Space are collaborating on Trump’s “Golden Dome”
They’re creating space-based missile tracking for the initiative. (Gizmodo)
8 OpenAI has called on California to investigate Elon Musk’s “anti-competitive actions.”
It claims Musk is attempting to “gain control of the future of AGI.” (Reuters $)
+ And alleges he coordinated efforts with Mark Zuckerberg. (CNBC)
+ A former Tesla executive has disclosed how they coped with working under Musk. (WP $)
9 DeepSeek’s upcoming AI model will operate on Huawei chips
It’s anticipated to launch within the next few weeks. (The Information $)
10 Memes have devastated our culture
Internet-induced “brain rot” has extended beyond our devices to dominate everything. (NYT $)
Quote of the day
“I must say, it was actually quite pleasant.”
—Astronaut Victor Glover shares with President Donald Trump his experience when Artemis II lost contact with the rest of the world, The New York Times reports.
One More Item
Inside the contentious tree farms powering Apple’s carbon-neutral objective
In 2020, Apple established a target to achieve net zero by the decade’s conclusion. To meet that aim, the company is compensating for its emissions by planting millions of eucalyptus trees in Brazil.
Apple is optimistic that this approach will result in a more sustainable future. However, critics caution that the industrial tree farms may inflict more harm than good.
Discover why these plans have incited opposition.
—Gregory Barber
We can still enjoy nice things
A space for comfort, entertainment, and diversion to uplift your day. (Have any suggestions? Send me a note.)
+ Japan’s automated bike garage is a dream come true for cyclists.
+ This in-depth exploration of bird behavior unveils their eating habits’ secrets. (Special thanks to reader Terry Gordon for the discovery!)
+ The initial image from the Artemis astronauts vividly portrays the brilliance of our atmosphere.
+ There’s a new rival for the title of the world’s most stunning website: RobertDeNiro.com.
