Here is the current version of The Download, our weekday newsletter delivering a daily update on the happenings in the tech world.
Presenting this year’s 10 Breakthrough Technologies
It’s hard not to be skeptical about technology nowadays. Many of the so-called “disruptions” over the past 15 years were more about pampering a select group of wealthy young individuals in San Francisco than making meaningful improvements to society. However, one can understand the backlash against tech while still embracing the belief that technology has the potential to be positive.
We have the capability to create tools that render this planet healthier, more livable, fairer, and ultimately better. And there are individuals actively doing just that, advancing progress in several essential, potentially transformative technologies.
These are precisely the technologies we intend to highlight in our yearly 10 Breakthrough Technologies list. These are 10 innovations that we think are set to significantly change the world, and they’re a topic of intense discussion among our newsroom for months prior to their announcement. So, without further delay… Here is the complete list.
Do you feel we’ve overlooked anything? You have until April to vote for the 11th breakthrough!
Reasons why certain “breakthrough” technologies fail
—Fabio Duarte serves as associate director and principal research scientist at the MIT Senseable City Lab.
Today marks the 25th year that the MIT Technology Review newsroom has assembled its annual 10 Breakthrough Technologies list, which signifies that its reporters and editors have now recognized 250 technologies as breakthroughs.
A few years back, the editor at large, David Rotman, reviewed the original list from the publication, discovering that while all the technologies remained pertinent, each had progressed and evolved in often unexpected manners. I guide students through a similar evaluation in a graduate course I teach with James Scott for MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning, questioning them on what insights we can glean from the setbacks.
Though less glamorous than imagining which advancements will shape our future, scrutinizing unsuccessful technologies is equally crucial. Discover why.
Highlights to read
I’ve scoured the web to bring you today’s most entertaining/critical/harrowing/intriguing technology stories.
1 Iran has nearly entirely cut off its internet access
Which complicates the world’s ability to observe its government executing civilians. (AP)
+ The shutdown is chillingly effective and expected to endure. (The Guardian)
+ President Trump is contemplating military actions against Iran. (NYT $)
2 ICE is acquiring potent new monitoring tools
It has bought equipment that enables it to trace individuals throughout entire neighborhoods. (404 Media $)
+ The ICE incident underscores why reality still holds significance.(The Verge $)
+ It’s time for Apple to restore ICEBlock. (Engadget)
3 Malaysia and Indonesia have prohibited access to Grok
They are the pioneers worldwide in banning the AI tool that is being used to generate explicit non-consensual deepfakes. (BBC)
+ How Elon Musk’s platform unleashed a flood of misuse against women and girls.(The Guardian)
4 Silicon Valley’s wealthy elite are in a panic over a suggested 5% wealth tax
Oh, poor them. (Wired $)
5 Meta has struck a deal with three nuclear energy companies
It’s increasingly becoming a preferred energy source for tech firms as their AI ambitions expand. (TechCrunch)
+ Can nuclear energy truly power the ascent of AI? (MIT Technology Review)
6 AI is experiencing a memorization issue
The fact that it replicates copyrighted material indicates it may not function as its creators claim. (The Atlantic $)
+ DeepSeek is on the verge of launching a new leading AI model.(The Information $)
7 Here are the items from CES worth considering purchasing
It’s always somewhat of a gimmick showcase—but these products made their way onto journalists’ wishlists. (The Verge $)
+ Conversely, you definitely should not buy anything from the ‘worst in show’ list. (The Register)
8 How WhatsApp conquered the globe 🌍
It boasts over three billion users every month—nearly half of the world’s population. (New Yorker $)
9 AI-generated music is here to stay
Whether you love it or loathe it, it will only take on a larger role moving forward. (Vox)
+ It’s complicating our understanding of authorship and creativity in the process. (MIT Technology Review)
10 We’re yearning for improved online experiences
The challenge is: who will deliver them to us? (WP $)
Quote of the day
“Conditions here are extremely poor. Numerous friends of ours have died. They were shooting live rounds. It’s like a battleground, the streets are covered in blood. They are transporting bodies in trucks.”
—An unnamed source in Iran’s capital Tehran describes to the BBC how the government is harshly repressing protests.
Another note
This startup is on the verge of executing the largest real-world test of aluminum as a zero-carbon fuel
Found Energy intends to harness the energy from aluminum metal scraps to drive industrial processes without relying on fossil fuels. Since 2022, the company has been focused on developing methods to swiftly release energy from aluminum on a smaller scale.
Now it has activated a far larger version of its aluminum-powered engine, which it claims is the biggest aluminum-water reactor ever constructed. Soon, it will be installed to provide heat and hydrogen to a tool manufacturing plant in the southeastern US, utilizing the aluminum waste generated by the facility itself as its fuel.
If all goes according to plan, this technology, which employs a catalyst to unlock the energy contained within aluminum metal, could convert a significant amount of aluminum scrap into a zero-carbon fuel. Explore the complete story.
—James Dinneen
We can still enjoy nice things
A place for comfort, enjoyment, and escapism to brighten your day. (Have any suggestions? Send me a message or share them with me.)
+ I found this uplifting story of love across generations ❤️
+ It appears you can make an egg in an air fryer. The burning question is—should you?
+ Naturally, Japan has a real-life Pokémon Fossil Museum.
+ If you haven’t yet, make 2026 the year you embrace a hobby. It will surely enrich your life.
