Plus : the first waves of the Russian earthquake tsunami have reached the US.
Exclusive: A record-breaking child has been born using an embryo over 30 years old.
Thaddeus D. Pierce, who was born on July 26, was developed from an egg that had been stored for 30 and half years.
Lindsey Pierce and her husband Tim Pierce, from London, Ohio, “adopted the embryo” from Linda Archerd who had it created back in 1994. The couple, who were 35 and 34 years old, had been trying to conceive for seven long years. Read their remarkable story.
— Jessica Hamzelou
OpenAI launches a version ChatGPT for students in college
OpenAI launches Study Mode, a ChatGPT version for college students which promises to act less as a lookup tool, and more like an always-available, friendly tutor.
To begin, the chatbot asks the student what they want to know. Then it attempts to create an exchange where the two work together to find the answer. OpenAI claims that the tool was developed after consulting with pedagogy specialists from over 40 institutions.
Study Mode has an ambitious vision: It is part of a larger push by OpenAI that aims to embed AI more deeply into classrooms at the start of the new academic year in September. Read the complete story.
– James O’Donnell
MIT Technology Review Narrated : Are we ready for AI agents to take the keys?
A new class of agents, built using large language model, has appeared on the scene in recent months. This type of system can capture any action that is text-based, from playing a videogame using written commands to managing a social media profile.
LLM Agents don’t have a lot of experience yet, but according to CEOs, they will soon transform the economy. Agents can be chaotic, just like chatbot LLMs.
We’ve turned this story into a MIT Technology Review narrated podcast. It is published every week on Apple Podcasts as well as Spotify. Follow us on either platform and you’ll get our latest content.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
The first waves of the tsunami have reached the US West Coast.
But the early damage caused by the powerful Russian earthquake was thankfully limited. (WP $)
+We’ll have to wait a while before we’re confident that there’s no threat. These underwater cables could improve tsunami detection. MIT Technology Review
Google has signed the EU code
Despite US criticisms that it will stifle the growth. (FT $)
+ Europe is taking a very different path from America. The Register
NASA launches a new Earth-observing Satellite today
The satellite will keep an eye on the precursors of earthquakes, landslides, and volcanoes. (BBC)
+ The data collected will be converted into maps that will help scientists respond better. ($ Now)
Without federal funding, US antibiotics research will suffer
This is a crucial role in antibiotic discovery. (Undark )
+ How bacteria fighting viruses could become mainstream. MIT Technology Review
5 Russia is building a new web
At its core is VK Co., a social networking site controlled by the government. (Bloomberg$)
+ The Russian tech industry’s demise. MIT Technology Review
How Anthropic became such a good coder
Silicon Valley wants to know. (Insider $)
+ We are in the second wave of AI-coding. MIT Technology Review
The demand for Vietnam’s chip is booming.
Vietnam is reaping the rewards of the world’s search for alternatives to China products. (Rest Of World )
+ Things don’t look good for AI chipmaker Groq. The Information($)
Yelp has begun making its own AI restaurant video
Users can’t opt-out of having their photos in them. (The Verge )
Comics would be more interesting if they didn’t have plots. (Ars Technica,)
+ The South Korean webcomics industry is being reshaped by Generative AI. MIT Technology Review
Starbucks is abandoning launching a store that only accepts mobile orders
Apparently, the vibes are off. (WSJ$)
Today’s Quote
A lawyer who used AI-generated references in a court case was criticized by Judge Michael Slade. PC Gamer reported on this.
Another thing
The return of pneumatic tube
Pneumatic tubes used to be hailed as a revolutionary invention. In science fiction they were envisioned to be a key part of the future, even in dystopias such as George Orwell’s novel 1984, where they helped Winston Smith in his job of rewriting the history to fit the ruling parties changing narrative.
The tubes were supposed to revolutionize several industries from the late 19th century until the mid-20th century. The United States embraced the systems for a time.
By the mid-to-late 20th century, the technology was largely abandoned, and pneumatic tubes became almost obsolete. Except in hospitals. Read the whole story.
–Vanessa Armstrong.
You can still enjoy nice things.
A place to find comfort, fun, and distraction. (Do you have any ideas? Drop a line to me (or or skeet them at me).
This adorable baby pudu fawn is too cute to describe. There are some great choices in this list of 100 best podcasts (19459036) (and some shocking ones). The Home Depot giant skeleton has a voice.
If you never forget the Roman Empire here’s what happened when it all fell down.
