The Downloadis our weekly newsletterthat gives you a daily dose on what’s happening in the worlds of technology.
DeepSeek’s role as a fortune-teller for China’s youth
Since DeepSeek emerged as a domestic competitor to OpenAI, Chinese youth have begun using AI to revive ancient fortune-telling traditions.
On Chinese social media, users share AI-generated readings and experiment with fortune-telling prompts. They also revisit ancient spiritual texts with the help DeepSeek.
The rise of AI fortune-telling coincides with a period of anxiety and pessimism that is pervasive in Chinese society. As spiritual practices are kept underground by the regime in China, computer screens and phone screens help younger people gain control over their lives. Read the complete story.
Caiwei Chen
Would you like to learn more about DeepSeek? Read our stories
: + How DeepSeek managed to overcome US sanctions and turn restrictions into innovation. Read the complete story.
Why everyone will follow DeepSeek’s lead? The Chinese company has revealed how top labs are building their next-generation models. Now things are getting interesting. DeepSeek may not be so good for energy afterall
New figures show that the efficiency promise becomes murky if you add the model’s “chain of thoughts” reasoning, which is energy-intensive. Read the complete story.
– Three things to remember as the dust settles on DeepSeek – and four other Chinese AI startups that you should keep an eye out for.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
A private lander touched down on the Moon
US Startup Firefly is second private company to land in lunar soil. The Guardian]
+ The NASA mission is part of the private enterprise plan to reduce costs. ($ Now )
+ Nokia will put the first cellular system on the moon. MIT Technology Review
Donald Trump may create America’s first strategic crypto reserves
Crypto enthusiasts believe it will finally give the industry a feeling of legitimacy. (CoinDesk )
+ Some Republican lawmakers are concerned that it could put taxpayer money at risk. Other crypto investors want the reserve to only hold bitcoin. CNBC
and Elon Musk is also a supporter of Dogecoin. Ars Technica
Three AI firms are racing to develop cheaper models
They’re pinning hopes on a distillation process to do that. (FT$)
+ DeepSeek’s AI playbook ripped apart and why everyone will follow it. MIT Technology Review
– Amazon’s bid to avoid regulatory oversight has failed
– It was denied permission to bypass permitting rules for a data center. (WP$)
4 The US federal layoffs will be bad for aquatic ecosystems.
Firing of wildlife workers could lead an outbreak parasitic lampreys that wreak havoc with freshwater fish. (Ars Technica, )
+ This is just one of many cuts that may make life in the US even worse. The Atlantic ($)
Six smart cameras can detect wildfires
before they spread. How AI can help detect wildfires. MIT Technology Review
Beware of AI chatbots aimed directly at children
You can’t rely on them to always provide correct information. (Insider$)
+ Some parent teach children how to safely use models. The Guardian
You should talk to your child about AI. Here are six things you should tell your child. Microsoft is closing down Skype in favor of Teams.
8 RIP Skype (CNN )
+ You have until May to decide how to handle your data. The Register (19459033)
9 An artificial tongue that allows you to taste flavors within VR
Yum! Delicious hydrogels. (New Scientist $)
+ The device allowed volunteers to taste coffee, fried egg, and fish soup. NOW($)
How social media fueled a Japanese matcha scarcity
This tasty green drink has become a TikTok phenomenon. (Bloomberg$)
Today’s Quote
Hasan Piker, a political commentator online, reflects how DOGE feels as if it is the culmination of Elon Musk’s forever-online existence. The New York Timesreported.
Big story
These snowdrifts are protecting seal pups from climate changes
April 2024
During Finland’s brutal winters for millennia wind blew snow into meter-high snowbanks on the shore of Lake Saimaa. Seals used these snowdrifts to create cave-like dens and protect their young from the elements. In recent decades, however, the number of snowdrifts has decreased as climate change has led to warmer temperatures and rain instead of snow. This has decimated the seal population.
In the last 11 year, humans have been stepping in to provide what nature no longer can reliably provide. Snowdrifts created by humans using handheld snowplows now house 90% of the seal pups. These are just the latest of many measures that have saved Saimaa seals from extinction. Read the complete story.
–Matthew Ponsford.
You can still enjoy nice things.
A place to find comfort, fun, and distraction. (Do you have any ideas? Drop a line (or ( skeet them at me).
This behind-the-scenes look at how the podracing scene was created in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace looks amazing.
– Has Shrek undergone botox? There is a lot to consider.
+ The largest Dungeons and dragons live game ever played looks incredible ($]
+ Five years ago, in the UK, collectively we lost our minds
