Plus, Elon Musk’s and Donald Trump’s fallout is escalating.
Manus is the driving force behind the AI agent boom in China.
China saw a boom last year in foundation models – the large language models which do everything. This year the focus has shifted from AI agents to AI agents that can do things for users without them having to ask.
A number of Chinese startups are building these general-purpose digital devices, which can answer email, browse the web to plan vacations, or even design an interactive site. Many of these tools have been developed in the last two months. They follow in the footsteps Manus, a general AI agent which sparked a social media frenzy to get invite codes following its limited-release release in early March.
As a race to define the look of a useful AI agent unfolds, a mixture of ambitious startups and established tech giants is now testing how these tools could actually work in practice — and for whom. Read the complete story.
Caiwei Chen.
Inside race to find GPS alternative.
This month, a 150-kilogram satellite will launch into space on the SpaceX Transporter 14 flight. Once in orbit, the satellite will test the super-accurate new-generation satnav system designed to compensate for the shortcomings of US Global Positioning System.
Despite its indispensable nature, GPS signals are easily suppressed or interrupted by everything from 5G cell towers and space weather to phone-sized jammers that cost a few tens dollars. Experts have been talking about this problem for years, but the issue has only really become apparent in the past three years since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Startup Xona Space Systems is now working on a space-based navigation system that will do the same thing as GPS, but better. Read the full article.
– Tereza Pultarova.
Why physicians should look for ways of prescribing hope.
– Jessica Hamzelou.
I’ve spent this week thinking about the powerful link between mind and body. New research suggests that people who have heart conditions will fare better if they are optimistic and hopeful. Hopelessness is associated with an increased risk of death.
These findings are based on decades of fascinating research on the placebo effect. Our beliefs and expectations regarding a medicine (or an ill-conceived treatment) can affect its effectiveness. The nocebo, the “evil twin” of the placebo effect, is also powerful. Negative thinking has been linked with real symptoms.
Researchers continue to try and understand the link between body and mind and how our thoughts influence our physiology. Many are working on ways to harness this in hospital settings. Can a doctor prescribe hope? Read the complete story. This article was first published in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Thursday and read articles such as this one first
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
Elon Musk has threatened to stop NASA from using SpaceX’s Dragon rocket
The war of words between him and Donald Trump is escalating dramatically. (WP $)
+ NASA would be in serious trouble if Musk followed through on his threat. Silicon Valley is beginning to take sides. The Wired ($)
and make it seem as though Musk is the one who has more to lose by their bitter split. The Mag ($)
Apple and Alibaba’s AI launch in China has been pushed back
This is the latest victim of Trump’s trade war. (FT $)
+ This deal is supposed to support iPhones AI offerings in China. Reuters
The new policy of 3 X blocks the use its posts to fine-tune’ or ‘train’ AI models.
Unless a deal is struck with them. (TechCrunch)
+ It could end up striking deals like Reddit and Google. (The Verge)
RJK Jr.’s new hire is searching for proof that vaccines are responsible for autism
Vaccine skeptic David Geier wants access to a database he had previously been barred from. (WSJ$)
+ Measuring vaccine hesitancy can help health professionals combat it. MIT Technology Review
Five Anthropic has launched a service for the military.
Claudegov is specifically designed for US defense agencies and intelligence agencies. (The Verge )
+ Generative artificial intelligence is learning to spy on behalf of the US military. MIT Technology Review
There’s no guarantee that your billion-dollar start-up won’t fail. (Bloomberg$)
+ Beware of the rise of AI coding startups. Reuters
7 Walmart drone deliveries are taking off.
They’re expanding to 100 US stories within the next year. (Wired$)
8 AI could be able tell us how old Dead Sea Scrolls are
Models indicate they’re older than we thought. The Economist ( $)
+ AI helps historians better understand the past. MIT Technology Review
Nine All-in-one Super Apps are a Hit in the Gulf
Following in China’s footsteps. (Rest Of World )
Ten Nintendo’s Switch 2 revived the midnight event
Fans waited for hours outside stores in order to get their hands the new console. (Insider$)
+ How the company managed Trump’s tariffs. (The Guardian )
“Elon finally found a method to make Twitter fun again.”
– Dan Pfeiffer of the political podcast Pod Save America jokes in a postposted on X about Elon Musk’s and Donald Trump’s ongoing feud.
Just one more thing
This rare earth metal shows the future of our planet’s resources
We’re in a potentially transformative time. Metals that were discovered less than a century ago are now the foundation of technologies that we rely on for cleaner energy. Not having enough could slow down progress.
Neodymium is one of the rare-earth metals. It is used in cryogenic cooling systems to reach the ultra-low temperatures required for devices such as superconductors, and in high-powered magnetic materials that power everything from wind turbines to smartphones. Demand for it may soon exceed supply. What happens? What does this reveal about the wider supply chain? Find out by reading our story.
– Casey Crownhart
You can still enjoy nice things
This is a place to find comfort, fun and distraction. (Do you have any ideas? Drop a line at or or skeet them at me.
+ Bigfoot sightingsjust happen to correlate with black bear populations ? I smell a plot!
+ These symbols magically transform into an impressive Black Sabbathmural. Underwater rugbyhas taken off in the UK.
+ TikTok, fed up with beige Gen Z trends is bringing back the 80s .
