Plus, how some MAGA influencers are spinning Donald Trump’s tariffs to their advantage
The Downloadis our weekly newsletterthat gives you a daily dose on what’s happening in the worlds of technology.
Generative artificial intelligence is learning to spy on behalf of the US military.
US Marines were also conducting an experiment in the waters near South Korea, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines during training exercises last year. The unit that was responsible for sorting out foreign intelligence to inform their superiors of local threats used generative AI for the first time. They were testing a leading AI technology the Pentagon funds.
Two officers tell us that they used the new system to help scour thousands of pieces of open-source intelligence–nonclassified articles, reports, images, videos–collected in the various countries where they operated, and that it did so far faster than was possible with the old method of analyzing them manually.
Though the US military has been developing computer vision models and similar AI tools since 2017, the use of generative AI–tools that can engage in human-like conversation–represent a newer frontier. Read more.
–James O’Donnell.
How the climate promises of AI sound like carbon offsets.
According to a new report by the International Energy Agency, AI could reduce greenhouse-gas emission levels in the future. This reduction may be much greater than the increase in emissions caused by the development of energy-guzzling computer centers.
This finding is similar to that of prominent figures in the AI industry who have also made this point to justify, at the very least implicitly the demand for electricity that new data centres are placing on regional grids around the world.
The suggestion that it is okay to build data centres that run on fossil-fuels today, because AI tools will eventually help the world reduce emissions, reminds us of the purported promise made by carbon credits. We’ve seen time and again how these programs tend to overstate the benefits of climate change, while doing little to alter what goes into or comes out of the air. Read the entire story.
–James Temple
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
MAGA influencers downplay Trump’s market turmoil.
They are finding creative ways of framing the financial turmoil as character building. (WP $)
+ Democrats are also echoing his myths about trade. Vox
Amazon’s products will cost more
Andy Jassy, CEO of CNBC
+ He says the company has been renegotiating terms with sellers. (CNBC)
+ Andy Jassy says that the company has been renegotiating with sellers. CNBC
OpenAI has reduced its model safety testing times
Experts worry that this will lead to models being released without adequate safeguards. (FT$)
+ We need an AI Safety Hotline. MIT Technology Review
A woman accidentally gave birth to a stranger’s baby after an IVF mixup.
Monash IVF accidentally transferred another woman’s embryo to her. (The Guardian )
+ Inside this strange limbo that millions of IVF eggs are in. MIT Technology Review
5 Amazon fitted some of its delivery vehicles in Europe with defibrillators.
This was an experiment to see if drivers can speed up the help for heart attack victims. (Bloomberg $)
6 The future of biotech looks shaky.
RFK Jr.’s appointment, and soaring rates of interest are rocking a volatile industry. (WSJ $)
+ Meanwhile RFK Jr visited the families of 2 girls who died due to measles. The Atlantic ($)
Alexandre de Moraes won’t back down
Despite his disagreement with Elon Musk the Brazilian judge is concerned about digital populism. (New Yorker $)
8 An experimental pill mimics gastric bypass surgery.
It could be marketed as an alternative to weight loss drugs. (Wired$)
+ Drugs such as Ozempic make up 5% prescriptions in the US. MIT Technology Review
What happens when videogames start leaking into the real world?
Game Transfer Phenomenon is a thing and it’s not as fun as you think. (BBC)
+ How AI could revolutionize the way we play. MIT Technology Review
Ten Londoners smashed a Tesla as part of a public art project.
This car was donated by an anonymous donor. The Guardian (19459029)
+Proceeds will be donated to food banks across the UK. (The Standard)
Today’s Quote
Steven Vernon III, a finance professional, describes the benefits of a digital detox while the markets are in chaos, according to the Wall Street Journal (19459029).
Big story
A scientist is working to create a voting machine that can be accessed by everyone.
Juan Gilbert, a computer science professor, has been involved in a heated debate about the role of touch-screen voting devices in the United States’ election administration for the past 19-years.
While supporters claim that electronic voting machines can be relatively safe, improve accessibility, simplify voting, and count votes, critics argue that they are insecure, and should only be used sparingly.
What about Gilbert? He claims to have invented “the most secure technology for voting ever created.” He invited some of the most vocal and respected critics of voting technologies to prove his claim. Read the complete story.
–Spenser Mestel
