Plus, the Trump administration is reportedly interested in a stake at Intel
our weekly newsletter that gives a daily dose on what’s happening in the world technology.
Taiwan’s “silicon-shield” could be weakening.
Taiwanese political life increasingly revolves around the question of whether China will invade. China’s ruling group has been trying to seize Taiwan since more than 50 years. In recent years, China’s leader, Xi Jinping has put more emphasis on the idea to “take back” the island, which the Chinese Communist Party (or CCP) has never controlled.
Many people in Taiwan and around the world believe that one of the biggest deterrents is Taiwan’s crucial role in semiconductor manufacturing. Taiwan produces 90% of the advanced chips required for AI applications and the majority of semiconductors in the world.
But some Taiwan specialists and islanders are now worried that the “silicon shield,” should it ever exist, is cracking. Read the complete story. This story is part of our upcoming print issue which is about security. Subscribe now if you haven’t done so already for future issues.
Why is there a backlash against ChatGPT’s new ‘personality’?
After OpenAI switched to its new GPT-5 last week, many people responded with shock, frustration or anger at the sudden disappearance of previous model 4o from ChatGPT.
OpenAI was caught off guard by the intensity of the users’ pleas to return the model despite its awareness that they have developed emotional attachments with it. The company restored 4o to its paying customers within a day (free users remain stuck with GPT-5).
MIT Technology Review interviewed several ChatGPT users that were deeply affected by 4o’s loss. All women aged between 20 and 40 years old, except for one, considered 4o a romantic partner. Read the complete story.
–Grace Huckins
The reasons why US federal health agencies have abandoned mRNA vaccines.
Five years ago, the covid-19 epidemic was in full swing. Then came vaccines. In December 2020, the first mRNA covid vaccines were approved for use. The US government has played a major role in the introduction and development of these vaccines by providing $18 billion for their development.
Now, the government is turning away from this technology. The funding is being withdrawn. Partnerships are being cancelled. Leaders in US health agencies have cast doubt on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. This week, the director of National Institutes of Health suggested that the reversal of policy was due to the lack of trust the public has in the technology.
There are many claims being made. Let’s look at the evidence. Read the whole story. This article was first published in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Thursday and read articles such as this one first
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
The Trump administration is in discussions to buy a stake of Intel
This comes just weeks after Trump demanded that the CEO step down. It’s a part of its plan for increasing US market share in the chip manufacturing. Intel probably hopes that such a deal will help its Ohio factory, which is in dire need of support. TechCrunch
Meta’s AI rules permitted its chatbots flirt with children
It only recently changed the guidelines after it was questioned. (Reuters ),
and we don’t know for how long these policies have been in place. The Verge (19459038)
and host sexually charged conversations between underage celebrity bots. MIT Technology Review
Erin will be America’s first test of hurricane preparedness under Trump
The storm is expected to become the first hurricane of the season. Trackers are unsure of the storm’s direction. ($ Now)
+ Here is what we know about climate change and hurricanes. MIT Technology Review
After Grok praised Hitler, 4 xAI was denied a major US Government contract
The government partnered with OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini. (Wired$)
+ The ‘Grok for Government” site of xAI does not appear to reflect this. Ars Technica ()
Five tech leaders are increasing their security
as public hostility toward corporate executives grows. (FT$)
Six TikTokers document their lives after being deported
These TikTokers share their realities and create new communities. (NY Mag $)
+ ICE randomly added a person to a highly-sensitive group chat. 404 Media
We may be able to soon hear some patients’ internal voices
A new research has successfully guessed the words imagined by people who are unable to talk. (NYT$)
+ Motor Neuron Diseases took their voices. AI is bringing their voices back. MIT Technology Review
8 China’s plug-in Hybrids are everywhere
They’re likely to dominate the exports for at least the next three years. (Rest of World )
+ China’s EV giants bet big on humanoid robotics. MIT Technology Review
8 The UK is working with TikTok Influencers to tackle medical Tourism
This is a bid to increase awareness about the risks of cosmetic surgery abroad. (BBC )
What is AI (IEEE Spectrum)?
+ MIT Technology Review
Today’s Quote
We’ve discovered the best way to reach them is while they’re scrolling through social media.
Ryan Odendahl is the president and CEO of Kwest Group. He tells The Washington Post that his company is trying to get young people interested in traditional trades.
Another thing
The next generation of neural network could be embedded in hardware
Networks programmed directly into the hardware of computer chips can identify images much faster and use less energy than traditional neural networks, which underpin most modern AI.
The wiring of perceptrons is used to build neural networks, from GPT-4 and Stable Diffusion. These are highly simplified simulations that mimic the neurons in our brains. Perceptrons are very powerful, but they consume enormous amounts of energy.
Part of the trouble is that perceptrons are just software abstractions–running a perceptron network on a GPU requires translating that network into the language of hardware, which takes time and energy. By building a network directly out of hardware components, many of these costs can be avoided. One day, they may even be built into the chips of smartphones and other devices. Read the complete story.
–Grace Huckins
You can still enjoy nice things
An oasis of comfort, fun, and distraction that will brighten your day. (Do you have any ideas? Drop a line to me (or skeet them at me).
– Ever wished that you knew more about the art world? This YouTube channelhas a wealth of information.
+ Happy birthday to Madonna Louise Ciccone,who turns 67 tomorrow. What do dolphinsand whales
think about each other?
+ A fond farewell is due to Megadeth, the thrash metal titans who will be retiring next year.
