The Download: AI lessons for the US election, and our climate tech list is coming
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.
What the US can learn from the role of AI in other elections
When the generative AI boom kicked off, one of the biggest concerns was that hyperrealistic deepfakes could be used to influence elections. But new research from the Alan Turing Institute recently found that AI-generated falsehoods seem to have had no effect on election results around the world so far this year.
However, one of the most consequential elections of the year is still ahead of us. In just over a month, Americans will head to the polls to choose Donald Trump or Kamala Harris as their next president. And, so far, external state actors are relying far more heavily on old tried-and-tested tactics than newfangled AI tools to interfere. Here’s what the US can do to counter these more immediate harms.
—Melissa Heikkilä
This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly AI newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday.
Coming soon: Our 2024 list of 15 Climate Tech Companies to Watch
Last year MIT Technology Review set out to recognize 15 companies from around the world that demonstrated they have a real shot at meaningfully driving down greenhouse-gas emissions and saving us from the worst impacts of climate change.
We’re excited to announce that we took up the task again this year and will publish our 2024 list of 15 Climate Tech Companies to Watch on October 1. We’ll reveal it first on stage to attendees at our upcoming EmTech MIT event, then share it online later that day.
We hope you’ll take a look, ideally learn something new, and perhaps even leave feeling encouraged. Read the full story.
—James Temple
If you want to be among the first to know who’s made this year’s list, join us either in-person at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge or via our virtual livestream for Emtech MIT between September 30 and October 1. Even better—The Download readers get 30% off tickets with the code DOWNLOADM24!
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 The US is considering banning Chinese tech in connected cars
Over concerns the hardware and software could be used to spy. (WP $)
+ Any prospective ban would encompass Russian-made tech, too. (FT $)
+ Neither country’s tech is widely used in US-made cars at the moment. (BBC)
2 Telegram says it’s willing to cooperate with police requests
Instead of ignoring them, as it has done in the past. (Bloomberg $)
+ It’ll hand over IP addresses and phone numbers in response to valid orders. (404 Media)
+ Pavel Durov, Telegram’s CEO, has been accused of dismissing warnings for years. (WSJ $)
3 Why news publishers are cozying up with WhatsApp
Social media and Google just aren’t driving traffic any more. (NYT $)
+ This bot-only social network does not sound like fun. (NY Mag $)
4 Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are becoming… cool?
Just as it prepares to unveil a new pair at its annual developer conference. (WSJ $)
+ Here’s what I made of Snap’s new augmented-reality Spectacles. (MIT Technology Review)
5 Russia’s crypto miners are heading underground
In a bid to evade a crackdown from officials. (Reuters)
6 Our cells can die in lots of surprising ways
Here’s why that matters. (Knowable Magazine)
+ Innovative new cell therapies could finally get at tough-to-target cancers. (MIT Technology Review)
7 What’s Huawei’s signature laptop tells us about the state of Chinese tech
Native components and software suggest its domestic supply chain is getting better. (FT $)
8 A major lockmaker will start making a robots entry system
Allowing Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot dogs to stroll around unencumbered. (The Verge)
+ This robot dog just taught itself to walk. (MIT Technology Review)
9 A video game has prompted tourists to flock to a remote Chinese province
Black Myth: Wukong is a colossal hit across the world. (Bloomberg $)
+ This viral game in China reinvents hide-and-seek for the digital age. (MIT Technology Review)
10 How memes revived Creed’s career
The post-grunge band is back in vogue thanks to internet trolling. (Wired $)
Quote of the day
“This is a TikTok move.”
—Steve Man, the global head of auto research at Bloomberg Intelligence, tells Wired why America’s touted plans to ban Chinese-made automotive software and hardware echo its bid to banish TikTok.
The big story
Are we alone in the universe?
The quest to determine if anyone or anything is out there has gained greater scientific footing over the past 50 years. Back then, astronomers had yet to spot a single planet outside our solar system. Now we know the galaxy is teeming with a diversity of worlds.
We’re now getting closer than ever before to learning how common living worlds like ours actually are. New tools, including artificial intelligence, could help scientists look past their preconceived notions of what constitutes life.
Future instruments will sniff the atmospheres of distant planets and scan samples from our local solar system to see if they contain telltale chemicals in the right proportions for organisms to prosper. But determining whether these planets actually contain organisms is no easy task. Read the full story.
—Adam Mann
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ The first photo of Prince, the UK Prime Minister’s new kitten, has been released, and he is very cute.
+ The red hot Chimayo chile has to be tasted to be believed
+ Looking to sleep better? Give these relaxing yoga poses a go.
+ Autumn or fall: which is correct? And why?