The Download: what Moltbook tells us about AI hype, and the rise and rise of AI therapy

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.

Moltbook was peak AI theater

For a few days recently, the hottest new hangout on the internet was a vibe-coded Reddit clone called Moltbook, which billed itself as a social network for bots. As the website’s tagline puts it: “Where AI agents share, discuss, and upvote. Humans welcome to observe.”

We observed! Launched on January 28, Moltbook went viral in a matter of hours. It’s been designed as a place where instances of a free open-source LLM-powered agent known as OpenClaw (formerly known as ClawdBot, then Moltbot), could come together and do whatever they wanted.

But is Moltbook really a glimpse of the future, as many have claimed? Or something else entirely? Read the full story.

—Will Douglas Heaven

The ascent of the AI therapist

We’re in the midst of a global mental-­health crisis. More than a billion people worldwide suffer from a mental-health condition, according to the World Health Organization. The prevalence of anxiety and depression is growing in many demographics, particularly young people, and suicide is claiming hundreds of thousands of lives globally each year.

Given the clear demand for accessible and affordable mental-health services, it’s no wonder that people have looked to artificial intelligence for possible relief. Millions are already actively seeking therapy from popular chatbots, or from specialized psychology apps like Wysa and Woebot.

Four timely new books are a reminder that while the present feels like a blur of breakthroughs, scandals, and confusion, this disorienting time is rooted in deeper histories of care, technology, and trust. Read the full story.

—Becky Ferreira

This story is from the most recent print issue of MIT Technology Review magazine, which shines a light on the exciting innovations happening right now. If you haven’t already, subscribe now to receive future issues once they land.

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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 failing to punish polluters
The number of civil lawsuits it’s pursuing has sharply dropped in comparison to Trump’s first term. (Ars Technica)
+ Rising GDP = greater carbon emissions. But does it have to? (The Guardian)

2 The European Union has warned Meta against blocking rival AI assistants
It’s the latest example of Brussels’ attempts to rein in Big Tech. (Bloomberg $)

3 AI ads took over the Super Bowl
Hyping up chatbots and taking swipes at their competitors. (TechCrunch)
+ They appeared to be trying to win over AI naysayers, too. (WP $)
+ Celebrities were out in force to flog AI wares. (Slate $)

4 China wants to completely dominate the humanoid robot industry
Local governments and banks are only too happy to oblige promising startups. (WSJ $)
+ Why the humanoid workforce is running late. (MIT Technology Review)

5 We’re witnessing the first real crypto crash
Cryptocurrency is now fully part of the financial system, for better or worse. (NY Mag $)
+ Wall Street’s grasp of AI is pretty shaky too. (Semafor)
+ Even traditionally safe markets are looking pretty volatile right now. (Economist $)

6 The man who coined vibe coding has a new fixation 
“Agentic engineering” is the next big thing, apparently. (Insider $)
+ Agentic AI is the talk of the town right now. (The Information $)
+ What is vibe coding, exactly? (MIT Technology Review)

7 AI running app Runna has adjusted its aggressive training plans
Runners had long suspected its suggestions were pushing them towards injury. (WSJ $)

8 San Francisco’s march for billionaires was a flop 
Only around three dozen supporters turned up. (SF Chronicle)
+ Predictably, journalists nearly outnumbered the demonstrators. (TechCrunch)

9 AI is shaking up romance novels
But models still aren’t great at writing sex scenes. (NYT $)
+ It’s surprisingly easy to stumble into a relationship with an AI chatbot. (MIT Technology Review) 

10 ChatGPT won’t be replacing human stylists any time soon
Its menswear suggestions are more manosphere influencer than suave gentleman. (GQ)

Quote of the day

“There is no Plan B, because that assumes you will fail. We’re going to do the start-up thing until we die.”

—William Alexander, an ambitious 21-year old AI worker, explains his and his cohort’s attitudes towards trying to make it big in the highly-competitive industry to the New York Times.

One more thing

The open-source AI boom is built on Big Tech’s handouts. How long will it last?

In May 2023 a leaked memo reported to have been written by Luke Sernau, a senior engineer at Google, said out loud what many in Silicon Valley must have been whispering for weeks: an open-source free-for-all is threatening Big Tech’s grip on AI.

In many ways, that’s a good thing. AI won’t thrive if just a few mega-rich companies get to gatekeep this technology or decide how it is used. But this open-source boom is precarious, and if Big Tech decides to shut up shop, a boomtown could become a backwater. Read the full story.

—Will Douglas Heaven

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 skeet ’em at me.)

+ Dark showering, anyone?
+ Chef Yujia Hu is renowned for his shoe-shaped sushi designs.
+ Meanwhile, in the depths of the South Atlantic Ocean: a giant phantom jelly has been spotted.
+ I have nothing but respect for this X account dedicated to documenting rats and mice in movies and TV