The Download: Microsoft’s online reality check, and the worrying rise in measles cases

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.

Microsoft has a new plan to prove what’s real and what’s AI online

AI-enabled deception now permeates our online lives. There are the high-profile cases you may easily spot. Other times, it slips quietly into social media feeds and racks up views.

It is into this mess that Microsoft has put forward a blueprint, shared with MIT Technology Review, for how to prove what’s real online.

An AI safety research team at the company recently evaluated how methods for documenting digital manipulation are faring against today’s most worrying AI developments, like interactive deepfakes and widely accessible hyperrealistic models. It then recommended technical standards that can be adopted by AI companies and social media platforms. Read the full story.

—James O’Donnell

Community service: a short story

In the not-too-distant future, civilians are enlisted to kill perceived threats to human life. In this short fiction story from the latest edition of our print magazine, writer Micaiah Johnson imagines the emotional toll that could take on ordinary people. Read the full story and if you haven’t already, subscribe now to get the next edition of the magazine.

Measles cases are rising. Other vaccine-preventable infections could be next.

There’s a measles outbreak happening close to where I live. Since the start of this year, 34 cases have been confirmed in Enfield, a northern borough of London.

It’s another worrying development for an incredibly contagious and potentially fatal disease. Since October last year, 962 cases of measles have been confirmed in South Carolina. Large outbreaks (with more than 50 confirmed cases) are underway in four US states. Smaller outbreaks are being reported in another 12 states.

The vast majority of these cases have been children who were not fully vaccinated. Vaccine hesitancy is thought to be a significant reason children are missing out on important vaccines. And if we’re seeing more measles cases now, we might expect to soon see more cases of other vaccine-preventable infections, including some that can cause liver cancer or meningitis. Read the full story.

—Jessica Hamzelou

This article first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first, sign up here.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 The US Environmental Protection Agency is being sued
Health and environmental non-profits have accused it of abandoning its mission to protect the public. (The Guardian)

2 Amazon’s cloud unit has suffered two outages linked to its AI tools
In one instance, its Kiro AI coding tool decided to delete and recreate part of a system. (FT $)
+ Amazon keeps a close eye on how its workers use AI daily. (The Information $)+ Security-conscious tech firms are restricting workers’ use of OpenClaw. (Wired $)

3 AI is making it easier to steal tech trade secrets
It’s also making those secrets more lucrative. (WSJ $)
+ Two former Googlers have been charged with illegally taking trade secrets. (Bloomberg $)

4 What a fake viral ICE tip-off line tells us about America
One call came from a teacher reporting the parents of a kindergarten student. (WP $)
+ The agency’s software could speed up deportations. (Economist $)
+ How an ICE detention actually unfolds. (New Yorker $)
+ An internet personality is dividing those resisting on the streets of Minneapolis. (The Verge)

5 The number of malicious apps submitted to Google’s app store is falling
Which Google attributes to its improved AI defences. (TechCrunch)
+ Beware the rise of the vibe coded music app. (The Verge)

6 “Digital blackface” is on the rise
Generative AI tools steeped in racial stereotypes are being co-opted by users who are not Black themselves.(The Guardian)
+ OpenAI is huge in India. Its models are steeped in caste bias. (MIT Technology Review)

7 Grok exposed a porn performer’s legal name and birthdate
Without even being explicitly asked for the information. (404 Media)

8 India is embracing deepfakes of dead loved ones
But we don’t know how these kinds of clips could affect the long-term grieving process. (Rest of World)
+ China has a flourishing market for deepfakes that clone the dead. (MIT Technology Review)

9 Longevity-linked products are big business
We might spend up to $8 trillion annually on them by 2030. But do they work? (The Atlantic $)
+ Meet the Vitalists: the hardcore longevity enthusiasts who believe death is “wrong.” (MIT Technology Review)

10 An AI film won’t be shown in cinemas after all
Following a major public backlash after AMC Theatres announced its intention to screen a short AI movie called Thanksgiving Day. (Hollywood Reporter)
+ Screen time is the villain in the trailer for the latest Toy Story installation. (Insider $)
+ How do AI models generate videos? (MIT Technology Review)

Quote of the day

“Nobody but Big Oil profits from Trump trashing climate science and making cars and trucks guzzle and pollute more.”

—David Pettit, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, explains why the Center is suing the US Environmental Protection Agency over its decision to repeal a crucial climate ruling, Ars Technica reports.

One more thing

What happened to the microfinance organization Kiva?

Since it was founded in 2005, the San Francisco-based nonprofit Kiva has helped everyday people make microloans to borrowers around the world. It connects lenders in richer communities to fund all sorts of entrepreneurs, from bakers in Mexico to farmers in Albania. Its overarching aim is helping poor people help themselves.

But back in August 2021, Kiva lenders started to notice that information that felt essential in deciding who to lend to was suddenly harder to find. Now, lenders are worried that the organization now seems more focused on how to make money than how to create change. Read the full story.

—Mara Kardas-Nelson

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.)

+ Is there a greater remix than this? I’m not convinced.
+ These photos of Scotland showcase just how beautiful it—and its wildlife—is.
+ It’s time to roll the dice and see where you end up—this random website generator is fun.
+ I’m a bit scared of the “smiling fossil” that’s just been discovered on Holy Island.