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.

This scientist rewarmed and studied pieces of his friend’s cryopreserved brain 

L. Stephen Coles’s brain sits in a vat at a storage facility in Arizona. It has been held there at a temperature of around −146 degrees °C for over a decade, largely undisturbed. Before he died in 2014, Coles had the brain frozen with an ambitious goal in mind: reanimation. 

His friend, cryobiologist Greg Fahy, believes it could be revived one day. But other experts are less optimistic.  

Still, Fahy’s research could lead to new ways to study the brain. And using cryopreservation for organ transplantation is becoming a viable reality.  

Read the full story to find out what the future holds for the technology. 

—Jessica Hamzelou 

The AI Hype Index 

Separating AI reality from hyped-up fiction isn’t always easy. That’s why we’ve created the AI Hype Index—a simple, at-a-glance summary of everything you need to know about the state of the industry. Take a look at this month’s edition. 
 

MIT Technology Review Narrated: how Pokémon Go is giving delivery robots an inch-perfect view of the world  

Pokémon Go was the world’s first augmented-reality megahit. Released in 2016 by Niantic, the AR twist on the juggernaut Pokémon franchise fast became a global phenomenon. “500 million people installed that app in 60 days,” says Brian McClendon, CTO at Niantic Spatial, an AI company that Niantic spun out last year.  

Now Niantic Spatial is using that vast trove of crowdsourced data to build a kind of world model—a buzzy new technology that grounds the smarts of LLMs in real environments. The firm wants to use it to help robots navigate more precisely. 

—Will Douglas Heaven 

This is our latest story to be turned into an MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we’re publishing each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it’s released. 

The next era of space exploration 

Our footprint in the solar system is rapidly expanding. Programs to build permanent Moon bases and find life on Mars have transitioned from science fiction to active space agency missions. The scientists behind them will not only shed new light on the cosmos, but also reveal where humanity is headed. 

To examine what the future holds in store, MIT Technology Review features editor Amanda Silverman will sit down today with award-winning science journalist and author Robin George Andrews for an exclusive subscriber-only Roundtable conversation about “The Next Era of Space Exploration.” Register here to join the session at 16:00 GMT / 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT. 

The must-reads 

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

1 OpenAI is shutting down AI video generator Sora  
The app attracted at least as much controversy as acclaim. (CNBC) 
+ Closing it means saying goodbye to $1 billion from Disney. (BBC) 
+ OpenAI is cutting back on side projects ahead of an expected IPO. (WSJ $) 
+ But it’s focusing its efforts on building a fully automated researcher. (MIT Technology Review) 

2 A judge suspects the Pentagon is illegally punishing Anthropic 
She labelled the DoD’s ban “troubling.” (Bloomberg) 
+ Anthropic and the Pentagon are facing off in court. (Guardian) 
+ The DoD wants AI companies to train on classified data. (MIT Technology Review) 

3 Meta has been ordered to pay $375 million for endangering children online 
Prosecutors said the company knew it put children at risk. (Engadget) 
+ Meta is offering its top talent stock options as incentives for its AI push. (CNBC) 

4 Arm will sell its own computer chips for the first time 
It’s aimed at data centers that run AI tasks. (NYT $) 
+ Arm stock jumped 13% on the news. (CNBC) 

5 Manus’s founders have been barred from leaving China following Meta’s takeover 
Beijing is reviewing the $2 billion acquisition of the AI startup. (FT $) 

6 Baltimore has sued xAI over Grok’s fake nude images  
The chatbot allegedly violated consumer protections. (Guardian) 
+ There’s a big market for pornographic deepfakes of real women. (MIT Technology Review) 

7 NASA plans to send a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars in 2028 
It’ll take a payload of Ingenuity-class helicopters to the Red Planet. (NYT $) 
+ NASA also wants to put a $20 billion base on the Moon. (The Verge) 

8 A company is secretly turning Zoom meetings into AI-generated podcasts 
WebinarTV turns the calls into content without telling anyone. (404 Media) 

9 Iranian volunteers have built their own missile warning map 
It fills the gap left by Iran’s lack of a public emergency alert tool. (Wired $) 
+ Here’s where OpenAI’s tech could show up in Iran. (MIT Technology Review) 

10 A nonprofit is sending basic income payments to AI-impacted workers 
It’s starting by giving 25-50 people $1,000 per month. (Gizmodo) 

Quote of the day 

“I am first and foremost a scientist. My goal is to understand nature. But doing science is, sort of, like reading the mind of God.” 

—DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis shares his approach to AI strategy with the FT. 

One More Thing 

Inside the hunt for the most dangerous asteroid ever  

As asteroid 2024 YR4 hurtled toward Earth, astronomers determined that this massive rock posed a higher risk of impact than any object of its size in recorded history. Then, just as quickly as history was made, experts declared that the danger had passed. 

This is the inside story of the network of global scientists who found, followed, planned for, and finally dismissed the most dangerous asteroid ever found—all under the tightest of timelines and with the highest of stakes. Find out how they did it. 

—Robin George Andrews 

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.) 
 
+ Soothe subscription fatigue with this simple cancellation tool. 
+ Takashi Murakami’s reimagined Monets are pop-art magic. 
+ Jump into a rabbit hole with this app that visualizes links between Wikipedia pages. 
+ This playful lynx that snatched the top prize in a photo competition is a delight. 

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.

The hardest question to answer about AI-fueled delusions 

What actually happens when people spiral into delusion with AI? To find out, Stanford researchers analyzed transcripts from chatbot users who experienced these spirals. 

Their findings suggest that chatbots have a unique ability to turn a benign, delusion-like thought into a dangerous obsession. But the research struggles to answer a vital question: does AI cause delusions or merely amplify them? Read the full story to understand the answer’s enormous implications. 

—James O’Donnell 

This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things AI. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday. 

The next era of space exploration 

Our footprint in the solar system is rapidly expanding. Programs to build permanent Moon bases and find life on Mars have transitioned from science fiction to active space agency missions. The scientists behind them will not only shed new light on the cosmos, but also reveal where humanity is headed. 

To examine what the future holds in store, MIT Technology Review features editor Amanda Silverman will sit down on Wednesday with award-winning science journalist and author Robin George Andrews for an exclusive subscriber-only Roundtable conversation about “The Next Era of Space Exploration.” Register here to join the session at 16:00 GMT / 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT. 

The must-reads 

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

1 OpenAI has admitted its close ties with Microsoft are a business risk 
It highlighted the dangers in a pre-IPO document. (CNBC) 
+ OpenAI is wooing private equity firms with a sweeter deal than Anthropic’s. (Reuters $) 
+ It’s also building a fully automated researcher. (MIT Technology Review) 
+ And wants to muscle in on Google’s search dominance. (Telegraph $) 

2 The US just banned all new foreign-made consumer routers 
Citing national security concerns. (BBC) 
+ The EU has been urged to tighten rules for big tech-built smart TVs. (Guardian) 

3 Elon Musk’s “Terafab” chip factory faces a harsh reality check 
In the form of chip production shortages. (Bloomberg) 
+ Future AI chips could be built on glass. (MIT Technology Review) 

4 Mark Zuckerberg is building an AI CEO to help him run Meta 
He wants everyone to have their own personal AI agent. (WSJ $) 
+ But don’t let the hype about agents get ahead of reality. (MIT Technology Review) 

5 Palantir has become a “poisonous” flashpoint on the campaign trail  
Candidates are facing scrutiny over their ties to the company. (FT $) 
+ Palantir’s access to sensitive UK data is also causing concern. (Guardian) 

6 Mistral’s CEO has called for AI companies to pay a content levy in Europe 
It would apply to all commercial models on the continent. (FT $) 
+ Siemens’ CEO says Europe risks “disaster” from prioritizing AI independence. (FT $) 

7 Hong Kong police can now demand device passwords under a new law 
Refusing to comply could lead to a year in jail. (Guardian)  

8  Russia’s aspiring SpaceX rival has put its first internet satellites into orbit  
It plans to create a low-Earth orbit network. (Bloomberg $) 

9 A biotech startup wants to replace animal testing with nonsentient “organ sacks” 
The genetically engineered system is backed by billionaire Tim Draper (Wired $)  
+ Several new technologies are promising alternatives to lab animals. (MIT Technology Review) 

10 AI agents in a video game spontaneously created their own religion 
They reinterpreted a mission in the MMORPG. (Gizmodo) 
+ They’re not the first agents to get religious. (MIT Technology Review) 

Quote of the day 

“I think we’ve achieved AGI.” 

—Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang tells the Lex Fridman Podcast that artificial general intelligence is already here (at least by one generous definition). 

One More Thing 

Beyond gene-edited babies: the possible paths for tinkering with human evolution 

In 2018, a Chinese scientist created the world’s first gene-edited babies, a milestone that fell between a medical breakthrough and the start of a slippery slope toward human enhancement. 

He achieved the feat with CRISPR, which was sweeping across biology labs because it was so easy to use. For his actions, He was sentenced to three years in prison, and his work was roundly excoriated. Yet even his biggest critics saw the basic idea as inevitable. 

In the years since, CRISPR has continued getting easier and easier to administer. What does that mean for the future of our species? Read the full story to find out why. 

—Antonio Regalado 

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.) 
 
+ This candle-powered Game Boy is a romantic approach to gaming during a blackout. 
+ Apparently, Monopoly would be more fun if we actually followed the rules. 
+ Watching rubber bands explode these everyday objects is strangely hypnotic. 
+This spellbinding site simulates what Earth looked like hundreds of millions of years ago.