More: Anti-wake AI models are on the rise
This is today’s version of the download, A weekday newsletter that brings you a daily dose of what’s happening in the world of technology..
Artificial snowdrift protects seal pups from climate change
For thousands of years, during Finland’s harsh winters, winds have forced snow into meter-high snowbanks along the shores of Lake Saimaa, creating cave-like shelters for seals to protect themselves from the elements and raise their newborns. It became the perfect ground for digging burrows.
But these snowdrifts haven’t formed in sufficient numbers in recent decades, as climate change has warmed temperatures, replaced snow with rain, and decimated seal populations.
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For the past 11 years, humans have stepped in to build what nature cannot reliably provide. Man-made snowdrifts created using hand-held snowplows are currently home to 90% of seal pups. These are the latest in a series of measures that have brought Saimaa seals back from the brink of extinction. Please read the full text.
—Matthew Ponsford
Matthew’s story is from the next issue of MIT Technology Review, which will be published this Wednesday, April 24th, and the theme is “Build.” If you don’t have it yet, subscribe Get a copy when you land.
Politics in the age of AI
2024 is a critical year for elections around the world, and it comes at a time when advances in AI are accelerating. This series of events raises important questions about how the rise of AI will change politics.
Join MIT Technology Review Editor-in-Chief Matt Honan and Executive Editor Amy Nordrum for a LinkedIn Live event as they explore the impact of political influencers and deepfakes, and unpack industry insights and predictions. Register here to watch tomorrow at 1pm ET.
Must-read content
We scoured the internet to find the most entertaining/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology today.
1 Inside the movement of AI modeling without guardrails
These “anti-wake” systems often cause more problems than they solve. (WSJ$)
+ Do AI systems need safety warnings? (MIT Technology Review)
2 California wants to force Google and Meta to compensate news publishers
Naturally, they are not ignoring the so-called “link tax”. (WP$)
+ Japanese regulators have accused Google of anticompetitive behavior. (Bloomberg $)
3 China plans to become the world leader in flying cars
Regulators are trying to get the green light on projects as soon as possible. (FT$)
+ The airline industry is still weathering the backlash over Boeing’s problems. (Vox)
+ These aircraft could change the way we fly. (MIT Technology Review)
4 TikTok’s top lawyer resigns
This comes amid a highly publicized legal dispute between the company and the US government. (Information $)
+ The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on the ban this week. (Parent)
5 Finnish psychotherapy records revealed in large-scale cyber attack
The fallout was likened to the trauma of a terrorist attack. (Bloomberg $)
6 UK sex offenders banned from using AI tools
This is the first known lawsuit of its kind. (Parent)
+ Detecting malicious content in the age of AI. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Scams are rampant on the internet
They are so convincing that even experts are hooked. (New York Times dollars)
+ How culture drives cheating on the internet. (MIT Technology Review)
8 The future of AI gadgets is probably just phones
Aipin’s harsh criticism seems to be an omen. (The Verge)
9 Think of the engineers at Nvidia
One worker said $1 million isn’t much money these days. (insider dollars)
10 This camera produced an AI-generated poem instead of a photo
Is seeing really believing? (Tech Crunch)
+ Salvador Dali’s AI lobster phone is on display in Florida. (insider dollars)
quote of the day
“Politics is treated as a four-letter word and banished from the public sphere.”
–Eric Wilson, managing partner at Startup Caucus, a Republican campaign tech incubator, laments Meta’s decision to treat politics as a low priority on the Washington Post platform.
big story
After George Floyd’s murder, police built a mysterious surveillance machine in Minnesota
March 2022
Minnesota law enforcement agencies are conducting a secret, long-term surveillance program targeting civil rights activists and journalists following the May 2020 killing of George Floyd.
The program, which operates under a consortium known as Operation Safety Net, was established in spring 2021 ostensibly to maintain public order as Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin goes on trial for Floyd’s murder. Ta.
But research from MIT Technology Review shows that the effort goes far beyond what’s been made public, including sifting through social media, tracking cell phones, and collecting detailed images of people’s faces. It became clear that this included extensive use of the tool. Please read the full text.
—Tate Ryan-Mosley & Sam Richards
we still have good things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten your day. (Any ideas? Please contact or please tweet at me. )
+ These cats have bright careers in pottery making.
+ You can’t escape British workwear these days.
+ It’s never too late to start doing what you love.
+ The first model of Star Trek’s USS Enterprise NCC-1701 has been returned to the family of series creator Gene Roddenberry.
