The Update: Babies with Three Parents and Monitoring AI Preparedness in the US
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.
Researchers announce babies born from a trial of three-person IVF
Eight babies have been born in the UK thanks to a technology that uses DNA from three people: the two biological parents plus a third person who supplies healthy mitochondrial DNA. The babies were born to mothers who carry genes for mitochondrial diseases and risked passing on severe disorders.
In the team’s approach, patients’ eggs are fertilized with sperm, and the DNA-containing nuclei of those cells are transferred into donated fertilized eggs that have had their own nuclei removed. The new embryos contain the DNA of the intended parents along with a tiny fraction of mitochondrial DNA from the donor, floating in the embryos’ cytoplasm. The study, which makes use of a technology called mitochondrial donation, has been described as a “tour de force” and “a remarkable accomplishment” by others in the field. However, not everyone sees the trial as a resounding success.
—Jessica Hamzelou
These four charts show where AI companies could go next in the US
No one knows exactly how AI will transform our communities, workplaces, and society as a whole. Because it’s hard to predict the impact AI will have on jobs, many workers and local governments are left trying to read the tea leaves to understand how to prepare and adapt.
A new interactive report released by the Brookings Institution attempts to map how embedded AI companies and jobs are in different regions of the United States in order to prescribe policy treatments to those struggling to keep up. Here are four charts to help understand the issues.
—Peter Hall
In defense of air-conditioning
—Casey Crownhart
I’ll admit that I’ve rarely hesitated to point an accusing finger at air-conditioning. I’ve outlined in many stories that AC is a significant contributor to global electricity demand, and it’s only going to suck up more power as temperatures rise.
But I’ll also be the first to admit that it can be a life-saving technology, one that may become even more necessary as climate change intensifies. And in the wake of Europe’s recent deadly heat wave, it’s been oddly villainized.
This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
- Donald Trump is cracking down on “dangerous science.” But the scientists affected argue their work is essential to developing new treatments.
- The US Senate has approved Trump’s request to cancel foreign aid. The White House is determined to reclaim around $8 billion worth of overseas aid.
- American air strikes only destroyed one Iranian nuclear site. The remaining two sites weren’t damaged that badly, and could resume operation within months.
- The US is poised to ban Chinese technology in submarine cables, which are critical to internet connectivity.
- The US measles outbreak is worsening; health officials’ tactics for containing it aren’t working.
- A new supercomputer is coming—the Nexus machine will search for new cures for diseases.
- Elon Musk has teased a Grok AI companion inspired by Twilight.
- Future farms could be fully autonomous, featuring AI-powered tractors and drone surveillance.
- Granola is Silicon Valley’s favorite new tool—no, not the tasty breakfast treat.
- WeTransfer isn’t going to train its AI on our files after all, following customer backlash.
Quote of the day
“He’s doing the exact opposite of everything I voted for.” —Andrew Schulz, a comedian and podcaster who interviewed Donald Trump last year, explains why he’s starting to lose faith in the President.
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, indicated that an open-source free-for-all is threatening Big Tech’s grip on AI.
This open-source boom is precarious, and if Big Tech decides to shut up shop, a boomtown could become a backwater.
—Will Douglas Heaven
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day.
- Happy birthday David Hasselhoff, 73 years young today!
- The trailer for the final season of Stranger Things is here, and things are getting weird.
- Windows 95, you will never be bettered.
- I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a fridge cigarette.
