—Antonio Regalado
This story is from the latest print issue of MIT Technology Review magazine, which is all about exciting innovations. If you haven’t already, subscribe now to receive future issues once they land.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Big Tech is facing multiple high-profile social media addiction lawsuits
Meta, TikTok and YouTube will face parents’ accusations in court this week. (WP $)
+ It’s the first time they’re defending against these claims before a jury in a court of law. (CNN)
2 Power prices are surging in the world’s largest data center hub
Virginia is struggling to meet record demand during a winter storm, partly because of the centers’ electricity demands. (Reuters)
+ Why these kinds of violent storms are getting harder to forecast. (Vox)
+ AI is changing the grid. Could it help more than it harms? (MIT Technology Review)
3 TikTok has started collecting even more data on its users
Including precise information about their location. (Wired $)
4 ICE-watching groups are successfully fighting DHS efforts to unmask them
An anonymous account holder sued to block ICE from identifying them—and won. (Ars Technica)
5 A new wave of AI companies want to use AI to make AI better
The AI ouroboros is never-ending. (NYT $)
+ Is AI really capable of making bona fide scientific advancements? (Undark)
+ AI trained on AI garbage spits out AI garbage. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Iran is testing a two-tier internet
Meaning its current blackout could become permanent. (Rest of World)
7 Don’t believe the humanoid robot hype
Even a leading robot maker admits that at best, they’re only half as efficient as humans. (FT $)
+ Tesla wants to put its Optimus bipedal machine to work in its Austin factory. (Insider)
+ Why the humanoid workforce is running late. (MIT Technology Review)
8 AI is changing how manufacturers create new products
Including thinner chewing gum containers and new body wash odors. (WSJ $)
+ AI could make better beer. Here’s how. (MIT Technology Review)
9 New Jersey has had enough of e-bikes 🚲
But will other US states follow its lead? (The Verge)
10 Sci-fi writers are cracking down on AI
Human-produced works only, please. (TechCrunch)
+ San Diego Comic-Con was previously a safe space for AI-generated art. (404 Media)
+ Generative AI is reshaping South Korea’s webcomics industry. (MIT Technology Review)
