핵폐기물 처리와 화이트칼라를 바꿀 AI 에이전트

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. It’s time to make a plan for nuclear waste Today, nuclear energy enjoys rare support across the political spectrum. Public approval has spiked, and Big Tech is throwing money around to meet rising electricity demand. That newfound interest is exactly why it’s time to talk about an old problem: nuclear waste. In the US, nuclear reactors produce about 2,000 metric tons of high-level waste each year—and there’s nowhere to put it. Now, the need for a permanent storage solution is becoming urgent. Here’s what’s at stake . —Casey Crownhart This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday. Orchestrated agents are coming for white-collar work When people say AI will transform industries, what they have in mind—whether they know it or not—are AI agents. ChatGPT showed AI can talk. But to change the world, it needs to do stuff. The real power comes when agents work as teams, coordinating multiple roles to tackle complex tasks. Apps like Codex and Claude Cowork offer a glimpse of this shift, bringing multi-agent general-purpose productivity tools. In theory, networks of AI agents could do to white-collar knowledge work what assembly lines did to manufacturing. That’s the vision. But as agents move into real-world systems, the risks grow too. Read the full story . —Will Douglas Heaven Agent Orchestration is one of the 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now , MIT Technology Review’s guide to what’s really worth your attention in the busy, buzzy world of AI. We’re unpacking one item from the list each day here in The Download, so stay tuned. MIT Technology Review Narrated: no one’s sure if synthetic mirror life will kill us all In February 2019, a group of scientists proposed a high-risk, cutting-edge, irresistibly exciting idea that the National Science Foundation should fund: making “mirror” bacteria. These lab-created microbes would be organized like ordinary bacteria, but their proteins and sugars would be mirror images of those found in nature. Researchers believed they could reveal new insights into building cells, designing drugs, and even the origins of life. But now, many of them have reversed course. They’ve become convinced that mirror organisms could trigger a catastrophic event threatening every form of life on Earth. Find out why . —Stephen Ornes This is our latest story to be turned into an MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we publish 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 must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Elon Musk says Sam Altman “stole a charity” at the OpenAI trial Musk testified for the first time yesterday in the landmark legal showdown. ( FT $) + He said OpenAI was founded as a non-profit to avoid a “Terminator outcome.” ( Wired $) + And claimed he came up with the idea for the company. ( Reuters $) + The trial could upend the global AI race. ( MIT Technology Review ) 2 The White House has plans to bypass Anthropic’s blacklisting It’s drafting guidance to sidestep the supply-chain risk designation. ( Axios ) + The White House is also meeting other tech firms to discuss AI risks. ( Politico ) + The Pentagon’s culture war against Anthropic has backfired. ( MIT Technology Review ) 3 OpenAI is tightening ties with Amazon after retreating from Microsoft AWS customers are getting extra access to OpenAI systems. ( NBC News ) + While OpenAI gets new users and cloud-computing capabilities. ( CNBC ) 4 AI bots told scientists how to create biological weapons And unleash them in public spaces. ( NYT $) + AI will change war forever. ( MIT Technology Review) 5 China has suspended robotaxi licenses after a scary outage Dozens of Baidu vehicles suddenly stopped last month. ( The Verge ) + Chinese robotaxi firms are planning global expansions. ( Guardian ) 6 Meta has been found in breach of EU rules on protecting children After failing to block access to Facebook and Instagram. ( Guardian ) + Parents are forcing schools to roll back classroom tech use. ( NYT $) 7 AI is spotting pancreatic cancer years before symptoms appear A study found it could catch the tumor early enough to treat. ( Bloomberg ) 8 The Iran war is disrupting data center rollouts Oaktree-owned Pure DC is the latest firm to pause investments. ( CNBC ) 9 SpaceX is tying Elon Musk’s pay to Mars colonization goals It’s set lofty goals for his jaw-dropping compensation. ( Reuters $) 10 AI has reconstructed the face of an ancient Pompeii victim Technology is reshaping our understanding of the distant past ( NPR ) Quote of the day “Overnight, without you even knowing it, your own life chances, the life chances of your children, will be dependent on people continuing to prop up Musk's visions of how the world should look.” —Elon Musk biographer Michel Martin tells NPR how the Tesla tycoon is shaping our lives. One More Thing Inside Clear’s ambitions to manage your identity beyond the airport If you’ve ever been through a large US airport, you’re probably aware of Clear, the identity verification service that uses biometric scans to whisk travelers past standard security checks. Now Clear wants to expand that “face-first” experience from airports to just about everywhere, from retailers and banks to even your doctor’s office. Its CEO has designs on making Clear the “identity layer of the internet” and the “universal identity platform” of the physical world. All you have to do is show up—and show your face. But as biometric identity systems go mainstream, concerns about privacy, security, and control are becoming harder to ignore. And the cost of convenience may not be shared equally. Discover what’s at stake . —Eileen Guo 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 .) + Discover why the eight-hour night is a modern invention . + This artist creates masterpieces using only a vintage typewriter and a lot of patience. + Test your local knowledge with this game that drops you in a random Street View location. + Watch this incredible feat of precision piloting as a race aircraft touches down on a 120km/h cargo train. Deep Dive The Download The Download: 10 things that matter in AI, plus Anthropic’s plan to sue the Pentagon Plus: The US DoD has been secretly testing OpenAI models for years By Thomas Macaulay archive page The Download: introducing the 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now Plus: An unauthorized group has reportedly accessed Anthropic’s Mythos. By Thomas Macaulay archive page The Download: Quantum computing for health, and why the world doesn’t recycle more nuclear waste 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. A $5 million prize awaits proof that quantum computers can solve health care problems In a laboratory on the outskirts of Oxford, a quantum computer built from atoms and light awaits… By Thomas Macaulay archive page The Download: protesting AI, and what’s floating in space Plus: The US government wanted to use Anthropic's AI to analyze bulk data collected from Americans By Rhiannon Williams archive page Stay connected Illustration by Rose Wong Get the latest updates from MIT Technology Review Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more. Enter your email Privacy Policy Thank you for submitting your email! Explore more newsletters It looks like something went wrong. We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-serv