1 California’s AI safety bill has been signed into law
It holds AI companies legally accountable if their chatbots fail to protect users. (TechCrunch)
+ It also requires chatbots to remind young users that they’re not human. (The Verge)
+ Gavin Newsom also green-lit measures for social media warning labels. (The Hill)
2 Satellites are leaking unencrypted data
Including civilian text messages, plus military and law enforcement communications. (Wired $)
+ It’s getting mighty crowded up there too. (Space)
3 Defense startups are reviving manufacturing in quiet US towns
The weapons of the future are being built in Delaware, Michigan and Ohio. (NYT $)
+ Phase two of military AI has arrived. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Europe is worried about becoming an AI “colony”
The bloc is too dependent on US tech, experts fear. (FT $)
+ The US is locked in a bind with China. (Rest of World)
5 Vast chunks of human knowledge are missing from the web
And AI is poised to make the problem even worse. (Aeon)
+ How AI and Wikipedia have sent vulnerable languages into a doom spiral. (MIT Technology Review)
6 How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution
Vast battery units are helping to shore up grids and extend the use of clean power. (FT $)
+ This startup wants to use the Earth as a massive battery. (MIT Technology Review)
7 A new chemical detection technique reveals what’s making wildlife ill
It’s a small step toward a healthier future for all animals—including humans. (Knowable Magazine)
+ We’re inhaling, eating, and drinking toxic chemicals. Now we need to figure out how they’re affecting us. (MIT Technology Review)
8 The world is growing more food crops than ever before
But hunger still hasn’t been eradicated. (Vox)
+ Africa fights rising hunger by looking to foods of the past. (MIT Technology Review)
9 Google is starting to hide sponsored search results
Only after you’ve seen them first. (The Verge)
+ Is Google playing catchup on search with OpenAI? (MIT Technology Review)
10 Indonesia’s film industry is embracing AI
To the detriment of artists and storyboarders. (Rest of World)