Security researchers including Joshua Corman of the Institute for Security and Technology say the immediate danger to energy infrastructure comes from malicious humans using generative AI tools, not from AI systems acting autonomously. They note that much of the grid's equipment, including power plants often decades old, was never built with internet connectivity or cyber defense in mind, leaving it exposed as attackers gain more powerful tools.
MIT researchers released a report on education finding that many students increasingly rely on AI chatbots to complete coursework, sometimes offloading thinking entirely rather than just seeking assistance. The study links this overreliance to declining critical thinking, weaker memory, reduced confidence, and diminished mastery of course material, with some students unable to engage in class discussions.
Since the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions and other attacks on subsea infrastructure near Taiwan and the Arctic, governments and companies have sharply increased investment in technology to protect underwater cables and pipelines. Chatham House researcher Katja Bego says advances in AI, drones and autonomous vehicles are enabling new forms of seabed surveillance, reversing decades of neglect since the Cold War. Over 1.5 million kilometers of submarine communications cables now underpin the global economy, making their protection a growing strategic priority.
An enterprise data and AI executive argues that companies focused on AI's financial costs—compute, licensing, infrastructure—are ignoring a subtler expense: the erosion of employees' cognitive skills. Citing MIT Media Lab EEG research showing reduced brain activity in people who relied solely on ChatGPT versus those working unaided, the piece warns that unused mental faculties like judgment and original thought can atrophy.
MIT Technology Review's latest list of under-35 innovators highlights researchers and founders working on climate tech, including Jae-Won Chung's software for measuring AI models' energy consumption, Jing Wei's AI-based pollution tracking, and Zhonghua Zheng's city-specific climate models. The list also features Mohammad Alkhadra of Lithios and Benjamin Mowbray of Rock Zero, two startups developing faster, cheaper methods to extract lithium from brine and hardrock ore respectively.
An Entrepreneur contributor argues that as generative AI gives every company equal access to research, writing and design tools, marketing output is becoming indistinguishable across brands. To address this, they propose a discipline called 'Tasteology'—using accumulated human experience, cultural knowledge and critical judgment to decide what's actually worth publishing, framed through a model called HEJA (Human, Emotional Intelligence, Judgment, AI).
An Oxford University researcher who studies AI's effect on decision-making argues that generative AI tools should be treated as intellectual sparring partners rather than sources of ready-made answers. The piece cites data showing 94% of UK undergraduates use AI for assessed coursework and that over half of 2025 scientific papers show signs of LLM-generated text, up from roughly one in ten in 2023. The author contends fears about AI eroding critical thinking are misplaced, and that the real risk lies in passive use rather than active engagement with the technology.
A new analysis argues that digital infrastructure—search engines, cloud platforms, and networks people rely on daily—should be designed, built, and maintained with the same rigor applied to physical infrastructure like water systems and power grids. It draws comparisons to failures such as Flint's water crisis and Puerto Rico's electrical grid collapse to illustrate what happens when essential systems are neglected.
Alan Waldenberg, longtime outside counsel to Cerberus Capital Management and personal trust manager for Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg, also served as the Pentagon's lawyer on its $400 million equity stake and $150 million loan to rare earth miner MP Materials. Feinberg, Cerberus's founder, now holds vast sway over Pentagon budgets and contracts, and reportedly picked Waldenberg himself to work on the deal. The arrangement surfaced amid a broader Pentagon push, now exceeding $2 billion, to invest directly in critical minerals and battery firms to counter China.
A roundup drawing on input from industry experts outlines 16 workplace skills that are becoming more important as AI tools become more common in businesses. The list spans communication, critical thinking, leadership and adaptability, areas the experts say depend on human judgment that AI cannot replicate.
OpenAI has released GPT-6 Astra, a new flagship model the company describes as state-of-the-art in areas like coding, browsing, science and professional tasks. It posted top scores on benchmarks such as ARC-AGI-3 and FrontierMath, and became the first OpenAI model to hit the company's 'Critical' rating for cybersecurity after finding two zero-day flaws and executing code against hardened browsers during testing. President Greg Brockman suggested the model could represent the arrival of AGI, though it underperformed some Claude models on other measures.
Ernst & Young announced a $100 million bonus pool aimed at rewarding employees for critical thinking, judgment and other distinctly human capabilities. The initiative is designed to encourage staff to develop skills that complement artificial intelligence tools rather than compete with them.