That is at this time’s version of The Obtain, our weekday publication that gives a day by day dose of what’s happening on the planet of know-how.
Google’s new Challenge Astra might be generative AI’s killer app
Google DeepMind has introduced a formidable seize bag of latest merchandise and prototypes that will simply let it seize again its lead within the race to show generative synthetic intelligence right into a mass-market concern.
Prime billing goes to Gemini 2.0—the newest iteration of Google DeepMind’s household of multimodal giant language fashions, now redesigned across the potential to manage brokers—and a brand new model of Challenge Astra, the experimental all the things app that the corporate teased at Google I/O in Might.
The margins between top-end fashions like Gemini 2.0 and people from rival labs like OpenAI and Anthropic at the moment are slim. Lately, advances in giant language fashions are much less about how good they’re and extra about what you are able to do with them. And that’s the place brokers are available.
MIT Know-how Evaluate bought to check out Astra in a closed-door dwell demo final week. It gave us a touch at what’s to return. Discover out extra within the full story.
—Will Douglas Heaven
China banned exports of some uncommon minerals to the US. Issues might get messier.
—Casey Crownhart
I’ve thought extra about gallium and germanium over the past week than I ever have earlier than (and possibly greater than anybody ever ought to).
China banned the export of these supplies to the US final week and positioned restrictions on others. The transfer is simply the newest drama in escalating commerce tensions between the 2 international locations.
Whereas the brand new export bans might have vital financial penalties, this could be solely the start. China is a powerhouse, and never simply in these area of interest supplies—it’s additionally a juggernaut in clear power, and significantly in battery provide chains. So what comes subsequent might have vital penalties for EVs and local weather motion extra broadly. Learn the complete story.
This story is from The Spark, our weekly local weather and power publication. Join to obtain it in your inbox each Wednesday.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to search out you at this time’s most enjoyable/essential/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 It’s trying fairly possible 2024 would be the hottest yr on file
However common temperatures are only one means of assessing our warming world. (New Scientist $)
+ The primary few months of 2025 are more likely to be hotter than common, too. (Reuters)
+ The US is about to make a pointy activate local weather coverage. (MIT Know-how Evaluate)
2 Meta has donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund
In an effort to strengthen their beforehand fractious relationship. (WSJ $)
+ Mark Zuckerberg isn’t the one tech determine searching for the President-elect’s ear. (Insider $)
3 How China secretly repatriates Uyghurs
Even the United Nations is seemingly powerless to cease it. (WP $)
+ Uyghurs outdoors China are traumatized. Now they’re beginning to discuss it. (MIT Know-how Evaluate)
4 How Massive Tech decides when to wash a person’s digital footprint
Homicide suspect Luigi Mangione’s Instagram has been taken down—however his Goodreads hasn’t. (NYT $)
+ Why it’s harmful to deal with public on-line accounts as the complete story. (NY Magazine $)
5 Russia-backed hackers focused Ukraine’s navy utilizing felony instruments
Which makes it even tougher to work out who did it. (TechCrunch)
6 What Cruise’s exit means for the remainder of the robotaxi business
Automakers have gotten pissed off ready for the know-how to mature. (The Verge)
+ Cruise will give attention to creating totally autonomous private automobiles as a substitute. (NYT $)
7 Researching dangerous pathogens is extraordinarily excessive stakes
The potential for abuse has some researchers nervous we shouldn’t undertake it in any respect. (Undark Journal)
+ Meet the scientist on the middle of the covid lab leak controversy. (MIT Know-how Evaluate)
8 Altermagnetism might be computing’s subsequent massive factor
It will result in quicker, extra dependable digital units. (FT $)
9 Why some individuals want so little sleep
Gene mutations seem to carry at the very least a few of the solutions. (Knowable Journal)
+ Infants spend most of their time asleep. New applied sciences are starting to disclose why. (MIT Know-how Evaluate)
10 Contained in the creeping normalization of AI motion pictures
The world’s largest TV producer desires to make movies for individuals too lazy to vary the channel. (404 Media)
+ Unsurprisingly, it’ll push focused adverts, too. (Ars Technica)
+ How AI-generated video is altering movie. (MIT Know-how Evaluate)
Quote of the day
“They’ve made him a martyr for all of the troubles individuals have had with their very own insurance coverage corporations.”
—Felipe Rodriguez, an adjunct professor on the John Jay Faculty of Felony Justice in New York, explains why homicide suspect Luigi Mangione is being lionized on-line to Reuters.
The large story
Why AI might eat quantum computing’s lunch
Tech corporations have been funneling billions of {dollars} into quantum computer systems for years. The hope is that they’ll be a recreation changer for fields as various as finance, drug discovery, and logistics.
However whereas the sector struggles with the realities of difficult quantum {hardware}, one other challenger is making headway in a few of these most promising use circumstances. AI is now being utilized to elementary physics, chemistry, and supplies science in a means that implies quantum computing’s purported residence turf won’t be so protected in any case. Learn the complete story.
—Edd Gent
We will nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Bought any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ Working life getting you down? These photos of bygone workplace malaise will make you’re feeling a complete lot higher (or worse—thanks Will!)
+ Gen Z are getting actually into documenting their lives by way of digital cameras, apparently.
+ When you imagine that Alan MacMasters invented the primary electrical bread toaster, I’m sorry to tell you that you simply’ve fallen for an elaborate on-line hoax.
+ The case for a greater Turing take a look at for AI-generated artwork.