The Download: boosting prosperity with AI, and fighting for a better future [MIT Tech Review]

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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.

How to fine-tune AI for prosperity

Predictions abound on how the growing list of generative AI models will transform the way we work and organize our lives, providing instant advice on everything from financial investments to where to spend your next vacation.

But for economists, the most critical question around our obsession with AI is how the fledgling technology will (or won’t) boost overall productivity, and if it does, how long it will take. Can the technology lead to renewed prosperity after years of stagnant economic growth? Read the full story.

—David Rotman

Fighting for a future beyond the climate crisis

When it comes to climate breakdown and the extinction crisis, the question often asked is: How can we have hope? 

But maybe hope is the wrong emotion to focus on. Instead, we need shock and awe in the face of the majesty and fragility of nature, humility in the face of the vastness of the transformations our kind has set in motion—a bristling realization of imminent peril. Read the full story.

—Lydia Millet

This piece is from the forthcoming print issue of MIT Technology Review, which is celebrating 125 years of the magazine! It’s set to go live on Wednesday August 28, so if you don’t already, subscribe now to get a copy when it lands.

Why you’re about to see a lot more drones in the sky

For decades, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has restricted people’s ability to fly drones in shared airspaces or dense neighborhoods. That’s made it hard to deliver futuristic ideas like drones delivering our packages.

But that’s changing. The agency recently granted Amazon’s Prime Air program approval to fly drones beyond the visual line of sight in parts of Texas, and also granted similar waivers to hundreds of police departments around the country.

However, there’s an even bigger change coming in less than a month. It promises to be the most significant drone decision in decades, and one that will decide just how many drones we all can expect to see and hear buzzing above the US on a daily basis. Read the full story.

—James O’Donnell

This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly AI newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 US officials confirmed Iran hacked Donald Trump’s campaign  
The hackers also attempted to infiltrate the Democrat campaign. (The Guardian)
+ They tricked victims into sharing sensitive information via ‘social engineering.’ (FT $)
+ Officials believe Iran is trying to sow discord ahead of the presidential election. (AP)

2 AI is helping to personalize treatment for Parkinson’s
Individualized algorithms tailor the amount of electrical stimulation patients receive. (NYT $)
+ The first clinical trial of the technology appears to be promising. (FT $)
+ Here’s how personalized brain stimulation could treat depression. (MIT Technology Review)

3 Power generation in the US is at its highest point in 21 years
Surprise surprise, it’s because of AI. (Bloomberg $)
+ Locals in India claim Microsoft’s new data center is dumping waste nearby. (Rest of World)
+ AI is an energy hog. This is what it means for climate change. (MIT Technology Review)

4 The EU is probing Chinese subsidies and imports
It covers everything from EVs to solar panels. (Reuters)

5 A rocket exploded during a test launch in the UK
And it’s not immediately clear why. (BBC)

6 Deadly lightning strikes are on the rise
Rising global temperatures are fuelling more frequent dangerous storms. (Wired $)

7 Even the most resilient coral reefs are struggling with climate change
A tough Caribbean reef is reaching its limits. (Vox)
+ The race is on to save coral reefs—by freezing them. (MIT Technology Review)

8 AI-enabled cheating is getting worse
Universities need a robust plan to fight it—and fast. (The Atlantic $)
+ ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it. (MIT Technology Review)

9 This startup uses AI to create new episodes of South Park
It’s becoming the latest way to keep fandoms paying for their favorite media. (The Information $)

10 Would you meet up with a stranger for breakfast?
An app is matching diners seeking deep conversations over eggs and bacon. (WP $)

Quote of the day

“It’s very hard to have a democratic society if people can’t believe the things that they see and hear with their own eyes.”

—Robert Weissman, co-president of non-profit Public Citizen, tells the Verge about the dangers of Donald Trump sharing fake AI-generated images, including one of Taylor Swift endorsing him. 

The big story

How climate vulnerability and the digital divide are linked

June 2023

Walking around low-income neighborhoods throughout the US, Monica Sanders has noticed a pattern. The adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University measures Wi-Fi speeds as part of a project drawing connections between a host of indicators at the intersection of internet availability, environmental risk, and historical racial inequity.

Sanders has found that a lack of internet access mirrors other inequities. In neighborhoods shaped by racism and insufficient infrastructure investment, residents can face disproportionate risk from climate change, affecting everything from flood vulnerability to the ability to get disaster warnings. And she wants to empower them to tackle whatever next comes their way. Read the full story.

—Colleen Hagerty

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 or tweet ’em at me.)

• It’s never too late—you can become an athlete at any age.
  + Glassblowing will never not be fascinating.
  + It’s not just you, toilet roll really is getting smaller.
  +  Legendary producer Aphex Twin has a surprising side hustle as a wedding DJ.