The Download: climate-friendlier air conditioners, and fighting explicit deepfakes [MIT Tech Review]

View Article on MIT Tech Review
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.

Your future air conditioner might act like a battery

Cooling represents 20% of global electricity demand in buildings, a share that’s expected to rise as the planet warms and more of the world turns to cooling technology. During peak demand hours, air conditioners can account for over half the total demand on the grid in some parts of the world today.

In response, some inventors are creating versions that can store energy as well as use it. These technologies could help by charging themselves when renewable electricity is available and demand is low, and still providing cooling services when the grid is stressed. Read the full story.

—Casey Crownhart

Google is finally taking action to curb non-consensual deepfakes

In January, nude deepfakes of Taylor Swift went viral on X, which caused public outrage. Nonconsensual explicit deepfakes are one of the most common and severe types of harm posed by AI, and the generative AI boom has only made the problem worse.

Although terrible, Swift’s deepfakes did perhaps more than anything else to raise awareness about the risks and seem to have galvanized tech companies and lawmakers to do something. 

Last week Google said it is taking steps to keep explicit deepfakes from appearing in search results. The tech giant is also making it easier for victims to request that nonconsensual fake explicit imagery be removed. But a lot more needs to be done. Read the full story.

—Melissa Heikkilä

This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter all about the latest goings-on in the world of AI. 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 Google’s search monopoly is illegal
That’s according to a US judge, who found its exclusive deals gave it an unfair advantage over its competition. (Bloomberg $)
+ The result is a big boon for the US Department of Justice. (The Verge)
+ Should the decision stand, it could alter the structure of the entire internet. (TechCrunch)

2 Banks and brokers were hit by major online outages
Which didn’t do much to ease fears of a possible US recession. (Quartz)
+ Warren Buffett lost $15 billion from his investment empire. (The Register)
+ UBS’ system issues appeared to be linked to creaking legacy software. (FT $)

3 Zoom is hosting mega-rallies ahead of the US Presidential election
The platform is a reliable, if simplistic, way to bring thousands of web users together. (NYT $)

4 Elon Musk is reviving his lawsuit against OpenAI
He maintains he was told the company would operate as a non-profit. (WSJ $)
+ Musk had previously dropped the lawsuit in June without an explanation. (CNN)
+ OpenAI co-founder John Schulman is off to rival Anthropic. (TechCrunch)

5 Nvidia is scraping the web’s videos at a colossal scale
To train its various data-hungry projects. (404 Media)
+ Can you really run an AI company ethically? Answers on a postcard. (Vox)

6 Worldcoin is forging forward in Colombia
Despite the fact it’s not technically legal. (Rest of World)
+ How Worldcoin recruited its first half a million test users. (MIT Technology Review)

7 EVs could end up being a key deciding factor in the US election
Donald Trump isn’t a fan. (NY Mag $)
+ Three frequently asked questions about EVs, answered. (MIT Technology Review)

8 Targeted cancer trials are on the rise
But significant challenges remain. (Ars Technica)
+ Cancer vaccines are having a renaissance. (MIT Technology Review)

9 Your Apple Watch will start telling you to chill out
Whether you heed its call or not is up to you, though. (WP $)

10 How mountain bikers are spearheading a radical rewilding movement
It’s a smart way of making nature restoration economically viable. (Wired $)

Quote of the day

“The perfidy and deceit is of Shakespearean proportions.”

—Elon Musk’s latest legal battle against OpenAI alleges he was misled and betrayed by his fellow co-founders, the Guardian reports.

The big story

These scientists are working to extend the life span of pet dogs—and their owners

August 2022

Matt Kaeberlein is what you might call a dog person. He has grown up with dogs and describes his German shepherd, Dobby, as “really special.” But Dobby is 14 years old—around 98 in dog years.

Kaeberlein is co-director of the Dog Aging Project, an ambitious research effort to track the aging process of tens of thousands of companion dogs across the US. He is one of a handful of scientists on a mission to improve, delay, and possibly reverse that process to help them live longer, healthier lives.

And dogs are just the beginning. One day, this research could help to prolong the lives of humans. Read the full story.

—Jessica Hamzelou

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.)

• If you’ve never read The Summer Book before, I thoroughly recommend you check it out. 
  + There’s a lot to be said for spending time absorbing the ‘everyday places’ when you travel. ($)
  + A ranked list of all of Destiny’s Child’s best songs? Yes please. 
  + What to make for dinner when it’s roasting outside.