The Download: facial recognition for migrant children, and Japan’s megaquake [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.

DHS plans to collect biometric data from migrant children “down to the infant”

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to collect and analyze photos of the faces of migrant children at the border in a bid to improve facial recognition technology, MIT Technology Review can reveal.

The technology has traditionally not been applied to children, largely because training data sets of real children’s faces are few and far between, and consist of either low-quality images drawn from the internet or small sample sizes with little diversity. Such limitations reflect the significant sensitivities regarding privacy and consent when it comes to minors. 

In practice, the new DHS plan could effectively solve that problem. But, beyond concerns about privacy, transparency, and accountability, some experts also worry about testing and developing new technologies using data from a population that has little recourse to provide—or withhold—consent. Read the full story.

—Eileen Guo

What Japan’s “megaquake” warning really tells us

On August 8, at 16:42 local time, a magnitude-7.1 earthquake shook southern Japan. The temblor, originating off the shores of mainland island of Kyūshū, was felt by nearly a million people across the region, and initially, the threat of a tsunami emerged. But only a diminutive wave swept ashore, buildings remained upright, and nobody died. The crisis was over as quickly as it began.

But then, something new happened. The Japan Meteorological Agency, a government organization, issued a ‘megaquake advisory’ for the first time. It was in part issued because it is possible that the magnitude-7.1 quake is a foreshock – a precursory quake – to a far larger one, a tsunami-making monster that could kill a quarter of a million people.

The good news, for now, is that scientists think it is very unlikely that that magnitude-7.1 quake is a prelude to a cataclysm. But the slim possibility remains that it was a foreshock to something considerably worse. Read the full story.

—Robin George Andrews

This story is part of MIT Technology Review Explains: our series helping you understand what’s coming next. You can read more here.

The US government is still spending big on climate

Friday marks two years since the US signed the landmark Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law. In that time we’ve seen an influx of investment from the federal government and private businesses alike. 

The government has already spent hundreds of billions of dollars, and there’s much more to come. And this money is starting to make a big difference in the climate tech sector. But where is it all going? Read our story to find out.

—Casey Crownhart

This story is from The Spark, our weekly newsletter covering climate and energy technologies. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.

The must-reads

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

1 Mpox is spreading rapidly across African countries
The World Health Organization has declared it a global health emergency for the second time in two years. (NYT $)
+ Cases and deaths are rising across east and central African countries. (Vox)
+ This type of mpox, known as Clade 1, is far deadlier than the previous version. (BBC)

2 A brain implant helped a man with ALS to speak again
Years after the disease robbed him of that ability. (Reuters)
+ An ALS patient set a record for communicating via a brain implant. (MIT Technology Review)

3 X’s AI image generator appears to have few filters
It’ll generate pictures of Barack Obama doing cocaine, for example. (NY Mag $)
+ It does, however, refuse to generate fully nude images. (The Guardian)
+ Text-to-image AI models can be tricked into generating disturbing images. (MIT Technology Review)

4 Big Tech’s energy usage is skyrocketing
But how huge firms disclose their emissions is a bone of contention. (FT $)
+ Google, Amazon and the problem with Big Tech’s climate claims. (MIT Technology Review)

5 Meta has shut down a major misinformation tracking tool
Less than three months before the US election. (NPR)+ Meta’s justification? CrowdTangle was too difficult to maintain. (Bloomberg $)

6 Apple has started work on a tabletop robot
Its former car team has pivoted to building a smart home command center. (Bloomberg $)

7 Climate change is a gift to harmful invasive plants
Sleeper species can thrive in warmer temperatures. (Economist $)

8 The problem with slapping logos on prostheses
Some wearers say it feels more like a product than a part of their body. (The Atlantic $)
+ These prosthetics break the mold with third thumbs, spikes, and superhero skins. (MIT Technology Review)

9 Mark Zuckerberg has commissioned a giant sculpture of his wife
He’s continuing in the Roman tradition, apparently. (The Guardian)

10 ChatGPT randomly started chatting to English users in Welsh
O diar! (That’s Welsh for ‘oh dear.’) (FT $)

Quote of the day

“The world that exists today is the product of monopolistic conduct. That world is changing.”

—Judge James Donato, who is presiding over the Epic v Google legal case, tells Google’s lawyer to expect harsh punishment when he makes his final ruling in the next few weeks, the Verge reports.

The big story

The search for extraterrestrial life is targeting Jupiter’s icy moon Europa

February 2024

Europa, Jupiter’s fourth-largest moon, is nothing like ours. Its surface is a vast saltwater ocean, encased in a blanket of cracked ice, one that seems to occasionally break open and spew watery plumes into the moon’s thin atmosphere.

For these reasons, Europa captivates planetary scientists. All that water and energy—and hints of elements essential for building organic molecules —point to another extraordinary possibility. Jupiter’s big, bright moon could host life.

And they may eventually get some answers. Later this year, NASA plans to launch Europa Clipper, the largest-­ever craft designed to visit another planet. The $5 billion mission, scheduled to reach Jupiter in 2030, will spend four years analyzing this moon to determine whether it could support life. Read the full story.

—Stephen Ornes

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.)

• Start your day the right way with some sweet little wolf pups.
  + Happy 30th anniversary to Cotton Eye Joe, may you be a staple of good times for another three decades.
  + Minecraft has released a raft of bath bombs!
  + Terrible news: Paris 2024 could be break dancing’s only appearance at the Olympics (spare a thought for Ray Gun).