Plus, chatbots cannot keep up with LA riots.
Here is the latest edition of The Download, our weekly newsletter that gives you a daily dose on what’s happening in the worlds of technology.
Amsterdam’s high-stakes AI experiment for fair welfare
Amsterdam believed it was on track. Officials in the city’s welfare department believed that they could create technology to prevent fraud and protect citizens’ rights. They invested time and money into a project to process real welfare applications. In their pilot, however, they found out that the system was not fair or effective. Why?
Lighthouse Reports MIT Technology Review (]]and the Dutch newspaper Trouw gained unprecedented access to this system to find out. Read what we found.
–Eileen Guo & Gabriel Geiger– This story was a collaboration between MIT Technology Review and (19459037]Lighthouse Reports,and (19459037]Trouw,and supported by the Pulitzer Center.
– Can you make AI more fair than a judge? Try our courtroom algorithm to find out.
Humanoid Robots Need Their Own Safety Rules
Although humanoid robotics are just beginning to make their way into industrial applications, their ultimate goal is for them to work in close quarters alongside humans.
Making robots human-shaped is one reason to make them easier to navigate the environments that we have designed. They will have to be able share space with humans, and not just hide behind protective barriers. First, they must be safe. Read the complete story.
–Victoria Turk.
MIT Technology Review: The surprising barrier preventing us from building the housing that we need.
Yes, there is too much red-tape, but there’s another reason why building anything is so costly: the “awful” industry’s productivity.We’ve turned this story into a MIT Technology Review narrated podcast that we
publish each week on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Follow us on either platform and navigate to MIT Technology Review.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
Chatbots get the LA riots facts wrong
AI can’t be trusted at any time, but especially when it comes to fast-moving news. (Wired $)
+ Exactly what is Trump’s aim here? NY Mag ($)
Gavin Newsom’s Trump clapbacks have won him a legion online fans. (WP $)
+ The California governor has accused the President of “pulling an army dragnet” throughout the city. Newsom warned that other states will likely follow. The Guardian
: Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill may lead to 51,000 deaths per year
due to its provisions for public insurance. (Undark)
Four ways Ukraine’s AI guided drones hit Russia airfields
However, its opponent is also increasing its AI capabilities. (FT$)
+ Meet a radio-obsessed civil who is shaping Ukraine’s drone defence. MIT Technology Review
Five US agencies tracked foreigners visiting Elon Musk.
Officials watched who visited him in the years 2022 and 2023. (WSJ $)
Six Snap’s new AR-smart glasses will be available next year
The sixth generation of Specs is expected to enter a crowded market. (CNBC )
+ Qualcomm made a new chip to power similar glasses. ($Bloomberg)
+ What is next for smart glasses. MIT Technology Review
Each ChatGPT request uses ‘roughly a fifteenth of a tablespoon’ of water.
At least, that’s what Sam Altman says. (The Verge )
+ We did the math to determine AI’s energy footprint. Here’s a story you may not have heard. MIT Technology Review
Death Valley’s air may be a valuable source of water
Researchers proved their hydrogel method in the real-world. (New Scientist$)
Nine Gen Z are choosing to skip college completely
An increasing number of young tech workers opt out and enter the workforce early. Insider $]
How to combat a world of AI generated choices
Your good taste is your best friend. The Atlantic $]
Quotes of the Day
We’ll probably have flying taxis in London before we have autonomous cars.
–Steve McNamara is not optimistic about London’s plans for autonomous cars.
Another thing
Exosomes have been touted as the latest cure-all. We don’t yet know if they are effective.
There is a new, trendy cure-all on the market. You may have seen advertisements in social media or read raves in beauty magazines.
The exosomes are being marketed as a miracle treatment for hair loss and aging skin. They also treat eczema and acne. The price tag can be thousands of dollars.
There’s a problem with these big claims: We don’t understand how exosomes function, or what they are. Read our story.
Jessica Hamzelou
You can still enjoy nice things
A comfortable, fun, and distracting place to brighten your day. (Do you have any ideas? Drop a line to me (or skeet them at me).
Here’s a way to tap into the flow state so you can get things done. Check out the best art exhibitions and showsfor the year.
+ Listen to the 90s’ best hit, Everybody’s Free !
+ 10CC’s Graham Gouldman loves cricket. He’s just watched the first game he’s ever seen and he’s really into it
