Plus, OpenAI is reportedly negotiating a potential IPO
The Downloadis our weekly newsletterthat gives you a daily dose on what’s happening in the worlds of technology.
A new type of AI helps police skirt facial-recognition bans
The federal government and the police have found a controversial way to skirt the increasing patchwork of laws that restrict how they use facial-recognition: an AI model which can track people using attributes such as body size, gender and hair color, clothing and accessories.
The tool is called Track, and was developed by the video analytics firm Veritone. It’s used by 400 clients, including state and city police departments, universities, and other agencies in the US. It is expanding federally.
After learning about the tool from MIT Technology Review,the American Civil Liberties Union has criticized the product. They said it was the first time they had seen a nonbiometric system used in the US. Read the full article.
–James O’Donnell.
For more information on facial recognition and police technology, please visit:
+ The largest gathering of US Police Chiefs is discussing AI. The future is here. Officers will be trained in virtual reality. Cities will be monitored by sensors. AI-generated reports for police officers are also on the horizon. Read the complete story.
Clear, the company which has helped millions to cut security lines wants to give you an frictionless future in exchange for your face. Read the complete story.
The US wants facial recognition to be used to identify migrant kids as they age.
Why the campaign to limit face recognition technology might finally win. Read the complete story.
+ Uber’s facial recognition is locking Indian driver out of their account — and some people find their accounts permanently blocked. Read the full article.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
The US and China have reached a deal that will reduce tariffs
for the next 90 days. (Politico)
+ However, America’s tariffs of 30% are still very high. FT ($)
+ China agreed to reduce its tariffs from 125% down to 10%. CNN
OpenAI is negotiating a potential future IPO with Microsoft.
Microsoft will still have access to OpenAI’s AI models. (FT $)
+ Microsoft is always racing to stay one step ahead of hackers. Bloomberg ($)
Three DOGE cuts increase the risk of silicosis in US workers
This lung disease is deadly and preventable. (The Atlantic $)
+ Is AI a way to help DOGE cut government budgets? It’s complex. MIT Technology Review
Scammers pose as lawyers on TikTok in order to trick undocumented immigrants
Since Trump’s election, immigration scams have risen dramatically. (WP $)
+ A vast sextortion ring on TikTok targets American children. AI-powered fraud has become a commonplace phenomenon. ($Wired)
5 weather balloons are being phased in favor of AI tools.
Budget cuts have led to fewer balloon flights. (Semafor )
+ Trump’s tariffs will deal a major blow to climate technology. MIT Technology Review
5 Amazon Web Service relies on this mysterious chip company
Annapurna is essential to Amazon’s future. (WSJ$)
7 Inside the quest to develop the perfect solid-state batteries
Massachusetts startup Factorial wants to revamp EVs’s image. But tariffs are bad for batteries. MIT Technology Review
8 A massive data center in North Dakota sits empty
The company is struggling to find a major customer to lease it. (The Information $)
+ China constructed hundreds of AI data centres to take advantage of the AI boom. Many of them are now unused. MIT Technology Review
Nine Housewives are the latest wave of gig-workers in Vietnam
To save money, they store goods in their refrigerators when at home. (Rest Of World )
Ten professional writers love Substack.
The medium allows them to experiment with new styles. (New Yorker $)
+ These days, niche newsletters are a big business. The NYT($)
Today’s Quote
It feels like a prisoner who has their triple life sentence shortened to one.
–Katja Bego, senior research fellow at Chatham House comments on the agreement made between the US and China on the reduction of tariffs from 145% down to 30% on Bluesky
Another thing
The $100 billion bet on a post-industrial US city reinventing itself as a hub of high-tech
A small drilling rig is positioned at the edge of scrubby overgrown fields in Syracuse, New York to take soil samples. It’s the beginning of construction for what could be the largest semiconductor manufacturing plant in the United States.
The CHIPS and Science Act, which was passed in 1965, was widely viewed as a way for industry leaders and politicians to secure supply chain and make the United States more competitive in semiconductor chip manufacture.
Syracuse is now a test case to see if, over the next few decades, aggressive government policy–and the massive investments made by corporations–can both boost manufacturing prowess in the United States and revitalize neglected areas of the country. Read the complete story.
– David Rotman
You can still enjoy nice things
An oasis of comfort, fun, and distraction that will brighten your day. (Do you have any ideas? Drop a line to me or skeet them at me
– Stuck on what PC game to play? This list of 100 best can be a good place to start.
+ Mari Salonen, the undisputed queenof pom-poms.
I like the look and feel of this Swedish princess Cake .
+ Check out the filming locationsfor the new Netflix series The Four Seasons – from Puerto Rico to Mount Peter.
