Download: what’s next for Neuralink, and Meta AI language translation

This is today’s edition of The Download, a weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s happening in the world of technology. What to expect from Neuralink in 2025 In November, a young man named Noland Arbaugh announced that he would be live streaming from his home for three days straight. It broadcasts in a number of distinctive ways: a backyard tour, a video game, a meet-the-mother. The difference is that Arbaugh, who is paralyzed, has a thin electrode-studded wire attached to his brain, which he uses to move the computer mouse on the screen, click the menu, and play chess. The implant, called the N1, was installed last year by a neurosurgeon working with Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain interface company. Arbaugh’s livestream is an indicator that Neuralink is getting closer to creating a plug-and-play experience that could restore people’s everyday ability to roam the web and play games, giving them what the company calls “digital freedom.” But this is not yet a commercial product. The current study is on a small scale—it’s a true experiment, an exploration of how the device works and how it can be improved. Read on for an analysis of what to expect from the company in 2025. —Antonio Regalado Meta’s new AI model can translate speech from more than 100 languages ​​What’s new: Meta has released a new AI model that can translate speech from 101 different languages- strange. It represents a step towards real time, simultaneous interpretation, where words are translated as soon as they come out of someone’s mouth. Why: Usually, translation models for speech use a multistep approach that can be inefficient, and at each step, errors and mistranslations can enter. in another. Read the full story. —Scott J Mulligan Interest in nuclear power is growing. Is it enough to build a new reactor? Lately, the vibes have been good for nuclear power. Public support is building, and public and private funding is making the technology more economical in mainstream markets. There is also interest from large companies that want to dominate the data center. This change is great for existing nuclear plants. We are seeing efforts to expand power output, extend the life of old reactors, and even reopen decommissioned facilities. That’s good news for climate action, because nuclear power plants produce consistent electricity with very low greenhouse gas emissions. I covered all of these trends in my latest story, which digs into what nuclear power will do in 2025 and beyond. But when I talked to the experts, one main question kept coming to me: Is all this enough to build a new reactor? —Casey Crownhart This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate and energy newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. Must Reads I’ve been combing the internet to find the most exciting/important/scary/interesting stories about technology. 1 Donald Trump is exploring how to keep TikTok’s executive order that could delay the ban or sale for up to 90 days. (WP $)+ But there are still questions about the legality of the move. (Axios)+ YouTuber MrBeast says he wants to buy the app. (Insider $)+ Fun facts about the upcoming TikTok ban. (MIT Technology Review) 2 Blue Origin’s New Glenn rockets have entered space but lost a booster on the way. (The Verge) 3 Angelenos name and shame landlords for illegal price gouging. (Fast Company $) 4 How the Trump administration will shake up defense technology It is likely to favor new players from established companies for lucrative contracts. (FT $)+ Weapons startup Anduril plans to build a $1 billion factory in Ohio. (Axios) + Palmer Luckey on the Pentagon’s future of mixed reality. (MIT Technology Review) 5 The difference between human-made errors and AIMachines’ errors is very strange, for starters. (IEEE Spectrum)+ New public database lists all the ways AI can go wrong. (MIT Technology Review) 6 The creator economy is growing backwards. (Information $) 7 Predicting the future of technology is very difficultBut asking better initial questions is a good place to start. (WSJ $) 8 IVF is not only to combat fertility problems, but is a tool for genetic screening before the baby is born. (The Atlantic $)+ Three-parent baby technique could put babies at risk of severe disease. (MIT Technology Review) 9 Killer caterpillars could pave the way for better drugs Studying their toxic secretions could help make new drugs faster. (Know Magazine) 10 Ways to Document Your Life Digitally If a physical diary isn’t for you, there are plenty of smartphone-based options. (NYT $) Quote of the day “Americans can only watch when the app rots.” —Joseph Lorenzo Hall, a technologist at the nonprofit Internet Society, told Reuters how TikTok’s complex network of service providers means the app could collapse gradually, rather than all at once, if the proposed US ban goes ahead. The big story How refrigeration destroys fresh food October 2024 Three-quarters of everything in the average American diet passes through the cold chain – the network of warehouses, shipping containers, trucks, displays, and domestic refrigerators that store meat, milk, and more. cold on the journey from farm to fork. As consumers, we have a lot of faith in terms like “fresh” and “natural”, but artificial refrigeration has created a blind spot. We have become good at preserving (and saving) food, we know more about how to extend the life span of apples than humans, and at least we do not give that extraordinary process much thought at all. But all convenience has come at the cost of variety and deliciousness. Read the full story. —Allison Arieff We can still have good things. (No ideas? Drop me a line or a skeet.) + The biggest and best tour of 2025 looks great (especially Oasis!) + If you like classic mobile, you should check out the newly launched Aalto University. Nokia Design Archive live.+ The only Ridley Scott explains how cigarettes inspired him to take a good hand-in-the-grain shot in Gladiator.+ Set aside your reading goals for the year-only you should read the books you really want.

Source link