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The Download: OpenAI is building a fully automated researcher, and a psychedelic trial blind spot
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. OpenAI is throwing everything into building a fully automated researcher OpenAI has a new grand challenge: building an AI researcher—a fully automated agent-based
The best AI investment might be in energy tech
Power has become one of the biggest bottlenecks in rolling out new AI data centers. That's creating an opening for investors.
OpenAI is throwing everything into building a fully automated researcher
OpenAI is refocusing its research efforts and throwing its resources into a new grand challenge. The San Francisco firm has set its sights on building what it calls an AI researcher, a fully automated agent-based system that will be able to go off and tackle large, complex problems by itself. Open
Mind-altering substances are (still) falling short in clinical trials
This week I want to look at where we are with psychedelics, the mind-altering substances that have somehow made the leap from counterculture to major focus of clinical research. Compounds like psilocybin—which is found in magic mushrooms—are being explored for all sorts of health applications, inclu
Jeff Bezos reportedly wants $100 billion to buy and transform old manufacturing firms with AI
The Amazon magnate has a new project centered around acquiring industrial firms and revamping them with AI technology.
Online bot traffic will exceed human traffic by 2027, Cloudflare CEO says
AI bots may outnumber humans online by 2027, says Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince, as generative AI agents dramatically increase web traffic and infrastructure demands.
Meta rolls out new AI content enforcement systems while reducing reliance on third-party vendors
Meta believes these AI systems can detect more violations with greater accuracy, better prevent scams, respond more quickly to real-world events, and reduce over-enforcement.
Amazon brings Alexa+ to the UK
The company is currently letting users in the U.K. try out Alexa+ for free via an early access program.
The Download: Quantum computing for health, and why the world doesn’t recycle more nuclear waste
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. A $5 million prize awaits proof that quantum computers can solve health care problems In a laboratory on the outskirts of Oxford, a quantum computer built from at
A $5 million prize awaits proof that quantum computers can solve health care problems
I’m standing in front of a quantum computer built out of atoms and light at the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre on the outskirts of Oxford. On a laboratory table, a complex matrix of mirrors and lenses surrounds a Rubik’s Cube–size cell where 100 cesium atoms are suspended in grid formation b
Why the world doesn’t recycle more nuclear waste
The prospect of making trash useful is always fascinating to me. Whether it’s used batteries, solar panels, or spent nuclear fuel, getting use out of something destined for disposal sounds like a win all around. In nuclear energy, figuring out what to do with waste has always been a challenge, since
Sam Altman’s thank-you to coders draws the memes
Altman expresses gratitude for people who knew how to write their code from scratch. The internet replies with salty jokes.
Nothing CEO Carl Pei says smartphone apps will disappear as AI agents take their place
Nothing CEO Carl Pei says AI agents will eventually replace apps, shifting smartphones toward systems that understand intent and act on a user's behalf.
Nvidia is quietly building a multibillion-dollar behemoth to rival its chips business
Nvidia's networking business raked in $11 billion last quarter despite getting significantly less fanfare than chips and gaming.
Patreon CEO calls AI companies’ fair use argument ‘bogus,’ says creators should be paid
Patreon CEO Jack Conte says AI companies should pay creators for training data, arguing their fair use defense falls apart when they license content from major publishers.
Rebel Audio is a new AI podcasting tool aimed at first-time creators
Rebel Audio is a new all-in-one podcasting tool that allows creators to record podcasts, edit, clip content for social, and publish episodes, all without ever leaving the platform.
The Gemini-powered features in Google Workspace that are worth using
From summarizing emails, drafting content, organizing data, and tracking meetings, here are all the best Gemini features in Google Workspace.
The leaderboard “you can’t game,” funded by the companies it ranks
Artificial intelligence models are multiplying fast, and competition is stiff. With so many players crowding the space, which one will be the best — and who decides that? Arena, formerly LM Arena, has emerged as the de facto public leaderboard for frontier LLMs, influencing funding, launches, and PR
This startup wants to make enterprise software look more like a prompt
The company has raised $12 million in seed funding to build an AI operating system for enterprise.
Sequen snags $16M to bring TikTok-style personalization tech to any consumer company
With its Series A, Sequen is bringing its proprietary AI ranking and personalization technology to large consumer business.
Microsoft hires the team of Sequoia-backed AI collaboration platform, Cove
AI collaboration startup Cove is shutting down after its team joined Microsoft, with service ending April 1 and customer data set for deletion.
The PhD students who became the judges of the AI industry
Artificial intelligence models are multiplying fast, and competition is stiff. With so many players crowding the space, which one will be the best — and who decides that? Arena, formerly LM Arena, has emerged as the de facto public leaderboard for frontier LLMs, influencing funding, launches, and PR
DOD says Anthropic’s ‘red lines’ make it an ‘unacceptable risk to national security’
The Defense Department said concerns that Anthropic might "attempt to disable its technology" during "warfighting operations" validate its decision to label the AI firm a supply-chain risk.
The Download: The Pentagon’s new AI plans, and next-gen nuclear reactors
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. The Pentagon is planning for AI companies to train on classified data, defense official says The Pentagon plans to set up secure environments for generative AI co