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.
China’s short drama industry is fueled by bite-sized, melodramatic, and smutty shows built for smartphone scrolling. Now, many are being made entirely with AI: no actors, camera operators, cinematographers, or CGI specialists required.
An average of 470 AI-generated short dramas were released every day in January. Production timelines have shrunk from months to weeks, while costs have dropped by up to 90%. Storytelling is also increasingly driven by performance data.
The format is rapidly expanding overseas while reshaping the work of writers and production crews. Read the full story on AI’s dramatic impact on China’s short drama industry.
The World Health Organization’s latest global statistics report reads less like a progress update than a warning sign. Progress on some of the world’s biggest health threats is stalling, and in some cases reversing altogether.
There were 1.3 million new HIV cases in 2024, malaria is resurging, vaccination rates are slipping in the Americas, and 42.8 million children are suffering from severe malnutrition. The world is now far off track from meeting many of the UN’s major health goals by 2030.
Here’s what the numbers reveal about the state of global health.
This story is from The Checkup, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things biotech. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday.
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 As their trial goes to the jury, Musk and Altman face lying accusationsLawyers hammered the rivals’ credibility in their closing arguments. (WSJ $) + Musk was accused of “selective amnesia.” (Reuters $) + The pair are in court over OpenAI’s future. (MIT Technology Review)+ And their trial has made everyone look bad. (Wired $) 2 AI data centers are straining America’s power gridNevada is redirecting electricity from Lake Tahoe to AI. (Ars Technica)+ Utah is getting a giant data center despite water shortage fears. (Guardian)+ No one wants a data center in their backyard. (MIT Technology Review) 3 OpenAI is mulling legal action against Apple over its ChatGPT integrationIt hasn’t got the expected benefits from its deal with Apple. (Bloomberg $)+ OpenAI is frustrated by the promotion of the ChatGPT integration. (NYT $)4 Anthropic has agreed terms for a $30 billion funding dealAt a $900 billion valuation, which leapfrogs OpenAI’s. (The Information $)+ Dragoneer, Greenoaks, Sequoia, and Altimeter are leading the round. (FT $)6 Washington and Beijing will hold formal talks on AI safetyThey’ll discuss guardrails on AI. (CNBC)+ And a protocol to stop nonstate actors getting powerful models. (NYT $)5 Alphabet and Amazon are using “unprecedented” borrowing to fund AIThey’re tapping the foreign debt market at new levels. (FT $)+ People can’t agree on what the AI bubble is. (MIT Technology Review) 7 Big Tech has turned to Sesame Street to deflect scrutiny of screen useSparking accusations of encouraging children's tech dependence. (Reuters $) 8 Anthropic’s feud with the White House threatens other businessesFigma and Tenable say it will harm their ability to sell software. (Bloomberg $) 9 Autonomous agents staged a digital crime spree during a safety testThe “AI Bonnie and Clyde” then deleted themselves. (Guardian)10 A poop app analysis app offered to sell photos of users’ stoolsThe images were used for AI training. (404 Media)
—Danielle Hughes, North Lake Tahoe resident and CEO of Tahoe Spark, tells Fortune that residents are being sidelined as their energy supplier prioritizes data centers.
Just before Christmas, a pastor preached a gospel of morals over money to several hundred members of his flock. But the preacher wasn’t religious, and his congregation wasn’t a church. It was All Tech Is Human, a nonprofit devoted to ethics and responsibility in tech.
Founded in 2018, the organization has built a fast-expanding community for people who believe technology should focus less on profits and more on the public interest. It’s also drawing people searching for meaning and connection in a digital world.
Find out why thousands of people are turning to tech ethics communities for guidance and connection.
A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)
+ Go behind the scenes of the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.+ Marvel at this robot folding and launching paper planes as quickly as possible.+ Watch the moving moments rescued animals reunite with the humans who saved them.+ Peer into the heart of a barred spiral galaxy in this stunning new capture from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Plus: China has blocked Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus.
Plus: An unauthorized group has reportedly accessed Anthropic’s Mythos.
Plus: DeepSeek has unveiled its long-awaited new AI model.
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.
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