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.
On Friday, Chinese AI firm DeepSeek released a preview of V4, its long-awaited new flagship model. Notably, the model can process much longer prompts than its last generation, thanks to a new design that handles large amounts of text more efficiently.
While the model remains open source, its performance matches leading closed-source rivals from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google. It is also DeepSeek’s first release optimized Huawei’s Ascend chips—a key test of China’s dependence on Nvidia.
Here are three ways V4 could shake up AI.
AI systems have already gained impressive mastery over the digital world, but the physical world remains humanity’s domain. As it turns out, building an AI that composes novels or code apps is far easier than developing one to fold laundry or navigate city streets. To bridge this gap, many researchers believe you need something called a world model.
Proponents like Stanford professor Fei-Fei Li and AMI Labs founder Yann LeCun argue these models can overcome the well-known limitations of LLMs—and realize AI’s promise for robotics. Find out why they’ve brought world models to the forefront of the field.
World models are on our list of the 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now, our essential guide to what’s really worth your attention in the field.
Subscribers can watch an exclusive roundtable unveiling the technologies and trends on the list, with analysis from MIT Technology Review’s AI reporter Grace Huckins and executive editors Amy Nordrum and Niall Firth.
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 China has blocked Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of AI startup ManusRegulators cited national security grounds. (WSJ $)+ Beijing called the deal a “conspiratorial” attempt to hollow out its tech base. (FT $)+ The country is tightening its grip on AI firms that try to leave. (TechCrunch)+ The decision escalates China’s AI rivalry with the US. (Bloomberg $)+ But there will be no winners in their competition. (MIT Technology Review)2 Google is investing up to $40 billion in AnthropicIn a deal valuing the AI firm at $350 billion. (CNBC)+ The funding will support the firm's growing computing needs. (TechCrunch)+ Anthropic and OpenAI are fighting for compute capacity. (Axios) 3 President Trump just fired the entire National Science BoardThe NSF has played a crucial role in developing technology. (The Verge)+ The move heightens fears over political interference in US science. (Nature)4 Conspiracy theories about the Washington shooting are proliferating onlineOver 300,000 posts appeared on X using the keyword “staged.” (NYT $)+ The theories are also swirling on Bluesky and Instagram. (Wired)5 The AI compute crunch is starting to hit the broader economy.It’s affecting jobs, gadgets, and electricity prices. (404 Media)+ The AI compute explosion is the tech story of our time. (MIT Technology Review)6 Elon Musk says a new banking tool brings X close to a “super app”He’s pledged to launch the tool this month. (Bloomberg)7 AI optimism is surging across Asia while US sentiment coolsThe divide could shape where adoption happens fastest. (Rest of World)8 Apple is tying its new CEO’s ascent to its first foldable iPhoneIt wants to build the buzz around John Ternus. (Gizmodo) 9 Twelve firms are developing the Golden Dome’s space-based interceptorsThey’ve won contracts worth up to $3.2 billion. (Ars Technica)10 NASA has shared promising results from Artemis IIThe spacecraft and rocket fared well. (Engadget)
—Amanda Crawford, associate professor at the University of Connecticut, tells the NYT why conspiracy theories are gaining traction online.
Kenya’s Great Rift Valley is home to five geothermal power stations, which harness clouds of steam to generate about a quarter of the country’s electricity. But some of the energy escapes into the atmosphere, while even more remains underground for lack of demand. That’s what brought Octavia Carbon here.
Last year, the startup began harnessing some of that excess energy to remove CO2 from the air. The company says the method is efficient, affordable, and—crucially—scalable. But the project also faces fierce opposition.
Read the full story on the future of Kenya’s "Great Carbon Valley."
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)
+ Fred Again’s Tiny Desk Concert is a masterclass in intimate performance.+ Here’s a delightful look at how we’re all linked through geography and shared heritage.+ Take a short, peaceful break to watch Tokyo’s cherry blossoms from a bird’s eye view.+ There’s something oddly satisfying about watching an industrial shredder turn everyday items into confetti.
Plus: The US DoD has been secretly testing OpenAI models for years
Plus: An unauthorized group has reportedly accessed Anthropic’s Mythos.
Plus: The US government wanted to use Anthropic's AI to analyze bulk data collected from Americans
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