This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday technology newsletter covering the latest developments in artificial intelligence, climate technology, robotics, energy, and more.
A fundamental security flaw leaves large language models vulnerable to attacks
Large language models may never be completely protected from certain hacks because of a fundamental weakness in how they process instructions, according to a team of researchers whose findings were presented at a leading AI conference earlier this month.
The vulnerability involves how LLMs determine which users, systems, or pieces of content are authorized to give them instructions. By exploiting this weakness, the researchers persuaded widely used AI models to generate information they were designed to withhold, including instructions related to illegal drug production and attacks on aircraft navigation systems.
Read our full story about the AI security flaw, what it means for the future of safe and reliable language models, and why researchers believe it could be difficult—or even impossible—to fix completely.
—Will Douglas Heaven
How an overlooked geothermal power plant got a second chance
In June 2024, a small company called Zanskar acquired a struggling geothermal power plant in New Mexico. The facility was rapidly becoming uneconomical because the water drawn from its underground reservoir was getting colder each day.
Two years later, the plant is operating at full capacity once again, thanks to a newly drilled well. Using advanced geological modeling and modern drilling technology, Zanskar identified a more productive site, drilled thousands of feet underground, and restored the entire operation.
As countries search for reliable, emissions-free electricity that can run around the clock, the Lightning Dock geothermal plant demonstrates the untapped potential beneath the Earth’s surface. Read the full story.
—Casey Crownhart
This story is from The Spark, our weekly climate technology and energy newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.
MIT Technology Review Narrated: South Korea’s most sought-after bachelors are chip workers
Baek, a 35-year-old manager at South Korean semiconductor giant SK Hynix, joined a matchmaking service a year ago. Like many concerned South Korean parents, his mother enrolled him in hopes of helping him find a suitable wife.
Recently, Baek says he and his colleagues have had more success on the dating scene—possibly because of the substantial bonuses they received. After recording enormous profits during the AI chip boom, SK Hynix agreed to distribute 10% of its operating profits to employees. For some workers, that amounts to an additional $476,000 per employee this year.
Read our story about how semiconductor employees have become some of the most desirable bachelors and bachelorettes in South Korea.
—Michelle Kim
This is our latest story adapted into an MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, published weekly on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Search for MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform and follow the show to receive new episodes as they are released.
The must-reads
We’ve searched the internet for today’s most important, surprising, entertaining, and thought-provoking technology stories.
1 The US government has banned Roombas and other foreign robots
Chinese humanoid robots are not the only machines affected by the new FCC ban. Robot vacuum cleaners are included too. (The Verge $)
+ Who benefits—and who loses—from the US ban on foreign-made robots? (Ars Technica)
+ China says it plans to retaliate. (CNBC)
2 Europe’s ongoing wildfires are breaking modern records
Experts warn that the destruction could continue to grow. (NYT $)
+ Thousands of people have been evacuated from the Greek island of Crete. (BBC)
3 Google DeepMind has dismantled its Nobel-winning AlphaFold team
The decision reflects a wider shift in the AI industry from specialized tools toward more general-purpose, AI-powered scientific agents. (FT$)
+ Google I/O offered clues about the changing future of AI-powered science. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Data centers are easy to build—but much harder to power
Operating them requires significant time and investment in grid infrastructure, including new transmission lines. (404 Media $)
+ A power line that could transform New York’s electricity grid is facing delays. (MIT Technology Review)
+ AI companies are hiring thousands of electricians and carpenters to build and operate data centers. (NYT $)
5 DoorDash is planning a drone delivery service
Customers will have to wait before drone deliveries become widely available. (TechCrunch)
+ The US could be moving toward a future filled with delivery drones. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Artificial intelligence is widening the global digital divide
Investment, computing infrastructure, and technical talent are becoming concentrated in a relatively small number of regions. (IEEE Spectrum)
7 Quantum computers promise extraordinary mathematical power
The prospect of a commercially useful quantum computer may be getting closer. (The Economist $)
+ PsiQuantum has a plan to build a massive photonic quantum computer. (MIT Technology Review)
8 Anxious Chinese students are turning to AI for university admissions advice
Families often pay private counselors to navigate the high-stakes admissions process, but AI companies are now offering similar services for free. (Rest of World)
+ How DeepSeek became a fortune teller for China’s young people. (MIT Technology Review)
9 Boomers keep gifting their grandchildren AI-generated books
The trend is frustrating many millennial parents. (Wired $)
10 Minecraft is helping children redesign their cities
The project shows how creativity and civic imagination can flourish—even during wartime. (NYT $)
Quote of the day
“I want to see the blood, sweat, and tears that went into it.”
—Ray Slater Berry, founder of the marketing agency dslx, tells Wired why he prefers writing that clearly comes from human authors.
One More Thing
Europe’s vision of a drone-filled future of warfare
Europe is testing an automated intelligence network known as a “digital targeting web,” developed under the name Project ASGARD. The system is designed to connect military sensors that identify targets with the weapons systems, or “shooters,” that respond to them through a shared wireless network.
Eighty years after total war transformed the continent, the technology points to a stark new approach to European defense. “The Russians are knocking on the door,” says Sven Weizenegger, head of the German military’s Cyber Innovation Hub.
Read our story about how European strategists and policymakers are turning to increasingly automated military technology in an effort to strengthen battlefield defenses.
—Arthur Holland Michel
We can still have nice things
A space for comfort, entertainment, and distraction to brighten your day. Have an idea? Drop me a line.
+ We loved this story about the studio accident that created the distinctive 1980s “gated reverb” drum sound.
+ Wewere.online transforms solitary web browsing into a multiplayer experience by displaying the live cursor trails of other visitors.
+ Imagine unwinding in this peaceful coastal cabin in Tasmania.
+ Why do cats always land on their feet? Their remarkably flexible spines are part of the reason.
Source: www.technologyreview.com