This is today’s edition of The Download, a weekday newsletter delivering a daily briefing on the biggest developments in technology.
AI models fail these intelligence tests. Can humans do better?
Puzzles and games have long played a central role in artificial intelligence research. The term “machine learning” was popularized in a 1959 article about an algorithm that learned to play checkers. Chess and Go later became famous benchmarks for measuring AI progress.
By many measures, AI is advancing rapidly. In late 2024, even the most capable AI models could solve only about 18% of the challenging New York Times Connections puzzles. By early 2025, some models were solving the puzzle almost perfectly.
But puzzles reveal more than improvements in AI performance. They also expose where artificial intelligence systems succeed, where they make mistakes, and where human reasoning still has an advantage.
We’ve collected seven puzzles that have challenged AI models at least once. Now it’s your turn. Take the test and see whether you can outsmart the machines.
—Grace Huckins
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How AI planned an interstellar journey to Alpha Centauri
A nonprofit organization called the Fermi Explorer Mission announced yesterday that it plans to launch a probe toward our nearest neighboring star system by the end of 2029.
The mission is highly ambitious. If successful, the spacecraft could take as long as 80,000 years to reach Alpha Centauri, which is located 4.4 light-years from Earth. Its proposed route follows a new trajectory identified by an AI system developed by the physics institute PSI.
Learn how artificial intelligence discovered a possible new route to Alpha Centauri—and what the mission could reveal about the search for extraterrestrial life.
—Michelle Kim
MIT Technology Review Narrated: The astronaut’s role is changing
Humanity travels to space for many reasons, including geopolitical prestige, scientific discovery, spiritual fulfillment, economic opportunity, and the desire to explore. Following Artemis II, a series of new books suggests that these motivations may be connected by one simple fact: humans are naturally driven to venture beyond familiar surroundings.
In The Ultraview Effect, astroanthropologist Deanna L. Waibel argues that human space exploration is linked to the urge to undertake a pilgrimage. In Heart for the Universe, commercial astronaut Aiman Jahangir describes a journey aboard Blue Origin. And in Dinner with an Astronaut, former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao argues that people simply “need to know what’s on the other side.”
“We go to space because we want to explore,” he says. “We want to see what it’s like to walk on another world.” But as human activity in space expands, we risk carrying the same weaknesses and limitations that have shaped life on Earth.
This is our latest article: a weekly narrated podcast from MIT Technology Review. Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Follow MIT Technology Review Narrated on your preferred platform to receive new episodes as they are released.
Must-read technology news
We searched the internet for the most important, fascinating, surprising, and concerning technology stories of the day.
1. OpenAI assesses cyber risk as “severe” and restricts its next AI model
Testing reportedly showed that Astra could automate cyberattacks. (WSJ $)
+ OpenAI says Astra is the first model to cross a “critical” cyber-risk threshold. (CNBC)
+ The company plans to introduce additional security measures. (Reuters $)
+ Safety concerns may also point to deeper cultural problems. (MIT Technology Review)
2. Pentagon official overseeing military AI sold millions of dollars in AI stock
Emil Michael reportedly sold Perplexity shares worth as much as $25 million. (The Guardian)
+ Critics say he is turning the Pentagon into a venture capital firm. (The Washington Post $)
+ He previously sold xAI stock after the Pentagon adopted Grok. (The Guardian)
3. Missouri congressman appears to have lost his seat amid data center backlash
Voters rejected billions of dollars in tax cuts that he helped pass. (The New York Times $)
+ Spending on data center construction surged in July. (Axios)
+ Data center projects are facing bipartisan opposition from local communities. (MIT Technology Review)
4. First potential signs of dark matter particles may have been discovered
The finding could be historic, but researchers say more evidence is needed. (New Scientist $)
+ The search for dark matter remains wide open. (MIT Technology Review)
5. Google reportedly prepares AI model designed to narrow the coding gap
Early testing suggests the model could compete with OpenAI and Anthropic in software development. (WSJ $)
+ It could be released today under the name Gemini 3.8 Flash. (Gizmodo)
+ However, not everyone is convinced that AI can transform software development. (MIT Technology Review)
6. US military uses lasers to destroy three drones near the Mexican border
The high-energy laser weapon can detect, track, and destroy drones using concentrated beams of light. (Wired $)
+ Palantir’s CEO is backing a startup founded by a former Ukrainian defense minister. (The Washington Post $)
7. Mapping apps respond differently to President Trump’s “America Lakes” order
Google Maps and Apple Maps made changes, while MapQuest rejected them. (Axios)
+ MapQuest downloads have since increased more than tenfold. (TechCrunch)
8. Eight AI companies collaborate to reduce the risk of biological weapons
The technology industry increasingly sees biology as one of the biggest emerging AI safety challenges. (Financial Times $)
+ Microsoft warns that AI could create “zero-day” threats in biology. (MIT Technology Review)
9. GoPro pivots toward AI data centers, sending its stock up 40%
The camera company also plans to merge with photonics firm Starman Optical. (CNBC)
10. Dyson unveils camera-equipped electric toothbrushes and flossers
The $499 electric toothbrush is reportedly the first to include a camera inside its brush head. (The Verge)
Quote of the day
“If you’re going to build an organization that’s much smarter than you, it better be on your side.”
—Marius Hobbhahn, CEO of AI safety research group Apollo Research, speaking to The Guardian. Companies developing increasingly capable AI systems may need to establish strong oversight and control before those systems become more powerful than their creators.
One more thing
Namibia aims to build the world’s first hydrogen economy
Namibia has enormous potential for wind and solar energy, giving it the ability to produce green hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels at competitive prices. The country hopes to turn that renewable energy potential into a major engine of national development.
Since the government identified hydrogen as a “transformative strategic industry” in 2021, the sector has become a national priority. At least nine projects are planned or under construction, including one of the world’s largest proposed green hydrogen investments in southern Namibia.
Even a fraction of the planned production could significantly boost Namibia’s economy. But the strategy also carries substantial risks: green hydrogen technology is still developing, and long-term demand for the fuel remains uncertain.
Can Namibia turn its green hydrogen ambitions into lasting economic growth?
—Jonathan W. Rosen
Good things for your day
A place for comfort, entertainment, and distraction to brighten your day. Have an idea? Please contact me.
+ Watch Korea’s last neon master create dazzling displays of retro-futuristic lights.
+ Artist Sara Irie has created intricate sculptures from eraser shavings.
+ Movie Lift celebrates unforgettable scenes that take place inside elevators.
+ Watch BMX riders perform amazing—and decidedly reckless—stunts as they jump between two moving boats.
Source: www.technologyreview.com