We place too much trust in AI’s ability to say “no”

Today’s AI models are trained to reject vast numbers of prompts. If you ask a chatbot how to poison a co-worker or how to tie a rope, it will probably refuse. But those refusals can fail—and sometimes the consequences are terrifying.

Some people are using AI to improve biological pathogens and build swarms of autonomous drones. Sooner or later, a failure to refuse could contribute to a global disaster. Relying on rejection also means drawing a line between what an AI model should and should not do.

Governments can draw their own boundaries, potentially restricting free speech. At the same time, the capabilities that make AI useful can also make it dangerous. If we want AI to help treat cancer, for example, it will need expertise in genetics—knowledge that could also be used to create biological weapons.

Read the full article about the frightening trade-offs of AI refusal systems.

—Arthur Holland Michel

This story will appear in the next issue of our print magazine. Subscribe now to get it as soon as it is available on Wednesday, October 21.

The side effects of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are still being understood

This week, my colleague Antonio Regalado reported on new research suggesting that GLP-1 drugs may slow biological aging. That is the latest in a growing list of potential benefits associated with these medications. But researchers are also investigating some unusual side effects.

The most common side effects are gastrointestinal. Researchers are also examining possible links to hair loss, nail disease and damage to the nerves behind the eyes.

Here’s what we know so far about the side effects of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.

—Jessica Hamzelou

This story is from The Checkup, a weekly biotech newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every Thursday.

10 climate technology companies to watch: Envision Energy’s global ambitions for wind power

Envision Energy is one of the companies featured in MIT Technology Review’s list of 10 climate change technology companies to watch in 2026. Subscriber-only.

China is installing wind turbines faster than any other country. Envision Energy, one of the leading manufacturers, is integrating renewable energy into data centers by using wind turbines to generate electricity and batteries to store power on-site.

The company recently became the first to directly power its data centers with completely renewable energy. Its AI-powered system optimizes power output so facilities receive a reliable supply whether the wind is blowing or not. Envision now wants to bring this approach to data centers in deserts around the world.

See how Envision plans to power the global AI boom with renewable energy.

—Zhang Sisi

Must-read technology news

We scoured the internet to find the most entertaining, important, alarming and fascinating technology stories today.

<ol>
  <li>
    <p><strong>The US has frozen green cards for Microsoft and other IT companies</strong><br>
    A US official is accused of using visa fraud on behalf of American workers. (<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/08/microsoft-adobe-green-card-labor-suspension.html">CNBC</a>)<br>
    <em>+ The companies have also been suspended from major green card programs.</em> (<a href="https://apnews.com/article/h1b-visa-program-vance-microsoft-e7b3a407f822702b269ee277d21343ea">AP</a>)<br>
    <em>+ Adobe, Infosys, Tata and other IT companies are also affected.</em> (<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/08/us-bars-microsoft-adobe-and-major-it-firms-from-green-card-program-for-skilled-foreign-workers/">TechCrunch</a>)<br>
    + <em>Microsoft says 80% of H-1B applications involve existing staff.</em> (<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck5yngl2y4gpo">BBC</a>)</p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p><strong>A drone attack in Russia destroys a second Yandex data center</strong><br>
    Ukraine attacked the facility in Kaluga, partially disabling it. (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-yandex-says-second-data-centre-hit-by-drone-attack-2026-10-09/">Reuters</a>)<br>
    <em>+ Another Yandex data center was attacked by a drone the day before.</em> (<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/08/russia-yandex-ukraine-drone-strike-data-center.html">CNBC</a>)<br>
    <em>+ Data centers are a major target in military attacks.</em> (<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-09/ukraine-targets-yandex-data-centers-in-second-day-of-strikes-hitting-service">Bloomberg</a>)<br>
    <em>+ It may be safer in space.</em> (MIT Technology Review)</p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p><strong>Anthropic prohibits “abusive or cruel behavior” toward Claude</strong><br>
    Claude can also end a conversation by repeating the abuse. (<a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1008100/anthropic-new-usage-policy-abuse-claude">The Verge</a>)<br>
    <em>+ The policy is based on Anthropic’s AI welfare research.</em> (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/08/anthropic-bans-abusive-behavior-claude">The Guardian</a>)<br>
    <em>+ The debate over AI consciousness is a trap.</em> (MIT Technology Review)</p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p><strong>OpenAI lowers its revenue forecast by $20 billion</strong><br>
    The move has raised concerns about investment in AI. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/09/openai-forecast-revenue-gap">The Guardian</a>)<br>
    <em>+ What is at stake in AI’s multitrillion-dollar gamble?</em> (MIT Technology Review)</p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p><strong>Gene editing reveals how mouse embryos develop</strong><br>
    The method may help researchers understand developmental disorders. (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-03193-x">Nature</a>)<br>
    <em>+ A female clone of a male mouse has arrived.</em> (MIT Technology Review)</p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p><strong>SpaceX announces plans to become a major mobile carrier</strong><br>
    The company is purchasing $8 billion in radio spectrum from investment firms. (<a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/telecom/spacex-makes-big-play-to-become-a-wireless-carrier-a90b2a1b?mod=rss_Technology">The Wall Street Journal</a>)<br>
    <em>+ The deal could help SpaceX compete with AT&amp;T and Verizon.</em> (<a href="https://www.theverge.com/science/1008467/spacex-announces-plan-to-become-a-major-mobile-carrier">The Verge</a>)</p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p><strong>ICE is considering Palantir tools to investigate voting fraud</strong><br>
    Officials wanted to track people suspected of voting illegally. (<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/ice-emails-discuss-using-palantir-supported-tool-to-investigate-voter-fraud/">Wired</a>)</p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p><strong>Peter Thiel uses Bible prophecy to argue against AI regulation</strong><br>
    His new “Antichrist” lecture presents AI safety as a threat to freedom. (<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/08/peter-thiel-ai-obama-pope-leo-01112122">Politico</a>)</p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p><strong>Margaret Hamilton, the MIT software pioneer whose work helped land Apollo 11, dies</strong><br>
    She led the team that programmed Apollo’s onboard computers. (<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx5yn46j41zpo">BBC</a>)<br>
    <em>+ She became a software pioneer in a male-dominated field.</em> (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/08/technology/ai-chatbots-urgent-care.html">The New York Times</a>)</p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p><strong>This year’s Nobel science prizes are real science fiction</strong><br>
    The subjects range from the universe and the human brain to the origin of life. (<a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/10/08/this-years-nobel-science-prizes-are-real-life-sci-fi">The Economist</a>)</p>
  </li>
</ol>

Quote of the day

“The White House considers anyone who uses the term ‘artificial intelligence’ to be an enemy, as opposed to the new, widely accepted and more accurate term ‘superintelligence.’”

—President Donald Trump made an ominous threat to his AI rebranding strategy in a post on Truth Social. Read the Axios report.

One more thing: This futuristic space habitat is designed to self-assemble in orbit

More and more people are traveling beyond Earth, but the International Space Station can accommodate only 11 people at a time.

The Aurelia Institute, an architectural research and development laboratory based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is building a possible solution. Its habitats would be launched from compact stacks of flat tiles that self-assemble in orbit.

The concept may sound far-fetched, but it already has support from NASA. Please read the full story.

—Sarah Ward

We still have good things

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten your day. Have an idea? Please contact me.

• What does it feel like to fly an F-16 at 1,000 miles per hour and pull 9Gs? This film knows.
• Meet Jimothy, a short-necked raccoon who captured hearts around the world.
• Indie game developers created a captivating 3D cyberpunk city made entirely from ASCII characters.
• How many bags of potato chips does it take to make you float? A Taiwanese video maker found out.