This is today’s edition of The Download., A weekly newsletter that tells you what’s happening in tech.
The UK is setting up an alert system for climate change tipping points.
news: Britain’s new lunar exploration agency has launched an £81 million ($106 million) program to develop an early warning system that could sound an alarm if Earth crosses dangerous climate tipping points.
How they do this: The agency-supported team will work toward three goals: first, developing low-cost sensors that provide more accurate data on the state of these systems; second, using these and other sensing technologies to build an observation network that monitors these capsizing systems; and third, using physics and artificial intelligence to build computer models that can pick up subtle early warning signs of capsizing in the data.
The important thing is: The goal of the five-year program is to reduce scientific uncertainty about when such events might occur, what impacts they would have on the planet and its species, and how long these effects would develop and persist. Read the full article.
—James Temple
What This Futuristic Olympic Video Says About the State of Generative AI
With the Paris Olympics just wrapped up last month and the Paralympics still underway, the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles seem like a lifetime away. But the prospect of watching the games in his hometown has Josh Kahn, a filmmaker in the sports entertainment industry, thinking even further ahead. What will the 3028 Olympics in Los Angeles look like?
A perfect type of creative exercise for AI video generation, it allows users to create high-quality videos in a matter of minutes. Above all, this video shows how generative technology can be of great help to creators. But it also shows what is holding it back.
Read the full story.
—James O’Donnell
Coming soon: The 2024 List of Innovators Under 35
Solving complex global problems like disease prevention and climate change requires new ideas from the brightest minds. Every year, MIT Technology Review identifies a new generation of innovators under the age of 35 who are taking on these and other challenges.
On September 10, we will honor the Class of 2024, the 35 Under 35 Innovators. These 35 researchers and entrepreneurs are rising stars in their respective fields pursuing ambitious projects. Each is doing groundbreaking work to advance one of five fields: materials science, biotechnology, robotics, artificial intelligence, or climate and energy.
Watch for this newsletter coming out next Tuesday, when we announce our 2024 list, exclusive to subscribers only. Read the full article for more details, and if you’re not yet a subscriber, sign up here to save 25%.
—Amy Northam
If you can’t wait, we’ll reveal this year’s Innovators live on LinkedIn on Monday, September 9. Register here First of all, find out who the person is, what they do, and what impact they have.
MIT Technology Review Narration: How a tiny Pacific island became the world’s capital for cybercrime
Tokelau is a group of three isolated atolls in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and Hawaii.
Despite its size, Tokelau has become an internet giant. Until recently, the .tk domain had more users than any other country: a whopping 25 million. However, the websites with .tk domains are actually located in Tokelau. Almost all other websites are used by spammers, phishers, and cybercriminals.
This is the story of how Tokelau unwittingly became a global center for cybercrime, and how it fought to repair its reputation.
This has changed with our latest story. MIT Technology Review Narration Podcasts. In partnership with News Over Audio, we will be offering a curated selection of our stories, each read by a professional voice actor. You can listen on the go or download them to listen offline.
We publish new stories every week Spotify and Apple PodcastsSome of them are excerpts from our most recent print magazine.
Just explore MIT Technology Review Narration By following us on both platforms, you’ll be notified as soon as new content is released.
Must read book
I’ve scoured the internet to find the most interesting/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology today.
1 Clearview AI receives largest fine to date.
Dutch regulators have ordered a company to pay more than €30 million for creating an illegal database of “unique biometric codes.” (The Verge)
+ Clearview missed its chance to appeal the decision. (Ars Technica)
+ This isn’t the first time the company has been embroiled in legal trouble. (MIT Technology Review)
2 Bluesky is reaching millions of new users
Brazil struggles to cope with the influx caused by X’s closure. (TechCrunch)
+ Some people are concerned that Judge Alexandre de Morais has abused his power. (Economist $)
3 Training AI to look human is a fruitless exercise.
Workers cite long hours, low wages and unstable employment. (Fast Company $)
+ People who are tasked with training AI are outsourcing their work to AI. (MIT Technology Review)
4 The Chinese Communist Party is Silencing San Francisco Protesters
This is part of a larger pattern of China expanding beyond its borders. (WP$)
+ How Twitter’s “Teacher Li” Became a Central Hub for China Protest Information (MIT Technology Review)
Five major AI data centers are being built
But the company in charge of the multi-billion dollar project is a mystery. (Info $)
+ Energy-hungry data centers are quietly moving to cities. (MIT Technology Review)
Six New York Vigilantes Make Billions of Money Reporting Polluters
The only problem is that the police keep interfering. (NY Mag $)
7. Beware of Bitcoin ATM Scams
Criminals are finding new ways to steal their victims’ hard-earned money. (The Verge)
8. What will happen to our old gasoline cars in the future?
Giving them a second life undermines efforts to curb climate change. (Vox)
+ The company wants to pump carbon emissions from oil back underground. (Atlantic $)
+ The problem with plug-in hybrids? The drivers. (MIT Technology Review)
9 Microsoft’s New AI Computer Can’t Play Video Games
Their new chip architecture can’t handle more than 1,000 games. (WSJ $)
10 Potato yarn is a sustainable cotton alternative. 
But there’s no guarantee it’ll taste good. (New Scientist $)
Quote of the day
“We are now a Brazilian app.”
—According to the Financial Times, Bluesky joked that it gained millions of new users after Brazil’s Supreme Court banned access to X in that country.
Big story
Hydrogen trains could revolutionize the way Americans get around.
April 2024
Like a mirage across the dusty desert outside Pueblo, Colorado, the nation’s first hydrogen fuel cell passenger train is warming up on a test track. It will soon be transported to Southern California, carrying passengers on San Bernardino County’s Arrow commuter rail service by the end of the year.
The best way to decarbonize rail is a subject of growing debate among regulators, industry and activists. The debate is partly technical, about whether hydrogen fuel cells, batteries or overhead lines offer the best performance in different rail situations. But it is also political, about the extent to which decarbonization can or should lead to broader changes in rail transport.
In the isolated world of railways, this hydrogen-powered train is a Rorschach test. To some, it represents the future of rail transport. To others, it’s a big, shiny obstacle. Read the full article.
—Benjamin Schneider
We can still have good things
A place for comfort, fun, and entertainment to brighten your day. (Any ideas? Send me a line or Send me a tweet.)
+ The amount of time and effort it took to draw all 151 original Pokémon is unimaginable.
+ Have you heard of Stonehenge? But do you know about Kilmartin Glen?
+ The Netherlands recently held a celebration for thousands of redheads.
+ Peter Blackart builds some really impressive Lego cars.
