As AI technology advances, its growing carbon footprint and electricity demands pose pressing concerns. Will AI’s reliance on information facilities boost their energy consumption by a staggering 160% this decade? Should our fear be palpable? David Rotman, senior AI reporter Melissa Heikkilä, and James Temple, senior editor for Vitality, examined the vitality trade-offs inherent in AI developments.
The potential for gene modification could revolutionize the DNA of human embryos, potentially paving the way for a technological leap forward in human evolution. Despite the initial enthusiasm in 2018, an ill-advised attempt to apply this knowledge resulted in He Jiankui, the implicated researcher, serving a stint behind bars. Editor-in-Chief Mat Honan and Senior Editor for Biomedicine Antonio Regalado engaged in a conversation with He, a biophysicist and the pioneer behind the first gene-edited humans, to reexamine this contentious technology and its potential trajectory within IVF clinics.
Thermal batteries could play a crucial role in mitigating the environmental impact of industries with significant emissions. Government editor Amy Nordrum and senior local weather reporter Casey Crownhart guided us in understanding the implications of this emerging technology, as chosen by our readers in a recent vote.
