That is in the present day’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a every day dose of what’s happening on this planet of know-how.
It’s surprisingly simple to stumble right into a relationship with an AI chatbot
The information: The primary large-scale computational evaluation of the Reddit group r/MyBoyfriendIsAI, which is devoted to discussing AI relationships, discovered that many individuals fashioned these relationships unintentionally whereas utilizing AI for different functions. In actual fact, solely 6.5% of them mentioned they’d intentionally sought out an AI companion.
Why it issues: The examine discovered that AI companionship offers very important assist for some however exacerbates underlying issues for others. This implies it’s exhausting to take a one-size-fits-all method to consumer security. Learn the total story.
—Rhiannon Williams
Be a part of us at 1.30pm ET in the present day to study the way forward for contraception
Conversations round contraception normally give attention to ladies, however Kevin Eisenfrats, one of many MIT Expertise Evaluate 2025 Innovators Underneath 35, is working to vary that. His firm, Contraline, is working towards testing new contraception choices for males. Be a part of us for an unique subscribers-only Roundtable interview to listen to Kevin in dialog with our government editor Amy Nordrum at 1.30 ET in the present day.
MIT Expertise Evaluate Narrated: What’s subsequent for AI and math
The final yr has seen speedy progress within the capability of enormous language fashions to deal with math at highschool degree and past. Is AI closing in on human mathematicians?
This story is the newest to be changed into a MIT Expertise Evaluate Narrated podcast, which we publish each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Simply navigate to MIT Expertise Evaluate Narrated on both platform, and comply with us to hearken to all our new episodes as they’re launched.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to search out you in the present day’s most enjoyable/essential/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 Secret Service brokers dismantled an enormous operation to cripple cell networks
They are saying it’s probably it was supposed for use for scams. (Wired $)
2 Welcome to the brand new period of fragmented US vaccine insurance policies
The federal authorities is abdicating duty for public well being. Who will fill the void? (New Yorker $)
+ Why US federal well being companies are abandoning mRNA vaccines. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)
3 European protection leaders are discussing constructing a ‘drone wall’
They’re scrambling to catch up as Russian incursions into their territory improve. (ABC)
4 How will we all know if we’ve reached synthetic normal intelligence?
That’s the multi-billion greenback query—however there’s no clear reply. (IEEE Spectrum)
+ Consultants don’t even agree on what AI is to start with, by no means thoughts AGI. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)
5 Robotic umpires are coming to baseball’s main leagues subsequent yr 
People will nonetheless be in command of calling balls and strikes, however tech will assist to guage appealed selections. (AP)
6 AI’s power wants are being overstated
And that might lock us into pointless, pricey fossil gas tasks. (The Verge)
+ 4 causes to be optimistic about AI’s power utilization. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)
7 Excessive drought is ready to change into much more commonplace
Governments must do much more to organize. (Gizmodo)
8 AI is coming for subtitle writers’ jobs
However their work is tougher to exchange than you would possibly assume. (The Guardian)
+ ‘Workslop’ is slowing the whole lot down. (Harvard Enterprise Evaluate)
+ And, so as to add to the issue, AI techniques might by no means be safe. (The Economist $)
9 How epigenetics may assist save wildlife from extinction
It may enable scientists to detect accelerated growing old earlier than an animal inhabitants begins to visibly collapse. (Knowable)
+ Growing old clocks purpose to foretell how lengthy you’ll dwell. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)
10 TikTok is getting launched to the idea of the rapture
Which is due in the present day, in response to some. If that’s the case, it’s been nice realizing you. Good luck! (The Guardian)
Quote of the day
“Everyone has a backup.”
—Stella Li, government vice chairman at BYD, tells CNBC the corporate has contingency plans in case Beijing orders it to cease utilizing Nvidia chips.
Another factor
This app helps employees reclaim tens of millions in misplaced wages
Reclamo, a brand new internet app, helps immigrant employees who’ve skilled wage theft. It guides them by means of assembling case particulars, and finally produces completed authorized claims that may be filed immediately. A course of that might in any other case take a number of conferences with an lawyer can now be carried out inside an hour.
A big quantity of wage theft targets immigrants, each authorized and undocumented, partially due to communication boundaries and their perceived lack of energy or authorized recourse. However the app is already making a distinction—serving to employees to reclaim $1 million in misplaced wages because it began beta testing in October 2022. Learn the total story.
—Patrick Sisson
We are able to nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Obtained any concepts? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.)
+ It’s Fats Bear Week! Who will get your vote this yr?
+ Find out about Lord Woodbine, the forgotten sixth Beatle.
+ There are some actually wild and wacky recipes on this Medieval Cookery assortment. Venison porridge, anybody?
+ Pessimism about know-how is as previous as know-how itself, as this archive reveals.
