The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 The US government has just banned Roombas
It’s not just Chinese humanoids—robot vacuum cleaners are included in a new FCC ban too. (The Verge $)
+ Who wins and who loses from the ban on foreign robots? (Ars Technica)
+ China says it will retaliate. (CNBC)
2 The ongoing fires in Europe are breaking modern records
And there’s likely even more destruction coming. (NYT $)
+ Thousands of people have just been evacuated on the Greek island of Crete. (BBC)
3 Google DeepMind has dismantled its Nobel-winning AlphaFold team
It reflects a broader industry move away from specialist tools towards more general, AI-powered agents for science. (FT$)
+ Google I/O showed how the path for AI-driven science is shifting. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Data centers are easy to build. To run? Not so much
For that, you need time and money to invest in grid infrastructure, like new transmission lines. (404 Media $)
+ The power line that could reshape New York’s grid is hitting snags. (MIT Technology Review)
+ AI companies are hiring thousands of electricians and carpenters to get data centers up and running. (NYT $)
5 DoorDash plans to launch a drone delivery program
It’ll be a while before we get to make use of it, though. (TechCrunch)
+ The US may be heading toward a drone-filled future. (MIT Technology Review)
6 AI is accelerating global digital inequality
Money, infrastructure and talent are pooling in a relatively small number of places. (IEEE Spectrum)
7 Quantum computers promise mathematical superpowers
And it feels like we’re inching closer to a commercial machine. (The Economist $)
+ PsiQuantum has a plan to make a massive quantum computer out of light. (MIT Technology Review)
8 Anxious Chinese students are using AI for university admissions
It’s common to pay private coaches to help navigate this high-stakes decision, but AI companies now offer the service for free. (Rest of World)
+ How DeepSeek became a fortune teller for China’s youth. (MIT Technology Review)
9 Boomers keep giving their grandkids AI-generated slop books
And it’s driving millennial parents mad. (Wired $)
10 Minecraft is helping children to redesign their cities
It just goes to show how creativity can still flourish, even amid war. (NYT $)
Quote of the day
“I want to see the blood, sweat, and tears that went into it.”
—Ray Slater Berry, founder of marketing agency dslx, tells Wired why he’s drawn to text written by humans.