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CHRISTIE HEMM KLOK Intelligent Machines The GANfather: The man who’s given machines the gift of imagination By pitting neural networks against one another, Ian Goodfellow has created a powerful AI tool. Now he, and the rest of us, must face the consequences. by Martin Giles Feb 21, 2018 One night in 2014, Ian Goodfellow went drinking to celebrate with a fellow doctoral student who had just graduated. At Les 3 Brasseurs (The Three Brewers), a favorite Montreal watering hole, some friends asked for his help with a thorny project they were working on: a computer that could create photos by itself. This story is part of our March/April 2018 issue See the rest of the issue Subscribe Researchers were already using neural networks, algorithms loosely modeled on the web of neurons in the human brain, as “generative” models to create plausible new data of their own. But the results were often not very good: images of a computer-generated face tended to be blurry or have errors like missing ears. The plan Goodfellow’s friends were proposing was to use a complex statistical analysis of the elements that make up a photograph to help machines come up with images by themselves. This would have required a massive amount of number-crunching, and Goodfellow told them it simply wasn’t going to work. But as he pondered the problem over his beer, he hit on an idea. What if you pitted two neural networks against each other? His friends were skeptical, so once he got home, where his girlfriend was already fast asleep, he decided to give it a try. Goodfellow coded into the early hours and then tested his software. It worked the first time. What he invented that night is now called a GAN, or “generative adversarial network.” The technique has sparked huge excitement in the field of machine learning and turned its creator into an AI celebrity. CHRISTIE HEMM KLOK In the last few years, AI researchers have made impressive progress using a technique called deep learning. Supply a deep-learning system with enough images and it learns to, say, recognize a pedestrian who’s about to cross a road. This approach has made possible things like self-driving cars and the conversational technology that powers Alexa, Siri, and other virtual assistants. But while deep-learning AIs can learn to recognize things, they have not been good at creating them. The goal of GANs is to give machines something akin to an imagination. In the future, computers will get much better at feasting on raw data and working out what they need to learn from it. Doing so wouldn’t merely enable them to draw pretty pictures or compose music; it would make them less reliant on humans to instruct them about the world and the way it works. Today, AI programmers often need to tell a machine exactly what’s in the training data it’s being fed—which of a million pictures contain a pedestrian crossing a road, and which don’t. This is not only costly and labor-intensive; it limits how well the system deals with even slight departures from what it was trained on. In the future, computers will get much better at feasting on raw data and working out what they need to learn from it without being told. That will mark a big leap forward in what’s known in AI as “unsupervised learning.” A self-driving car could teach itself about many different road conditions without leaving the garage. A robot could anticipate the obstacles it might encounter in a busy warehouse without needing to be taken around it. That will mark a big leap forward in what is known in AI as “unsupervised learning.” Our ability to imagine and reflect on many different scenarios is part of what makes us human. And when future historians of technology look back, they’re likely to see GANs as a big step toward creating machines with a human-like consciousness. Yann LeCun, Facebook’s chief AI scientist, has called GANs “the coolest idea in deep learning in the last 20 years.” Another AI luminary, Andrew Ng, the former chief scientist of China’s Baidu, says GANs represent “a significant and fundamental advance” that’s inspired a growing global community of researchers. The GANfather, Part II: AI fight club Goodfellow is now a research scientist on the Google Brain team, at the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, California. When I met him there recently, he still seemed surprised by his superstar status, calling it “a little surreal.” Perhaps no less surprising is that, having made his discovery, he now spends much of his time working against those who wish to use it for evil ends. The magic of GANs lies in the rivalry between the two neural nets. It mimics the back-and-forth between a picture forger and an art detective who repeatedly try to outwit one another. Both networks are trained on the same data set. The first one, known as the generator, is charged with producing artificial outputs, such as photos or handwriting, that are as realistic as possible. The second, known as the discriminator, compares these with genuine images from the original data set and tries to determine which are real and which are fake. On the basis of those results, the generator adjusts its parameters for creating new images. And so it goes, until the discriminator can no longer tell what’s genuine and what’s bogus. A GAN trained on photos of real celebrities came up with its own set of imaginary stars. In most cases, the fakes looked pretty realistic. NVIDIA In one widely publicized example last year, researchers at Nvidia, a chip company heavily invested in AI, trained a GAN to generate pictures of imaginary celebrities by studying real ones. Not all the fake stars it produced were perfect, but some were impressively realistic. Unlike other machine-learning approaches that require tens of thousands of training images, GANs can become proficient with a few hundred. Related Story 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2018 Dueling neural networks. Artificial embryos. AI in the cloud. Welcome to our annual list of the 10 technology advances we think will shape the way we work and live now and for years to come. This power of imagination is still limited. Once it’s been trained on a lot of dog photos, a GAN can generate a convincing fake image of a dog that has, say, a different pattern of spots; but it can’t conceive of an entirely new animal. The quality of the original training data also has a big influence on the results. In one telling example, a GAN began producing pictures of cats with random letters integrated into the images. Because the training data contained cat memes from the internet, the machine had taught itself that words were part of what it meant to be a cat. Getting GANS to work well can be tricky. If there are glitches, the results can be bizarre. ALEC RADFORD GANs are also temperamental, says Pedro Domingos, a machine-learning researcher at the University of Washington. If the discriminator is too easy to fool, the generator’s output won’t look realistic. And calibrating the two dueling neural nets can be difficult, which explains why GANs sometimes spit out bizarre stuff such as animals with two heads. Still, the challenges haven’t deterred researchers. Since Goodfellow and a few others published the first study on his discovery, in 2014, hundreds of GAN-related papers have been written. One fan of the technology has even created a web page called the “GAN zoo,” dedicated to keeping track of the various versions of the technique that have been developed. The most obvious immediate applications are in areas that involve a lot of imagery, such as video games and fashion: what, for instance, might a game character look like running through the rain? But looking ahead, Goodfellow thinks GANs will drive more significant advances. “There are a lot of areas of science and engineering where we need to optimize something,” he says, citing examples such as medicines that need to be more effective or batteries that must get more efficient. “That’s going to be the next big wave.” In high-energy physics, scientists use powerful computers to simulate the likely interactions of hundreds of subatomic particles in machines like the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland. These simulations are slow and require massive computing power. Researchers at Yale University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a GAN that, after training on existing simulation data, learns to generate pretty accurate predictions of how a particular particle will behave, and does it much faster. Goodfellow's creation can be used to imagine all sorts of things, including new interior designs. IAN GOODFELLOW Medical research is another promising field. Privacy concerns mean researchers sometimes can’t get enough real patient data to, say, analyze why a drug didn’t work. GANs can help solve this problem by generating fake records that are almost as good as the real thing, says Casey Greene of the University of Pennsylvania. This data could be shared more widely, helping to advance research, while the real records are tightly protected. The GANfather, Part III: Bad fellows There is a darker side, however. A machine designed to create realistic fakes is a perfect weapon for purveyors of fake news who want to influence everything from stock prices to elections. AI tools are already being used to put pictures of other people’s faces on the bodies of porn stars and put words in the mouths of politicians. GANs didn’t create this problem, but they’ll make it worse. Hany Farid, who studies digital forensics at Dartmouth College, is working on better ways to spot fake videos, such as detecting slight changes in the color of faces caused by inhaling and exhaling that GANs find hard to mimic precisely. But he warns that GANs will adapt in turn. “We’re fundamentally in a weak position,” says Farid. This cat-and-mouse game will play out in cybersecurity, too. Researchers are already highlighting the risk of “black box” attacks, in which GANs are used to figure out the machine-learning models with which plenty of security programs spot malware. Having divined how a defender’s algorithm works, an attacker can evade it and insert rogue code. The same approach could also be used to dodge spam filters and other defenses. “There are a lot of areas of science and engineering where we need to optimize something. That’s going to be the next big wave.” Goodfellow is well aware of the dangers. Now heading a team at Google that’s focused on making machine learning more secure, he warns that the AI community must learn the lesson of previous waves of innovation, in which technologists treated security and privacy as an afterthought. By the time they woke up to the risks, the bad guys had a significant lead. “Clearly, we’re already beyond the start,” he says, “but hopefully we can make significant advances in security before we’re too far in.” Nonetheless, he doesn’t think there will be a purely technological solution to fakery. Instead, he believes, we’ll have to rely on societal ones, such as teaching kids critical thinking by getting them to take things like speech and debating classes. “In speech and debate you’re competing against another student,” he says, “and you’re thinking about how to craft misleading claims, or how to craft correct claims that are very persuasive.” He may well be right, but his conclusion that technology can’t cure the fake-news problem is not one many will want to hear. Continue reading 1536 words × You've read 1/3 of your free monthly feature stories. Subscribe for unlimited access. Subscribe nowSign in Longevity Has this scientist finally found the fountain of youth? Editing the epigenome, which turns our genes on and off, could be the “elixir of life”. Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte Artificial IntelligenceAug 7 China’s path to AI domination has a problem: loss of talent to the US A new analysis shows that the number of Chinese AI researchers has increased tenfold over the last decade, but the majority of them live outside the country.... Expand Smart CitiesAug 7 New York City’s first self-driving shuttle service launches today A driverless shuttle vehicle in New York City's Brooklyn Navy Yard Six autonomous six-seater shuttles will be offering free rides around a one-mile loop of New York’s Brooklyn Navy Yard.... Expand ComputingAug 7 China’s cyber-spies make money on the side by hacking video games Headquarters of China's Ministry of State Security Just because you’re a world-class Chinese government hacker busy conducting espionage against geopolitical adversaries doesn’t mean you can’t make a little extra money on the side.... Expand TR 352019 Innovators Under 35 | 2019 It’s part of our ethos that technology can and should be a force for good. In these profiles you’ll find people employing innovative methods to treat disease, to fight online harassment, and to create the next big battery breakthrough. An illustration of an inventor Rediet Abebe She uses algorithms and AI to fight socioeconomic inequality Tim Ellis He developed a massive 3D metal printer—for building an entire rocket Ritu Raman She’s developed inchworm-size robots made partly of biological tissue and muscle John Porter His innovations could make all kinds of products more accessible to people with disabilities Kimberly Stachenfeld She used reinforcement learning to better understand problem solving in both the human brain and AI systems SPONSORED Asia’s AI agenda: The ethics of AI Public and private actors in Asia are working to define regulatory frameworks, build a trusted AI ecosystem, and maintain harmony between humans and machines. Read more Asia's AI agenda: The ethics of AI Artificial IntelligenceAug 6 Facebook, Google, Twitter aren’t prepared for presidential deepfakes None of the big three internet foghorns—Facebook, Google, or Twitter—seems to have a clear plan for dealing with AI-generated fake videos, or “deepfakes,” ahead of next year’s presidential election,... Expand BlockchainAug 6 The Fed is going to revamp how Americans pay for things. Big banks aren’t happy. A payday lending service America’s central bank plans to build its own real-time payment system, much to the chagrin of big commercial banks.... Expand Tech PolicyAug 6 CloudFlare dropping 8chan helps fight hate even if 8chan comes back CloudFlare has changed expectations of the moral obligations of technology companies. Read more CloudflareCEO Matthew Prince How YouTubers plan to take on YouTube for better working conditions Computers can’t tell if you’re happy when you smile Sign up for The Download — your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo BiotechnologyAug 6 A fake eye that sheds fake tears could replace animal testing Is that supposed to be an eye? Yes, and the researchers who made this biomechanical version (which contains human cells) say it might eventually replace animals for testing.... Expand AI Ethics These companies claim to provide “fair-trade” data work. Do they? Companies like CloudFactory, iMerit, and Samasource promise data sets provided by workers who are well paid and cared for. It’s not an easy business. 01. The AI gig economy is coming for you May 2019 02. An AI startup has found a new source of cheap labor for training algorithms: prisoners March 2019 03. 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Read more Trusted data and the future of information sharing IMDA Produced in association with IMDA SPONSORED The past decade and the future of cosmology and astrophysics image test BBVA Produced in association with BBVA Cybersecurity Why smartphones’ “cop mode” might not keep cops out for much longer The debate over “compelled decryption” is likely headed for the US Supreme Court. An iphone image showing Face ID set up screen with Justice John Roberts's face ComputingAug 5 Cloudflare has stopped hosting 8chan after a weekend of mass shootings in the US People grieving in El Paso after a mass shooting last weekend Web infrastructure firm Cloudflare has stopped hosting the infamous discussion website 8chan after it was used to publish and promote a white supremacist manifesto by the gunman who killed 20 people... Expand Tech PolicyAug 2 Apple and Google have stopped letting humans listen to voice recordings The suspension is only temporary, though, and in Google’s case it has only ended the practice in European Union countries.... Expand Humans and TechnologyAug 2 AI could be your wingman—er, wingbot—on your next first date AIMM wants to disrupt online dating. What could go wrong? Artificial IntelligenceAug 2 AI researchers need to stop hiding the climate toll of their work An image of a data center The Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2) is proposing a new way to incentivize energy-efficient machine learning.... Expand Humans and TechnologyAug 1 You’re not imagining it: always checking dating apps makes you feel worse image of man sitting alone at bench looking at phone A study just out in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found that people who compulsively checked dating apps ended up feeling more lonely than before.... Expand Cybersecurity Russian hackers are infiltrating companies via the office printer The Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow Tech PolicyAug 1 How YouTubers plan to take on YouTube for better working conditions The nascent YouTubers Union has joined forces with Europe’s largest trade union. They argue that YouTube is violating data privacy laws. A photo showing part of YouTube's user interface and logo Computers can’t tell if you’re happy when you smile Even Donald Trump is dumping on Facebook’s digital-currency dreams Sign up for The Download — your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo BlockchainAug 1 “Crypto rogue” nations want to use blockchains to undermine the US dollar Read more BiotechnologyAug 1 Disgraced CRISPR scientist had plans to start a designer-baby business He Jiankui met with US investors and entrepreneurs to explore CRISPR-baby tourism. Read more ComputingAug 1 The importance of hackers: Analyst Keren Elazari Read more BiotechnologyAug 1 Scientists are making human-monkey hybrids in China Scientists may have taken a big—and controversial—leap by mixing human cells into monkey embryos. Read more Rhesus Macaque Monkey ComputingAug 1 A new bill aims to protect US voters from the next Cambridge Analytica As the 2020 campaign season accelerates, a US lawmaker introduced a bill on Thursday that would regulate how political parties use voters’ data in federal elections.... Expand BiotechnologyAug 1 The Impossible Burger is coming to a shop (and a Burger King) near you A meat-free "bleeding" burger US regulators have approved a key ingredient in Impossible Foods’ plant-based burger patties, clearing the way for them to go on sale directly to consumers.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceAug 1 DeepMind’s algorithm can predict serious kidney injury 48 hours before it happens Dialysis It’s only accurate a little more than half the time, though, raising questions over whether and how it could be used in real-life settings.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJul 31 Instead of practicing, this AI mastered chess by reading about it Machines that appreciate “brilliant” and “dumb” chess moves could learn to play the game—and do other things—more efficiently. A chess board. Look, no handsJul 31 This autonomous bicycle shows China’s rising expertise in AI chips It might not look like much, but this wobbly self-driving bicycle is a symbol of growing Chinese expertise in advanced chip design.... Expand Climate change Sorry, scooters aren’t so climate-friendly after all A look at the full lifetime emissions of the vehicles call into question the ecological assumptions around “micromobility.” An image of bird scooters overlaid with a red X Silicon ValleyJul 31 Google’s new Pixel 4 phone will be the first to use its Soli gesture tech The technology is going to be embedded in the new phone and will likely pop up across a range of devices in the future.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJul 31 Machine vision can spot unknown links between classic artworks Image of four paintings with similarly posed subjects Humans and TechnologyJul 30 Amazon hasn’t dominated the clothing industry yet. Here’s why. image of man shopping for clothes After books, movies, and groceries, Amazon has announced it’s tackling the last and toughest bastion of retail with Personal Shopper by Prime Wardrobe.... Expand Alexa is powering new games where you control the action with your voice The VR illusion that makes you think you have a spider’s body Sign up for The Download — your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo Tech PolicyJul 30 A new bill would ban making social media too addictive Hand holding phone displaying social media window The news: One of Big Tech’s most vocal critics in the US Congress has introduced a bill to limit social-media companies’ ability to use design features like infinite scrolling, video autoplay, and... Expand SpaceJul 30 NASA’s exoplanet hunter has spotted three new worlds in a nearby solar system They were found using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, which launched in April 2018 to hunt for habitable worlds in the nearby universe.... Expand BlockchainJul 30 Libra may never launch, Facebook has warned investors David Marcus The company has warned investors that the currency, which it wants to launch next year, may not ever get off the ground.... Expand ComputingJul 30 A hacker stole the personal data of 100 million Capital One customers Capital One The alleged hacker behind one of the biggest ever cyberattacks on a bank then boasted about what she’d done on Twitter and Slack, according to the FBI.... Expand FacebookJul 30 Facebook isn’t doing enough to tackle misinformation, say fact-checkers Full Fact, a charity that has been part of Facebook’s third-party fact-checking program for six months, says the company needs to be more transparent and expand the program to its other platforms,... Expand Smart CitiesJul 29 How much electricity does a country use? Just ask cell-phone users. Mobile-phone data looks set to change the way infrastructure is planned in the developing world. SpaceJul 29 What a lack of unexplained gory deaths tells us about dark matter Read more AI education China has started a grand experiment in AI education. It could reshape how the world learns. In recent years, the country has rushed to pursue “intelligent education.” Now its billion-dollar ed-tech companies are planning to export their vision overseas. Student wearing headphones and looking at a computer monitor Silicon ValleyJul 29 Apple contractors hear confidential details from Siri, a whistleblower claims Apple's Siri software Those who work on quality control for Apple’s Siri voice assistant “regularly hear confidential details” about users, according to a contractor paid to assess responses to Siri recordings.... Expand SpaceJul 29 A huge asteroid flew very close to Earth last week. How did we miss it? The asteroid managed to get within just 73,000 kilometers (45,360 miles) of our planet without anyone noticing. The miss lends a new sense of urgency to preparations for a potential collision one day.... Expand ComputingJul 29 Is AI the next big climate-change threat? We haven’t a clue Dire warnings are being issued about AI’s energy needs, but new chip technologies and even AI itself could help keep demands for more electrical power in check. Read more Takes one to know oneJul 26 A new tool uses AI to spot text written by AI AI algorithms can generate text convincing enough to fool the average human—potentially providing a way to mass-produce fake news, bogus reviews, and phony social accounts. Thankfully, AI can now be... Expand ComputingJul 26 A light sentence for a famous hacker has actually made the world safer Marcus Hutchins Marcus Hutchins has seen both sides of the law. On Friday, the 25-year-old was sentenced to no prison time and one year of supervised release for his role as a malware developer from 2012 to 2015,... Expand Superconducting neurons could match the power efficiency of the brain To foil hackers, this chip can change its code in the blink of an eye Sign up for The Download — your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo Tech PolicyJul 26 Computers can’t tell if you’re happy when you smile Read more SpaceJul 26 SpaceX’s Starhopper rocket just went for its first test “hop” Starhopper rocket The flight only lasted about 15 seconds—but it’s the crucial first test for SpaceX’s new spaceship.... Expand Silicon ValleyJul 25 Apple’s spending $1 billion to buy most of Intel’s 5G modem business Apple iPhone The technology and people it’s acquiring will reinforce its push into 5G wireless services... Expand SPONSORED Keeping pace in a smarter world The benefits of smart spaces go far beyond security—they drive more efficient operations; reduce environmental impact; and provide a seamless, responsive experience. Read more Hitachi Hitachi Vantara Produced in association with Hitachi Vantara BlockchainJul 25 We’ve had private currencies like Libra before. It was chaos. If private digital currencies start competing with national currencies, it could cause some of them to be more volatile. Almost 200 years ago, we saw something similar. An image of a scale with a dollar sign on one side and the Libra logo on the other Biotechnology Scientists are making human-monkey hybrids in China Scientists may have taken a big—and controversial—leap by mixing human cells into monkey embryos. Rhesus Macaque Monkey 01. Human-animal chimeras are gestating on US research farms January 2016 02. Pig-human organ farming doesn’t look promising yet January 2017 03. Human-sheep chimeras won’t grow us replacement organs just yet February 2018 BlockchainJul 25 India might ban cryptocurrency and give its users jail time A government panel’s recommendation is only the latest in a series of developments suggesting that India will not be a friendly place for the technology—at least private versions of it.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJul 25 Palmer Luckey’s military startup will monitor US bases with AI Several of Anduril's Lattice towers. Anduril, a company founded by Oculus Rift inventor Palmer Luckey, has secured a contract to monitor US military bases with its autonomous surveillance tech.... Expand Climate ChangeJul 25 Automakers have agreed with California to make more efficient cars, in a rebuke to Trump A 2019 Honda Clarity plug-in hybrid. The agreement comes as the White House works to roll back Obama-era rules that could avoid billions of tons of climate emissions.... Expand Silicon ValleyJul 25 Forget the fine—we should have taken Facebook to court, says FTC commissioner The $5 billion fine and accompanying order won’t force accountability or impose any restrictions on the way Facebook collects or uses people’s data, warned one of the FTC's five commissioners.... Expand Humans and TechnologyJul 25 Alexa is powering new games where you control the action with your voice BlockchainJul 25 The New York Times thinks a blockchain could help stamp out fake news The New York Times building Blockchain technology is at the core of a new research project the New York Times has launched, aimed at making “the origins of journalistic content clearer to [its] audience.”... Expand ComputingJul 24 Barr’s call for encryption backdoors has reawakened a years-old debate Attorney General William Barr’s speech on Tuesday reignited a dispute that’s more relevant than ever. Read more William Barr Superconducting neurons could match the power efficiency of the brain To foil hackers, this chip can change its code in the blink of an eye Sign up for The Download — your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo Tech PolicyJul 24 Websites are (probably) making less money because of GDPR An image of a person holding euros The news: A new working paper suggests that websites are making less money because of the General Data Protection Rule (GDPR). It’s the first study of how the European privacy law affects the revenue... Expand VRJul 24 The VR illusion that makes you think you have a spider’s body Psychologists have long toyed with an illusion that lets you feel “ownership” of a different a body—even one that is not human. It could revolutionize gaming. SpaceJul 24 LightSail2 has just unfurled its sails and is now powered by the sun The spacecraft is now harnessing sunlight to power itself on low Earth orbit.... Expand Brain-computer interfaces Facebook is funding brain experiments to create a device that reads your mind Big tech firms are trying to read people’s thoughts, and no one’s ready for the consequences. Facebook prototype thought helmet 01. Man with brain implant on Musk’s Neuralink: “I would play video games” July 2019 02. What’s new and what isn’t about Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface July 2019 03. Scientists have found a way to decode brain signals into speech April 2019 04. Facebook’s Sci-Fi Plan for Typing with Your Mind and Hearing with Your Skin April 2017 Silicon ValleyJul 24 Big Tech’s US antitrust nightmare just got a whole lot worse big tech logos Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook face a new and sweeping review of their activities by the US Department of Justice (DOJ).... Expand BiotechnologyJul 23 This implant could prevent HIV infection hiv implant A tiny implant may prevent a person from getting HIV for a year, reports the New York Times.... Expand ComputingJul 23 You’re very easy to track down, even when your data has been anonymized Read more Artificial IntelligenceJul 23 Turn selfies into classical portraits with the AI that fuels deepfakes It’s the same AI technique behind deepfakes, but also a $432,500 artwork.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJul 22 Microsoft is investing $1 billion in OpenAI to create brain-like machines OPen AI and Microsoft logos The AI lab gets to throw Microsoft’s supercomputing and cloud computing muscle at its bid to build artificial general intelligence (AGI).... Expand SpaceJul 22 India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission has successfully launched to the moon India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III rocket sits on the pad awaiting liftoff It was the second attempt, after a scheduled liftoff last week was postponed because of technical issues.... Expand SpaceJul 21 A new thrust technology for nanosatellites could make them more efficient Chemical rockets aren’t suitable for the new breed of tiny satellites filling our skies. So rocket scientists are developing a new generation of lighter, more efficient plasma thrusters. Read more ComputingJul 19 How an authoritarian regime will intercept all internet traffic inside its country The new president of Kazakhstan is now proving that he will keep the old, oppressive systems alive for the 21st century, using advanced technical tools.... Expand Climate ChangeJul 19 Toyota plans to launch its first full EVs, in a deal with China’s BYD Toyota's Mirai, a fuel-cell sedan. Toyota is finally diving into fully electric vehicles, striking a deal with China’s BYD to jointly develop batteries, sedans, and SUVs for the world’s largest automobile market.... Expand Paradise, California and the impossible choice between climate fight and flight We’ve already built too many power plants and cars to prevent 1.5 ˚C of warming Sign up for The Download — your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo ComputingJul 19 Superconducting neurons could match the power efficiency of the brain Read more Glowing conceptual illustration of a brain Climate change Geoengineering is very controversial. How can you do experiments? Harvard has some ideas. A new committee will consider the wisdom of outdoor experiments, and may set the stage for more. Space balloon Artificial IntelligenceJul 19 AI could help make robots cheaper without limiting their abilities An image of a developer holding a robotic hand Transfer learning, the ability to use knowledge previously gained from one context in another, could teach cheap robots to perform as well as expensive ones.... Expand Silicon ValleyJul 19 Google has booted seven “stalkerware” apps off its Play Store Play Store The apps, which could be used to spy on other people’s devices, had been downloaded a total of 130,000 times.... Expand SpaceJul 19 China’s space station Tiangong-2 is about to crash-land in the Pacific Ocean The spacecraft will burn up over the south Pacific Ocean at some point today.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJul 19 Yes, FaceApp could use your face—but not for face recognition An image of all the face alterations FaceApp can do: make them smile, meet your future self, look younger, change your style. There’s a lot that the viral photo-editing app could do with a giant database of faces.... Expand Humans and TechnologyJul 18 Teen sexting is an overblown moral panic, according to a new study While parents and media freak out about sexting teens, one study says it and “sextortion” fears are inflated. image of teen girls on bed looking at phone sexting sextortion selfie A study just published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior of nearly 6,000 teens shows that while many had sent and received sexually explicit images, only about 3% of 12- to 17-year-olds in the US had... Expand Climate ChangeJul 18 10 technologies that could combat climate change as food demand soars A new study from the World Bank and UN finds we’ll need ways to boost yields faster than ever before to prevent agricultural emissions from soaring. Read more A rice field in Indonesia. Kids and TechJul 18 China’s government has given location-tracking watches to 17,000 children The smart watches use chips developed and designed by BeiDou, a Chinese satellite navigation system, to pinpoint a child’s position within 10 meters.... Expand Facebook's Libra battleJul 18 The fight over Facebook’s digital currency could change the face of banking This week, Facebook tussled with lawmakers in Washington about Libra, whose potential repercussions for the global financial system are still poorly understood. An image of David Marcus Humans and TechnologyJul 18 What’s new and what isn’t about Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface An image of a woman with a device behind her ear Silicon ValleyJul 18 Google has “terminated” its project to build a search engine for China Google dragonfly The year-long project to build a censored search engine for the Chinese market, dubbed Project Dragonfly, had been heavily criticized in the US.... Expand Election hacking Hacking in the 2020 election Election hackers likely targeted 50 states in 2016. The states will be watching this time around. Voting stickers 01. US elections are still far too vulnerable to attack—at every level June 2019 02. Hackers are out to jeopardize your vote August 2018 03. Four big targets in the cyber battle over the US ballot box August 2018 04. Election hacks are beginning to look like the new normal May 2017 Artificial IntelligenceJul 17 A sensor-filled “skin” could give prosthetic hands a better sense of touch Image of a person wearing a prothetic hand The “electronic skin,” inspired by the nervous system, can sense temperature, pressure, or humidity. It could be used to give prosthetic limbs a more complex sense of touch.... Expand The AI technique that could imbue machines with the ability to reason Facebook’s new poker-playing AI could wreck the online poker industry—so it’s not being released Sign up for The Algorithm — artificial intelligence, demystified Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo ComputingJul 17 What happens when a country’s entire adult population is hacked? Sofia, Bulgaria After a massive hack in Bulgaria, the prime minister called the attacker a “wizard,” but cybersecurity experts said the security was simply inadequate. ... Expand ComputingJul 17 To foil hackers, this chip can change its code in the blink of an eye Funded by the US Defense Department, Morpheus repeatedly randomizes key parts of its software so attackers face a moving target Humans and TechnologyJul 17 Elon Musk’s Neuralink says it’s nearly ready for the first human volunteers During an event in San Francisco yesterday evening, the startup unveiled a sewing-machine-like robot used to implant ultrafine flexible electrodes deep into the brain to detect neuron activity.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJul 16 A new immersive classroom uses AI and VR to teach Mandarin Chinese Read more Artificial IntelligenceJul 16 Intel’s new AI chips can crunch data 1,000 times faster than normal ones Intel chip for AI The hardware is already being used to improve the performance of things like prosthetic limbs.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJul 16 Elon Musk’s brain-interface company is promising big news. Here’s what it could be. We think Neuralink, which develops brain-machine interfaces, is recording from the neurons of monkeys as a stepping stone toward humans. Read more ComputingJul 15 How WeChat censors private conversations, automatically in real time Read more Conceptual illustration of WeChat image censoring Humans and TechnologyJul 15 The one kind of screen time that isn’t likely to give your kids depression image of boy playing video game on phone depression adolescent patricia conrod montreal social media Social-media use and television time have been connected to depression in tweens and teens for a while now—but a new finding suggests not all screen time is a downer.... Expand BlockchainJul 15 US lawmakers want to stop Big Tech from issuing digital currencies Facebook’s plan to create a new digital currency will be in the spotlight later this week in Washington, thanks to two high-profile congressional hearings on the schedule. But members of the House of... Expand Silicon ValleyJul 11 France has passed its new Big Tech tax—and the US is not happy google amazon facebook logos The French parliament has just approved a 3% digital sales tax aimed at closing the loopholes big tech companies use to bring down their tax bills. ... Expand SpaceJul 15 We might grow plants on Mars by warming the ice caps with “frozen smoke” Using silica aerogel to trap heat and create liquid water sounds far-fetched, but it could one day be used to help us grow food on the planet’s surface. Read more A photo of the mars surface Silicon ValleyJul 15 Facebook is actually worth more thanks to news of the FTC’s $5 billion fine Mark Zuckerberg appears before Congress in 2018 Its share price jumped by nearly 2% after reports of the record-breaking fine emerged on Friday.... Expand How “stalkerware” apps are letting abusive partners spy on their victims The world’s smallest big rocket company Sign up for The Download — your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo Humans and TechnologyJul 12 A biotech startup is making cow-free ice cream. Would you eat it? Perfect Day says it’s figured out how to make ice cream that’s creamy without any animal protein. woman holding ice cream cone A company called Perfect Day has announced that after five years and $60 million in venture backing, it’s created ice cream made of whey protein harvested from genetically modified yeast.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJul 12 Watch this robot do the Bottle Cap Challenge—and show a new way to control machines It isn’t quite a roundhouse kick, but check out the robot above in a simpler version of the “Bottle Cap Challenge.” (If you haven’t come across this yet, it consists of people trying to kick the top... Expand Smarter self-driving An algorithm that evolved Starcraft bots is also training self-driving cars A more efficient way to training neural nets could provide a crucial edge in the hyper-competitive world of automated driving—and elsewhere. Waymo vehicle 01. Tesla says its new self-driving chip will help make its cars autonomous April 2019 02. The three challenges keeping cars from being fully autonomous April 2019 03. Self-driving cars could make urban traffic jams worse January 2019 Artificial IntelligenceJul 12 The AI technique that could imbue machines with the ability to reason Yann LeCun, Facebook’s chief AI scientist, believes unsupervised learning will bring about the next AI revolution. An image of babies playing with blocks Silicon ValleyJul 12 Humans might be listening to your Google Assistant recordings A Google Home device Google’s privacy policy page makes no mention of the fact human contractors listen to some of the recordings.... Expand Libra backlashJul 12 Even Donald Trump is dumping on Facebook’s digital-currency dreams Trump ComputingJul 12 Explainer: What is post-quantum cryptography? The race is on to create new ways to protect data and communications from the threat posed by super-powerful quantum computers. Artificial IntelligenceJul 11 Facebook’s new poker-playing AI could wreck the online poker industry—so it’s not being released Read more SpaceJul 11 A Japanese spacecraft just grabbed more rocks from the asteroid Ryugu Hayabusa2 landing on Ryugu Hayabusa2 has collected a second sample from the asteroid’s surface. It could give us a unique insight into how the early solar system was formed.... Expand BlockchainJul 11 This blockchain-based card game shows us the future of ownership Gods Unchained is riding a wave of hype because of the way it lets players own digital cards. But the core concept could reach beyond games. Read more ComputingJul 10 The spyware used by Arab dictators has now shown up in Myanmar A powerful German spyware company had its hacking tools spotted in Myanmar.... Expand Climate ChangeJul 10 China has slashed clean energy funding by 39%, leading a global decline Wind turbines. Worldwide funding of clean-energy projects fell to its lowest level in six years, in a staggering blow to the battle against climate change.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJul 10 Amazon Alexa will now be giving out health advice to UK citizens An Amazon Echo with tablets and a temperature probe beside it The UK’s National Health Service hopes that its partnership with Amazon could help to reduce demand on its services.... Expand A new set of images that fool AI could help make it more hacker-proof A new deepfake detection tool should keep world leaders safe—for now Sign up for The Algorithm — artificial intelligence, demystified Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo Humans and TechnologyJul 10 WeChat is running a natural experiment in human generosity Read more An image of a red envelope with the wechat loogo on it. Artificial IntelligenceJul 9 AI analyzed 3.3 million scientific abstracts and discovered possible new materials A stack of papers with a magnifying glass A new paper shows how natural-language processing can accelerate scientific discovery.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJul 9 Alibaba has claimed a new record in AI language understanding An AI program developed by Alibaba has notched up a record-high score on a reading comprehension test. The result shows how machines are steadily improving at handling text and speech. ... Expand BlockchainJul 9 Facebook’s digital currency has put China’s central bank on high alert An image of Chinese paper bank notes. The People’s Bank of China is paying close attention to Libra, the digital currency Facebook has created. And it may inspire the bank to accelerate its plans to speed up its own project to develop a... Expand ComputingJul 9 Why metalenses are about to revolutionize chip-making The ability to focus light into a pattern rather than a point makes metalenses promising tools for carving circuits into silicon. Read more SEM image (viewing angle tilted 30°) of the ‘U’ shape focused metalens Special issue: spaceJuly/August 2019 How the asteroid-mining bubble burst A short history of the space industry’s failed gold rush An illustration showing US hundred dollar bills, gold, and space Artificial IntelligenceJul 9 Instagram is using AI to stop people from posting abusive comments Image of instagram post's comments section The social-media platform will flag possibly offensive comments before they’re posted and ask the poster to reconsider.... Expand SpaceJul 9 Amazon has asked for permission to launch 3,200 broadband satellites The firm has filed an application with the FCC to join SpaceX, One Web, and others in launching a constellation of satellites to provide broadband internet.... Expand Climate ChangeJul 5 Planting more trees could suck up a huge share of carbon emissions A forest. A new study found reforestation could be a far more important tool against climate change than previously believed. But other researchers quickly raised concerns about the core conclusions and how... Expand BlockchainJul 5 We won’t control Libra, promises Facebook’s blockchain boss David Marcus David Marcus has written a post intended to give “clarity” to the critics of Libra, the blockchain network Facebook is trying to seed. ... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJul 5 A new way to use the AI behind deepfakes could improve cancer diagnosis Generative adversarial networks, the algorithms responsible for deepfakes, have developed a bit of a bad rap of late. But their ability to synthesize highly realistic images could also have important... Expand SpaceJul 5 Satellites have spotted the biggest seaweed bloom in the world A vast, 8,850 -kilometer-wide, 20-million-ton cluster of Sargassum algae spanned the Atlantic in July 2018.... Expand SPONSORED Data for a new enlightenment A new science of social physics is needed to make sense of the vast amounts of data now gathered and monitored, and to use it to help society, all while detecting changes in the human condition. pentland image BBVA Produced in association with BBVA US elections are still far too vulnerable to attack—at every level Cybersecurity flaws in chips are still taking too long to fix Sign up for The Download — your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo BlockchainJul 5 We the Peeps will use blockchain to try to break the big-money monopoly in politics Its founders think crowdfunding, cryptocurrency, and blockchain voting can help citizens call the shots. illustration of two marshmallow peeps on a red and blue background Artificial IntelligenceJul 4 London police’s face recognition system gets it wrong 81% of the time A man puts up a poster describing London's Metropolitan Police's face recognition system trial The first independent evaluation of the Metropolitan police’s use of face recognition warned it is “highly possible" the system would be ruled unlawful if challenged in court.... Expand Humans and TechnologyJul 3 TikTok is being investigated over its use of children’s data (again) The company received the biggest fine ever for a case involving children’s privacy in the US in February.... Expand ComputingJul 3 Huawei is giving $300 million a year to universities with no strings attached Photograph of Huawei booth Silicon ValleyJul 3 Google’s internet balloon project is about to start its first commercial trial A Loon internet balloon launches It’ll be a crucial test of whether the technology can sustainably make money.... Expand BiotechnologyJul 3 A third CRISPR baby may have already been born in China Another genetically edited baby is due, but the world may never learn of its birth if the Chinese government decides to keep it a secret. Tech PolicyJul 2 Chinese border guards are putting a surveillance app on tourists’ phones Uighur drivers have their vehicles checked at a police check point in Hotan The spyware gathers everything from text messages to people’s contacts, and also looks for content China considers threatening.... Expand ComputingJul 2 Military satellites are still worryingly vulnerable to cyberattack A new report says hackers could wreak havoc by interfering with space-based communications and navigation services that NATO armies rely on.... Expand Special issue: spaceJuly/August 2019 Can SpaceX and Blue Origin best a decades-old Russian rocket engine design? The story of the RD-180, the big rocket engine that could Photo of a rocket taking off SpaceJul 2 NASA just tested how its Orion crew capsule will keep astronauts safe in an emergency NASA's Orion spacecraft Today’s test was to see if NASA’s new deep-space crew capsule can still keep its crew safe, even when everything goes wrong.... Expand Climate ChangeJul 1 South Pole sea ice is now vanishing at an alarming rate, too Icebergs near Antartica. Antarctic sea ice loss has suddenly sped ahead of the long-running decline in the Arctic.... Expand BlockchainJul 1 Facebook’s digital currency may force central banks to create their own Just a few months ago, Augustín Carstens, the general manager for the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the so-called central bank for central banks, said his organization saw no value in the... Expand BiotechnologyJul 1 The CRISPR books racing to be the technology’s definitive guide Stack of books The CRISPR story has arrived for the grand telling as a miracle of our age. The proof? At least four popular, mass-market books about the DNA-snipping technology are under way.... Expand Alexa could spot your cardiac arrest—by listening to your breathing A CRISPR startup is testing pig organs in monkeys to see if they’re safe for us Sign up for The Download — your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo Climate ChangeJul 1 We’ve already built too many power plants and cars to prevent 1.5 ˚C of warming Read more SpaceJul 1 SpaceX has lost communication with three of its 60 Starlink satellites SpaceX's 60 broadband satellites being taken up into orbit They will continue to orbit Earth but will eventually be brought down by gravity, burning up in the atmosphere.... Expand Humans and TechnologyJul 1 Machine learning has been used to automatically translate long-lost languages Some languages that have never been deciphered could be the next ones to get the machine translation treatment. Read more Climate ChangeJun 28 Another major oil company tiptoes into the carbon removal space Smoke from a plant. ExxonMobil’s deal with a startup developing ways to suck carbon dioxide from the air marks another sign of the oil and gas sector’s growing interest.... Expand Tech PolicyJun 28 An AI app that “undressed” women shows how deepfakes harm the most vulnerable Read more An image of a woman with her body blurred Climate ChangeJun 28 The biggest loser in the presidential debates: Planet Earth Twenty Democratic candidates had a chance to tell voters why climate change should be America’s top political priority. They mostly blew it. Read more An image of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates at the July 27 debate. SpaceJun 27 NASA announces plans to send a drone to explore Titan for signs of life Get ready for Dragonfly’s autonomous flight on Saturn’s largest moon. An artist's concept image of the dragonfly drones landing on Saturn's moon Titan and then taking flight. Climate ChangeJun 27 Seven questions each candidate should answer at tonight’s Democratic debate A photo taken at the 2020 Democratic Presidential Debate Humans and TechnologyJun 27 Why Avengers: Infinity War was so successful—according to ... ecology Mathematical tools developed to analyze interactions in natural ecosystems help explain which films in the Marvel Universe make the most money. ComputingJun 27 The evolution of cybersecurity: Veracode’s Chris Wysopal Read more Tech PolicyJun 27 The Pentagon has a laser that can identify people from a distance—by their heartbeat The Jetson prototype can pick up on a unique cardiac signature from 200 meters away, even through clothes. Read more Apollo 11’s 50th Anniversary The case for sending people back to the moon Hard to justify in practical terms, a return to the moon nonetheless seems almost inevitable An illustration showing a question mark and the moon Artificial IntelligenceJun 26 Machine learning makes a better Luke Skywalker hand A 3D-printed prosthetic hand controlled using a new AI-based approach could significantly lower the cost of bionic limbs for amputees.... Expand A new set of images that fool AI could help make it more hacker-proof A new deepfake detection tool should keep world leaders safe—for now Sign up for The Algorithm — artificial intelligence, demystified Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo Artificial IntelligenceJun 26 A solar-powered robot bee shows how insect drones may take flight This tiny, solar-powered, bee-like robot could be the future of drones. One day, anyway.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJun 26 If you did the Mannequin Challenge, you are now advancing robotics research Cast your mind back to the internet in 2016. Do you have hazy memories of the Mannequin Challenge? Well, the viral YouTube trend has now been used to train a neural network in understanding 3D scenes.... Expand Special issue: spaceJun 26 The number of satellites orbiting Earth could quintuple in the next decade Read more View of earth from SpaceX's Starlink BiotechnologyJun 25 The fight over who owns CRISPR is back, and it’s a rematch USPTO signage The dispute over valuable patents to the gene-editing tool CRISPR is back on, and the belligerents are once again the Broad Institute of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the University of California,... Expand BlockchainJun 25 The radical idea hiding inside Facebook’s digital currency proposal The Libra cryptocurrency was unveiled on a wave of hype and speculation. But what its white paper suggested about Facebook’s vision for how we manage our identifying credentials may be just as important. Read more An image of a pixelated ID card SpaceJun 25 NASA’s Mars rover has spotted a huge methane spike—could it be life? Is there life on Mars? NASA’s Curiosity rover has detected the highest level of methane gas ever found on the planet, offering the tantalizing possibility that there might be some form of life beneath... Expand SpaceJun 25 SpaceX’s latest Falcon launch has put a solar sail into orbit LightSail-2’s large reflective sails will unfurl in about a week, capturing light from the sun and using that to propel the spacecraft The Spacex Falcon launch watched by photographers Smart CitiesJun 24 Alphabet’s smart city will track its citizens, but promises to protect their data Toronto's waterfront. Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has released its first blueprints for redeveloping Toronto’s waterfront. The plan highlights the privacy challenges that come with building smart cities... Expand Making gig work fairJun 24 Gig workers often get an unfair deal. This firm says it’s different. A gridded image showing hands typing on keyboards Artificial IntelligenceJun 21 A new set of images that fool AI could help make it more hacker-proof Squirrels mislabeled as sea lions and dragonflies confused with manhole covers are challenging algorithms to be more resilient to attacks. ComputingJun 21 Supercomputing has just become the latest front in the US-China trade war R&D at Sugon, China America is limiting big Chinese computing firms’ access to US tech for the super-powerful machines.... Expand Climate ChangeJun 21 Carbon farming is the hot (and overhyped) tool to fight climate change Using farms to capture and store more carbon in soil is becoming trendy, but the science is still not settled on how much it can help to address climate change. Read more An image of a farm field How much of the solar system should be designated wilderness? Bitcoin mining may be pumping out as much CO2 per year as Kansas City Sign up for The Download — your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo Artificial IntelligenceJun 21 A new deepfake detection tool should keep world leaders safe—for now Read more SpaceJun 21 The Crab Nebula just blasted Earth with the highest-energy photons ever recorded One measured photon has roughly the energy of a falling ping-pong ball. Read more Brain-Machine InterfacesJuly 19 Man with brain implant on Musk’s Neuralink: “I would play video games” Nathan Copeland, a pioneering research subject, talks about his brain-computer interface and why he’s excited for Elon Musk’s. Image of Nathan Copeland 01. What’s new and what isn’t about Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface July 2019 02. Elon Musk’s brain-interface company is promising big news. Here’s what it could be. July 2019 03. Scientists have found a way to decode brain signals into speech April 2019 04. With Neuralink, Elon Musk promises human-to-human telepathy. Don't believe it. April 2017 05. The surgeon who wants to connect you to the internet with a brain implant November 2017 06. The thought experiment June 2014 07. For brain-computer interfaces to be useful, they'll need to be wireless November 2017 Tech PolicyJun 21 The online advertising industry breaks the law, says the UK’s data watchdog An inquiry found that the global $200 billion ad tech sector is rife with illegal practices.... Expand ComputingJun 21 Five reasons “hacking back” is a recipe for cybersecurity chaos Read more A conceptual illustration showing hacking back Climate ChangeJun 20 The planet has a fever, and the cure is more capitalism, a prominent researcher argues In a provocative new book, MIT’s Andrew McAfee asserts that rich countries have figured out how to grow with lighter environmental impacts—and developing nations can follow suit. Read more An edited photo of smokestacks SpaceJun 20 Life could exist in a 2D universe (according to physics, anyway) Physicists and philosophers have long claimed that life can form only in a universe like ours, with three dimensions of space and one of time. That thinking may need to be revised. Colorful View of Universe Captured by Space Telescope SpaceJun 20 A European mission will intercept an unknown comet for the first time solar system The “Comet Interceptor” will launch in 2028 and loiter a million miles away until an interesting and accessible comet is found.... Expand SpaceJun 20 Two Earth-size planets have been discovered in a neighboring solar system Teegarden's Star and surrounding planets They’re located in the “habitable zone,” where liquid water could exist on a planet’s surface.... Expand ComputingJun 20 Machine learning is about to revolutionize the study of ancient games An image from Libro de los Juegos Climate ChangeJun 19 Melting in the Himalayas is accelerating—and yes, it’s climate change A new study relying on declassified spy satellite images finds that the “Third Pole” is shrinking twice as fast as it did toward the end of the last century—an ominous sign for the more than 1 billion... Expand SpaceJun 19 Rocket Lab: The small firm that launched the 3D-printed space revolution Peter Beck founded Rocket Lab, which 3D-prints rocket engines for NASA. We talked to him about the technology’s benefits—and the future of the fledgling small launch industry. BiotechnologyJun 19 Alexa could spot your cardiac arrest—by listening to your breathing A new system that listens for a telltale gasping sound could get you vital help in time. An illustration of an Amazon smart speaker and ECG waves. A CRISPR startup is testing pig organs in monkeys to see if they’re safe for us China’s CRISPR babies could face earlier death Sign up for The Download — your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo Artificial IntelligenceJun 19 The first robot for scrubbing dishes will check each plate for dirt It won’t be coming to your kitchen any time soon, though (sorry).... Expand SPONSORED Smaller, smarter, healthier Read more Medtronic Produced in association with Medtronic ComputingJun 18 The world’s best supercomputers are being updated to run AI software faster Summit supercomputer The upgrades include changes to make AI programming simpler—and to speed up powerful machines for specific AI tasks.... Expand SPONSORED A platform economy is key when building your modern enterprise technology architecture In order to meet customer demands for real-time insights and personalized experiences, organizations today must adopt a “platform mentality”—embracing technology that leverages data aimed at building brand loyalty. Read more Adobe Produced in association with Adobe Silicon ValleyJun 18 Facebook has finally unveiled Libra, its digital currency The social network has published a white paper explaining how Libra will work, although it won't actually launch until the first half of 2020.... Expand The space issueJuly/August 2018 Inside the world’s smallest big rocket company Dave Masten builds rockets on a shoestring in the desert—can he help NASA reinvent itself as a lean, agile enterprise? Masten's Xodiac Rocket Climate ChangeJun 17 How much of the solar system should be designated wilderness? Read more An illustration showing the planets in the solar system Artificial IntelligenceJun 17 Adobe’s new AI tool can spot when a face has been Photoshopped Altered images of the same face It was nearly twice as good at identifying manipulated images as humans.... Expand ComputingJun 17 The US says it has inserted offensive malware into Russia’s power grid A Russian power plant, behind a gas station It’s a step up from previous efforts that focused more on reconnaissance than attack.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJun 14 Deepfakes may be a useful tool for spies A spy may have used an AI-generated face to deceive and connect with targets on social media.... Expand ComputingJun 14 Hackers behind the world’s deadliest code are probing US power firms Power lines A group called Xenotime, which began by targeting oil and gas facilities in the Middle East, now has electrical utilities in the US and Asia in its sights.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJun 14 Facebook has built stunning virtual spaces for its AI programs to explore Researchers at Facebook have created a number of extremely realistic virtual homes and offices so that their AI algorithms can learn how the real world works.... Expand Artificial IntelligenceJun 14 AI can tell when actors are kissing—and maybe when you are, too An image of people stealing a kiss in a crowd. While object recognition in video has rapidly advanced, scene detection, or knowing what’s actually happening on screen, has lagged behind. But being able to analyze and recognize actions in footage... Expand You get what you pay for: Intelligence matters with enterprise-grade analytics Training a single AI model can emit as much carbon as five cars in their lifetimes Sign up for The Algorithm — artificial intelligence, demystified Enter your email Also stay updated on MIT Technology Review initiatives and events?YesNo Artificial IntelligenceJun 14 Artificial intelligence sees construction site accidents before they happen Construction companies are developing an AI system that predicts worksite injuries—an example of the growing use of workplace surveillance. Read more An image of construction workers Humans and TechnologyJun 14 Brain signals can reveal how “awake” a fly’s brain is A new test for measuring awareness in fruit flies could change the way neuroscientists think about and measure consciousness. A photo of a person playing tennis BlockchainJun 14 Facebook is expected to unveil its secretive cryptocurrency next week Big payment firms and other digital companies are all backing the social-media giant’s first foray into crypto.... Expand BiotechnologyJun 13 CRISPR scientists are teaming up with a pharma giant to look for new drug clues UCBerkeley GlaxoSmithKline will pour $67 million into a new laboratory at the University of California to industrialize the search for drug clues using the gene-editing tool CRISPR.... Expand EmTech NextJun 13 How a century-old tech giant is making a comeback with AI Sophie Vandebroek SPONSORED Blockchain’s real promise: Automating trust Combining the distributed ledger with other technologies such as artificial intelligence cuts costs and makes supply chains traceable. PwC Produced in association with PwC ComputingJun 13 Telegram’s boss hints that China was behind a cyberattack during Hong Kong protests Protesters in Hong Kong on their smartphones Activists have been using encrypted messaging apps like Telegram to organize demonstrations.... Expand Smart CitiesJun 13 Uber says it will start delivering McDonald’s by drone this summer It has a few hurdles to overcome before the service launches, though.... Expand You've reached the end of our feed. Congratulations, you did it! Looking for more Tech Review? Go back to the top I'd rather read a newsletter Advertisement FOLLOW

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