Afrigather Plus: Trump allies are readying an AI order
That is as we speak’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a day by day dose of what is going on on on the planet of expertise.
Google, Amazon and the issue with Massive Tech’s local weather claims
Final week, Amazon trumpeted that it had bought sufficient clear electrical energy to cowl the power calls for of all its world operations, seven years forward of its sustainability goal.
That information carefully adopted Google’s acknowledgment that the hovering power calls for of its AI operations helped ratchet up its company emissions by 13% final 12 months—and that it had backed away from claims that it was already carbon impartial.
For those who had been to take the bulletins at face worth, you’d be forgiven for believing that Google is stumbling whereas Amazon is dashing forward within the race to scrub up local weather air pollution.
However whereas each firms are arising quick in their very own methods, Google’s strategy to driving down greenhouse-gas emissions is now arguably extra defensible. To study why, learn our story.
—James Temple
This piece is a part of MIT Expertise Evaluate Explains, our collection untangling the advanced, messy world of expertise that will help you perceive what’s coming subsequent. You’ll be able to learn extra from the collection right here.
5 methods to make music streaming higher for the local weather
As Okay-pop sweeps the world and accumulates a large, religious fan base, these followers have been turning their energy into motion. Zeyi Yang, our China reporter, not too long ago revealed a narrative about Kpop4planet, a bunch of activists who’re utilizing Okay-pop’s affect to carry massive firms accountable for his or her carbon footprints.
Throughout his reporting, he talked to a number of specialists about the right way to appropriately perceive the local weather influence of music streaming, and one factor turned clear: All of it comes all the way down to how we stream—the content material, the gadget, the size, and many others. Learn on for his or her suggestions to assist any music streaming consumer go away a smaller carbon footprint.
This story is from China Report, our weekly e-newsletter inspecting the connection between tech and energy within the nation. Join to obtain it in your inbox each Tuesday.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to search out you as we speak’s most enjoyable/necessary/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.
1 Donald Trump’s allies are already engaged on a sweeping AI order
Which many AI buyers in Silicon Valley would favor over President Biden’s strategy. (WP $)
+ Elon Musk is among the many first huge names in tech to pledge assist for Trump. (WSJ $)
+ Trump’s former FDA commissioner needs to see inside AI’s black bins. (Politico)
2 TikTok’s try to swerve the EU’s Digital Markets Act has been dismissed
The EU’s Common Courtroom dominated TikTok was highly effective sufficient to should comply. (Bloomberg $)
+ It’s excellent news for European antitrust regulators. (Reuters)
+ Right here’s what it’s essential know concerning the Digital Markets Act. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)
3 Bitcoin miners are signing offers with AI corporations
Placing all these huge knowledge facilities to good use. (FT $)
+ How Bitcoin mining devastated this New York city. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)
4 Amazon’s Prime Day sale causes a spike in accidents amongst warehouse employees
A brand new report accuses the corporate of prioritizing pace over security. (WSJ $)
+ Not all the things that appears like a deal is, in reality, a deal. (The Atlantic $)
5 We’re studying extra about how lethal pancreatic most cancers spreads
The illness shuts down molecules in key genes. (The Guardian)
+ An AI-based danger prediction system may assist catch pancreatic most cancers circumstances earlier. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)’
6 The Milky Means is stuffed with free-floating planets
These scientists are on a mission to trace these rogue worlds down. (IEEE Spectrum)
7 Beware the rise of pretend AI-powered therapists
It’s only one instance amongst a rising wave of AI scams. (Vice)
+ 5 methods criminals are utilizing AI. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)
8 Black girls are itemizing their race as white on courting apps
And report receiving higher-quality matches because of this. (NY Magazine $)
9 The JWST simply celebrated its second 12 months in house
And the images it captures are nonetheless awe-inspiring. (The Atlantic $)
10 Lab-grown meat for pets has been green-lit within the UK 🐈⬛ 🐕
For the discerning pet palate. (Wired $)
+ Right here’s what a lab-grown burger tastes like. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)
Quote of the day
“This nation is on fireplace, Mr. Altman.”
—Jennifer Loving, who runs a nonprofit that administers basic-income pilot packages in Silicon Valley, tells OpenAI CEO Sam Altman it’s time to behave on all of the analysis into assured revenue, the New York Instances stories.
The massive storyThis artist is dominating AI-generated artwork. And he’s not comfortable about it.
September 2022
Greg Rutkowski is a Polish digital artist who makes use of classical kinds to create dreamy landscapes. His distinctive fashion has been utilized in a number of the world’s hottest fantasy video games, together with Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.
Now he’s develop into successful within the new world of text-to-image AI era. His identify is among the mostly used prompts within the open-source AI artwork generator Steady Diffusion.
However this and different open-source packages are constructed by scraping pictures from the web, usually with out permission and correct attribution to artists. And artists like Rutkowski have had sufficient. Learn the complete story.
—Melissa Heikkilä
We are able to nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Acquired any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ Right here’s an incredible reminder of simply how stunning the evening sky is. 🌌
+ For those who didn’t already know, it’s formally a brat summer time.
+ The Historical Olympic Video games was a critical sporting affair.
+ For those who are inclined to overlook a lot of the TV reveals you watch or books you learn: worry not. You’re not alone. ($)
