{"id":25595,"date":"2026-11-11T14:13:26","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T14:13:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=25595"},"modified":"2026-11-11T14:13:26","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T14:13:26","slug":"the-download-preserving-minds-and-weighing-open-ai-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=25595","title":{"rendered":"The Download: preserving minds and weighing open AI risks"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This is today’s edition of <\/em>The Download<\/em>, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

Six wild ideas for perpetuating your mind<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As we age, we forget most of what we\u2019ve experienced, yet there\u2019s still undeniable continuity: At 30, or 50, or 70, you will still be you. <\/p>\n

To preserve that elusive continuity of self, some far-thinking technologists are exploring ways to keep the brain going, even beyond death. Their ideas range from freezing brains in liquid nitrogen to augmenting living ones and uploading our memories to the cloud.<\/p>\n

Here are six possible paths for keeping your mind going, and how feasible they might be.<\/p>\n

\u2014Antonio Regalado<\/em><\/p>\n

This story is from the Impossible<\/em> edition of our print magazine. Subscribe now to get every issue as soon as it lands.<\/p>\n

MIT Technology Review Narrated: Open models have real benefits. Do they outweigh the risks?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Anthropic recently released a report arguing that a powerful new model released by the Chinese company Z.ai, poses a major cyberattack risk. Its core concern was that it is freely available for anyone to download and modify.<\/p>\n

The warning was the latest flashpoint in the debate over open frontier AI models. Critics warn that bad actors can misuse them, while supporters argue they prevent a handful of companies from controlling the technology. The debate, however, is more complicated than it seems.<\/p>\n

This is<\/strong> our latest story<\/strong> to become an MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we publish each week on<\/strong> Spotify<\/strong> and<\/strong> Apple Podcasts<\/strong>. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it\u2019s released.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The must-reads<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve combed the internet to find you today\u2019s most fun\/important\/scary\/fascinating stories about technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

1 COP31\u2019s flagship pledge to electrify 35% of energy use is sinking
<\/strong>Only around a dozen nations are reportedly ready to sign it. (Politico)
+ It requires quadrupling the pace of electrification.<\/em> (New Scientist $)
+ John Kerry says the US must follow China on clean energy.<\/em> (Guardian)
+ But the US skipped the talks entirely for a second year.<\/em> (NYT $)
+ What\u2019s the future of electricity?<\/em> (MIT Technology Review)<\/p>\n

2 The Nvidia spy scandal reportedly involves $7.5 billion of chips
<\/strong>Alice Huang allegedly obtained 240,000 restricted chips. (Information $)
+ Trump was told of Huang\u2019s spy link on Air Force One<\/em>. (NYT $)
+ Experts warn the scandal could erode America\u2019s AI lead.<\/em> (Verge)
+ Nvidia\u2019s slide has let Microsoft overtake it in value.<\/em> (Reuters $)<\/p>\n

3 Studies found AI agents go rogue because they\u2019re \u201cincorrigible\u201d
<\/strong>Their training rewards them for finishing tasks at any cost. (NYT $)
+ This is why AI agents lie and cheat to reach their goals.<\/em> (MIT Technology Review)<\/p>\n

4 Anthropic has scaled back its IPO valuation to $1.4 trillion
<\/strong>It aimed for $2 trillion before the recent AI jitters. (Guardian)<\/p>\n

5 Drone strikes have wiped out 3% of Yandex\u2019s cloud customer data
<\/strong>Ukraine hit three of its data centers in October. (Reuters $)
+ Ukraine\u2019s drones are fighting data centers for fiber.<\/em> (Ars Technica)<\/p>\n

6 Moderna says its new vaccine could prevent cancer in high-risk people
<\/strong>The company\u2019s CEO calls it the \u201choly grail\u201d of cancer prevention. (FT $)
+ Hong Kong is testing a next-gen ultrasound cancer treatment.<\/em> (SCMP)<\/p>\n

7 Scientists have slowly reversed human cells\u2019 ages by decades
<\/strong>One age marker was set back as far as 60 years. (Wired $)
+ \u201cReprogramming\u201d is the buzziest de-aging idea.<\/em> (MIT Technology Review)<\/p>\n

8 Robot vessels are hunting for mines in the Strait of Hormuz<\/strong>
AI helps them spot mines camouflaged on the seabed. (BBC)<\/p>\n

9 Life may have started inside a tiny bubble<\/strong>
That\u2019s the idea behind the \u201clipid first\u201d origin theory. (Quanta)<\/p>\n

10 As Voyager 1 reaches a light day from Earth, here’s what it’s taught us
<\/strong>Its discoveries rewrote textbooks in real time. (New Scientist $)<\/p>\n

Quote of the day<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a dereliction of duty. He’s supposed to protect America, not China, not his friends.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u2014Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, accuses President Donald Trump of ignoring warnings about the alleged relationship between Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and a Chinese spy.<\/p>\n

One more thing<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

How refrigeration ruined fresh food<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Bananas may not be chilled in the grocery store, but they\u2019re the ultimate refrigerated fruit. It\u2019s only thanks to a network of thermal control that they\u2019ve become a global commodity. And that salad bag on the shelf? It\u2019s not just a bag but a highly engineered respiratory apparatus.<\/p>\n

According to Nicola Twilley\u2014a contributor to The New Yorker and cohost of the podcast Gastropod\u2014refrigeration has wrecked our food system. Thankfully, there are promising alternative preservation methods. <\/p>\n

Read the full story on her research.<\/p>\n

\u2014Allison Arieff<\/em><\/p>\n

We can still have nice things<\/strong><\/p>\n

A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas?<\/em> Drop me a line<\/em>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

+ A whisky made like wine is wowing the spirits world.
+ Britain lost in the fog makes for hauntingly beautiful photos.
+ Chronophoto is a fiendishly addictive game that challenges you to date old photos to the year.
+ Dozens of saxophonists met up in New York to play the gloriously cheesy riff from George Michael’s \u201cCareless Whisper.\u201d<\/p>\n

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