That is at this time’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a every day dose of what’s happening on the earth of know-how.
What’s AI?
AI is horny, AI is cool. AI is entrenching inequality, upending the job market, and wrecking schooling. The AI growth will enhance the economic system, the AI bubble is about to burst. AI will improve abundance and empower humanity to maximally flourish within the universe. AI will kill us all.
What the hell is everyone speaking about?
Synthetic intelligence is the most popular know-how of our time. However what’s it? It seems like a silly query, nevertheless it’s one which’s by no means been extra pressing.
In the event you’re keen to buckle up and are available for a journey, I can let you know why no one actually is aware of, why everyone appears to disagree, and why you’re proper to care about it. Learn the complete story.
—Will Douglas Heaven
The Chinese language authorities is all in on autonomous autos
There’s been a lot information popping out of China’s autonomous-vehicle business currently that it’s arduous to maintain observe.
The federal government is lastly permitting Tesla to carry its Full Self-Driving characteristic to China. New authorities permits let corporations check driverless automobiles on the highway and permit cities to construct good highway infrastructure that may inform these automobiles the place to go.
In brief, there are a variety of adjustments going down. They usually all level in the identical path: The Chinese language authorities is throwing its weight behind the autonomous-vehicle business and is raring to return out on prime whereas different nations take a extra cautious strategy. Learn the complete story.
—Zeyi Yang
This story is from China Report, our weekly e-newsletter masking tech and energy in China. Join to obtain it in your inbox each Tuesday.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to seek out you at this time’s most enjoyable/necessary/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 Microsoft and Apple will not sit on OpenAI’s board
The transfer comes as regulators begin to pay shut consideration to Massive Tech’s investments in AI startups. (FT $)
+ Microsoft claims its exit is right down to OpenAI’s newfound stability. (WSJ $)
+ OpenAI will replace its stakeholders with common conferences, as a substitute. (Bloomberg $)
2 The US has taken down a Russian bot farm on X
The propaganda mill used AI to scale up its operations. (WP $)
+ Google Search outcomes are filled with Russian AI spam, too. (Wired $)
+ The Kremlin is rewriting Wikipedia to go well with its personal agenda. (Economist $)
3 Amazon claims to have met a clear power aim seven years early
Some consultants aren’t satisfied its calculation methodology is as much as scratch, although. (NYT $)
+ Carbon seize wants to enhance if we’re ever to maneuver away from fossil fuels. (Knowable Journal)
+ How electrical energy may clear up transportation, metal, and even fertilizer. (MIT Know-how Overview)
4 Rechargeable batteries come at an environmental value
They look like a rising supply of without end chemical substances. (The Verge)
+ The race to destroy PFAS, the without end chemical substances. (MIT Know-how Overview)
5 What occurs to your cash when your startup financial institution folds?
Loads of clients are discovering out the arduous method. (NYT $)
6 Crypto followers are up in arms over Germany promoting confiscated bitcoin
However the state of Saxony doesn’t have a alternative. (CoinDesk)
+ Crypto scams are alive and nicely. (Wired $)
7 Methods to put together your house for a hurricane
Stronger supplies, tighter seals, and a complete lot of labor. (Wired $)
+ The search to construct wildfire-resistant properties. (MIT Know-how Overview)
8 Nobody solutions the cellphone anymore
And it’s a much bigger downside than you’d suppose. (Slate $)
9 Philips Hue good lightbulbs appear to have a thoughts of their very own 
House owners declare the bulbs are overriding settings to full brightness. (Insider $)
10 Gen Z makes use of the iPhone Notes app to generate outfits
All these little digital stickers are coming in useful. (Vogue Enterprise $)
Quote of the day
“I confronted the problems of AI early, however it’s going to occur for others. It is probably not a contented ending.”
—Lee Saedol, the legendary Go participant who misplaced to Google DeepMind’s AI program in 2016, warns an viewers in Seoul in regards to the dangers the know-how might pose, the New York Occasions reviews.
The large story
This super-realistic digital world is a driving faculty for AI
February 2022
Constructing driverless automobiles is a sluggish and costly enterprise. After years of effort and billions of {dollars} of funding, the know-how continues to be caught within the pilot part.
Autonomous know-how firm Waabi thinks it may do higher. In 2021 it revealed the controversial new shortcut to autonomous autos it’s betting on. The large concept? Ditch the automobiles.
Wasabi has constructed a super-realistic digital setting known as Waabi World. As an alternative of coaching an AI driver in actual autos, it plans to do it fully contained in the simulation. However simulation alone is a daring technique, and the way far it may go relies on how practical Waabi World actually is. Learn the complete story.
—Will Douglas Heaven
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 tweet ’em at me.)
+ If this video doesn’t fill you with pleasure, I don’t know what is going to. 
+ Apo Whang-Od Oggay is the world’s oldest tattoo artist, and really cool.
+ The world’s most troublesome maze holds a really fascinating secret.
+ Netflix’s Supacell options among the easiest of Black British expertise.
