That is right now’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a each day dose of what’s happening on the earth of expertise.
It’s surprisingly straightforward to stumble right into a relationship with an AI chatbot
The information: The primary large-scale computational evaluation of the Reddit group r/MyBoyfriendIsAI, which is devoted to discussing AI relationships, discovered that many individuals fashioned these relationships unintentionally whereas utilizing AI for different functions. The truth is, solely 6.5% of them mentioned they’d intentionally sought out an AI companion.
Why it issues: The research discovered that AI companionship gives important help for some however exacerbates underlying issues for others. This implies it’s arduous to take a one-size-fits-all method to consumer security. Learn the complete story.
—Rhiannon Williams
Be part of us at 1.30pm ET right now to study the way forward for contraception
Conversations round contraception often deal with girls, however Kevin Eisenfrats, one of many MIT Expertise Overview 2025 Innovators Below 35, is working to vary that. His firm, Contraline, is working towards testing new contraception choices for males. Be part of us for an unique subscribers-only Roundtable interview to listen to Kevin in dialog with our govt editor Amy Nordrum at 1.30 ET right now.
MIT Expertise Overview Narrated: What’s subsequent for AI and math
The final yr has seen fast progress within the capacity of huge language fashions to sort out math at highschool degree and past. Is AI closing in on human mathematicians?
This story is the newest to be become a MIT Expertise Overview Narrated podcast, which we publish each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Simply navigate to MIT Expertise Overview Narrated on both platform, and comply with us to take heed to all our new episodes as they’re launched.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to seek out you right now’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.
1 Secret Service brokers dismantled a large operation to cripple cell networks
They are saying it’s possible it was meant for use for scams. (Wired $)
2 Welcome to the brand new period of fragmented US vaccine insurance policies
The federal authorities is abdicating accountability for public well being. Who will fill the void? (New Yorker $)
+ Why US federal well being companies are abandoning mRNA vaccines. (MIT Expertise Overview)
3 European protection leaders are discussing constructing a ‘drone wall’
They’re scrambling to catch up as Russian incursions into their territory enhance. (ABC)
4 How will we all know if we’ve reached synthetic basic intelligence?
That’s the multi-billion greenback query—however there’s no clear reply. (IEEE Spectrum)
+ Specialists don’t even agree on what AI is to start with, by no means thoughts AGI. (MIT Expertise Overview)
5 Robotic umpires are coming to baseball’s main leagues subsequent yr 
People will nonetheless be answerable for calling balls and strikes, however tech will assist to guage appealed choices. (AP)
6 AI’s power wants are being overstated
And that might lock us into pointless, pricey fossil gasoline tasks. (The Verge)
+ 4 causes to be optimistic about AI’s power utilization. (MIT Expertise Overview)
7 Excessive drought is about to develop into much more commonplace
Governments have to do much more to arrange. (Gizmodo)
8 AI is coming for subtitle writers’ jobs
However their work is more durable to interchange than you may suppose. (The Guardian)
+ ‘Workslop’ is slowing every thing down. (Harvard Enterprise Overview)
+ And, so as to add to the issue, AI programs could by no means be safe. (The Economist $)
9 How epigenetics may assist save wildlife from extinction
It may enable scientists to detect accelerated growing old earlier than an animal inhabitants begins to visibly collapse. (Knowable)
+ Ageing clocks intention to foretell how lengthy you’ll reside. (MIT Expertise Overview)
10 TikTok is getting launched to the idea of the rapture
Which is due right now, in line with some. In that case, it’s been nice understanding you. Good luck! (The Guardian)
Quote of the day
“Everyone has a backup.”
—Stella Li, govt vp at BYD, tells CNBC the corporate has contingency plans in case Beijing orders it to cease utilizing Nvidia chips.
Yet one more factor
This app helps employees reclaim thousands and thousands in misplaced wages
Reclamo, a brand new internet app, helps immigrant employees who’ve skilled wage theft. It guides them via assembling case particulars, and finally produces completed authorized claims that may be filed immediately. A course of that might in any other case take a number of conferences with an legal professional can now be performed inside an hour.
A big quantity of wage theft targets immigrants, each authorized and undocumented, partly due to communication boundaries and their perceived lack of energy or authorized recourse. However the app is already making a distinction—serving to employees to reclaim $1 million in misplaced wages because it began beta testing in October 2022. Learn the complete story.
—Patrick Sisson
We are able to nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Received any concepts? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.)
+ It’s Fats Bear Week! Who will get your vote this yr?
+ Study Lord Woodbine, the forgotten sixth Beatle.
+ There are some really wild and wacky recipes on this Medieval Cookery assortment. Venison porridge, anybody?
+ Pessimism about expertise is as outdated as expertise itself, as this archive exhibits.
