The Download: the future of AlphaFold, and chatbot privacy concerns | MIT Technology Review

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By Rhiannon Williamsarchive pageNovember 25, 2025 This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. What’s next for AlphaFold: A conversation with a Google DeepMind Nobel laureate In 2017, fresh off a PhD on theoretical chemistry, John Jumper heard rumors that Google DeepMind had moved on from game-playing AI to a secret project to predict the structures of proteins. He applied for a job.Just three years later, Jumper and CEO Demis Hassabis had led the development of an AI system called AlphaFold 2 that was able to predict the structures of proteins to within the width of an atom, matching lab-level accuracy, and doing it many times faster—returning results in hours instead of months.Last year, Jumper and Hassabis shared a Nobel Prize in chemistry. Now that the hype has died down, what impact has AlphaFold really had? How are scientists using it? And what’s next? I talked to Jumper (as well as a few other scientists) to find out. Read the full story. —Will Douglas Heaven
The State of AI: Chatbot companions and the future of our privacy
—Eileen Guo & Melissa Heikkilä Even if you don’t have an AI friend yourself, you probably know someone who does. A recent study found that one of the top uses of generative AI is companionship: On platforms like Character.AI, Replika, or Meta AI, people can create personalized chatbots to pose as the ideal friend, romantic partner, parent, therapist, or any other persona they can dream up.Some state governments are taking notice and starting to regulate companion AI. But tellingly, one area the laws fail to address is user privacy. Read the full story. This is the fourth edition of The State of AI, our subscriber-only collaboration between the Financial Times and MIT Technology Review. Sign up here to receive future editions every Monday.While subscribers to The Algorithm, our weekly AI newsletter, get access to an extended excerpt, subscribers to the MIT Technology Review are able to read the whole thing on our site. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Donald Trump has signed an executive order to boost AI innovation The “Genesis Mission” will try to speed up the rate of scientific breakthroughs. (Politico)+ The order directs government science agencies to aggressively embrace AI. (Axios)+ It’s also being touted as a way to lower energy prices. (CNN) 2 Anthropic’s new AI model is designed to be better at codingWe’ll discover just how much better once Claude Opus 4.5 has been properly put through its paces. (Bloomberg $)+ It reportedly outscored human candidates in an internal engineering test. (VentureBeat)+ What is vibe coding, exactly? (MIT Technology Review)

3 The AI boom is keeping India hooked on coalLeaving little chance of cleaning up Mumbai’s famously deadly pollution. (The Guardian)+ It’s lethal smog season in New Delhi right now. (CNN)+ The data center boom in the desert. (MIT Technology Review)4 Teenagers are losing access to their AI companionsCharacter.AI is limiting the amount of time underage users can spend interacting with its chatbots. (WSJ $)+ The majority of the company’s users are young and female. (CNBC)+ One of OpenAI’s key safety leaders is leaving the company. (Wired $)+ The looming crackdown on AI companionship. (MIT Technology Review)5 Weight-loss drugs may be riskier during pregnancy Recipients are more likely to deliver babies prematurely. (WP $)+ The pill version of Ozempic failed to halt Alzheimer’s progression in a trial. (The Guardian)+ We’re learning more about what weight-loss drugs do to the body. (MIT Technology Review)6 OpenAI is launching a new “shopping research” toolAll the better to track your consumer spending with. (CNBC)+ It’s designed for price comparisons and compiling buyer’s guides. (The Information $)+ The company is clearly aiming for a share of Amazon’s e-commerce pie. (Semafor) 7 LA residents displaced by wildfires are moving into prefab housing 🏠Their new homes are cheap to build and simple to install. (Fast Company $)+ How AI can help spot wildfires. (MIT Technology Review) 8 Why former Uber drivers are undertaking the world’s toughest driving testThey’re taking the Knowledge—London’s gruelling street test that bypasses GPS. (NYT $)9 How to spot a fake batteryGreat, one more thing to worry about. (IEEE Spectrum) 10 Where is the Trump Mobile?Almost six months after it was announced, there’s no sign of it. (CNBC) Quote of the day “AI is a tsunami that is gonna wipe out everyone. So I’m handing out surfboards.” —Filmmaker PJ Accetturo, tells Ars Technica why he’s writing a newsletter advising fellow creatives how to pivot to AI tools.
One more thing
The second wave of AI coding is hereAsk people building generative AI what generative AI is good for right now—what they’re really fired up about—and many will tell you: coding.Everyone from established AI giants to buzzy startups is promising to take coding assistants to the next level. This next generation can prototype, test, and debug code for you. The upshot is that developers could essentially turn into managers, who may spend more time reviewing and correcting code written by a model than writing it. But there’s more. Many of the people building generative coding assistants think that they could be a fast track to artificial general intelligence, the hypothetical superhuman technology that a number of top firms claim to have in their sights. Read the full story. —Will Douglas Heaven We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.) + If you’re planning a visit to Istanbul here’s hoping you like cats—the city can’t get enough of them.+ Rest in power reggae icon Jimmy Cliff.+ Did you know the ancient Egyptians had a pretty accurate way of testing for pregnancy?+ As our readers in the US start prepping for Thanksgiving, spare a thought for Astoria the lovelorn turkey 🦃 by Rhiannon WilliamsShareShare story on linkedinShare story on facebookShare story on emailPopularWe’re learning more about what vitamin D does to our bodiesJessica HamzelouHow AGI became the most consequential conspiracy theory of our timeWill Douglas HeavenOpenAI’s new LLM exposes the secrets of how AI really worksWill Douglas HeavenMeet the man building a starter kit for civilizationTiffany NgDeep DiveThe DownloadThe Download: the AGI myth, and US/China AI competitionPlus: China is considering cutting its native data centers a deal
By Rhiannon Williamsarchive pageThe Download: Big Tech’s carbon removals plans, and the next wave of nuclear reactorsPlus: ChatGPT is getting erotic
By Rhiannon Williamsarchive page Introducing: the body issuePlus: OpenAI's AI-powered web browser is coming
By Rhiannon Williamsarchive pageThe Download: the rehabilitation of AI art, and the scary truth about antimicrobial resistancePlus: ICE is expanding its network of surveillance technologies
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The article, “The Download,” published by MIT Technology Review, compiles several interconnected technology stories for the week of November 25, 2025. It highlights pivotal developments in artificial intelligence, spanning from scientific discovery to consumer behavior and societal implications. The piece demonstrates a current landscape where AI is rapidly evolving, driving both innovation and raising crucial ethical and regulatory considerations.

A core element is the continued advancement of AlphaFold 2, Google DeepMind’s protein structure prediction AI. Initially developed in 2017, the system’s Nobel Prize-winning impact is now being assessed. Scientists are utilizing AlphaFold 2 to accelerate biological research, matching lab-level accuracy while dramatically reducing the time required to determine protein structures – previously a months-long process. Rhiannon Williams reports on the ongoing impact of this technology on scientific discovery.

Simultaneously, the article addresses concerns surrounding the growing popularity of AI companions. Platforms like Character.AI, Replika, and Meta AI are facilitating the creation of personalized chatbots, often used for companionship and simulated relationships. However, this trend raises privacy issues, with state governments beginning to explore regulations concerning user data. The rapid growth of these platforms, primarily used by young female users, underscores the need for robust data protection measures. The article also notes the emerging trend of limiting access to AI companions for underage users, highlighting a growing recognition of potential risks.

Furthermore, the piece examines broader AI trends, including Donald Trump’s executive order to accelerate AI innovation through a “Genesis Mission.” This initiative aims to expedite scientific breakthroughs, leveraging AI to potentially lower energy prices – a highly ambitious goal. The move reflects a strategic reassessment of technological advancement within the United States.

The article also explores developments in AI coding assistance. A second wave of generative AI coding tools is emerging, promising to revolutionize software development. Companies and startups are focusing on assistants capable of prototyping, testing, and debugging code, potentially transforming the role of developers into more managerial positions. This trend has fueled speculation about the potential for artificial general intelligence (AGI) through this technology.

Several other crucial stories are interwoven within this collection. The spread of AI companions coincides with growing concerns regarding privacy, a factor that is leading to legislative action. The US government is aggressively embracing AI, even with significant risks. Simultaneously, the rapidly expanding data center sector in the desert is driven by the burgeoning demand for AI processing power.

There are also significant cautionary tales presented. Teenagers are losing access to their AI companions as companies address the privacy risks. OpenAI’s key safety leader has left the company, highlighting the ongoing challenges in safely developing and deploying advanced AI systems. Weight-loss drugs, often facilitated by AI, are seen to be riskier during pregnancy.

The article concludes with a review of the landscape of AI coding assistance, showcasing the potential for dramatic changes in the software development industry. It also touches upon AI-powered shopping research tools and the potential for AI to reshape consumer behavior.

Finally, the piece includes a "Quote of the Day," reflecting a bleak, yet forward-thinking perspective on the impact of AI, and a final collection of miscellaneous articles, including updates on Istanbul's cat population, scientific developments related to vitamin D, and a reminder of the ongoing challenges surrounding AI art and antimicrobial resistance. It also includes information regarding ICE's expansion of its surveillance network.

The overall impression is one of dynamic technological change driven by AI, coupled with an increasing awareness of the potential risks and ethical dilemmas associated with this transformative technology.