The Download: chatbots for health, and US fights over AI regulation | MIT Technology Review

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Skip to ContentMIT Technology ReviewFeaturedTopicsNewslettersEventsAudioMIT Technology ReviewFeaturedTopicsNewslettersEventsAudioThe DownloadThe Download: chatbots for health, and US fights over AI regulationPlus: how wastewater tracking could help curb measles' rise in the US. 
By Charlotte Jeearchive pageJanuary 23, 2026 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. “Dr. Google” had its issues. Can ChatGPT Health do better?   For the past two decades, there’s been a clear first step for anyone who starts experiencing new medical symptoms: Look them up online. The practice was so common that it gained the pejorative moniker “Dr. Google.” But times are changing, and many medical-information seekers are now using LLMs. According to OpenAI, 230 million people ask ChatGPT health-related queries each week.   That’s the context around the launch of OpenAI’s new ChatGPT Health product, which debuted earlier this month. The big question is: can the obvious risks of using AI for health-related queries be mitigated enough for them to be a net benefit? Read the full story. 
—Grace Huckins
America’s coming war over AI regulation   In the final weeks of 2025, the battle over regulating artificial intelligence in the US reached boiling point. On December 11, after Congress failed twice to pass a law banning state AI laws, President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order seeking to handcuff states from regulating the booming industry.   Instead, he vowed to work with Congress to establish a “minimally burdensome” national AI policy. The move marked a victory for tech titans, who have been marshaling multimillion-dollar war chests to oppose AI regulations, arguing that a patchwork of state laws would stifle innovation. In 2026, the battleground will shift to the courts. While some states might back down from passing AI laws, others will charge ahead. Read our story about what’s on the horizon.  —Michelle Kim This story is from MIT Technology Review’s What’s Next series of stories that look across industries, trends, and technologies to give you a first look at the future. You can read the rest of them here.   Measles is surging in the US. Wastewater tracking could help. This week marked a rather unpleasant anniversary: It’s a year since Texas reported a case of measles—the start of a significant outbreak that ended up spreading across multiple states. Since the start of January 2025, there have been over 2,500 confirmed cases of measles in the US. Three people have died.  As vaccination rates drop and outbreaks continue, scientists have been experimenting with new ways to quickly identify new cases and prevent the disease from spreading. And they are starting to see some success with wastewater surveillance. Read the full story.

—Jessica Hamzelou  This story is from The Checkup, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things health and biotech. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 The US is dismantling itselfA foreign enemy could not invent a better chain of events to wreck its standing in the world. (Wired $)  + We need to talk about whether Donald Trump might be losing it.  (New Yorker $)2 Big Tech is taking on more debt to fund its AI aspirationsAnd the bubble just keeps growing. (WP $)+ Forget unicorns. 2026 is shaping up to be the year of the “hectocorn.” (The Guardian)+ Everyone in tech agrees we’re in a bubble. They just can’t agree on what happens when it pops. (MIT Technology Review) 3 DOGE accessed even more personal data than we thought Even now, the Trump administration still can’t say how much data is at risk, or what it was used for. (NPR) 4 TikTok has finalized a deal to create a new US entity Ending years of uncertainty about its fate in America. (CNN)+ Why China is the big winner out of all of this. (FT $) 5 The US is now officially out of the World Health Organization And it’s leaving behind nearly $300 million in bills unpaid. (Ars Technica) + The US withdrawal from the WHO will hurt us all. (MIT Technology Review)6 AI-powered disinformation swarms pose a threat to democracyA would-be autocrat could use them to persuade populations to accept cancelled elections or overturn results. (The Guardian)+ The era of AI persuasion in elections is about to begin. (MIT Technology Review)7 We’re about to start seeing more robots everywhereBut exactly what they’ll look like remains up for debate. (Vox $)+ Chinese companies are starting to dominate entire sectors of AI and robotics. (MIT Technology Review)8 Some people seem to be especially vulnerable to lonelinessIf you’re ‘other-directed’, you could particularly benefit from less screentime. (New Scientist $)9 This academic lost two years of work with a single clickTL;DR: Don’t rely on ChatGPT to store your data. (Nature)10 How animals develop a sense of direction 🦇🧭Their ‘internal compass’ seems to be informed by landmarks that help them form a mental map. (Quanta $)
Quote of the day
“The rate at which AI is progressing, I think we have AI that is smarter than any human this year, and no later than next year.” —Elon Musk simply cannot resist the urge to make wild predictions at Davos, Wired reports.  One more thing ADAM DETOUR Africa fights rising hunger by looking to foods of the past After falling steadily for decades, the prevalence of global hunger is now on the rise—nowhere more so than in sub-Saharan Africa.  Africa’s indigenous crops are often more nutritious and better suited to the hot and dry conditions that are becoming more prevalent, yet many have been neglected by science, which means they tend to be more vulnerable to diseases and pests and yield well below their theoretical potential.
Now the question is whether researchers, governments, and farmers can work together in a way that gets these crops onto plates and provides Africans from all walks of life with the energy and nutrition that they need to thrive, whatever climate change throws their way. Read the full story. —Jonathan W. Rosen We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.) + The only thing I fancy dry this January is a martini. Here’s how to make one.+ If you absolutely adore the Bic crystal pen, you might want this lamp. + Cozy up with a nice long book this winter. ($)+ Want to eat healthier? Slow down and tune out food ‘noise’. ($) by Charlotte JeeShareShare story on linkedinShare story on facebookShare story on emailPopular10 Breakthrough Technologies 2026Amy NordrumThe great AI hype correction of 2025Will Douglas HeavenChina figured out how to sell EVs. Now it has to deal with their aging batteries.Caiwei ChenThe 8 worst technology flops of 2025Antonio RegaladoDeep DiveThe DownloadThe Download: AI’s impact on the economy, and DeepSeek strikes againPlus: OpenAI is sounding the "code red" alarm
By Rhiannon Williamsarchive pageThe Download: China’s dying EV batteries, and why AI doomers are doubling downPlus: TikTok has finally signed a deal to keep operating in the US
By Rhiannon Williamsarchive pageThe Download: sodium-ion batteries and China’s bright tech futurePlus: This company is developing gene therapies for muscle growth, erectile dysfunction, and “radical longevity”
By Charlotte Jeearchive pageThe Download: the worst technology of 2025, and Sam Altman’s AI hypePlus: China has built a major chip-making machine
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The January 23, 2026, edition of *MIT Technology Review’s* “The Download” newsletter presents a diverse collection of stories examining current technological developments and their implications. The newsletter’s content broadly addresses the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, the ongoing regulatory battles surrounding its development, and broader technological trends impacting global economies and public health.

The newsletter’s initial focus is on the increasing reliance on large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT for medical information seeking, acknowledging the potential risks alongside the benefits. OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health product launch is highlighted, with the central question centering on whether the inherent risks can be effectively mitigated. Simultaneously, the newsletter pivots to a critical juncture in US technological policy. President Trump’s executive order, aimed at limiting state-level AI regulation, is presented as a victory for tech corporations. The narrative anticipates a legal battleground where states will attempt to assert authority, and the tech industry will resist.

Further amplifying this regulatory conflict, the newsletter delves into the broader anxieties surrounding AI’s advancement. It details the escalating struggle between those championing AI’s potential and those predicting detrimental consequences, often referred to as “AI doomers.” The content underscores the concerns about potential misuse, exemplified by the threat of AI-powered disinformation campaigns and the increasing presence of AI-driven automation.

The newsletter then transitions to a report on the resurgence of measles in the United States, linked to declining vaccination rates, and explores the innovative use of wastewater surveillance as a tool for rapid detection and prevention. Simultaneously, it reports on Africa’s struggle with rising hunger, suggesting that neglected indigenous crops offer a potential solution, urging collaboration between researchers, governments, and farmers to revitalize these food sources.

The final segments of “The Download” offer a range of supplementary content. There is a “quote of the day” from Elon Musk, highlighting his bold and often speculative predictions regarding AI’s trajectory. Moreover, the newsletter includes curated articles from other publications, covering topics such as the decline in tech investment, the challenges related to electric vehicle battery aging, and the impact of AI on the economy. Finally, it showcases a selection of “breakthrough technologies” of 2026 and highlights the latest developments relating to gene therapies and technology flops.

Throughout the newsletter, *MIT Technology Review* maintains its commitment to providing insightful, in-depth reporting, emphasizing analysis and critical examination of emerging technological trends.