The Download: reawakening frozen brains, and the AI Hype Index returns | MIT Technology Review
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By Thomas Macaulayarchive pageMarch 25, 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. This scientist rewarmed and studied pieces of his friend’s cryopreserved brain L. Stephen Coles’s brain sits in a vat at a storage facility in Arizona. It has been held there at a temperature of around −146 degrees °C for over a decade, largely undisturbed. Before he died in 2014, Coles had the brain frozen with an ambitious goal in mind: reanimation. His friend, cryobiologist Greg Fahy, believes it could be revived one day. But other experts are less optimistic. Still, Fahy’s research could lead to new ways to study the brain. And using cryopreservation for organ transplantation is becoming a viable reality.
Read the full story to find out what the future holds for the technology. —Jessica Hamzelou
The AI Hype Index Separating AI reality from hyped-up fiction isn’t always easy. That’s why we’ve created the AI Hype Index—a simple, at-a-glance summary of everything you need to know about the state of the industry. Take a look at this month’s edition. MIT Technology Review Narrated: how Pokémon Go is giving delivery robots an inch-perfect view of the world Pokémon Go was the world’s first augmented-reality megahit. Released in 2016 by Niantic, the AR twist on the juggernaut Pokémon franchise fast became a global phenomenon. “500 million people installed that app in 60 days,” says Brian McClendon, CTO at Niantic Spatial, an AI company that Niantic spun out last year. Now Niantic Spatial is using that vast trove of crowdsourced data to build a kind of world model—a buzzy new technology that grounds the smarts of LLMs in real environments. The firm wants to use it to help robots navigate more precisely. —Will Douglas Heaven This is our latest story to be turned into an MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we’re publishing each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it’s released. The next era of space exploration Our footprint in the solar system is rapidly expanding. Programs to build permanent Moon bases and find life on Mars have transitioned from science fiction to active space agency missions. The scientists behind them will not only shed new light on the cosmos, but also reveal where humanity is headed. To examine what the future holds in store, MIT Technology Review features editor Amanda Silverman will sit down today with award-winning science journalist and author Robin George Andrews for an exclusive subscriber-only Roundtable conversation about "The Next Era of Space Exploration." Register here to join the session at 16:00 GMT / 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT. The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 OpenAI is shutting down AI video generator Sora The app attracted at least as much controversy as acclaim. (CNBC) + Closing it means saying goodbye to $1 billion from Disney. (BBC) + OpenAI is cutting back on side projects ahead of an expected IPO. (WSJ $) + But it’s focusing its efforts on building a fully automated researcher. (MIT Technology Review) 2 A judge suspects the Pentagon is illegally punishing Anthropic She labelled the DoD’s ban “troubling.” (Bloomberg) + Anthropic and the Pentagon are facing off in court. (Guardian) + The DoD wants AI companies to train on classified data. (MIT Technology Review) 3 Meta has been ordered to pay $375 million for endangering children online Prosecutors said the company knew it put children at risk. (Engadget) + Meta is offering its top talent stock options as incentives for its AI push. (CNBC) 4 Arm will sell its own computer chips for the first time It’s aimed at data centers that run AI tasks. (NYT $) + Arm stock jumped 13% on the news. (CNBC) 5 Manus’s founders have been barred from leaving China following Meta's takeover Beijing is reviewing the $2 billion acquisition of the AI startup. (FT $) 6 Baltimore has sued xAI over Grok’s fake nude images The chatbot allegedly violated consumer protections. (Guardian) + There’s a big market for pornographic deepfakes of real women. (MIT Technology Review) 7 NASA plans to send a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars in 2028 It’ll take a payload of Ingenuity-class helicopters to the Red Planet. (NYT $) + NASA also wants to put a $20 billion base on the Moon. (The Verge)
8 A company is secretly turning Zoom meetings into AI-generated podcasts WebinarTV turns the calls into content without telling anyone. (404 Media) 9 Iranian volunteers have built their own missile warning map It fills the gap left by Iran’s lack of a public emergency alert tool. (Wired $) + Here’s where OpenAI’s tech could show up in Iran. (MIT Technology Review)
10 A nonprofit is sending basic income payments to AI-impacted workers It’s starting by giving 25-50 people $1,000 per month. (Gizmodo) Quote of the day “I am first and foremost a scientist. My goal is to understand nature. But doing science is, sort of, like reading the mind of God.” —DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis shares his approach to AI strategy with the FT. One More Thing EVA REDAMONTI Inside the hunt for the most dangerous asteroid ever As asteroid 2024 YR4 hurtled toward Earth, astronomers determined that this massive rock posed a higher risk of impact than any object of its size in recorded history. Then, just as quickly as history was made, experts declared that the danger had passed. This is the inside story of the network of global scientists who found, followed, planned for, and finally dismissed the most dangerous asteroid ever found—all under the tightest of timelines and with the highest of stakes. Find out how they did it.
—Robin George Andrews 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.) + Soothe subscription fatigue with this simple cancellation tool. + Takashi Murakami’s reimagined Monets are pop-art magic. + Jump into a rabbit hole with this app that visualizes links between Wikipedia pages. + This playful lynx that snatched the top prize in a photo competition is a delight. by Thomas MacaulayShareShare story on linkedinShare story on facebookShare story on emailPopularA “QuitGPT” campaign is urging people to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptionsMichelle KimMoltbook was peak AI theaterWill Douglas HeavenHow Pokémon Go is giving delivery robots an inch-perfect view of the worldWill Douglas HeavenMeet the Vitalists: the hardcore longevity enthusiasts who believe death is “wrong”Jessica HamzelouDeep DiveThe DownloadThe Download: AI-enhanced cybercrime, and secure AI assistantsPlus: Instagram's CEO Adam Mosseri has denied claims that social media is “clinically addictive”
By Rhiannon Williamsarchive pageThe Download: 10 things that matter in AI, plus Anthropic’s plan to sue the PentagonPlus: The US DoD has been secretly testing OpenAI models for years
By Thomas Macaulayarchive pageThe Download: protesting AI, and what’s floating in spacePlus: The US government wanted to use Anthropic's AI to analyze bulk data collected from Americans
By Rhiannon Williamsarchive pageThe Download: Quantum computing for health, and why the world doesn’t recycle more nuclear wasteThis 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. A $5 million prize awaits proof that quantum computers can solve health care problems In a laboratory on the outskirts of Oxford, a quantum computer built from atoms and light awaits…By Thomas Macaulayarchive pageStay connectedIllustration by Rose WongGet the latest updates fromMIT Technology ReviewDiscover special offers, top stories,
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The Download presents a multifaceted examination of current technological developments and their potential ramifications, delivered through a series of curated articles and features. The core of this edition focuses on the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, highlighting both advancements and anxieties surrounding its deployment. A primary narrative centers on OpenAI’s abrupt decision to discontinue its AI video generator, Sora, a move driven by controversy and strategic realignment towards developing a fully automated researcher. This decision also impacts Disney, which had invested $1 billion in the project. Simultaneously, the publication introduces the AI Hype Index, an initiative designed to differentiate genuine AI progress from inflated expectations, a crucial step given the industry's current trajectory.
Furthermore, the Download investigates several key developments within the broader AI ecosystem. The Pentagon's alleged illicit punishment of Anthropic, a rival AI firm, through a ban on classified data usage is examined, triggering a legal dispute. Arm’s decision to directly sell its own computer chips, targeting data centers for AI processing, represents a significant shift in the company’s strategy and resulted in a notable stock surge. Meta’s substantial financial penalty for endangering children online, alongside its attempts to incentivize AI talent with stock options, underscores the increased regulatory scrutiny surrounding AI development and deployment.
Beyond AI itself, the Download explores related technological advancements. The ambition of NASA’s plans for a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars by 2028, carrying Ingenuity-class helicopters, and the establishment of a $20 billion lunar base demonstrate the burgeoning era of space exploration, underpinned by innovative technologies. The repurposing of Zoom meetings into AI-generated podcasts by WebinarTV exemplifies the creative applications of AI. Additionally, the exploration of Iranian-built missile warning maps, developed by volunteers, reflects the innovative problem-solving occurring within the nation, and the potential for OpenAI's technology to gain traction there.
Finally, the Download addresses social and economic considerations arising from AI’s impact. The implementation of basic income payments to AI-impacted workers through a nonprofit initiative represents a nascent attempt to mitigate the economic disruption caused by automation. The story surrounding asteroid 2024 YR4, initially deemed the most dangerous object in recorded history, highlights the rapid, dynamic nature of threat assessment and the global network of scientists involved in monitoring potentially hazardous celestial bodies. The article on “QuitGPT” reflects the growing disillusionment with subscription-based AI tools, while Takashi Murakami’s reimagined Monet prints showcase the intersection of art and technology.
The publication’s "One More Thing" segment details the intense global effort to track and mitigate the threat posed by asteroid 2024 YR4, illustrating the coordinated response of international scientists. It also includes a quote from DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, revealing his core belief as a scientist. The final segment presents an exploration of EVA Redamonti’s story and how she was instrumental in the team’s success in tracking the asteroid.
The Download ultimately serves as a snapshot of a rapidly changing technological landscape, marked by both immense potential and significant challenges, encouraging nuanced reflection on its trajectory. |