The Download: a battery company pivots to AI, and a new AI tool seeks to transform math | MIT Technology Review

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By Thomas Macaulayarchive pageMarch 26, 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. Why this battery company is pivoting to AI  Qichao Hu doesn’t mince words about the state of the battery industry. “Almost every Western battery company has either died or is going to die. It’s kind of the reality,” he says.   Hu is the CEO of SES AI, a Massachusetts-based battery company. It previously developed advanced lithium batteries for major industries, but is now shifting to AI materials discovery. Read our story to find out why.   —Casey Crownhart 
This startup wants to change how mathematicians do math  Axiom Math, a California startup, has released a free AI tool with a big ambition: discovering mathematical patterns that could unlock solutions to long-standing problems.  Most of the successes with AI tools have involved finding solutions to existing problems. But that’s not all they could do. There are lots of problems in math that require new ideas nobody has ever had, which could come from spotting patterns that have never been spotted before.  
Axiom Math’s new tool aims to find these hidden links. Read the full story to discover their plans—and how AI in general could change mathematics.  —Will Douglas Heaven  Are high gas prices good news for EVs? It’s complicated.  As the conflict in Iran has escalated, fossil-fuel prices have been on a roller-coaster—and some EV owners are celebrating.   They believe the volatility will create an opportunity for electric vehicles to make headway. But even the carless among us should be concerned about a sustained rise in fossil-fuel prices.   To find out why, read the full story.  —Casey Crownhart  This article is from The Spark, our weekly climate newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.  The must-reads 

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.  1 Meta and YouTube have been fined for designing addictive products They must pay damages of $6 million for harming young people. (Guardian) + The verdicts will reshape legal protections for Big Tech. (WSJ $) + They could also ripple through social media markets worldwide. (Rest of World) + Juries have started taking the lead in the push for child online safety. (NYT)  2 SpaceX aims to file for IPO as soon as this week It’s hoping to raise more than $75 billion. (The Information) + Rocket stocks soared on the report. (BBC)  + But rivals are challenging SpaceX’s dominance. (MIT Technology Review)  3 A new AI safety bill would halt data center construction It was introduced by Bernie Sanders. (Wired) + Nobody wants a data center in their backyard. (MIT Technology Review + One solution: launch them into space. (MIT Technology Review)   4 Meta has laid off 700 employees After raising compensation for top earners. (NYT $)  5 Elon Musk wants a Delaware judge to recuse herself over an emoji She liked a LinkedIn post criticizing him. (CNBC) + The case had ruled Musk misled investors during the Twitter purchase. (Reuters)  6 Reddit will require “fishy” accounts to verify that a human runs them The process aims to combat the deluge of bots. (Ars Technica)  7 Uber and Pony AI aim to launch Europe’s first robotaxi service in Croatia Pony AI is also running trials in Luxembourg, while Uber is testing in London. (The Verge) 
8 Google says quantum computers could break all cryptographic security by 2029 It’s set a timeline to secure the quantum era. (Gizmodo) + Quantum computers could soon solve health care problems. (MIT Technology Review)  9 New research shows cloning doesn’t produce perfect copies Clones have lots of extra, potentially dangerous mutations. (New Scientist) 
10 The landmark AI Scientist has just completed peer review  It’s billed as the first AI tool built to fully automate the scientific process. (Nature)  Quote of the day  “For years, social media companies have profited from targeting children while concealing their addictive and dangerous design features. Today’s verdict is a referendum—from a jury, to an entire industry.”  —Attorney Rachel Lanier offers her view on yesterday’s fines for Meta and YouTube, the Washington Post reports.   One More Thing  GETTY IMAGES Longevity enthusiasts want to create their own independent state. They’re eyeing Rhode Island.   It’s incredibly difficult and expensive to study innovative ways to slow or reverse aging. In response, longevity enthusiasts have devised an ambitious plan: establish an independent state for life-extension experiments.   They envision a jurisdiction that slashes red tape, encourages self-experimentation with unproven treatments, and eliminates laws that limit how companies develop drugs.  
Exactly where their longevity state might emerge is still being worked out—but one appealing location is Rhode Island. Read the full story to learn more about the plans.   —Jessica Hamzelou  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.)  + These gleaming photos of ancient insects in amber are time capsules of the dinosaur age. + Paint with pixels across a world map at this unique digital canvas. + Hands have a new shield against hammers: a nail holder that protects your fingers. + This new audio player uses cartridges to give digital music a soul.  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 HeavenOpenAI is throwing everything into building a fully automated researcherWill Douglas HeavenDeep 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: 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 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
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SES AI, a Massachusetts-based battery company led by Qichao Hu, is undertaking a significant pivot from its prior focus on developing advanced lithium batteries to exploring AI-driven materials discovery. Hu’s assessment of the battery industry—characterized by widespread failures and closures among Western companies—highlights the urgency of this strategic shift. Simultaneously, Axiom Math, a California startup, is pursuing a radically different approach to mathematical research. Their newly released AI tool aims to identify previously unrecognized patterns within mathematical problems, particularly those demanding “new ideas” that cannot be derived from traditional methods. This represents a departure from the typical AI application of solving existing problems and venturing into the realm of generating novel mathematical insights. The implications of this tool could fundamentally alter mathematical practices and problem-solving techniques. Furthermore, the volatile fossil-fuel market, driven by global conflicts, has presented an unexpected opportunity for electric vehicle (EV) adoption, although sustained high prices pose a continued concern. Finally, the article details a broader range of technological developments including Meta and YouTube’s fines for addictive product design, SpaceX’s ambitious plans for an initial public offering, ongoing AI safety debates, and advancements in areas like quantum computing, cloning research, and robotic taxi deployments. Notably, the launch of the “AI Scientist,” an AI tool automating the scientific research process, marks a significant milestone in the development of fully automated scientific investigation. The article concludes with a speculative look at a potential “longevity state” established in Rhode Island, driven by longevity enthusiasts seeking to accelerate research into age-related therapies, showcasing the continued exploration of disruptive and potentially transformative technologies across multiple sectors.