The Download: climate-friendlier air conditioners, and fighting explicit deepfakes

Cooling represents 20% of global electricity demand in buildings, a share that’s expected to rise as the planet warms and more of the world turns to cooling technology. During peak demand hours, air conditioners can account for over half the total demand on the grid in some parts of the world today.

In response, some inventors are creating versions that can store energy as well as use it. These technologies could help by charging themselves when renewable electricity is available and demand is low, and still providing cooling services when the grid is stressed. Read the full story.

—Casey Crownhart

Google is finally taking action to curb non-consensual deepfakes

In January, nude deepfakes of Taylor Swift went viral on X, which caused public outrage. Nonconsensual explicit deepfakes are one of the most common and severe types of harm posed by AI, and the generative AI boom has only made the problem worse.

Although terrible, Swift’s deepfakes did perhaps more than anything else to raise awareness about the risks and seem to have galvanized tech companies and lawmakers to do something. 

Last week Google said it is taking steps to keep explicit deepfakes from appearing in search results. The tech giant is also making it easier for victims to request that nonconsensual fake explicit imagery be removed. But a lot more needs to be done. Read the full story.

—Melissa Heikkilä