The Download: boosting prosperity with AI, and fighting for a better future

Predictions abound on how the growing list of generative AI models will transform the way we work and organize our lives, providing instant advice on everything from financial investments to where to spend your next vacation.

But for economists, the most critical question around our obsession with AI is how the fledgling technology will (or won’t) boost overall productivity, and if it does, how long it will take. Can the technology lead to renewed prosperity after years of stagnant economic growth? Read the full story.

—David Rotman

Fighting for a future beyond the climate crisis

When it comes to climate breakdown and the extinction crisis, the question often asked is: How can we have hope? 

But maybe hope is the wrong emotion to focus on. Instead, we need shock and awe in the face of the majesty and fragility of nature, humility in the face of the vastness of the transformations our kind has set in motion—a bristling realization of imminent peril. Read the full story.

—Lydia Millet

This piece is from the forthcoming print issue of MIT Technology Review, which is celebrating 125 years of the magazine! It’s set to go live on Wednesday August 28, so if you don’t already, subscribe now to get a copy when it lands.