The Download: what we learned from COP28, and an advance for household robots
1 Google’s AI search tool could upend the internet
Publishers in particular fear it could take a sledgehammer to their traffic. (WSJ $)
+ OpenAI is partnering with a major publisher. (The Guardian)
+ Chatbots could one day replace search engines. Here’s why that’s a terrible idea. (MIT Technology Review)
2 Tesla has to update nearly all 2 million of its vehicles in the US
To address a defect in the autopilot system. (The Verge)
+ Here’s what to do if you’re affected. (WP $)
3 What you need to know about plastic pollution
One fact stands out: the US produces more plastic waste than any other country. (one5c)
+ Think that your plastic is being recycled? Think again. (MIT Technology Review)
4 What’s the point of Meta’s smart glasses? 👓
Despite all the time and money thrown at them, they still lack a killer app. (NYT $)
+ Why Facebook is using Ray-Ban to stake a claim on our faces. (MIT Technology Review)
5 Amazon is under growing pressure
If tons of its products come from China anyway, why not buy from its Chinese competitors? (The Atlantic $)
+ The counterfeit lawsuits that scoop up hundreds of Chinese Amazon sellers at once. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Apple could sign X’s death warrant
Soon it could become such a toxic platform it violates Apple’s standards, triggering a removal from its app store. (Bloomberg $)
+ X’s ad revenue reportedly fell by $1.5 billion this year. (Ars Technica)
7 Why weight loss drugs are so significant
Their impact will ripple across our societies over the coming years. (New Yorker $)
+ Weight-loss injections have taken over the internet. But what does this mean for people IRL? (MIT Technology Review)
8 How much time should we spend on our phones at Christmas? 🎄📱
I’d say that it really depends on how bearable your family is. (Wired $)
+ There still isn’t much evidence to back up claims that social media is bad for teens. (NBC)
9 AI astrology is getting out of hand
It’s all fun and games until it starts instructing people to ditch things they find healthy and useful. (The Atlantic $)
10 Taylor Swift fans literally rocked the Earth
People danced so enthusiastically at her gig in Seattle that it was picked up by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. (The Economist $)
Quote of the day
—Right-wing US podcaster Tim Pool expresses his annoyance at the fact that Elon Musk’s ‘anti-woke’ AI chatbot seems to express just as left-leaning views as any of its rivals.
The big story
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