The Download: China’s EV to humanoid robot pivot, and voice clone censorship

1 day ago admin

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. China’s electric vehicle giants are betting big on humanoid robots As the electric-vehicle war in China calms down, leaving a few established players to dominate the field, Chinese EV giants are expanding into…

2 We’re trying to get AI to run before it can walk
AI agents aren’t really ready yet. But the logic of competition means they’re being unleashed anyway. (Vox $)
+ A lot of people will try using AI agents for the first time this year. (IEEE Spectrum)
+ Anthropic’s chief scientist on 4 ways agents will be even better in 2025. (MIT Technology Review)

3 TikTok is back on Apple and Google app stores in the US
After a nearly month-long standoff since a law banning the app took effect. (NPR)

4 Anthropic is getting ready to release a new AI model
It’s using a different approach to others, combining the ability to reason and execute simpler tasks in one go. (The Information $)
+ Why OpenAI’s reasoning model is such a big deal. (MIT Technology Review)

5 The DOGE website has been defaced
Because, rather than using government servers, it pulls from an insecure database that anyone can edit. (The Verge)
+ The DOGE team is heading to NASA next. (Business Insider $)
+ DOGE staffers might need a crash course in COBOL. (Fast Company)

6 It’s only a matter of time until there’s a Starlink catastrophe
Scientists warn we’re not doing enough to mitigate collisions or environmental issues. (CNET)
+ Bolivians are illegally smuggling in Starlink. (Rest of World)
+ How Antarctica’s history of isolation is ending—thanks to Starlink. (MIT Technology Review)

7 Apple is mysteriously teasing a new product
We’ll find out what it is next Wednesday. (Engadget)

8 You can no longer review the Gulf of America on Google Maps
Apparently Google can’t handle even a tiny bit of criticism. (BBC)

9 How a computer that ‘drunk dials’ videos is exposing YouTube’s secrets
It’s 20 years old, and used by over a third of the world, but we know remarkably little about it. (BBC Future)

10 Generate some AI music for your lover this Valentine’s Day 🎵😘
No skills needed. (The Conversation $)

Quote of the day

“I want you to shush your mouth.”

—One of many bonkers things Elon Musk’s 4-year-old child named X Æ A-Xii seems to have said to President Trump during their appearance in the Oval Office this week, Gizmodo reports.