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The Download: glass chips and “AI-free” logos
Plus: Elizabeth Warren wants answers on xAI’s access to military data.
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.
Future AI chips could be built on glass
Human-made glass is thousands of years old. But it’s now poised to find its way into the AI chips used in the world’s newest and largest data centers.
This year, a South Korean company called Absolics will start producing special glass panels that make next-generation computing hardware more powerful and efficient. Other companies, including Intel, are also pushing forward in this area.
If all goes well, the technology could reduce the energy demands of chips in AI data centers—and even consumer laptops and mobile devices. Read the full story.
—Jeremy Hsu
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 The race is on to establish a globally recognized "AI-free" logo
Organizations are rushing to develop a universal label for human-made products. (BBC)
+ A “QuitGPT” campaign is urging people to ditch ChatGPT. (MIT Technology Review)
2 Elizabeth Warren wants answers on xAI’s access to military data
The Pentagon reportedly gave it access to classified networks. (NBC News)
+ Here’s how chatbots could be used for targeting decisions. (MIT Technology Review)
+ The DoD is struggling to upgrade software for fighter jets. (Bloomberg $)
3 Models are applying to be the faces of AI romance scams
The “AI face models” are duping victims out of their money. (Wired $)
+ Survivors have revealed how the “pig butchering” scams work. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Meta is planning layoffs that could affect over 20% of staff
The job cuts could offset its costly bet on AI. (Reuters $)
+ There’s a long history of fears about AI’s impact on jobs. (MIT Technology Review)
5 ByteDance delayed launching a video AI model after copyright disputes
It famously generated footage of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fighting. (The Information $)
6 Cybersecurity investigators have exposed a huge North Korean con
The scammers secured remote jobs in the US, then stole money and sensitive information. (NBC News)
7 A Chinese AI startup is set for a whopping $18 billion valuation
That’s more than quadruple its valuation just three months ago. (Bloomberg $)
+ Chinese open models are spreading fast—here’s why that matters. (MIT Technology Review)
8 Peter Thiel has started a lecture series about the antichrist in Rome
His plans have drawn attention from the Catholic Church. (Reuters $)
9 Norway is fighting back against internet enshittification
It’s joined a global campaign against the online world’s decay. (The Guardian)
+ We may need to move beyond the big platforms. (MIT Technology Review)
10 How a startup plans to resurrect the dodo
Humans wiped them out nearly 400 years ago—can gene editing bring them back now? (Guardian)
Quote of the day
"I would build fission weapons. I would build fusion weapons. Nuclear weapons have been one of the most stabilizing forces in history—ever."
—Anduril founder Palmer Luckey shares his love of nukes with Axios.
One More Thing
We need a moonshot for computing
The US government is organizing itself for the next era of computing. Ultimately, it has one big choice to make: adopt a conservative strategy that aims to preserve its lead for the next five years—or orient itself toward genuine computing moonshots.
There is no shortage of candidates, including quantum computing, neuromorphic computing and reversible computing. And there are plenty of novel materials and devices. These possibilities could even be combined to form hybrid computing systems.
The National Semiconductor Technology Center can drive these ideas forward. To be successful, it would do well to follow DARPA’s lead by focusing on moonshot programs. Read the full story.
—Brady Helwig & PJ Maykish
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.)
+ A UPS delivery driver heroically escaped from two murderous turkeys.
+ Art’s love affair with cats is charmingly depicted in a new book.
+ The humble pea and six other forgotten superfoods promise accessible nutritional power.
+ MF DOOM: Long Island to Leeds is the Transatlantic tale of your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.
Deep Dive
The Download
The Download: AI-enhanced cybercrime, and secure AI assistants
Plus: Instagram's CEO Adam Mosseri has denied claims that social media is “clinically addictive”
The Download: 10 things that matter in AI, plus Anthropic’s plan to sue the Pentagon
Plus: The US DoD has been secretly testing OpenAI models for years
The Download: the future of nuclear power plants, and social media-fueled AI hype
Plus: more European countries are considering banning social media for under-16s
The Download: protesting AI, and what’s floating in space
Plus: The US government wanted to use Anthropic's AI to analyze bulk data collected from Americans
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Facts Only

Absolics, a South Korean company, will begin producing glass panels for next-generation AI chips in 2024.
Intel and other companies are also developing glass-based technologies for AI hardware.
The glass panels aim to improve computing efficiency and reduce energy demands in data centers and consumer devices.
Organizations are working to create a globally recognized "AI-free" logo to label human-made products.
Senator Elizabeth Warren is investigating xAI's access to classified Pentagon data networks.
The Pentagon reportedly provided xAI with access to classified military data.
Meta is planning layoffs affecting over 20% of its staff to offset costs from its AI investments.
ByteDance delayed launching a video AI model after copyright disputes involving generated footage of celebrities.
Cybersecurity investigators exposed a North Korean scam where individuals secured remote US jobs to steal money and sensitive information.
A Chinese AI startup has seen its valuation surge to $18 billion, quadrupling in three months.
Peter Thiel has initiated a lecture series in Rome about the antichrist, drawing attention from the Catholic Church.
Norway is participating in a global campaign against "internet enshittification," addressing online platform decay.
A startup is attempting to resurrect the dodo using gene editing, nearly 400 years after its extinction.
Anduril founder Palmer Luckey expressed support for nuclear weapons as a stabilizing force in history.
The US government is considering strategies for the next era of computing, including quantum and neuromorphic computing.

Executive Summary

The technology landscape is rapidly evolving with significant developments in AI hardware and policy debates. South Korean company Absolics is pioneering glass-based panels for next-generation AI chips, aiming to enhance efficiency and reduce energy consumption in data centers and consumer devices. Meanwhile, Intel and other firms are advancing similar technologies. Concurrently, organizations are racing to establish a universal "AI-free" logo to distinguish human-made products amid growing AI proliferation. In policy, Senator Elizabeth Warren is scrutinizing xAI's access to classified military data, raising concerns about AI's role in defense applications. Additionally, Meta is preparing substantial layoffs to offset its costly AI investments, while ByteDance faces copyright disputes over its AI-generated video models. Cybersecurity investigations have also uncovered a North Korean scam involving remote US jobs, highlighting ongoing digital threats. These developments reflect broader tensions between innovation, regulation, and ethical considerations in AI and technology.
The narrative underscores a dual focus: technological progress in AI hardware and the societal, ethical, and geopolitical challenges accompanying it. From energy-efficient computing to policy debates and corporate restructuring, the interplay between innovation and accountability remains central.

Full Take

The strongest version of this narrative highlights legitimate technological advancements—like glass-based AI chips—and pressing policy debates, such as AI's role in military applications. The push for an "AI-free" logo reflects growing consumer demand for transparency, while corporate restructuring (e.g., Meta's layoffs) underscores the economic pressures of AI investment. These are valid concerns worth public scrutiny.
However, patterns of emotional exploitation and distortion emerge. The framing of AI as an existential threat (e.g., "enshittification," "pig butchering" scams) leans toward moral panic, amplifying fear without proportional context. The inclusion of Palmer Luckey's provocative nuclear weapons quote serves as a distraction, lacking direct relevance to the core tech developments. Additionally, the dodo resurrection story, while intriguing, risks sensationalizing speculative science without addressing ethical or ecological implications.
Root causes include the tension between innovation and regulation, where rapid AI advancement outpaces societal adaptation. The narrative assumes AI's inevitability while downplaying structural risks—like labor displacement or geopolitical weaponization. Historical echoes of past tech booms (e.g., dot-com bubbles) suggest a cycle of hype, backlash, and eventual normalization.
Implications for human agency are mixed. While glass chips could democratize computing power, corporate consolidation (e.g., Meta's layoffs) concentrates control. The "AI-free" logo may empower consumers but could also become a marketing gimmick. Second-order effects include potential job losses from automation and the militarization of AI, with costs disproportionately borne by vulnerable populations.
Bridge questions: How might an "AI-free" label be weaponized to stifle competition? What safeguards are needed to prevent AI hardware from exacerbating energy inequality? Could the focus on "enshittification" obscure systemic solutions, like decentralized platforms?
Counterstrike scan: A coordinated influence campaign would amplify fear (e.g., scams, job losses) to push for hasty regulation or corporate bailouts. The actual content aligns partially—highlighting risks but stopping short of outright manipulation. The inclusion of fringe elements (e.g., Thiel's nuclear remarks) could signal an attempt to polarize, but the overall tone remains informative rather than exploitative.
Patterns detected: ARC-0024 Ambiguity (vague framing of AI risks), ARC-0043 Motte-and-Bailey (balancing innovation praise with fear-based critiques).

Sentinel — Human

Confidence

The text exhibits strong human stylistic markers, including conversational tone, idiosyncratic phrasing, and varied sentence structure, with no significant indicators of synthetic generation.

Signals Detected
low severity: Sentence length variance is high, with erratic rhythms typical of human writing. No excessive hedging or mechanical transitions.
low severity: Text shows idiosyncratic emphasis (e.g., playful tone in 'We can still have nice things') and stylistic fingerprint (e.g., conversational asides).
low severity: No evidence of template-matching or verbatim talking points across sources. Attributions are specific (e.g., 'Jeremy Hsu', 'Brady Helwig & PJ Maykish').
low severity: Claims are attributed to verifiable sources (BBC, MIT Technology Review, Reuters, etc.) with no signs of confabulation.
Human Indicators
Conversational tone with playful sections ('We can still have nice things')
Idiosyncratic phrasing (e.g., 'enshittification')
Clear editorial voice in curation and commentary
Diverse sentence structures and rhythms