The Download: Congress’s AI bills, and Snap’s new AR spectacles
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.
There are more than 120 AI bills in Congress right now
More than 120 bills related to regulating artificial intelligence are currently floating around the US Congress. This flood of bills is indicative of the desperation Congress feels to keep up with the rapid pace of technological improvements.
Because of the way Congress works, the majority of these bills will never make it into law. But simply taking a look at them all can give us insight into policymakers’ current preoccupations: where they think the dangers are, what each party is focusing on, and more broadly, what vision the US is pursuing when it comes to AI and how it should be regulated.
That’s why, with help from the Brennan Center for Justice, we’ve created a tracker with all the AI bills circulating in various committees in Congress right now, to see if there’s anything we can learn from this legislative smorgasbord. Read the full story.
—Scott J Mulligan
Here’s what I made of Snap’s new augmented-reality Spectacles
Snap has announced a new version of its Spectacles: AR glasses that could finally deliver on the promises that devices like Magic Leap, or HoloLens, or even Google Glass, made many years ago.
Our editor-in-chief Mat Honan got to try them out a couple of weeks ago. He found they packed a pretty impressive punch layering visual information and applications directly on their see-through lenses, making objects appear as if they are in the real world—if you don’t mind looking a little goofy, that is. Read Mat’s full thoughts here.
Google is funding an AI-powered satellite constellation that will spot wildfires faster
What’s happening: Early next year, Google and its partners plan to launch the first in a series of satellites that together would provide close-up, frequently refreshed images of wildfires around the world, offering data that could help firefighters battle blazes more rapidly, effectively, and safely.
Why it matters: The images and analysis will be provided free to fire agencies around the world, helping to improve understanding of where fires are, where they’re moving, and how hot they’re burning. The information could help agencies stamp out small fires before they turn into raging infernos, place limited firefighting resources where they’ll do the most good, and evacuate people along the safest paths. Read the full story.
—James Temple
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 California has passed three election deepfake laws
But only one will take effect in time for the presidential election in November. (NYT $)
+ The bills also protect actors from AI impersonation without their consent. (WP $)
2 How did thousands of Hezbollah pagers explode simultaneously?
The devices were probably intercepted by hackers during shipment. (WSJ $)
+ Here’s everything we know about the attack so far. (Vox)
+ Small lithium batteries alone don’t tend to cause this much damage. (404 Media)
+ Exploding comms devices are nothing new. (FT $)
3 Instagram has introduced new accounts specifically for teens
In response to increasing pressure over Meta’s minor protection policies. (BBC)
+ Parents will be given greater control over their activities. (The Guardian)
+ Here’s how to set up the new restricted accounts. (WP $)
4 Google has won its bid to overturn a €1.5 billion fine from the EU
But the court said it stands by the majority of the previous findings. (CNBC)
+ But the ruling can still be appealed in the Court of Justice. (Bloomberg $)
+ Meanwhile, Meta’s antitrust woes are escalating. (FT $)
5 SpaceX has been accused of breaking launch rules
And the US Federal Aviation Administration wants to slap it with a hefty fine. (WP $)
6 Electric cars now outnumber petrol cars in Norway
It’s particularly impressive given the country’s history as an oil producer. (The Guardian)
+ Why full EVs, not hybrids, are the future. (Economist $)
+ Three frequently asked questions about EVs, answered. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Our understanding of the universe is still up in the air
What looked like a breakthrough in physics actually might not be at all. (New Scientist $)
+ Why is the universe so complex and beautiful? (MIT Technology Review)
8 Tech’s middle managers are having a tough time
They’re losing their jobs left, right and center. (Insider $)
9 YouTube astrology is booming in Pakistan
Amid economic and political turmoil, Pakistanis are seeking answers in the stars. (Rest of World)
10 Not everything bad is AI-generated
But what’s AI-generated is often bad. (NY Mag $)
Quote of the day
“I’d rather go back to school than work in an office again.”
—CJ Felli, a system development engineer for Amazon Web Services, is not happy about the company’s back-to-the-office directive, Quartz reports.
The big story
What’s next for the world’s fastest supercomputers
September 2023
When the Frontier supercomputer came online last year, it marked the dawn of so-called exascale computing, with machines that can execute an exaflop—or a quintillion (1018) floating point operations a second.
Since then, scientists have geared up to make more of these blazingly fast computers: several exascale machines are due to come online in the US and Europe in 2024.
But speed itself isn’t the endgame. Researchers hope to pursue previously unanswerable questions about nature—and to design new technologies in areas from transportation to medicine. Read the full story.
—Sophia Chen
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ These Ocean Photographer of the Year winning images are simply stunning 
($)
+ Here’s where you’ll have the best chance of finding a fossilized shark tooth in the US.
+ Vans are back in style, as if they ever went out of it.
+ Potatoes are great every which way, but here’s how long to boil them for that perfect al dente bite.
