The Download: police AI, and mixed reality’s future

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.

How the largest gathering of US police chiefs is talking about AI

—James O’Donnell

The International Association of Chiefs of Police bills itself as the largest gathering of its type in the United States. Leaders from many of the country’s 18,000 police departments and even some from abroad convene for product demos, discussions, parties, and awards. 

I went along last month to see how artificial intelligence was being discussed, and the message to police chiefs seemed crystal clear: If your department is slow to adopt AI, fix that now. From the expo hall, talks, and interviews, it seems they’re already enthusiastically heeding the call. Read the full story.

This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly AI newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday.

Roundtables: What’s Next for Mixed Reality: Glasses, Goggles, and More

After years of trying, augmented-reality specs are at last a thing. 

If you want to learn more about where AR experiences are heading, join our editor-in-chief Mat Honan and AI hardware reporter James O’Donnell for a Roundtables conversation streamed online at 2pm ET/11am PT today. It’s for subscribers only but good news: this week our subscriptions are half price. Don’t miss out! 

Read more about mixed reality:

+ We interviewed Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus, about his plans to bring mixed-reality goggles to soldiers. Here’s what he had to say.

+  The coolest thing about smart glasses is not the AR. It’s the AI.

+ Snap has launched new augmented-reality Spectacles. Here’s what we made of them. 

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 The FBI is investigating threats texted to Latino and LGBTQ+ people 
They claim recipients will be deported or sent to a re-education camp. (WP $)
+  ICE can already sidestep sanctuary city laws through data-sharing centers. (Wired $)
+ Trump has confirmed he plans to use the military for mass deportations. (NYT $)

2 Chinese tech groups are building AI teams in Silicon Valley 
Despite Washington’s best efforts to stymie their work. (FT $)
+ How a US ban on investing in Chinese startups could escalate under Trump. (Wired $)

3 How Apple will cope with looming tariffs 
The fact CEO Tim Cook already has a relationship with Trump will surely help. (Bloomberg $)

4 Two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea have been disrupted 
It looks like Russia is trying to interfere with global undersea infrastructure. (CNN)
+ A Russian spy ship had to be escorted out of the Irish Sea last weekend too. (The Guardian)

5 An AI tool could help solve math problems humans are stuck on
It’s a good example of how blending human and machine intelligence can produce positive results. (New Scientist $)
+ This AI system makes human tutors better at teaching children math. (MIT Technology Review)

6 Robots still struggle to match warehouse workers on some tasks
For all the advances robots have made, picking things up and moving them around remains a big challenge. (NYT $)
+ AI is poised to automate today’s most mundane manual warehouse task. (MIT Technology Review)

7 Perplexity’s AI search engine can now buy stuff for you
How long until Google follows? (The Verge)

8 Dozens of states are begging Congress to pass the kids online safety act
It has currently stalled in the House of Representatives due to censorship concerns. (The Verge)
+ Roblox is adding more controls to let parents set daily usage limits, block access to certain game genres, and more. (WSJ $)
+ Why child safety bills are popping up all over the US

9 The US Patent and Trademark Office banned staff from using generative AI
It cited security concerns plus the fact some tools exhibit “bias, unpredictability, and malicious behavior.” (Wired $)

10 NASA might have killed life on Mars 
A new paper suggests that adding water to Martian soil might have been a bad move. (Quartz $)
+  The ISS has been leaking air for 5 years, and engineers still can’t agree why. (Ars Technica)

Quote of the day

“We are bleeding cash as an industry.” 

—Thomas Laffont, co-founder of investment firm Coatue Management, says venture capital firms are struggling to make money amid a boom in AI investments, the Wall Street Journal reports.

 The big story

How mobile money supercharged Kenya’s sports betting addiction

April 2022

Mobile money has mostly been hugely beneficial for Kenyans. But it has also turbo-charged the country’s sports betting sector.

Experts and public figures across the African continent are sounding the alarm over the growth of the sector increasingly loudly. It’s produced tales of riches, but it has also broken families, consumed college tuitions, and even driven some to suicide. Read the full story.

—Jonathan W. Rosen

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.)

+ I just learned a pertinent word for this season: abscission. 
+ Only some people will get this… but if you’re one of them, you’ll enjoy it. 
+ Why Late of the Pier were one of the most exciting UK bands of the 2000s.
+ Whether you call them crisps or chips, they’re goddamn delicious.