The Download: open model trade-offs and geothermal power’s promise
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. Open models have real benefits. Do they outweigh the risks? Anthropic recently released a report arguing that a powerful new model released…
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I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 A cyberattack overheated fridges at hundreds of French supermarkets Temperatures rose to 120°F, spoiling food and sparking fires. ( BBC ) + The attack has sparked alarm about cyber threats to food security. ( FT $) + It joins a recent wave of cyberattacks and cybercrimes. ( CNBC ) + AI is exacerbating the threats. ( MIT Technology Review )
2 Meta has launched a bunch of new AI models It hopes the models, built for complex, multi-step tasks, will rival OpenAI’s and Anthropic’s.( BI ) + They scored well on tests of reasoning, writing, and coding. ( NYT $) + Mark Zuckerberg says they bring Meta to the “frontier” of AI. ( FT $) + And will soon power the Muse agent. ( Verge )
3 Anthropic warns that AI models may soon self-replicate across devices Without even requiring access to data centers. ( Reuters $) + It says models could spread through smart TVs and appliances. ( CNBC ) + We’re putting too much faith in AI saying no. ( MIT Technology Review )
4 Police have a new AI tool that finds homes from interior photos It can match single pictures to Airbnb and Zillow listings. ( 404 Media ) + Police-tech giant Flock is tightening its rules. ( MIT Technology Review )
5 The world’s first utility-scale enhanced geothermal plant is online Fervo Energy’s Utah facility will supply carbon-free electricity. ( IEEE ) + AI is uncovering hidden geothermal resources. ( MIT Technology Review )
