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Defense official says Pentagon plans to train AI companies on classified data
MIT Technology Review has revealed that the Pentagon is planning to set up secure environments for generative AI companies to train military-specific versions of their models on classified data.
AI models like Anthropix Cloud are already used to answer questions in classified settings, including analyzing targets in Iran. But allowing them to train and learn from classified data is a major new development that presents unique security risks.
It would embed sensitive intelligence—such as surveillance reports or battlefield assessments—into the model itself. This will bring AI firms closer to classified data than ever before. Read the full story.
-James O’Donnell
What do new nuclear reactors mean for waste?
The way the world is currently dealing with nuclear waste is as creative as it is diverse: sink it in ponds of water, wrap it in steel, bury it hundreds of meters underground. But the coming wave of new reactors could present new challenges for nuclear waste management.
New designs and materials may require some engineering solutions. And there’s a huge range of them coming, which means there’s an equally wide range of potential waste types to handle. Read the full story.
-Casey Crownheart
itStoryThis is part of our MIT Technology Review Explains series, which unravels the complex, messy world of technology and shows you what’s coming next. View the entire seriesHere.
MIT Technology Review Described: How Unmanned Narco Subs Could Change the Colombian Drug Trade
For decades, handmade narco subs have been one of the most elusive and productive workhorses of the cocaine trade, transporting tons of the drug from Colombia to the rest of the world.
Now off-the-shelf technology—Starlink terminals, plug-and-play nautical autopilots, high-resolution video cameras—can advance that cat-and-mouse game to a new stage.
Uncrewed submarines can carry more cocaine over longer distances, and they won’t put human smugglers at risk of being caught. Law enforcement agencies are just beginning to grapple with the consequences.
-Eduardo Echeverri Lopez
This is our latestStoryThis will be turned into the MIT Technology Review Narrated Podcast, which we’ll be publishing every weekspotifyAndapple podcasts. Simply navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on any platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it’s released.
Must read
1 Nvidia joins the OpenClaw craze with the launch of NemoClaw
This AI agent is adding privacy and security to the platform. (business insider)
+ Chinese AI stocks surged on this news.(bloomberg$)
+ Nvidia has also won Beijing’s approval to sell H200 chips.(reuters)
+ Tech-savvy “tinkerers” are taking advantage of China’s OpenGL craze.(MIT Technology Review)
2 Microsoft considering legal action over Amazon-OpenAI cloud deal
Citing a possible breach of their exclusive partnership. (foot$)
3 The Pentagon wants to mass produce the drones it used to attack Iran
The kamikaze drone named Lucas is a copy of Iran’s Shaheed UAV. (WSJ$)
+ Martyrs have proven highly effective in conflict.(nbc news)
+ AI is turning war into theater.(MIT Technology Review)
4 US officials say Anthropic cannot be trusted with combat systems
They want to exclude AI companies from all government agencies. (wired$)
+ OpenAI has taken advantage of the controversy.(MIT Technology Review)
+ Here’s how GenAI can be used in attacks.(MIT Technology Review)
5 China is punishing people linked to Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of Manus
This is being seen as an attempt to prevent Chinese AI leaders from moving. (NYT)
DeepSeek appears to be quietly testing next-generation AI models
The official launch of the new system may happen soon. (reuters)
+DeepSeek breaks the AI playbook.(MIT Technology Review)
7 Meta is ending VR access to Horizon Worlds in June
It was META’s flagship metaverse project. (Engadget)
+ and became notorious for sexual harassment.(MIT Technology Review)
8 “Sensorviolence” is turning consumer tech into a tracking tool for police
It’s turning our most personal devices into digital informants. (ieee spectrum)
+ In the age of surveillance capitalism, we need to rethink privacy.(MIT Technology Review)
9 Two landmark lawsuits could change social media for the better
They target the dangers that platforms pose to children. (new scientists)
10 A DNA discovery suggests humanity may have been seeded from space
An asteroid may have delivered the ingredients for life to Earth. (404 media)
today’s thought
“It is now the largest, most popular, most successful open-source project in the history of humanity. It is surely the next ChatGPT.”
-Nvidia CEO explainscnbcWhy OpenClaw is a big step forward for AI?
one more thing
How the Pentagon is adopting China’s technological advances
It has been just over a year since Kathleen Hicks left the post of US Deputy Secretary of Defense.
As the highest-ranking woman in Pentagon history, Hicks shaped U.S. military posture through an era defined by renewed competition among powerful nations and a race to modernize defense technology.
In this conversation with MIT Technology Review, Hicks reflects on how the Pentagon is adapting—or failing to adapt—to the new era of geopolitical competition. She discusses China’s technological advances, the future of AI in warfare, and her signature initiative: Replicators. Read the full story.
-Cawei Chen
we can still have good things
A place of relaxation, fun and distractions to brighten your day. (Any ideas?drop me a line.)
+ Give your typing a smooth tempo by turning your keyboard into a piano withnew equipment.
+ Barry’s limit pointIt is a fascinating photographic journey through the lines that divide us.
+ Set your sights on thesefive architectural contendersFor “a new wonder of the world”.
+ this ancient rome cosplay gameLetting you live your best gladiator life.
