This is today’s editiondownload,Our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s happening in the world of technology.
The man who made India digital has not been made yet
Nandan Nilekani can’t stop trying to push India into the future. He initiated an ongoing experiment in technological state capacity nearly 30 years ago, starting with Aadhaar, the world’s largest digital identity system.
Using Aadhaar as a foundation, Nilekani and the people he worked with created a vast collection of free, interoperating online tools that are nothing less than a digital infrastructure for society, covering government services, banking and health care. They offer convenience and accessibility that would be eye-catching in countries one-tenth the size of India.
Nilekani should be retired at the age of 70. But he has some other ideas. Read our profile to find out what he wants next.
-Ed Gent
Fetal scoring is gradually becoming more mainstream
Many Americans agree that screening fetuses for serious genetic diseases is acceptable. Very few people say that it is okay to test characteristics related to the appearance, behavior or intelligence of a future child. But some startups are now offering advertising, which they claim is one way to do just that.
This new type of test—which can cost up to $50,000—is incredibly controversial. Nevertheless, the practice has become popular in Silicon Valley, and it is becoming widely available to everyone. Read the full story.
-Julia Black
embryo scoring One of our 10 Breakthrough Technologies this year. See what else is included in the listAnd scroll down to vote for the technology you think deserves the 11th spot.
Five AI predictions for 2026
What will surprise us most about AI in 2026?
Tune in today at 12.30pm to hear me, our senior AI editor Will Douglas Haven and senior AI reporter James O’Donnell discuss our “5 AI Predictions for 2026.” This special LinkedIn Live event will explore the trends that are set to transform the next twelve months of AI. The conversation will also offer the first glimpse of MTechAI 2026, MIT Technology Review’s longest-running AI event for business leadership. Sign up to join us later today!
Must read
I’ve scoured the internet to find you today’s funniest/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Europe is trying to build its own DeepSeek
This has been a goal for some time, but American hostility is making those efforts more urgent. (wired$)
+Many Europeans want to stay away from American technology. This is easy to say but not easy to do.(new scientists$)
+DeepSeek has found a new way to improve AI’s ability to remember.(MIT Technology Review$)
2 Ship-tracking data shows China creating massive temporary blockages
The maneuvers show that Beijing can now rapidly mobilize large numbers of boats into disputed waters. (NYT$)
+Quantum navigation could solve military’s GPS jamming problem. (MIT Technology Review)
3 IMF says AI bubble risks disrupting the global economy
But it’s hard to see anyone applying the brakes in the near future. (foot$)
+British politicians say AI risks are causing ‘serious harm’ to Britain. (Guardian)
+What is AI bubble?(MIT Technology Review)
4 Cryptocurrencies Are Expiring in Record Numbers
In the age of outright joke coins and pump and dump scams, this is certainly a good thing. (gizmodo)
+President Trump has pardoned numerous people who have committed financial crimes.(nbc)
5Threads now has more global daily mobile users than X
And Bluesky, a once-popular option, barely even charts. (forbes)
6 UK is considering banning people under 16 from social media
Just weeks after a similar ban was implemented in Australia. (BBC)
7 You May Find Yourself Annoyed by AI Coding Agents
They can be set to make experienced programmers busier than ever. (Ars Technica)
+Why Anthropic’s Cloud Code is taking the AI world by storm?(WSJ$)
+AI coding is everywhere now. But not everyone is convinced.(MIT Technology Review)
8 Some tech billionaires are leaving California
However, that’s not the case – Nvidia and the founders of Airbnb say they’ll stay and pay the 5% property tax. (WP$)
+Tech owners’ support for Trump is proving beneficial for him in a big way.(foot$)
9 Matt Damon says Netflix asks directors to repeat movie plots
To accommodate everyone using your phone. (NME)
10 Why are more people becoming analog in 2026?
Crafting, reading, and other screen-free hobbies are on the rise. (cnn)
+Dumbphones are also becoming popular—but it’s worth seriously considering before making the switch.(wired$)
today’s thought
‘This may sound like American chauvinism…and it is. “We are done apologizing about this.”
-Trump appointee Thomas Daines, who heads the US Arctic Research Commission, explains foot His boss is very serious about acquiring Greenland.
one more thing
Inside the fierce, messy fight over “healthy” Chinese technology
On the outskirts of Charlottesville, Virginia, a new kind of sugar factory is taking shape. This feature is being developed by a startup called Bonumoz. It uses a processed corn product called maltodextrin which is found in many junk foods and is calorically similar to table sugar (sucrose).
But for Bonumoz, maltodextrin isn’t an ingredient – it’s a raw material. When it is put into the company’s bioreactor, what comes out is tagatose. Found naturally in small amounts in fruits, some grains, and milk, it is almost as sweet as sucrose, but apparently has about half the calories and a wide range of health benefits.
Bonumoz’s process originated in a company spun out of the Virginia Tech lab of Yi-Heng “Percival” Zhang. When? MIT Technology Review Zhang spoke to him as he sat alone in an empty laboratory in Tianjin, China, after serving a two-year sentence of supervised release in Virginia for conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, making false statements and obstruction of justice. If sugar is the new oil, the global fight to control it has already begun. Read the full story.
-Mark Harris
we can still have good things
A place of relaxation, fun and distractions to brighten your day. (Any ideas? drop me a line Or make them sneak up on me.)
+ Paul Mescal just keeps getting Coolant.
+ Make this a year of calm with these evidence-backed suggestions. ($)
+ I can confirm this Lumi Wake-up Lamp Really worth it (and no one paid me to say this!).
+Green Day’s bassist Mike Dirnt has some real gems favorite album List.
