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.
Why we should thank pigeons for our AI breakthroughs
People looking for precursors to artificial intelligence often point to science fiction by authors like Isaac Asimov or thought experiments like the Turing test. But an equally important, if surprising and less appreciated, forerunner is American psychologist B.F. Skinner’s research with pigeons in the middle of the 20th century.
Skinner believed that association—learning, through trial and error, to link an action with a punishment or reward—was the building block of every behavior, not just in pigeons but in all living organisms, including human beings.
His “behaviorist” theories fell out of favor with psychologists and animal researchers in the 1960s but were taken up by computer scientists who eventually provided the foundation for many of the artificial-intelligence tools from leading firms like Google and OpenAI. Read the full story.
—Ben Crair
This story is from our forthcoming print issue, which is all about security. If you haven’t already, subscribe now to receive future issues once they land.
Indigenous knowledge meets artificial intelligence
There is no word for art in most Native American languages. Instead, the closest terms speak not to objecthood but to action and intention. Art is not separate from life; it is ceremony, instruction, design.
A new vanguard of Native artists are building on this principle. They are united not by stereotypical weaving and carving or revanchist critique of Silicon Valley, but through their rejection of extractive data models in favor of relationship-based systems. Read the full story.
—Petala Ironcloud
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Anthropic has a plan to combat harmful chatbot conversations
Its latest AI models now have the ability to cut off a chat as a last resort. (Engadget)
+ But it’s not to protect the user—it’s to protect the model, apparently. (toptechtrends.com/2025/08/16/anthropic-says-some-claude-models-can-now-end-harmful-or-abusive-conversations/”>TechCrunch)
+ The company has also updated its policy to ban the development of weapons. (The Verge)
2 CEOs want their workers to embrace AI
Even if they’re struggling to get to grips with it themselves. (NYT $)
3 How cuts to NASA could damage public health research
Its essential tracking data is under threat. (Undark)
+ 8,000 pregnant women may die because of US aid cuts to reproductive care. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Churning out AI slop videos is a lucrative business
It’s a seriously low-effort, high-reward enterprise. (WP $)
+ Addictive, low-quality soap operas are rife on TikTok, too. (The Guardian)
+ China’s next cultural export could be TikTok-style short soap operas. (MIT Technology Review)
5 Stage-four cancer patients are living for longer
But they’re also facing long, uncertain treatments with ongoing side effects. (WSJ $)
+ Why it’s so hard to use AI to diagnose cancer. (MIT Technology Review)
6 AI is hackers’ most valuable new tool
It’s supercharging criminals who were already extremely proficient. (NBC News)
+ Cyberattacks by AI agents are coming. (MIT Technology Review)
7 A tiny Californian startup now owns Europe’s biggest battery giant
Northvolt’s future looked bright—until it wasn’t. (The Information $)
+ This startup wants to use the Earth as a massive battery. (MIT Technology Review)
8 China is going wild for podcasts
A grassroots movement is highlighting social issues and highly personal stories. (FT $)
9 How to turn seaweed into biofuel
The Gulf of Mexico’s beaches are covered in it—and these entrepreneurs have a plan. (Wired $)
+ The hope and hype of seaweed farming for carbon removal. (MIT Technology Review)
10 The robot Olympics’ athletes fell over a lot
It’s all part of teaching them how to navigate the world more efficiently. (CNN)
+ Some of them were more successful than others. (NYT $)
+ To be more useful, robots need to become lazier. (MIT Technology Review)
Quote of the day
“Pretend-me is doing better than the real me in all the years of social media that I’ve been trying to do this.”
—Tracy Fetter, an artist and occasional stand-up comedian, explains why she has no regrets in allowing her likeness to be used in an AI TikTok avatar to the New York Times.
One more thing
How to fine-tune AI for prosperity
Predictions abound on how the growing list of generative AI models will transform the way we work and organize our lives, providing instant advice on everything from financial investments to where to spend your next vacation.
But for economists, the most critical question around our obsession with AI is how the fledgling technology will (or won’t) boost overall productivity, and if it does, how long it will take. Can the technology lead to renewed prosperity after years of stagnant economic growth? Read the full story.
—David Rotman
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 skeet ’em at me.)
+ The world’s first video rental store is a lot older than you might think.
+ Here’s what all those unread books lying around your home are trying to tell you.
+ Need more energy to get through the day? These foods can help.
+ This wild hamster is just too cute.
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