Technology

Finding return on AI investments across industries

October 28, 2025
The market is officially three years post ChatGPT and many of the pundit bylines have shifted to using terms like “bubble” to suggest reasons behind generative AI not realizing material returns outside a handful of technology suppliers.  In September, the MIT NANDA report made waves because the soundbite every author and influencer picked up on…

The Download: Microsoft’s stance on erotic AI, and an AI hype mystery

October 28, 2025
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. “We will never build a sex robot,” says Mustafa Suleyman Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, is trying to walk a fine line. On the one hand, he thinks that the industry is…

“We will never build a sex robot,” says Mustafa Suleyman

October 28, 2025
Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, is trying to walk a fine line. On the one hand, he thinks that the industry is taking AI in a dangerous direction by building chatbots that present as human: He worries that people will be tricked into seeing life instead of lifelike behavior. In August, he published a…

An AI adoption riddle

October 28, 2025
A few weeks ago, I set out on what I thought would be a straightforward reporting journey.  After years of momentum for AI—even if you didn’t think it would be good for the world, you probably thought it was powerful enough to take seriously—hype for the technology had been slightly punctured. First there was the…

Robotaxi companies must do more to prove safety, Waymo co-CEO says

October 27, 2025
Waymo co-CEO Takedra Mawakana urged rival autonomous vehicle companies to be more transparent about their safety data during an interview at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. She said that companies removing human drivers from vehicles have a responsibility to prove their technology makes roads safer.

I tried OpenAI’s new Atlas browser but I still don’t know what it’s for

October 27, 2025
OpenAI rolled out a new web browser last week called Atlas. It comes with ChatGPT built in, along with an agent, so that you can browse, get direct answers, and have automated tasks performed on your behalf all at the same time.  I’ve spent the past several days tinkering with Atlas. I’ve used it to…

Stand Up for Research, Innovation, and Education

October 24, 2025
Right now, MIT alumni and friends are voicing their support for: America’s scientific and technological leadership Merit-based admissions and affordable education Advances that increase US health, security, and prosperity Our community is standing up for MIT and its mission to serve the nation and the world. And we need you to join us at this…

The Download: carbon removal’s future, and measuring pain using an app

October 24, 2025
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. What’s next for carbon removal? After years of growth that spawned hundreds of startups, the nascent carbon removal sector appears to be facing a reckoning. Running Tide, a promising aquaculture company, shut down…