Why materials science is key to unlocking the next frontier of AI development

December 12, 2024
The Intel 4004, the first commercial microprocessor, was released in 1971. With 2,300 transistors packed into 12mm2, it heralded a revolution in computing. A little over 50 years later, Apple’s M2 Ultra contains 134 billion transistors. The scale of progress is difficult to comprehend, but the evolution of semiconductors, driven for decades by Moore’s Law,…

The Download: Google’s Project Astra, and China’s export bans

December 12, 2024
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. Google’s new Project Astra could be generative AI’s killer app Google DeepMind has announced an impressive grab bag of new products and prototypes that may just let it seize back its lead in…

China banned exports of a few rare minerals to the US. Things could get messier.

December 12, 2024
This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. I’ve thought more about gallium and germanium over the last week than I ever have before (and probably more than anyone ever should). As you may already know, China banned the export…