Amazon brings Alexa+ to the UK
The company is currently letting users in the U.K. try out Alexa+ for free via an early access program.
The Download: OpenAI is building a fully automated researcher, and a psychedelic trial blind spot
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. OpenAI is throwing everything into building a fully automated researcher OpenAI has a new grand challenge: building an AI researcher—a fully automated agent-based system capable of tackling large, complex problems by…
Uber taps Rivian to build robotaxis in deal worth up to $1.25B
Uber is kicking off the partnership with an initial $300 million investment, while Rivian will provide as many as 50,000 autonomous R2 SUVs.
A $5 million prize awaits proof that quantum computers can solve health care problems
I’m standing in front of a quantum computer built out of atoms and light at the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre on the outskirts of Oxford. On a laboratory table, a complex matrix of mirrors and lenses surrounds a Rubik’s Cube–size cell where 100 cesium atoms are suspended in grid formation by a carefully manipulated…
Inside a $1.1B deal to reshore critical minerals refining
Critical minerals startup Nth Cycle is betting that its modular approach to nickel refining can make the practice viable in the U.S. and Europe.
Why the world doesn’t recycle more nuclear waste
The prospect of making trash useful is always fascinating to me. Whether it’s used batteries, solar panels, or spent nuclear fuel, getting use out of something destined for disposal sounds like a win all around. In nuclear energy, figuring out what to do with waste has always been a challenge, since the material needs to…
Multiverse Computing pushes its compressed AI models into the mainstream
After compressing models from major AI labs including OpenAI, Meta, DeepSeek and Mistral AI, Multiverse Computing has launched both an app that showcases the capabilities of its compressed models and an API that makes them more widely available.
Two Palantir veterans just came out of stealth with $30 million and a Sequoia stamp of approval
The founders are worth paying attention to.
Meta is having trouble with rogue AI agents
A rogue AI agent inadvertently exposed Meta company and user data to engineers who didn’t have permission to see it.
Sam Altman’s thank-you to coders draws the memes
Altman expresses gratitude for people who knew how to write their code from scratch. The internet replies with salty jokes.
Nothing CEO Carl Pei says smartphone apps will disappear as AI agents take their place
Nothing CEO Carl Pei says AI agents will eventually replace apps, shifting smartphones toward systems that understand intent and act on a user’s behalf.