July 21, 2025

The Download: how your data is being used to train AI, and why chatbots aren’t doctors

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. A major AI training data set contains millions of examples of personal data Millions of images of passports, credit cards, birth certificates, and other documents containing personally identifiable information are likely included in…

AI companies have stopped warning you that their chatbots aren’t doctors

July 21, 2025
AI companies have now mostly abandoned the once-standard practice of including medical disclaimers and warnings in response to health questions, new research has found. In fact, many leading AI models will now not only answer health questions but even ask follow-ups and attempt a diagnosis. Such disclaimers serve an important reminder to people asking AI…

Astronomer CEO resigns following Coldplay concert scandal

July 19, 2025
Andy Byron, the startup executive at the center of an extraordinary social media furor, has resigned as CEO of data operations startup Astronomer.  Byron, who is married, was captured on a Coldplay concert “kiss cam” with his arms around the company’s chief people officer Kristin Cabot. After Byron and Cabot quickly tried to hide from […]

David Sacks and the blurred lines of government service

July 19, 2025
When Vultron announced its $22 million funding round earlier this week, the AI startup made sure to highlight a key investor: Craft Ventures, the firm “co-founded by White House AI adviser David Sacks.” The announcement has raised questions about conflicts of interest in the Trump administration, where Sacks serves as both AI and crypto czar […]