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…

Cybersecurity’s global alarm system is breaking down

July 11, 2025
Every day, billions of people trust digital systems to run everything from communication to commerce to critical infrastructure. But the global early warning system that alerts security teams to dangerous software flaws is showing critical gaps in coverage—and most users have no idea their digital lives are likely becoming more vulnerable. Over the past eighteen…

The first babies have been born following “simplified” IVF in a mobile lab

July 11, 2025
This week I’m sending congratulations to two sets of parents in South Africa. Babies Milayah and Rossouw arrived a few weeks ago. All babies are special, but these two set a new precedent. They’re the first to be born following “simplified” IVF performed in a mobile lab. This new mobile lab is essentially a trailer…

Grok 4 seems to consult Elon Musk to answer controversial questions

July 11, 2025
During xAI’s launch of Grok 4 on Wednesday night, Elon Musk said — while live-streaming the event on his social media platform, X — that his AI company’s ultimate goal was to develop a “maximally truth-seeking AI.” But where exactly does Grok 4 seek out the truth when trying to answer controversial questions? The newest […]