May 21, 2026

Roundtables: Can AI Learn to Understand the World?

Listen to the session or watch below AI companies want to build systems that understand the external world and overcome the limitations of LLMs. Recent developments have brought world models to the forefront of the AI discussion. Watch a conversation with editor in chief Mat Honan, senior AI editor Will Douglas Heaven, and AI reporter…

The Download: online safety’s future and climate tech’s big pivot

May 21, 2026
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. Tech researchers are suing the Trump administration over the future of online safety For months, the Trump administration has been going after researchers who study and try to counter hate speech,…

Climate tech companies are pivoting to critical minerals

May 21, 2026
We’re over a year into the second Trump administration here in the US, and support for climate causes is weak. But climate tech companies are finding ways to survive and even thrive in this new environment, including by focusing on potential benefits outside decarbonization. Suddenly, it feels like every climate tech company has a story…

Tech researchers are suing the Trump administration over the future of online safety

May 21, 2026
Since its earliest days back in office, the Trump administration has been going after researchers who study and try to counter hate speech, harassment, propaganda, and disinformation online.  Now, some of those researchers are fighting back. Last week their lawsuit—which could have global repercussions for online safety and free speech—made its first appearance in court. …