The Download: Quantum computing for health, and why the world doesn’t recycle more nuclear waste
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 $5 million prize awaits proof that quantum computers can solve health care problems In a laboratory on the outskirts of Oxford, a quantum computer built from at
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.
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 b
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
AI’s ‘boys’ club’ could widen the wealth gap for women, says Rana el Kaliouby
AI investor Rana el Kaliouby warns that if women are shut out of AI funding and leadership, the consequences will be grim.
OpenAI expands government footprint with AWS deal, report says
OpenAI has reportedly signed a partnership with AWS to sell its AI systems to the U.S. government for classified and unclassified work, marking an expansion beyond its Pentagon deal last month.
Google’s Personal Intelligence feature is expanding to all US users
Personal Intelligence allows Google's AI assistant to tap into your Google ecosystem, such as Gmail and Google Photos, to provide more tailored responses.
BuzzFeed debuts AI slop apps in bid for new revenue
BuzzFeed unveiled new AI-powered social apps at SXSW, but its demos drew muted reactions.
The Pentagon is developing alternatives to Anthropic, report says
After their dramatic falling-out, it doesn't seem as though Anthropic and the Pentagon are getting back together.
Why Garry Tan’s Claude Code setup has gotten so much love, and hate
Thousands of people are trying Garry Tan's Claude Code setup, which was shared on GitHub. And everyone has an opinion: even Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini.
Mistral bets on ‘build-your-own AI’ as it takes on OpenAI, Anthropic in the enterprise
Mistral Forge lets enterprises train custom AI models from scratch on their own data, challenging rivals that rely on fine-tuning and retrieval-based approaches.
DOD says Anthropic’s ‘red lines’ make it an ‘unacceptable risk to national security’
The Defense Department said concerns that Anthropic might "attempt to disable its technology" during "warfighting operations" validate its decision to label the AI firm a supply-chain risk.
The PhD students who became the judges of the AI industry
Artificial intelligence models are multiplying fast, and competition is stiff. With so many players crowding the space, which one will be the best — and who decides that? Arena, formerly LM Arena, has emerged as the de facto public leaderboard for frontier LLMs, influencing funding, launches, and PR
Microsoft hires the team of Sequoia-backed AI collaboration platform, Cove
AI collaboration startup Cove is shutting down after its team joined Microsoft, with service ending April 1 and customer data set for deletion.
Sequen snags $16M to bring TikTok-style personalization tech to any consumer company
With its Series A, Sequen is bringing its proprietary AI ranking and personalization technology to large consumer business.
This startup wants to make enterprise software look more like a prompt
The company has raised $12 million in seed funding to build an AI operating system for enterprise.
The leaderboard “you can’t game,” funded by the companies it ranks
Artificial intelligence models are multiplying fast, and competition is stiff. With so many players crowding the space, which one will be the best — and who decides that? Arena, formerly LM Arena, has emerged as the de facto public leaderboard for frontier LLMs, influencing funding, launches, and PR
The Gemini-powered features in Google Workspace that are worth using
From summarizing emails, drafting content, organizing data, and tracking meetings, here are all the best Gemini features in Google Workspace.
Rebel Audio is a new AI podcasting tool aimed at first-time creators
Rebel Audio is a new all-in-one podcasting tool that allows creators to record podcasts, edit, clip content for social, and publish episodes, all without ever leaving the platform.
Patreon CEO calls AI companies’ fair use argument ‘bogus,’ says creators should be paid
Patreon CEO Jack Conte says AI companies should pay creators for training data, arguing their fair use defense falls apart when they license content from major publishers.