Nvidia announced three new AI weather tools today. Together, they promise to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts while also making them accessible to more users.
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.
Meet the new biologists treating LLMs like aliens
How large is a large language model? We now coexist with machines so vast and so complicated that nobody quite understands what they are, how they work, or what they can really do—not even the people who build them.
That’s a problem. Even though nobody fully understands how it works—and thus exactly what its limitations might be—hundreds of millions of people now use this technology every day.
To help overcome our ignorance, researchers are studying LLMs as if they were doing biology or neuroscience on vast living creatures—city-size xenomorphs that have appeared in our midst. And they’re discovering that large language models are even weirder than they thought. Read the full story.
—Will Douglas Heaven
This is our latest story to be turned into a MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we publish each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it’s released.
The Italian neurosurgeon Sergio Canavero has been preparing for a surgery that might never happen. His idea? Swap a sick person’s head—or perhaps just the brain—onto a younger, healthier body.
Canavero caused a stir in 2017 when he announced that a team he advised in China had exchanged heads between two corpses. But he never convinced skeptics that his technique could succeed—or to believe his claim that a procedure on a live person was imminent.
Canavero may have withdrawn from the spotlight, but the idea of head transplants isn’t going away. Instead, he says, the concept has recently been getting a fresh look from life-extension enthusiasts and stealth Silicon Valley startups. Read the full story.
—Antonio Regalado
This story is from the latest print issue of MIT Technology Review magazine, which is all about exciting innovations. If you haven’t already, subscribe now to receive future issues once they land.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Big Tech is facing multiple high-profile social media addiction lawsuits Meta, TikTok and YouTube will face parents’ accusations in court this week. (WP $) + It’s the first time they’re defending against these claims before a jury in a court of law. (CNN)
2 Power prices are surging in the world’s largest data center hub Virginia is struggling to meet record demand during a winter storm, partly because of the centers’ electricity demands. (Reuters) + Why these kinds of violent storms are getting harder to forecast. (Vox) + AI is changing the grid. Could it help more than it harms? (MIT Technology Review)
3 TikTok has started collecting even more data on its users Including precise information about their location. (Wired $)
4 ICE-watching groups are successfully fighting DHS efforts to unmask them An anonymous account holder sued to block ICE from identifying them—and won. (Ars Technica)
5 A new wave of AI companies want to use AI to make AI better The AI ouroboros is never-ending. (NYT $) + Is AI really capable of making bona fide scientific advancements? (Undark) + AI trained on AI garbage spits out AI garbage. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Iran is testing a two-tier internet Meaning its current blackout could become permanent. (Rest of World)
7 Don’t believe the humanoid robot hype Even a leading robot maker admits that at best, they’re only half as efficient as humans. (FT $) + Tesla wants to put its Optimus bipedal machine to work in its Austin factory. (Insider) + Why the humanoid workforce is running late. (MIT Technology Review)
8 AI is changing how manufacturers create new products Including thinner chewing gum containers and new body wash odors. (WSJ $) + AI could make better beer. Here’s how. (MIT Technology Review)
9 New Jersey has had enough of e-bikes But will other US states follow its lead? (The Verge)
10 Sci-fi writers are cracking down on AI Human-produced works only, please. (TechCrunch) + San Diego Comic-Con was previously a safe space for AI-generated art. (404 Media) + Generative AI is reshaping South Korea’s webcomics industry. (MIT Technology Review)
Quote of the day
“Choosing American digital technology by default is too easy and must stop.”
—Nicolas Dufourcq, head of French state-owned investment bank Bpifrance, makes his case for why Big European companies should use European-made software as tensions with the US rise, the Wall Street Journal reports.
One more thing
The return of pneumatic tubes
Pneumatic tubes were once touted as something that would revolutionize the world. In science fiction, they were envisioned as a fundamental part of the future—even in dystopias like George Orwell’s 1984, where they help to deliver orders for the main character, Winston Smith, in his job rewriting history to fit the ruling party’s changing narrative.
In real life, the tubes were expected to transform several industries in the late 19th century through the mid-20th. For a while, the United States took up the systems with gusto.
But by the mid to late 20th century, use of the technology had largely fallen by the wayside, and pneumatic tube technology became virtually obsolete. Except in hospitals. Read the full story.
—Vanessa Armstrong
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.)
+ You really can’t beat the humble jacket potato for a cheap, comforting meal. + These tips might help you whenever anxiety strikes. ($) + There are some amazing photos in this year’s Capturing Ecology awards. + You can benefit from meditation any time, anywhere. Give it a go!
Probe follows outcry over use of creepy image generation tool
The European Commission has launched an investigation into X amid concerns that its GenAI model Grok offered users the ability to generate sexually explicit imagery, including sexualized images of children.…
Workers at Tesla's Texas facility were briefed on the plan during a recent town hall, individuals familiar with the meeting told Business Insider. The company intends to train Optimus within the same environment where Tesla builds vehicles, potentially turning one of its largest plants into both a production and learning...
Apple is preparing to demo a rebuilt Siri in late February, ahead of an iOS 26.4 beta next month. The upgrade leans on Gemini, runs on Private Cloud Compute, and targets a spring rollout.
Anbernic’s RG G01 controller integrates a heart rate sensor and display, combining gaming controls with wellness tracking and signaling a new trend in smart gaming accessories.
An origami-inspired haptic ring for VR called OriRing weighs 18 grams and can push back with up to 6.5 N. It senses pressing and sliding forces to render size and stiffness, but it’s still a prototype.
Unlike Android phones, Apple hasn't qute embraced the ridiculous charging speeds that are possible with modern chargers and batteries, but that doesn't mean you can't get into a situation where your iPhone isn't charging as fast as it should.
I learned about TickTick from MKBHD’s 2020 What’s on My Phone video. Since then, it’s been my go-to task manager, and I’ve used it on Linux, Windows, and Android. I like its UI, especially its Windows desktop widget, solid task management features, and well-thought-out notification system.
German performance SUVs are often praised for their powerful engines and composed handling, but they also come with correspondingly high price tags. That’s why one Japanese-built SUV is turning heads in 2026 by delivering performance that feels every bit as sharp and capable, yet at pricing that stays closer to mainstream expectations. It’s a rare blend of driving excitement and value that few rivals can match in the current market.
TL;DR: Live stream Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks for free with a 30-day trial of Prime Video. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Edmonton Oilers face off against the Anaheim Ducks in this week's edition of Monday Night Hockey. It's second meets third from the Pacific Division. We're expecting a huge contest between two star-studded lineups. Expect big performances from the likes of Bouchard and McDavid.
If you want to watch the Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks?
Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks takes place at 8:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 26. This fixture will be played at Rogers Place.
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Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks is available to live stream on Prime Video.
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Europe is probing Elon Musk’s X for failing to take action to prevent the spread of AI-generated sexually explicit images including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), regulators said in a press release. The European Commission’s investigation could result in “further enforcement steps” against X, not long after it levied a $140 million fine against the platform.
“Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation. With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA [Digital Services Act], or whether it treated rights of European citizens — including those of women and children — as collateral damage of its service,” said the Commission’s executive VP, Henna Virkkunen in a statement.
The EU said that it will assess whether X took measures to reduce risks around the dissemination of illegal content when it deployed Grok onto the platform. Those risks include manipulated sexually explicit images including content that may amount to CSAM. “These risks seem to have materialized, exposing citizens in the EU to serious harm,” the Commission stated.
On top of the new inquiry, the EC is also expanding its 2023 investigation of X over its recommendation algorithm and tools used to prevent the spread of illicit content.
The investigation is coming at a delicate time for Europe, which is already in the Trump administration’s crosshairs over its scrutiny of American tech companies. And the EU would also be going up against Musk, who is the owner and has the biggest megaphone on X. After X was hit with a 120 million euro ($140 million fine) for breaching Europe’s Digital Services Act, Musk called the EU “the fourth Reich” and said in a post on X that it should be “abolished.”
In response to the inquiry, X reiterated previous comments it has made about Grok. “We remain committed to making X a safe platform for everyone and continue to have zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, nonconsensual nudity and unwanted sexual content,” a spokesperson told The New York Times.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-eu-is-investigating-grok-and-x-over-potentially-illegal-deepfakes-134506678.html?src=rss
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