{"id":818011,"date":"2025-01-07T22:12:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T04:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/07\/the-download-how-ai-is-changing-internet-search-and-the-future-of-privacy-in-the-us\/"},"modified":"2025-01-07T22:12:19","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T04:12:19","slug":"the-download-how-ai-is-changing-internet-search-and-the-future-of-privacy-in-the-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/07\/the-download-how-ai-is-changing-internet-search-and-the-future-of-privacy-in-the-us\/","title":{"rendered":"The Download: how AI is changing internet search, and the future of privacy in the US"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Plus: the US has recorded its first human death from bird flu<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n

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This is today’s edition of\u00a0The Download<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology<\/em>.<\/p>\n

AI means the end of internet search as we\u2019ve known it<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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We all know what it means, colloquially, to google something. You pop a few words in a search box and in return get a list of blue links to the most relevant results. Fundamentally, it\u2019s just fetching information that\u2019s already out there on the internet and showing it to you, in a structured way.<\/p>\n

But all that is up for grabs. We are at a new inflection point.<\/p>\n

The biggest change to the way search engines deliver information to us since the 1990s is happening right now. No more keyword searching. Instead, you can ask questions in natural language. And instead of links, you\u2019ll increasingly be met with answers written by generative AI and based on live information from across the internet, delivered the same way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not everyone is excited for the change. Publishers are completely freaked out. And people are also worried about what these new LLM-powered results will mean for our fundamental shared reality. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Mat Honan<\/em><\/p>\n

This story is from the <\/strong>latest print edition<\/strong><\/a> of MIT Technology Review\u2014it\u2019s all about the exciting breakthroughs happening in the world right now. If you don\u2019t already, <\/strong>subscribe<\/strong><\/a> to receive future copies.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What\u2019s next for our privacy?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Every day, we are tracked hundreds or even thousands of times across the digital world. All of this is collected, packaged together with other details, and used to create highly personalized profiles that are then shared or sold, often without our explicit knowledge or consent.<\/p>\n

A consensus is growing that Americans need better privacy protections\u2014and that the best way to deliver them would be for Congress to pass comprehensive federal privacy legislation.<\/p>\n

So what can Americans expect for their personal data in 2025? We spoke to privacy experts and advocates about what\u2019s on their mind regarding how our digital data might be traded or protected moving forward. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2014Eileen Guo<\/em><\/p>\n

This piece is part of MIT Technology Review\u2019s What\u2019s Next series, looking across industries, trends, and technologies to give you a first look at the future. You can read the rest of them <\/strong>here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How optimistic are you about AI\u2019s future?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The start of a new year, and maybe especially this one, feels like a good time for a gut check: How optimistic are you feeling about the future of technology?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our annual list of 10 Breakthrough Technologies<\/a>, published on Friday, might help you decide. Artificial intelligence powers four of the breakthroughs featured on the list, and I expect your feelings about them will vary widely. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014James O\u2019Donnell<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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This story is from the Algorithm, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things AI. <\/strong>Sign up<\/strong><\/a> to receive it in your inbox every Monday.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is ready to transform our understanding of the cosmos<\/strong><\/p>\n

High atop Chile\u2019s 2,700-meter Cerro Pach\u00f3n, the air is clear and dry, leaving few clouds to block the beautiful view of the stars. It\u2019s here that the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will soon use a car-size 3,200-megapixel digital camera\u2014the largest ever built\u2014to produce a new map of the entire night sky every three days.<\/p>\n

Findings from the observatory will help tease apart fundamental mysteries like the nature of dark matter and dark energy, two phenomena that have not been directly observed but affect how objects are bound together\u2014and pushed apart.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A quarter-\u00adcentury in the making, the observatory is poised to expand our understanding of just about every corner of the universe.\u00a0 Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Adam Mann<\/em><\/p>\n

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory<\/strong><\/a> is one of our <\/strong>10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2025<\/strong><\/a>, MIT Technology Review\u2019s annual list of tech to watch. Check out the rest of the list, and <\/strong>cast your vote<\/strong><\/a> for the honorary 11th breakthrough\u2014you have until 1 April!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The must-reads<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve combed the internet to find you today\u2019s most fun\/important\/scary\/fascinating stories about technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

1 A Louisiana man has died of bird flu<\/strong>
He\u2019s the first person known to have died from the virus in the US. (WP<\/a> $)
+ He was over 65 years old and had underlying health conditions. <\/em>(NYT<\/a> $)
+ The risk of a bird flu pandemic is rising. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

2 Meta is shifting towards the right<\/strong>
Appointing Trump ally Dana White to its board is the latest in a string of political moves. (NYT<\/a> $)
+ Mark Zuckerberg has overhauled Meta\u2019s board in the last five years. <\/em>(Bloomberg<\/a> $)
+ The company recently donated $1 million to Trump\u2019s inaugural fund. <\/em>(WSJ<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

3 The Pentagon is blacklisting China\u2019s biggest EV battery firm<\/strong>
CATL and other companies will be barred from doing business with it. (WP<\/a> $)
+ The US is convinced they\u2019re working with China\u2019s military. <\/em>(CNN<\/a>)<\/p>\n

4 Nvidia is working on a \u2018personal AI supercomputer\u2019<\/strong>
Project Digits will go on sale in May, priced at a whopping $3,000. (TechCrunch<\/a>)
+ It\u2019s based on a super secret chip, apparently. <\/em>(VentureBeat<\/a>)
+ CEO Jensen Huang has his sights set on humanoid robots, too. <\/em>(FT<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

5 Doctors are turning to AI for note taking during appointments<\/strong>
It could save them hours each day\u2014if it doesn\u2019t mess up, that is. (FT<\/a> $)
+ Artificial intelligence is infiltrating health care. We shouldn\u2019t let it make all the decisions. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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6 U-Haul is a treasure trove of personal user data
<\/strong>And hackers are exploiting it to dox or hack their victims. (404 Media<\/a>)<\/p>\n

7 New York drivers are already trying to evade congestion pricing
<\/strong>Subtly obscuring license plates can trick tracking cameras. (New York Post<\/a>)
+ Reaction to the new charge is decidedly mixed. <\/em>(NY Mag<\/a> $)
+ Why EVs are (mostly) set for solid growth in 2025. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

8 Frustrated workers are complaining about their bosses on LinkedIn
<\/strong>Try this at your own risk. (Insider<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

9 Men are notoriously poor at replying to text messages ????<\/strong>
And their failure to communicate could be making them lonely. (The Atlantic<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

10 You can now play Doom on a captch<\/strong>
What better way to prove you\u2019re not a bot? (Vice<\/a>)
+ Death to captchas. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Quote of the day<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have glitches that need stitches.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u2014Tech entrepreneur Mike Johns describes his experience of becoming trapped in a malfunctioning self-driving car to the Guardian<\/a>, nearly causing him to miss a flight.<\/p>\n

The big story<\/strong><\/p>\n

What happens when your prescription drug becomes the center of covid misinformation<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/figure>\n

September 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

By the time Joe Rogan mentioned ivermectin as one ingredient in an experimental cocktail he was taking to treat his covid infection, the drug was a meme. In the weeks leading up to the popular podcaster\u2019s revelation, the drug had already become a flashpoint in the covid culture wars.<\/p>\n

But Ivermectin isn\u2019t some new or experimental drug: in addition to its use as an anti-parasite treatment for livestock, it\u2019s commonly employed in humans to treat a form of rosacea, among other things. So for those of us who have been using it for years, its sudden infamy was unexpected and unwelcome. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Abby Ohlheiser<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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We can still have nice things<\/strong><\/p>\n

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? <\/em>Drop me a line<\/em><\/a> or <\/em>skeet ’em at me<\/em><\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\n

+ RIP the bar cart<\/a>, we barely knew you.
+ If you\u2019ve ever wondered what happens to your unclaimed luggage, now<\/a> you\u2019ll finally have an answer.
+ This motorbike-sized tuna<\/a> is a thing of beauty. ????
+ Happy birthday to the one and only Michael Stipe<\/a>, who turned 65 over the weekend. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>
\n Rhiannon Williams<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plus: the US has recorded its first human death from bird flu This is today’s edition of\u00a0The Download ,\u00a0our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. AI means the end of internet search as we\u2019ve known it We all know what it means, colloquially, to google<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":818012,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[395,24097,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-818011","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-changing","8":"category-download","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/818011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=818011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/818011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/818012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=818011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=818011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=818011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}