{"id":851905,"date":"2025-05-29T04:11:52","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T09:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/29\/the-download-the-story-of-openai-and-making-magnesium\/"},"modified":"2025-05-29T04:11:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T09:11:52","slug":"the-download-the-story-of-openai-and-making-magnesium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/29\/the-download-the-story-of-openai-and-making-magnesium\/","title":{"rendered":"The Download: the story of OpenAI, and making magnesium"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Plus: the US state department is weighing up vetting the social media accounts of overseas student visa applicants<\/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

OpenAI: The power and the pride<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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OpenAI\u2019s release of ChatGPT 3.5 set in motion an AI arms race that has changed the world.<\/p>\n

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How that turns out for humanity is something we are still reckoning with and may be for quite some time. But a pair of recent books both attempt to get their arms around it.<\/p>\n

In Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman\u2019s OpenAI<\/em>, Karen Hao tells the story of the company\u2019s rise to power and its far-reaching impact all over the world. Meanwhile, The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future<\/em>, by the Wall Street Journal<\/em>\u2019s Keach Hagey, homes in more on Altman\u2019s personal life, from his childhood through the present day, in order to tell the story of OpenAI.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Both paint complex pictures and show Altman in particular as a brilliantly effective yet deeply flawed creature of Silicon Valley\u2014someone capable of always getting what he wants, but often by manipulating others. Read the full review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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

This startup wants to make more climate-friendly metal in the US<\/strong><\/p>\n

The news: <\/strong>A California-based company called Magrathea just turned on a new electrolyzer that can make magnesium metal from seawater. The technology has the potential to produce the material, which is used in vehicles and defense applications, with net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions.<\/p>\n

Why it matters: <\/strong>Today, China dominates production of magnesium, and the most common method generates a lot of the emissions that cause climate change. If Magrathea can scale up its process, it could help provide an alternative source of the metal and clean up industries that rely on it, including automotive manufacturing. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Casey Crownhart<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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A new sodium metal fuel cell could help clean up transportation<\/strong><\/p>\n

A new type of fuel cell that runs on sodium metal could one day help clean up sectors where it\u2019s difficult to replace fossil fuels, like rail, regional aviation, and short-distance shipping. The device represents a departure from technologies like lithium-based batteries and is more similar conceptually to hydrogen fuel cell systems.
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The sodium-air fuel cell has a higher energy density than lithium-ion batteries and doesn\u2019t require the super-cold temperatures or high pressures that hydrogen does, making it potentially more practical for transport. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2014Casey Crownhart<\/em><\/p>\n

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 The US state department is considering vetting foreign students\u2019 social media<\/strong>
After ordering US embassies to suspend international students\u2019 visa appointments. (Politico<\/a>)
+ Applicants\u2019 posts, shares and comments could be assessed. <\/em>(The Guardian<\/a>)
+ The Trump administration also wants to cut off Harvard\u2019s funding. <\/em>(NYT<\/a> $)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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2 SpaceX\u2019s rocket exploded during its test flight\u00a0<\/strong>
It\u2019s the third consecutive explosion the company has suffered this year. (CNBC<\/a>)
+ It was the first significant attempt to reuse Starship hardware. <\/em>(Space<\/a>)
+ Elon Musk is fairly confident the problem with the engine bay has been resolved. <\/em>(Ars Technica<\/a>)<\/p>\n

3 The age of AI layoffs is here
<\/strong>And it\u2019s taking place in conference rooms, not on factory floors. (Quartz<\/a>)
+ People are worried that AI will take everyone\u2019s jobs. We\u2019ve been here before. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)

4 Thousands of IVF embryos in Gaza were destroyed by Israeli strikes<\/strong>
An attack destroyed the fertility clinic where they were housed. (BBC<\/a>)
+ Inside the strange limbo facing millions of IVF embryos. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

5 China\u2019s overall greenhouse gas emissions have fallen for the first time<\/strong>
Even as energy demand has risen. (Vox<\/a>)
+ China\u2019s complicated role in climate change. <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

6 The sun is damaging Starlink\u2019s satellites
<\/strong>Its eruptions are reducing the satellite’s lifespans. (New Scientist<\/a> $)
+ Apple\u2019s satellite connectivity dreams are being thwarted by Musk. <\/em>(The Information<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

7 European companies are struggling to do business in China
<\/strong>Even the ones that have operated there for decades. (NYT<\/a> $)
+ The country\u2019s economic slowdown is making things tough. <\/em>(Bloomberg<\/a> $)<\/p>\n

8 US hospitals are embracing helpful robots<\/strong>
They\u2019re delivering medications and supplies so nurses don\u2019t have to. (FT<\/a> $)
+ Will we ever trust robots? <\/em>(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)<\/p>\n

9 Meet the people who write the text messages on your favorite show ????<\/strong>
They try to make messages as realistic, and intriguing, as possible. (The Guardian<\/a>)<\/p>\n

10 Robot dogs are delivering parcels in Austin<\/strong>
Well, over 100 yard distances at least. (TechCrunch<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say there\u2019s hope. I wouldn\u2019t bet on that.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014Michael Roll, a partner at law firm Roll & Harris, explains to Wired<\/a> why businesses shouldn\u2019t get their hopes up over obtaining refunds for Donald Trump\u2019s tariff price hikes.<\/p>\n

One more thing<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Is the digital dollar dead?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2020, digital currencies were one of the hottest topics in town. China was well on its way to launching its own central bank digital currency, or CBDC, and many other countries launched CBDC research projects, including the US.<\/p>\n

How things change. The digital dollar\u2014even though it doesn\u2019t exist\u2014has now become political red meat, as some politicians label it a dystopian tool for surveillance. So is the dream of the digital dollar dead? Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2014Mike Orcutt<\/em><\/p>\n<\/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

+ Recently returned from vacation? Here\u2019s how to cope with coming back to reality<\/a>.
+ Reconnecting with friends<\/a> is one of life\u2019s great joys.
+ A new Parisian cocktail bar has done away with ice<\/a> entirely in a bid to be more sustainable.
+ Why being bored<\/a> is good for you\u2014no, really. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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

Plus: the US state department is weighing up vetting the social media accounts of overseas student visa applicants 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. OpenAI: The power and the pride OpenAI\u2019s release of ChatGPT 3.5 set in motion<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":851906,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24097,139,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-851905","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-download","8":"category-story","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/851905","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=851905"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/851905\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/851906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=851905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=851905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=851905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}