{"id":892512,"date":"2026-03-18T03:11:42","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T08:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/18\/the-download-the-startup-that-says-it-can-stop-lightning-and-inside-openais-pentagon-deal\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T03:11:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T08:11:42","slug":"the-download-the-startup-that-says-it-can-stop-lightning-and-inside-openais-pentagon-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/18\/the-download-the-startup-that-says-it-can-stop-lightning-and-inside-openais-pentagon-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"The Download: The startup that says it can stop lightning, and inside OpenAI\u2019s Pentagon deal"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

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

This startup claims it can stop lightning and prevent catastrophic wildfires<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Startup\u00a0Skyward Wildfire<\/a>\u00a0says it can prevent catastrophic fires by stopping the lightning strikes that ignite them. So far, it hasn\u2019t publicly revealed how it does so, but online documents suggest the company is relying on an approach the US government began evaluating in the early 1960s: seeding clouds with metallic chaff, or narrow fiberglass strands coated with aluminum.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It just raised millions of dollars to accelerate its product development and expand its operations. But researchers and environmental observers say uncertainties remain, including how well the seeding may work under varying conditions, how much material would need to be released, how frequently it would have to be done, and what sorts of secondary environmental impacts might result.\u00a0Read the full story.\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014James Temple<\/em><\/p>\n

OpenAI\u2019s \u201ccompromise\u201d with the Pentagon is what Anthropic feared<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

OpenAI has reached a deal that will allow the US military to use its technologies in classified settings. CEO Sam Altman said the negotiations, which the company began pursuing only\u00a0after<\/a>\u00a0the Pentagon\u2019s public reprimand of Anthropic, were \u201cdefinitely rushed<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

OpenAI has taken great pains to say that it has not caved to allow the Pentagon to do whatever it wants with its technology. The company published a\u00a0blog post<\/a>\u00a0explaining that its agreement protected against use for autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance, and Altman\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0the company did not simply accept the same terms that Anthropic refused.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not yet clear if OpenAI can build in the safety precautions it promises as the military rushes out a politicized AI strategy during strikes on Iran, or if the deal will be seen as good enough by employees who wanted the company to take a harder line. Walking that tightrope will be tricky.\u00a0Read the full story.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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

\n

The story is from The Algorithm,\u00a0<\/strong>our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first,\u00a0<\/strong>sign up here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/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 Gulf states are racing against time to intercept Iran\u2019s drone attacks<\/strong><\/p>\n

They could run out of interceptors very soon. (WSJ<\/a>\u00a0$)<\/p>\n