The Download: Inside a deepfake marketplace, and EV batteries’ future


The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 A social network for AI agents is vulnerable to abuse
A misconfiguration meant anyone could take control of any agent. (404 Media)
+ Moltbook is loosely modeled on Reddit, but humans are unable to post. (FT $)

2 Google breached its own ethics rules to help an Israeli contractor
It helped a military worker to analyze drone footage, a whistleblower has claimed. (WP $)

3 Capgemini is selling its unit linked to ICE
After the French government asked it to clarify its work for the agency. (Bloomberg $) 
+ The company has signed $12.2mn in contracts under the Trump administration. (FT $)
+ Here’s how to film ICE activities as safely as possible. (Wired $)

4 China has a plan to prime its next generation of AI experts 
Thanks to its elite genius class system. (FT $)
+ The country is going all-in on AI healthcare. (Rest of World)
+ The State of AI: Is China about to win the race? (MIT Technology Review)

5 Indonesia has reversed its ban on xAI’s Grok
After it announced plans to improve its compliance with the country’s laws. (Reuters)
+ Indonesia maintains a strict stance against pornographic content. (NYT $)
+ Malaysia and the Philippines have also lifted bans on the chatbot. (TechCrunch)

6 Don’t expect to hitch a ride on a Blue Origin rocket anytime soon
Jeff Bezos’ venture won’t be taking tourists into space for at least two years. (NYT $)
+ Artemis II astronauts are due to set off for the moon soon. (IEEE Spectrum)
+ Commercial space stations are on our list of 10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2026. (MIT Technology Review)

7 America’s push for high-speed internet is under threat
There aren’t enough skilled workers to meet record demand. (WSJ $)

8 Can AI help us grieve better?
A growing cluster of companies are trying to find out. (The Atlantic $)
+ Technology that lets us “speak” to our dead relatives has arrived. Are we ready? (MIT Technology Review)

9 How to fight future insect infestations 🍄
A certain species of fungus could play a key role. (Ars Technica)
+ How do fungi communicate? (MIT Technology Review)

10 What a robot-made latte tastes like, according to a former barista
Damn fine, apparently. (The Verge)



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