AI helpers that make phone calls, book flights, and chat with other bots will give humans new freedom—but also lead machines to undermine people’s independence.
Category: Business / Tech Culture
Google Mourns Veteran Engineer Luiz André Barroso Who Invented the Modern Data Center
Brazilian engineer Luiz André Barroso, who ripped up the rulebook at Google, has died. His radical ideas for data centers laid the foundations for cloud computing.
If Elon Musk Had Been a Happy Child, Would He Still Be Launching Rockets?
“Biographer of Genius” Walter Isaacson thinks he cracked the code to Elon Musk—the entrepreneur’s brutal childhood fueled his frenzied achievements in space, AI, brain chips, and electric cars.
Trump Squeezed America’s Geek Squad. Biden Built It Back Stronger
The US Digital Service has seen its staff and budget expand under president Biden. Director Mina Hsiang says online government services should be made as compelling as apps from Silicon Valley.
India’s IITs Are a Golden Ticket With a Dark Side
The Indian Institutes of Technology are a production line for global tech CEOs, but critics say they promote a toxic, discriminatory work culture.
25 Years Ago Steve Jobs Launched the First iMac—and the Strategy That Saved Apple
The curvy translucent plastic design of the iMac was the test case for Steve Jobs’ “whole-widget” strategy that led to the creation of the iPhone.
Geoffrey Hinton, Godfather of AI, Has a Hopeful Plan for Keeping Future AI Friendly
Geoffrey Hinton left Google so he could speak more freely about AI’s dangers. He argues that building analog computers instead of digital ones might keep the technology more loyal.
Urban Company Lured Women Into the Gig Economy—Then Pushed Them Out
Home services platform Urban Company helped Indian women get into the gig economy. Now they say it’s setting impossible targets and then abandoning them.
Hands On With Google Search’s Answer to ChatGPT
Google’s new AI-powered search engine can feel more like artificial interference than artificial intelligence.
Almost 50 Years Into the Crypto Wars, Encryption’s Opponents Are Still Wrong
Attempts by the US and UK to require backdoors in secure messaging apps are a huge step in the wrong direction. Right now, we need more encryption, not less.