European Union – Page 3 – Relatix Health

June 11, 2026

Why China is betting on big nuclear reactors

It’s a tale of two nuclear industries.

In China, large reactors are coming together at a stunning pace. The country has nearly doubled its nuclear fleet since 2016, reaching nearly 60 gigawatts of total power capacity. The new facilities are nearly all gigawatt-scale pressurized-water reactors.

Meanwhile, the US has built just two reactors in that time—Unit 3 and Unit 4 at Plant Vogtle in Georgia. Smaller reactors are attracting a lot of excitement and investment, though. A microreactor developer just saw its reactor reach criticality in a new Department of Energy pilot program.

The world is racing to meet rising electricity demand, and many countries are interested in energy sources, like nuclear power, that don’t come with greenhouse-gas emissions. The key question: Which of these strategies will really pay off in terms of getting electrons on the grid quickly?

Today, the US and France are known as leaders in the nuclear industry. The US has the world’s largest fleet, with France coming in second. France is heavily dependent on nuclear for its grid—about two-thirds of the country’s power comes from nuclear reactors.

But they have hardly added any new reactors to their fleets in recent years. The US can point only to Vogtle, and France connected its latest reactor to the grid in December 2024—the first in over 20 years.

It’s incredibly difficult to build the massive projects that dominate the nuclear industry today. Up-front investment can run well into the billions, so investors need to wait decades to break even. Designs are complex and can often change during the regulatory process, tacking on cost and time.

Many are hoping that the key to turning things around in these countries could be smaller reactors.

The idea is that shrinking the footprint of a reactor cuts down the initial investment needed to prove out the new technology. The reactors could even be put together in a factory rather than being built on-site, allowing for a lower price over time.

These smaller reactors are the target of tons of interest and investment in the US, including a new Department of Energy pilot program. The department set a goal last year of having three test reactors reach criticality by July 4, 2026, the nation’s 250th anniversary. (Criticality is the point at which a reactor achieves a self-sustaining chain reaction that can release energy.)

Last week, California-based Antares hit the milestone with its Mark-0 reactor.

The company plans to eventually build microreactors, designed to produce between 100 kilowatts and 1 megawatt of electricity (large reactors on the grid today are at least 1,000 times that size). The core design is a sodium-cooled reactor, and it uses TRISO fuel, self-contained graphite-coated spheres of a more concentrated fuel than what most reactors use today.

But there is still a long way to go before it can actually produce power—the Mark-0 doesn’t have any power conversion or heat removal systems. The company plans to produce electricity in late 2027 and deploy in the field by 2028, CEO Jordan Bramble told the Associated Press.

The private sector is interested—and invested—too. Big Tech companies are throwing money at new reactors they hope can help power data centers.

But look to the other side of the globe, and others are sticking with the established blueprint: China is absolutely churning out large nuclear reactors. Construction started on six new reactors there in 2025, and two more got underway in the first five months of 2026. The country is on course to overtake both the US and the European Union in installed nuclear capacity by 2030.

The speed here is staggering. As of 2024, the average time to build a new reactor in China came in at between five and seven years. The global average is about nine years, and the two most recent reactors in the US took about 15 years.

One key to this speed is standardization: China has set up a uniform project management system to design, license, and build new reactors. They’re built in batches of six or more to take advantage of economies of scale.

It’s one of the ideas meant to give the edge to smaller reactors, but China is working to realize the same benefits for larger projects. A huge amount of government investment is certainly helping.

Larger reactors generally provide more electricity to the grid for a lower price, a key consideration in view of China’s steeply increasing electricity demand. While smaller reactors require less up-front investment than larger ones because of their size, they’ll actually be more expensive per unit of electricity produced.

That’s not to say China is exclusively focused on big reactors: the country is also expected to see its first operational small modular reactor, the Linglong-1, start sending power to the grid this year.

But looking ahead, it’ll be interesting to see if smaller reactors can help the West keep building new nuclear power. At the moment, with China’s quick progress, it’s looking as if bigger might just be better.

This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here.

June 10, 2026

Updated Amplification Tool Rapidly Detects Mycoplasma

Nucleic acid amplification techniques (NAAT) are recommended by pharmacopoeias in the United States, the EU, and Japan as an alternative to traditional culture and indicator cell methods used to detect Mycoplasma in biological products. Used for in-process controls and release testing, NAAT is an improvement over traditional methods that take up to 28 days, but attempts to balance broad species coverage and sensitivity favor one over the other.

Recently, Chinese researchers developed a NAAT that overcomes those challenges, according to a recent paper by scientists at the National Institute for Food and Drug Control, Yeasen Biotechnology, and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

Rather than surpassing existing technologies, “It optimizes the core pain points of mainstream multiplex NAATs,” encompassing their advantages and forming others, senior author Xiaoliang Sun, PhD, scientist, genomics division, Yeasen Biotechnology, tells GEN.

For example, for cell therapy products, Sun says this NAAT technique, “cuts mycoplasma tests from a 28-day culture to several hours, enabling same-day batch release and avoiding cell product expiry scrap.” It also “accelerates finished-product release for short shelf-life recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies.”

The three pairs of primer-probe sets in this assay cover 183 Mollicutes species by targeting Mycoplasma-specific conserved regions. “This fills the detection gap [experienced by] some rare strains…and makes it suitable for trace contamination screening in biopharmaceutical production,” Sun points out.

To objectively assess this method, they compared it to traditional 165 rRNA degenerate PCR, strain-specific NAATs, and mainstream multiplex NAATs cited in the literature.

The analysis shows the new assay offers “single-copy detection sensitivity (validated by 10 pharmacopoeia standard strains), no cross-reactivity (validated with 14 non-Mycoplasma genera and six engineered cell lines), short amplicons of 100 to 200 bp, amplification efficiency of 95–105%, and excellent repeatability,” Sun says. This ensures specificity and improves detection consistency. Consequently, the method “meets the strain detection requirement of Chinese and European pharmacopoeia for full-process regulatory scenarios.

“The detection process is compatible with existing qPCR platforms without requiring special equipment and can be directly applied to full-process scenarios, such as raw material screening, cell bank verification, and finished product release,” Sun continues, “achieving more comprehensive compliance.”

There are limitations, though. “Detection performance for unrecorded Mycoplasma strains from extreme environments or highly variable subspecies has not been verified… leaving a potential detection gap,” he cautions. Additionally, “The use of three pairs of primer-probe sets increases the reagent cost per sample.” Therefore, scientists may best use this method for initial screening, followed by digital PCR confirmation.

For biopharmaceutical manufacturers, Sun says this assay’s main advantages are “comprehensiveness, stability, and practicability.” Future work is envisioned to expand the assay’s applicability parameters and robustness.

The post Updated Amplification Tool Rapidly Detects Mycoplasma appeared first on GEN – Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.

June 10, 2026

Innovative Tech Testing in Response to GMP Revisions

Recent revisions to EU manufacturing guidelines are changing how drug makers test processing technologies, according to the author of a new study, who cites growing use of an approach known as PUPSIT as an example.

PUPSIT, or pre-use post-sterilization integrity testing, is used to verify the integrity of sterilizing-grade filters after they have been sterilized, but before they have been used in a biopharmaceutical manufacturing process.

The idea is to make sure the filter has not been compromised during handling or sterilization and is still capable of retaining microorganisms, according to lead author Martin Glanz, Dr. rer. nat., senior principal scientist at Cytiva.

“Operationally, this typically involves wetting the membrane, venting the system, and then carrying out an integrity test such as a bubble point or forward-flow test. These methods essentially measure gas flow through the wetted membrane and confirm whether the filter meets its defined specifications,” he tells GEN.

Conventional verification processes focus on testing filters after they have been used, which, Glanz says, means that faults can be missed.

“The main benefit of PUPSIT compared to older approaches, which often relied heavily on post-use testing, is that you detect any potential defects before product exposure.

“That’s quite important, because defects can sometimes be masked during filtration— for example, due to fouling or plugging—and might not show up afterward. PUPSIT helps close that gap and strengthens overall sterility assurance,” he says.

The biopharmaceutical industry’s use of PUPSIT has increased since 2022, when EU GMP Annex 1, which covers the manufacture of sterile drugs, was revised to include stricter environmental monitoring and quality control requirements.

Glanz adds, “Even though PUPSIT isn’t always an absolute requirement, it is generally expected unless there is a well-justified, risk-based rationale not to perform it. Through PIC/S, this expectation is spreading beyond Europe as well.”

Adoption challenges

Switching from post-use verification strategies has significant potential benefits. However, implementing the approach can be challenging because, compared with traditional approaches, PUPSIT requires some additional steps, Glanz says.

“Companies often run into issues such as increased process complexity: you’re adding steps like wetting, venting, and testing that need to be controlled carefully.

“Additional connections can also introduce contamination risks, especially downstream of the sterilizing filter. In more manual setups, operator dependency becomes a real factor, and achieving reliable wetting can be trickier than it sounds.

“On top of that,” he continues, “more complex assemblies come with typical engineering challenges: dead legs, hold-up volumes, or simply designs that are harder to keep compliant. So, while the regulatory acceptance is clearly there, many organizations are still refining how to implement PUPSIT in a robust and efficient way.”

And technology—specifically single-use systems—is key to this refining process.

“There’s a clear trend toward single-use, preassembled flow paths, which help reduce handling and variability. At the same time, integrity testing technologies are evolving, both in terms of sensitivity and integration.

“Solutions that can assess not just the filter, but the system as a whole, are becoming increasingly relevant. Ultimately, it comes down to combining good engineering with reliable, well-validated procedures,” Glanz says.

Future

The emergence of automated testing systems is also likely to increase biopharma industry use of PUPSIT, according to Glanz.

“The benefits are quite tangible: automated wetting, venting, and testing steps; tighter control over process parameters; fewer manual interventions, particularly on the sterile side; and improved repeatability.

“Automation also enables better documentation, with electronic records and audit trails integrated directly into the system. In a way, this shifts the focus from operator execution to system design and validation, which aligns well with current regulatory thinking,” he says.

The post Innovative Tech Testing in Response to GMP Revisions appeared first on GEN – Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.

June 10, 2026

The Download: the “steroid olympics” and a safer Mythos

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

The “steroid olympics” were a circus—and a window into our culture

—Amit Katwala

A couple of weeks ago, at a $50 million arena built in a casino parking lot in Las Vegas, I witnessed a libertarian thought experiment come to life. The inaugural Enhanced Games were the first sporting competition where participants were encouraged to take performance-enhancing drugs.

For supporters of the event, the Enhanced Games offered a glimpse of a future in which medical advances push the human race to new heights—and they never have to get old. As I watched the games unfold, two questions bounced around my head: were they right? And what does that mean for the rest of us?

Read the full story to understand the answers.

MIT Technology Review Narrated: a reality check on the AI jobs hysteria

Despite the growing hysteria over AI’s threat to white-collar jobs, there’s still scant evidence that the technology has had a large-scale impact on the labor market.

Analysis of US labor data shows that unemployment in occupations most exposed to AI is actually lower than in less-exposed jobs. There are also no signs that large numbers of workers are shifting from AI-threatened professions into supposedly safer manual-labor jobs.

It’s true that things aren’t great in the job market. But the reason isn’t simply the rise of AI.

—David Rotman

This is our latest story to be turned into an MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we publish each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it’s released.

The must-reads

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

1 Anthropic has released a “safe” version of Mythos
It promises it has enough guardrails and user limitations to be safe. (BBC)
+ It has a price tag twice as high as the previous flagship system. (NYT $)
+ Anthropic previously claimed Mythos was too dangerous to release. (CNBC)
+ But critics suspect that was a marketing play. (Guardian)
+ Selective access has become a key strategy for AI labs. (Axios)

2 Seattle has banned new data centers for a year
It’s the largest US city to have passed such a moratorium.(Guardian)
+ Its biggest tech firm, Amazon, has tried to stop the ban. (The Verge)
+ The movement to stop data centers is growing. (NYT $)

3 Democratic senators are pushing for a military AI restriction law
They want a human commander to have the final say. (Gizmodo)
+ But humans in the loop in an AI war is an illusion. (MIT Technology Review)

4 SpaceX plans to launch space data center tests by late 2027
Orbital compute is central to the company’s growth pitch. (Reuters $)
+ It’s also shared new designs for its space data centers. (BI)
+ We’d need these four things to put them in orbit. (MIT Technology Review)

5 China has been accused of escalating AI espionage
A report claims Beijing is hacking tech firms to catch up with the US. (CNBC)
+ There are no winners in a US-China AI arms race. (MIT Technology Review)

6 The Trump family has made about $2.3 billion from crypto
While investors lost about the same amount. (Gizmodo)
+ The Trumps risked next-to-nothing on their crypto ventures. (Reuters $)

7 Apple isn’t launching Siri AI in the European Union
It’s blaming EU interoperability requirements. (The Verge)
+Brussels says Apple didn’t try to find a compliance solution. (Reuters $)

8 China’s new drone rules have spooked its thriving industry
Drone firms face new commercial barriers. (Financial Times $)
+ China’s drone sector leads the world. (NYT $)

9 A judge has cancelled a trial after finding both legal teams used AI
The case descended into GenAI tools arguing against each other. (404 Media)
+ Courts have been flooded with AI-generated lawsuits. (MIT Technology Review)

10 The dinosaur-killing asteroid created a thriving new ecosystem
Microscopic life flourished in the extended heat. (New Scientist $)

Quote of the day

“AI technologies today are designed by and for WEIRD societies—Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic.”

—Aditya Vashistha, an assistant professor at Cornell University, tells Rest of World why AI systems don’t serve global needs.

One More Thing

Why the definition of design might need a change

The word “design” once carried a far wider set of meanings than it does today. They ranged from the literal and material (like tracing) through the tactical (to contrive and achieve a goal) to the organizational and institutional—the “designation” of people and objects.

Over centuries, as designing became increasingly separated from making, that broader understanding faded. But now there is a growing case for reclaiming the word’s original sense: not just the search for a more beautiful shape, but the shaping of a more beautiful and sustainable world.

Find out why we should retool the word “design.”

—Nicholas de Monchaux

We can still have nice things

A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)

+ This history of humanity’s search for alien life is fascinating.
+ Watch a damaged painting slowly return to life in this art restoration video.
+ Admire young stars across every stage of cosmic formation in this stunning space picture of the month.
+ Daredevil divers have captured the first-ever underwater footage of an adult great white in the Mediterranean Sea.

June 8, 2026

Chikungunya Vaccine Development in Africa Accelerated by ACT-CHIK

Institut Pasteur is launching ACT-CHIK (Accelerating Clinical Trials for CHIKungunya Vaccine in Africa), a four-year research project funded by the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon Europe program that aims to advance clinical trials and prepare for the manufacturing of a chikungunya vaccine in Africa.

With €15.3 million in EU funding, ACT-CHIK will advance the development of MV-CHIK—a measles-virus-based chikungunya vaccine originally developed at Institut Pasteur—through a large-scale Phase Ib/III clinical trial in four African countries, while preparing for technology transfer to an African vaccine manufacturer.

“Chikungunya remains a neglected disease in Africa despite its growing burden. ACT-CHIK represents a unique opportunity to generate critical clinical data in the populations that need this vaccine most, while simultaneously building the foundation for regional vaccine manufacturing on the continent,” notes Sotiris Missailidis, DPhil, ACT-CHIK project coordinator at Institut Pasteur.

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. It causes debilitating symptoms, including high fever, severe joint pain that can persist for months or even years, headache, rash, and fatigue. Over the past two decades, the number of chikungunya cases reported across Africa has risen sharply. Yet, the disease remains largely underdiagnosed and under-reported, particularly in regions where multiple arboviruses and malaria co-circulate. Climate change is further expanding the range of mosquito vectors, increasing the risk of outbreaks across the globe, and most notably in Africa.

Although chikungunya vaccines have recently become available, their use remains limited largely among travelers, with cost and access constraints hindering their deployment in endemic regions. The MV-CHIK candidate is designed to be accessible to populations in endemic areas and aims to support local production. This positioning will address a major gap in equitable access to vaccination and to strengthen outbreak preparedness in regions where the need is greatest.

The MV-CHIK vaccine is a live-attenuated, recombinant vaccine using the well-established measles virus Schwarz vaccine strain as a vector—a platform technology originally developed at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. Six Phase I and II clinical trials conducted in Europe, the United States, and Puerto Rico, including approximately 600 adult participants in total, have demonstrated satisfactory safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity profiles.

Building on these results, ACT-CHIK will conduct a Phase Ib/III multicenter, international clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of MV-CHIK in adults, adolescents, and children living in Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. By enrolling 940 participants across both endemic and non-endemic areas, the trial will generate essential data to advance the clinical development plan for African populations, including younger age groups.

Beyond clinical evaluation, the project has a strategic manufacturing dimension. ACT-CHIK will conduct comprehensive due diligence, gap analysis, and prepare for the technology transfer of the MV-CHIK vaccine manufacturing process to the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD), Africa’s only WHO-prequalified vaccine manufacturer. Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) in Brazil, a fellow member of the Pasteur Network, will prepare the clinical trial materials and contribute its extensive vaccine manufacturing expertise to the technology transfer process.

The project will also develop a regulatory pathway for the licensure of the MV-CHIK vaccine in Africa through engagement with national regulatory authorities and the World Health Organization prequalification teams, to obtain prequalification.

ACT-CHIK directly supports Africa’s ambition—as set by the African Union—to produce 60% of the continent’s vaccine needs locally by 2040, and is aligned with the European Union’s Team Europe Initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines (TEI MAV+).

“ACT-CHIK will mobilize the full breadth of expertise at Institut Pasteur de Dakar: from clinical trials to cutting-edge virology and immunology laboratories, from vaccine research to manufacturing expertise. This project embodies our vision: an Africa that develops, evaluates, and produces its own vaccines—for the populations that need them most,” notes Ibrahima Socé Fall, PhD, CEO of Institut Pasteur de Dakar.

The ACT-CHIK consortium brings together seven partner institutions with complementary expertise:

Institut Pasteur (Paris, France) — Project coordinator; developer of the MV-CHIK vaccine platform
University of Rwanda (Kigali, Rwanda) — Scientific project leadership; clinical trial site
Institut Pasteur de Dakar (Dakar, Senegal) — Vaccine technology transfer recipient; clinical laboratory assays; clinical trial site
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz – Fiocruz (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — Clinical trial material manufacturing (fill & finish); technology transfer support
Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (Irrua, Nigeria) — Clinical trial site; Coordinating Principal Investigator
Kenya Medical Research Institute – KEMRI (Nairobi, Kenya) — Clinical trial site; Lead of data dissemination and communication
International Vaccine Institute – IVI (Seoul, South Korea) — Clinical trial sponsor, regulatory strategy, and capacity building

The post Chikungunya Vaccine Development in Africa Accelerated by ACT-CHIK appeared first on GEN – Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.

June 8, 2026

ProPure™ Endotoxin-Free Proteins for Reliable Cancer Research

Invisible interference in cancer therapy and vaccine development

Endotoxin contamination can severely compromise antibody generation in animal models. Even small amounts of endotoxins can alter the host’s immune response, reducing antibody specificity, consistency, and overall quality. Endotoxin-contaminated recombinant proteins can subtly—but significantly—alter cellular behavior through immunostimulatory and cytotoxic effects. Endotoxin-induced systemic inflammation in animals can further disrupt experiments, potentially leading to study suspension or even termination.

In cell-based studies, endotoxin contamination can be a hidden disruptor. Immune cells such as dendritic cells, macrophages, monocytes, and T cells can respond strongly even to trace amounts of endotoxins, leading to cytokine release, altered proliferation, or unexpected activation. These effects can easily produce misleading or non-reproducible results.

The demand for endotoxin-free reagents is even more critical in the development of cancer vaccines. Since these therapies rely on precise modulation of the immune system, endotoxin contamination can trigger unintended immune activation, masking the true efficacy of the vaccine candidate and introducing safety risks. Using endotoxin-free proteins is therefore vital to accurately evaluate immunogenicity and support safe clinical translation.

Sino Biological’s ProPure solution to minimize endotoxin risk

While pharmacopeial guidelines such as USP <85> provide general limits for endotoxin, cutting-edge immunology and translational oncology studies often require far stricter control. Sino Biological’s ProPure endotoxin-free recombinant proteins are designed to eliminate this variable at the source, supporting reliable results from early discovery through IND-enabling studies. Produced at the state-of-the-art Center for Bioprocessing (C4B) in Houston, Texas, ProPure reagents are rigorously controlled to achieve levels as low as 0.05 EU/mg, with select products reaching an exceptional 0.01 EU/mg—over ten times lower than typical industry standards.

By incorporating endotoxin-free proteins, researchers in cancer therapy and vaccine development can confidently achieve consistent and accurate results in critical applications, including:

Animal immunization for antibody generation—ensuring high-quality antibodies and predictable host immune responses.
Preclinical toxicology and pharmacokinetics (PK)—minimizing confounding immune activation in animal models.
In vitro cell proliferation and differentiation assays—reducing false positives caused by endotoxin-sensitive cells such as dendritic cells, macrophages, and T cells.
Precise detection and quantification of cytokines—supporting reliable immunological readouts and biomarker analyses.

How ProPure achieves ultra-low endotoxin levels

ProPure quality is not achieved by end-stage cleanup alone. C4B employs an integrated Prevention–Isolation–Detection strategy across the entire production lifecycle.

Prevention at the source: Endotoxin-free plasmids and buffers, low endotoxin-binding plastics, and stringent clean-in-place (CIP) procedures minimize endotoxin introduction from cloning through purification.
Environmental isolation: The facility follows an E. coli-free principle, eliminating a major source of endotoxin introduction in recombinant protein production.
Dual detection: Each batch is tested using Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) and/or recombinant Factor C (rFC) assays for sensitive, redundant detection, and fully traceable batch data.

ProPure triple-control strategy for ultra-low endotoxin illustration — ProPure triple-control strategy for ultra-low endotoxin.

This end-to-end design ensures that ProPure proteins arrive ready for use in the most demanding oncology and immunology applications, without extra purification steps that can damage protein quality or delay timelines.

With advanced technologies and rigorous quality control, Sino Biological delivers endotoxin-free proteins that meet the needs of highly sensitive research and translational applications. ProPure proteins help researchers reduce variability, improve reproducibility, and accelerate the development of next-generation cancer therapies.

SinoBiological June 2026 QR Code

Learn more about ProPure endotoxin-free proteins at sinobiological.com/category/endotoxin-free-proteins.

The post ProPure™ Endotoxin-Free Proteins for Reliable Cancer Research appeared first on Inside Precision Medicine.

June 8, 2026

The Download: how the World Cup ball will fly and OpenAI’s “super app”

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

Why this year’s World Cup ball may not fly as far

Much is new about this month’s FIFA World Cup tournament. It hosts more teams than ever before. It’s the first to occur in three different host countries.

And, like every World Cup for over half a century, it will employ a football with a brand-new design.

Through wind-tunnel experiments, researchers found that long-distance kicks with Adidas’s new Trionda ball might not travel as far as they did in the past. The payoff is a more predictable flight path, something players have not always enjoyed from World Cup balls.

Find out how a few grooves and seams can change the way the game is played.

—Jenna Ahart

The must-reads

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

1 OpenAI plans to turn ChatGPT into a ‘super app’ before its IPO
The revamp would combine coding tools and AI agents. (Financial Times $)
+ The super app ambitions first emerged last year. (Fast Company)
+ OpenAI is also building a fully automated researcher. (MIT Technology Review)

2 Trump wants the US government to take a stake in AI companies
He will meet AI leaders to discuss the plan. (BBC)
+ Which would create “a partnership with the American public.” (Reuters $)
+ He wants a slice of the AI boom. (Axios)

3 Google has agreed to pay SpaceX $30 billion for AI computing power
The $920 million-a-month contract runs through June 2029. (NYT $)
+ Google will use about 110,000 Nvidia GPUs owned by SpaceX. (CNBC)
+ It comes days after Anthropic struck a SpaceX data center deal. (WSJ $)

4 AI is set to make everyday life more expensive
Its insatiable thirst for resources is likely to push up inflation. (WP $)
+ We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. (MIT Technology Review)

5 Europe is accelerating its withdrawal from US Big Tech
New analysis reveals dozens of moves to alternative providers. (Wired $) + Last week, the EU launched a “made in Europe” drive. (Reuters $)

6 ICE plans to give local police a new facial recognition app
It would allow them to verify a person’s immigration status. (404 Media)
+ Is the Pentagon allowed to surveil Americans with AI? (MIT Technology Review)

7 Silicon Valley’s lure is fading for India’s tech talent
Due to Trump’s immigration policies and AI-driven layoffs. (Rest of World)

8 ‘Recursive self-improvement’ has sparked fears of AI escaping control
Nobody is sure about the consequences of RSI. (The Economist $)
+ Here are five ways that AI is learning to improve itself. (MIT Technology Review)

9 Gene-edited embryos are getting closer, but a key safety gap remains
Current techniques still fail to edit every cell. (New Scientist $)
+ “Base-edited baby” is one of our 10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2026. (MIT Technology Review)

10 NASA astronauts will wear high-tech Prada underwear on their moon trips
Ventilation tubes are knitted into the garments. (The Verge)

Quote of the day

“Chat is dead.”

—A senior OpenAI employee tells the Financial Times why the company is shifting focus from chatbots to AI agents.

One More Thing

How AI is helping historians better understand our past

The digitization of historical records is making it possible to study the past in new ways. Historians are now using machine learning—particularly deep neural networks—to analyze everything from centuries-old astronomy textbooks to ancient Greek inscriptions.

The technology is helping researchers uncover new patterns in the historical record. But it also introduces risks, including the possibility that machine learning will slip bias or outright falsifications into our understanding of the past.

Read the full story on how AI is transforming the study of history.

—Moira Donovan

We can still have nice things

A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)

+ Take a tour of extinct everyday objects to travel back to pre-smartphone life.
+ This a cappella cover of “I Want To Know What Love Is” nails the power-ballad drama.
+ Korea’s ingenious “one-a-day” banana packs are designed so each one ripens sequentially.
+ Casino dialogue has been synced over Looney Tunes footage in this unexpectedly perfect mashup.

June 4, 2026

The Download: AI-generated lawsuits and virtual power plants for data centers

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

How courts are coping with a flood of AI-generated lawsuits

Most days in her chambers, Judge Maritza Braswell, a federal magistrate judge in Colorado, sifts through stacks of documents written by people without a lawyer. The number of these filings has more than doubled compared to before 2023. She puts that jump down to AI.

But while AI appears to be expanding access to justice, it doesn’t seem to be improving people’s chances of winning. Judges are starting to question what rights and duties chatbots should have as they stand in for lawyers. Lawmakers, meanwhile, are grappling with who should pay the price when chatbots produce bad legal advice.

Read the full story on how AI is reshaping access to the law.

—Michelle Kim

How virtual power plants could provide energy for data centers

Would you take a payment to ramp down your electricity use? Would it change anything if you were doing so to help power a local data center? A new project backed by Google will put those questions to the test.

The company has signed a deal to fund a virtual power plant in the largest power grid in the US. The system will group together devices like electric vehicles and smart thermostats, paying customers to adjust their usage when the grid is stretched.

The project could free up capacity for Google’s data centers—but there’s a catch: people might not play along. Find out what the future holds for these virtual power plants.

—Casey Crownhart

This story is from The Spark, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things climate. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.

The must-reads

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

1 The EU has proposed new legislation to end its Big Tech dependence
The laws aim to boost domestic cloud, AI and semiconductors. (CNBC)
+ US firms would be blocked from critical public tenders. (Reuters $)
+ It also wants to make sure non-EU actors cannot disrupt tech services with a “kill switch.” (The Guardian)
+ But the proposal needs to be negotiated with EU member states. (Politico $)

2 Intelligence agencies warn Chinese spies are recruiting on LinkedIn
The Five Eyes alliance said Beijing is using job platforms for espionage. (BBC)
+ The spies are allegedly recruiting government and military staff. (Politico $)
+ The Chinese embassy in the UK condemned the accusations. (Bloomberg $)
+ Meet the man hunting the spies in your smartphone. (MIT Technology Review)

3 AI CEOs have called for a law protecting against biological weapons
They warn that synthetic DNA could be used for bioweapons. (Wired $)
+ Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Demis Hassabis joined the call. (WSJ $)
+ No one’s sure if synthetic mirror life will kill us all. (MIT Technology Review)

4 Firms are using Reddit to manipulate ChatGPT and Google AI search
They’re spamming subreddits to get posts scraped by chatbots. (404 Media)
+ What we’ve been getting wrong about AI’s truth crisis. (MIT Technology Review)

5 Meta keeps delaying the launch of its new AI model
The new Muse Spark ‌AI model API still has no release date. (WSJ $)
+ Which is hampering Meta’s plans to monetize its AI investments. (Reuters $)

6 For the first time, a US city has voted to permanently ban data centers
Monterey Park, California, voted in favor of the move. (LA Times)
+ Should we be moving data centers to space? (MIT Technology Review)

7 China is betting on household chore training to advance robotics
Data harvested in homes and factories provides a scaling edge. (Rest of World)
+ Gig workers are training humanoids at home. (MIT Technology Review)

8 Sam Altman will urge US lawmakers not to require AI model approvals
He’s advocating against proposals for new AI rules. (Reuters $)
+ His move comes after President Trump signed a new AI order. (Wired $)

9 Quantinuum raised $1.68 billion in an IPO as quantum computing rises
Investors flocked to one of the fast-growing sector’s leaders. (Reuters $)

10 Someone finally wants to hire philosophers: Silicon Valley
Big tech hopes they will help build better machines. (The Atlantic $)

Quote of the day

“Historically, these companies have been very willing to play Russian roulette—and they’re playing another round.”

—Connor Leahy, an AI researcher, former hacker and US director of ControlAI, tells the Financial Times why he’s concerned about Anthropic’s relentless race to the top.

One More Thing

What an octopus’s mind can teach us about AI’s ultimate mystery

Emily Bender, a linguist at the University of Washington, has developed a thought experiment she calls the octopus test. It involves an octopus learning to copy patterns in human writing and produce squiggles in response. But does the animal actually understand the language or are we merely projecting meaning onto it?

Bender’s octopus is a stand-in for AI systems like ChatGPT. The intelligence we see in these machines is also projected on them by us. The same applies to consciousness: we may claim to see it, but it remains unclear whether it is really there.

Read the full story on the debate over machines with minds.

—Will Douglas Heaven

We can still have nice things

A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)

+ Discover where iconic sound effects actually came from in this fabulous audio history.
+ Need a serotonin boost? Then tune into this live puppy cam from Denali National Park.
+ Linux lovers can try 570 extinct operating systems at a new virtual museum.
+ Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” becomes something entirely different in this lightning-fast bass guitar performance.

June 4, 2026

The Download: Trump’s new AI order, and smart glasses for warfare

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

5 key points in Trump’s new AI order

Less than two weeks after scrapping an executive order on AI, President Donald Trump signed a new one on Tuesday. Promising to promote innovation and security, the policy represents a turning point in the White House’s AI governance—but is likely to attract criticism from both opponents and supporters of stricter regulation. Here are five key points from the order:

1. It’s created a voluntary review system: tech companies will be asked to share frontier models with the government for review 30 days before they plan to release them.
2. There’s no mandatory licensing: the government will not require permits before software can be deployed.
3. It establishes a dedicated AI cybersecurity clearinghouse: the new hub will coordinate security checks with the private sector.
4. It’s a watered-down version of the order Trump shelved last month: the earlier version requested models 90 days before their release.
5. But it’s still a move towards stronger AI oversight: the policy marks a clear departure from the White House’s previous hands-off approach.

Plus: here’s why a previous Trump administration’s AI policy was a distraction and how AI is already making online crimes easier.

MIT Technology Review Narrated: inside Anduril and Meta’s quest to make smart glasses for warfare

The defense-tech company Anduril has shared new details about the augmented-reality headset for the military it’s prototyping with Meta, including a vision for ordering drone strikes via eye-tracking and voice commands.

Quay Barnett, who leads the effort at Anduril following a career in the Army’s Special Operations Command, aims to optimize “the human as a weapons system.” His vision is cyborg-inspired: drones and soldiers will see together, share information seamlessly, and make decisions as one.

—James O’Donnell

The must-reads

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

1 President Trump has signed an AI order that expands model oversight
The long-awaited executive order aims to mitigate security threats. (NYT $)
+It asks companies to submit models voluntarily for tests before release. (NPR)
+ It’s a slimmed-down version of the order Trump shelved in May. (WSJ $)
+ And marks a strategic shift in his AI strategy. (Reuters $)
+ A war over AI regulation is coming to the US. (MIT Technology Review)

2 SpaceX plans to raise $75 billion in IPO at $135 per share
The company intends to sell 555.6 million shares. (Reuters $)+ The fixed price breaks from the traditional IPO process. (Bloomberg $)
+ Morningstar says the valuation should be nearly 50% lower. (BI)

3 Meta has scaled back plans to track workers’ clicks and keystrokes to train AI
All staff can pause it for 30 minutes, with some fully exempt.(The Information $)
+ The changes follow a fierce backlash to the tracking plans. (Reuters $)
+ AI is supercharging surveillance. (MIT Technology Review)

4 Microsoft wants to ‘make users addicted’ to its new AI assistant
According tointernal documents for the “Scout” tool. (404 Media)
+ Microsoft launched the assistant on Tuesday. (TechCrunch)

5 Mathematicians fear that AI threatens their field
A new declaration raises concerns about AI’s trustworthiness. (Ars Technica)
+ It arrives a week after OpenAI said it solved a famous math problem. (WSJ $)
+ A startup wants to change how mathematicians do math. (MIT Technology Review)

6 Scientists have found a way to supercharge computer worms with AI
The worm could target any known flaw in the world’s computers. (NYT $)
+ AI supercharging scams. (MIT Technology Review)

7 Google must let UK publishers opt out of AI search features
Online publishers can choose not to appear in the AI Overviews. (BBC)
+ Google is now testing features for sites to exit AI search. (Reuters $)

8 America’s data center build-out is falling way behind schedule
60% of those planned for completion in 2027 aren’t yet under construction. (WSJ $)
+ Nobody wants a data center in their backyard. (MIT Technology Review)

9 EVs are getting cheaper worldwide—except in the US
The US is short on supportive policies and affordable Chinese EVs. (Rest of World)

10 The European Parliament is ditching Google for… Quant
The French search engine is the new default on in-house computers. (Politico)
+ The switch comes amid a broader push to wean the EU off US tech. (FT $)

Quote of the day

“SpaceX’s valuation could be richer than a plate of dauphinoise potatoes.”

—Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell, tells CNBC that SpaceX’s IPO price looks overloaded with expectations.

One More Thing

Marseille’s battle against the surveillance state

Heading toward Marseille’s central train station, Eda Nano points out what looks like a streetlamp on the Rue des Abeilles. But this sleek piece of urban furniture is not a lamp. It’s a video camera, with a 360-degree view of the narrow street.

Nano, a 39-year-old developer, wants to make Marseille residents more aware that they’re being watched. She’s part of a growing group of activists resisting the rise of policing cameras in their hometown.

Find out how the rebellious port city of Marseille is fighting the surveillance state.

—Fleur Macdonald

We can still have nice things

A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)

+ These aerial photos of solar farms transform renewable energy into abstract art.
+ Open a window over Earth’s water with this hypnotic 4K atmospheric film made from satellite imagery.
+ Spend three relaxing hours with David Attenborough narrating this collection of extraordinary wildlife moments.
+ Radiohead sounds beautiful on traditional Japanese instruments in this koto performance of “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi”.

June 2, 2026

The Download: AI can run your admin department now

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

How small businesses can leverage AI

From accounting to design to market research and product development, there’s a staggering breadth of skills needed to run a business. Large companies can hire experts to handle these tasks, but small businesses don’t always have that luxury.

That’s where AI comes in. Today’s models can already take on a range of basic administrative work, from organizing notes and summarizing meetings to invoicing, goal-setting, and social media planning. Find out how small-business owners can put AI to work.

—Peter Hall

This article is from Making AI Work, MIT Technology Review’s limited-run newsletter examining how to apply LLMs across industries. To receive it in your inbox, sign up here.

The must-reads

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

1 Anthropic has confidentially filed for IPO ahead of OpenAI
It aims to go public as early as this fall. (CNN)
+ The company did not disclose its target valuation. (Guardian)
+ It’s expected to list shortly after a trillion-dollar IPO by SpaceX. (BBC)
+ Beating OpenAI in the IPO race could have a big impact. (WSJ $)

2 The EU may exclude US cloud giants from critical contracts
The likes of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google could be shut out. (Reuters $)
+ The EU aims to reduce its dependence on US tech. (FT $)
+ Trump supercharged this sovereignty push. (Politico $)

3 Florida has become the first state to sue OpenAI
The lawsuit targets ChatGPT’s alleged child safety risks. (NPR)
+ Florida says OpenAI put profit ahead of safety. (Reuters $)
+ Chatbots are now starting to check user ages. (MIT Technology Review)

4 Hackers stole Instagram accounts just by asking Meta AI for them
They easily broke into a host of celebrity profiles. (404 Media)
+ The exploit shows the risk of offloading support to AI. (TechCrunch)
+ AI is making online crimes easier. (MIT Technology Review)

5 Chinese universities with military ties are seeking Nvidia chips
Two are blacklisted by the US Commerce Department. (Bloomberg $)
+ The Chinese military has sought restricted Nvidia chips for years. (NYT $)
+ US senators have slammed a loophole in chip export rules. (Reuters $)

6 Blue Origin and NASA disagree on a crucial rocket’s next flight
+ Blue Origin says the rocket will fly again this year. (Engadget)+ But NASA is less optimistic. (CNBC)+ The rocket’s failure cast doubt on NASA’s moon plans. (BBC)

7 Moderna has won funding to develop an Ebola mRNA vaccine
The CEPI has pledged over $60 million to the effort. (Ars Technica)
+ To fight an outbreak raging out of control. (MIT Technology Review)

8 China is using AI to predict future political dissent
A company called Geedge Networks is developing the tech. (NYT $)

9 Geoengineering can thicken Arctic ice, but melt results are mixed
Trials show the tech has had a limited impact. (New Scientist $)

10 Top AI labs are expanding research into machine ‘consciousness’
Meta, Anthropic, and DeepMind are increasing their investments. (FT $)
+ A new tool could show how consciousness works. (MIT Technology Review)

Quote of the day

“Sam Altman and ChatGPT have chosen the AI race over the safety and security of our kids. They have chosen profit over public safety, and we’re not going to stand for it in here in Florida.”

—Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier tells reporters why his state is suing OpenAI, the LA Times reports.

One More Thing

An open door in a corrugated metal building — The entrance to the Moscow storage facility of KrioRus, which was until recently the only cryonics company in Eurasia.

Why the sci-fi dream of cryonics never died

Cryonics is best known for its appearance in sci-fi films like 2001: A Space Odyssey. But its adherents have held on to a dream that advances in medicine will one day allow for resuscitation and additional years on Earth.

Around 500 people are preserved in liquid nitrogen globally, while another 4,000 are on waiting lists. Despite scant evidence that cryonics can work, believers remain optimistic that future science could eventually revive them.

Discover why the hope of human reanimation refuses to die.

—Laurie Clarke

We can still have nice things

A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)

+ Hear Dolly Parton reimagined through this spot-on Dire Straits-style cover of “Jolene”.
+ Find out which birds people search for most in this interactive visualization of bird popularity.
+ Explore thousands of Q&As between students and astronauts on the ISS at this interactive site.
+ Paris’s oldest bridge disappeared beneath a giant inflatable cave in this surreal public art installation.