Tag: News Approved

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The Download: puncturing the AI jobs panic

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.

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 question is why. Here’s what the data really says about AI and jobs.

—David Rotman

Opinion: It’s time to address the looming crisis in entry-level work

—Georgios Petropoulos, an assistant professor at the USC Marshall School of Business

AI has not yet produced mass unemployment. But it may be quietly weakening the first rung of the career ladder.

A recent Stanford study found that young workers in AI-exposed occupations suffered a sharp decline in employment after the spread of generative AI. The same pattern didn’t appear in low-exposure jobs, suggesting AI is replacing junior tasks that once gave young workers their first foothold.

It’s time to rethink how we train, prepare, and support young people entering the workforce. Read this op-ed on how job seekers, businesses, and society can adapt.

The must-reads

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

1 The Pope has called for governments to regulate AI 
In his first major teaching document, Pope Leo said AI must be “disarmed.” (BBC)
+ He warned that AI fuels war and misinformation. (CNN)
+ But could also “open up a horizon extending in all directions.” (Engadget)
+ Anthropic cofounder Chris Olah also spoke at the event. (Reuters $)

2 SpaceX has launched its biggest and most powerful rocket
The Starship V3 made its test flight debut two days after Elon Musk announced SpaceX’s IPO.(Guardian)+ SpaceX pulled off the launch, but not the landing. (Ars Technica)
+ The rocket could be key to SpaceX’s valuation. (Fortune $)
+ But rivals to the company are rising. (MIT Technology Review)

3 Huawei says it can make industry-leading chips within five years
The Chinese tech giant announced a breakthrough in chip design. (Reuters $)
+ Its progress underscores Beijing’s push to neutralize US sanctions. (NBC)
+ Chinese chip stocks rallied after the announcement. (Bloomberg $)

4 A new vaccine may protect against the Ebola strain behind the current crisis
Tests have shown promising results for the mRNA vaccine. (New Scientist)
+ Another Ebola vaccine that could be ready for trials in months. (BBC)
+ But vaccines face a new problem: their name. (MIT Technology Review)

5 A swimmer broke a world record at the ‘Steroid Olympics’
Athletes at the Enhance Games were encouraged to take dope. (Wired $)
+ Silicon Valley elites have backed the competition. (WP $)
+ Which fits right into 2026’s longevity vibes. (MIT Technology Review)

6 The EU plans to fine Google a massive antitrust penalty
For allegedly favoring its own services in search results. (CNBC)
+ It would be the largest penalty for breaching the Digital Markets Act. (Reuters $) 

7 US quantum computing subsidies may not be legal
Congressional critics say the funding has been misused. (Ars Technica)

8 AI is minting new billionaires—and workers want their share
The Samsung labor showdown reflects global concerns. (Rest of World)

9 China has launched artificial human embryos into orbit
To find out whether we can reproduce beyond Earth. (Gizmodo)

10 Jony Ives has designed Ferrari’s first fully-electric car
The legendary Apple designer has created a polarizing aesthetic. (FT $) 

Quote of the day

“Technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate, and use it.” 

—Pope Leo issues a warning about AI in his first encyclical letter, entitled ‘Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.”

One More Thing

portrait of Monica Sanders

ALYSSA SCHUKAR


How climate vulnerability and the digital divide are linked

In Anacostia, a historic African-American section of Washington, DC, Monica Sanders is measuring Wi-Fi speeds. It’s below the FCC’s minimum to qualify as a broadband service. She then checks the temperature: 46.9 °F.

Sanders, an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University, frequently records this combination of weak internet access and environmental conditions. Her work shows how underinvestment in infrastructure can leave underserved communities more exposed to climate risks like extreme heat and flooding.

Discover how the digital divide is shaping climate vulnerability in the US.

—Colleen Hagerty

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.)

+ Here’s a joyful way to settle sibling squabbles: a mandatory dance-off.
+ Build the metropolis of your dreams in this browser-based city simulation game.
+ Watch this hypnotic tiny train move in a perfect, endless loop on a rotating turntable.
+ Take a nostalgic look at early computing history with this curated gallery of vintage punch cards.

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Physiological determinants of cortical P100 responses in pattern visual evoked potentials: a scoping review

BackgroundPattern visual evoked potentials (pattern VEP) are widely used for functional assessment of the visual pathways. The P100 component represents the principal clinical parameter owing to its relative interindividual stability and diagnostic value. However, both latency and amplitude are modulated by multiple physiological and environmental factors, which complicates interpretation and the establishment of reliable reference standards. This scoping review aimed to systematically map determinants of P100 parameters in healthy individuals.Main textThe review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR and Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Databases were searched for studies published between 2015 and 2025 that examined biological, refractive, anthropometric, metabolic, or environmental influences on pattern VEP parameters in healthy populations. Owing to methodological heterogeneity, findings were synthesized descriptively. Thirty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Age emerged as the most consistent determinant of P100 parameters. Latency followed a non-linear trajectory across the lifespan, with shortening during maturation, stabilization in early adulthood, and progressive prolongation after approximately 40 years of age, whereas amplitude generally declined with aging. Sex differences predominantly affected amplitude, with women typically demonstrating higher P100 or N75–P100 amplitudes in adult populations; latency differences were less consistent and often minimal in paediatric cohorts. Retinal image quality exerted a strong dose-dependent effect on P100 parameters: increasing refractive blur and higher-order aberrations were associated with progressive latency prolongation and amplitude reduction, particularly for small check sizes. Ocular dominance showed no clinically meaningful interocular asymmetry. Metabolic disturbances were associated with prolonged latency in selected populations, whereas anthropometric variables such as head size and height demonstrated weak or inconsistent associations. Among environmental factors, acute alcohol intake prolonged P100 latency, while moderate caffeine consumption had no significant effect.ConclusionAge and retinal image quality represent the primary physiological determinants of P100 latency and amplitude in healthy individuals. Most other modifiers exert modest or context-dependent effects. Consideration of these variables is essential for accurate interpretation of pattern VEP recordings and for establishing reliable local reference standards consistent with ISCEV recommendations.
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Progenitor diversity during formation of the mammalian neocortex

Mammalian neocortical development follows a precise spatiotemporal sequence to generate the organized structure responsible for higher-order cognition and behavior. Increasing evidence suggests that diversification of neural stem and progenitor cells during prenatal development is a key step in the emergence of the intricate circuitry and functional architecture of the cerebral cortex. This review discusses novel findings with an emphasis on mechanisms and consequences of cell lineage variation during normal and altered brain development, including focus on neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders and Down syndrome.
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Autonomic imbalance and vascular injury in hypertensive chronic kidney disease: mechanisms and clinical potential of ultrasound-guided sympathetic blockade

Hypertensive Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) constitutes a significant global health burden, characterized by a vicious cycle of hypertension and progressive renal decline. Autonomic imbalance, specifically sympathetic overactivity and parasympathetic withdrawal, is increasingly recognized as a central driver of this pathophysiology, interacting with traditional hemodynamic factors such as RAAS activation and volume overload. This review aims to elucidate the deep-seated mechanisms by which autonomic imbalance induces vascular injury and renal progression, and to evaluate the clinical potential of ultrasound-guided sympathetic blockade as a novel therapeutic strategy. We conducted a comprehensive narrative review of recent basic research and clinical evidence regarding the “Kidney-Brain-Vascular Axis” and neuromodulation therapies in the context of hypertensive CKD. The pathogenesis involves a maladaptive “Neuro-Immune-Vascular Axis.” Sympathetic overactivity not only induces hemodynamic stress but also disrupts the Th1/Th2 immune balance, accelerating vascular calcification and fibrosis. Ultrasound-guided sympathetic blockade offers a reversible, minimally invasive neuromodulation approach. Preliminary clinical evidence suggests it may lower blood pressure, improves vascular endothelial function, and potentially delays renal progression, particularly in patients with resistant hypertension, with a superior safety profile compared to renal denervation. Ultrasound-guided sympathetic blockade represents an emerging and investigational adjunct, constrained by the lack of large-scale randomized controlled trials and long-term outcome data.
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Disease-associated RNA and protein signatures in iPSC-derived microglia model of Alzheimer’s disease

IntroductionMicroglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system, play a critical role in maintaining neural homeostasis and regulating inflammatory responses in the brain. Increasing evidence suggests that microglial dysfunction contributes to the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these alterations remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to characterize disease-associated molecular changes in microglia derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of sporadic AD patients and healthy donors.MethodsiPSC-derived microglia from sporadic AD patients and healthy controls were analyzed using integrated multi-omics approaches, including total RNA sequencing, proteomics, and small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) sequencing. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was performed to identify dysregulated biological pathways from transcriptomic and proteomic datasets. In addition, a modified T4 polynucleotide kinase (T4 PNK)-based sncRNA sequencing method was used to profile disease-associated sncRNAs and identify previously uncharacterized RNA species.ResultsComparative analyses revealed significant AD-associated alterations in mRNA, protein, and sncRNA expression profiles in iPSC-derived microglia. GO analysis demonstrated dysregulation of pathways related to extracellular communication, intracellular transport, cytoskeletal organization, and protein–protein interactions. Furthermore, the modified T4 PNK–sncRNA sequencing approach identified multiple disease-associated sncRNAs, including several novel and previously uncharacterized RNA species potentially linked to AD pathology.DiscussionThese findings demonstrate that iPSC-derived microglia provide a valuable model for studying molecular mechanisms associated with sporadic AD. The identified transcriptomic, proteomic, and sncRNA alterations highlight key pathways potentially involved in microglial dysfunction and neurodegeneration. In particular, the discovery of novel disease-associated sncRNAs may provide new insights into AD pathogenesis and reveal potential therapeutic targets for future investigation.
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GGDA-net: geometry-guided deformable attention network for Alzheimer’s disease image classification

BackgroundConvolutional neural networks (CNNs) have achieved remarkable success in medical image analysis, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) classification. However, conventional convolution operations rely on fixed sampling patterns, and most existing attention mechanisms primarily focus on feature responses while neglecting spatial sampling geometry, limiting their ability to capture structural variations in brain images.MethodsTo address these limitations, this paper proposes a Geometry-Guided Deformable Attention Network (GGDA-Net) for medical image classification. The proposed framework integrates Linear Deformable Convolution (LDConv) with a Geometry-Aware (GA) Attention mechanism to jointly model feature semantics and spatial geometry. Specifically, LDConv introduces adaptive spatial sampling through learnable offsets, enabling flexible modeling of geometric deformations in brain structures, while the GA attention exploits the resulting geometric cues to guide the network toward more informative anatomical regions.ResultsThe experimental results show that the accuracy rates on the two datasets reached 99.38 and 99.16% respectively, which are superior to the existing most advanced algorithms. At the same time, the model maintains a compact size and has a relatively low computational complexity. These results highlight the effectiveness of feature learning based on geometric perception in medical image analysis and Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.
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Task-state P300 and functional brain network abnormalities in adolescent major depressive disorder: a Stroop paradigm study

BackgroundCognitive control deficits are a core feature of adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD), yet the associated task-state neurophysiological mechanisms remain poorly characterized. This study investigated electrophysiological alterations in MDD using a Stroop color-word task.MethodsTwenty-two adolescents with MDD and fifteen age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) completed the task during 32-channel EEG recording. We analyzed P300 amplitude and latency, 1-30Hz power spectral density (PSD) in key cortical regions, and task-based functional connectivity using the phase locking value (PLV). A support vector machine (SVM) classifier with leave-one-out cross-validation was employed to assess the diagnostic utility of the multimodal features.ResultsRelative to HC, the MDD group exhibited significantly prolonged incongruent trial reaction times, reduced P300 amplitude at centro-parietal electrodes (Oz, PO7, O2), and enhanced alpha/beta-band PSD in occipitotemporal regions. Functional connectivity analysis revealed a task-state shift from a frontoparietal to an occipitotemporal network. The multimodal SVM model achieved 86.49% classification accuracy (AUC = 0.86).ConclusionTask-specific P300 hypoactivity, aberrant oscillatory dynamics, and functional network reorganization collectively distinguish adolescent MDD from HC. These findings provide convergent neurophysiological evidence for impaired cognitive control in MDD and highlight the potential of preliminary candidate EEG biomarkers for early identification, prognostic assessment, and monitoring treatment response in adolescent MDD.
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Aggression and emotional distress in adolescents: a cross-sectional chain mediation model of internet addiction and somatization

BackgroundAdolescent depression and anxiety are major public health concerns. Aggression is frequently associated with internalizing symptoms, but the behavioral and body related mechanisms underlying this association remain insufficiently clarified. This study examined a theoretically proposed chain mediation model linking aggression with depressive and anxiety symptoms through internet addiction and somatization.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 5,307 high school students in Chongqing, China. Participants filled in the Buss and Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Patient Health Questionnaire – 15 (PHQ – 15), Patient Health Questionnaire – 9 (PHQ – 9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale – 7 (GAD – 7). Regression based chain mediation analyses with 5,000 bootstrap samples were performed using PROCESS Model 6, with gender and age controlled as covariates.ResultsThe results showed that aggression was positively correlated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.256, p < 0.001) and anxiety symptoms (β = 0.275, p < 0.001). Chain mediation analysis showed that aggression was indirectly associated with mental health through three distinct pathways: 1. the independent mediating effect of internet addiction; 2. the independent mediating effect of somatization; 3. the sequential chain mediating effect from internet addiction to somatization. The model explained more variance in depressive symptoms (R² = 58.2%) than in anxiety symptoms (R² = 53.5%). Furthermore, the association between somatization and depressive symptoms (β = 0.457) was stronger than that between somatization and anxiety symptoms (β = 0.428).ConclusionThis study supports a statistically significant chain mediation pattern in which aggression is associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms through internet addiction and somatization. The findings suggest that somatization may represent an important body related correlate in the association between maladaptive digital behavior and emotional distress, with a slightly stronger association observed for depressive symptoms than for anxiety symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of integrated school based interventions that address digital behavior regulation, somatic symptom monitoring, and emotional distress among adolescents with higher aggressive tendencies.