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The Download: AI “coworkers” and stratospheric internet

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.

AI agents are not your “coworkers”

Imagine coming in to work to learn that a new underling will report to you. The worker is not a person but an AI tool—one that your company nonetheless calls Alex, an “employee” with a title and defined responsibilities. How well do you think you would work with Alex?

If you’re anything like the managers studied by Boston University professor Emma Wiles, treating that AI as a “coworker” would lead you to do a worse job. They caught 18% fewer errors when the work was attributed to an agentic “AI employee” rather than a chatbot.

This is an alarming glimpse of the future Silicon Valley is hurling us toward. Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google have all released tools for managing teams of AI agents, many of which are advertised as digital colleagues. Find out why that’s a losing proposition for workers.

—James O’Donnell

This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly AI newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday.

This flying solar-powered platform could deliver better internet from the air

As soon as August, a giant silver bullet will cut its way through the dry air of the southwestern US and cross the Pacific to reach the coast of Japan.

Once there, the roughly 200-foot-long craft, built by the New Mexico–based company Sceye, will park some 18 kilometers above the ocean’s surface in the stratosphere, then use a custom-built antenna to supplement a 5G network, in a test that includes beaming data straight to devices.

Sceye (pronounced “sky”) is one of several firms building these high-altitude platform stations, or HAPS. Find out why they plan to connect us from the stratosphere.

—Rachel Courtland

This story is from the latest edition of our magazine, which is all about engineering. Subscribe now to get a copy, plus all our other issues and a range of subscriber-only content.

Longevity’s next frontier: “reprogramming” your body

Billions of dollars are flooding into efforts to reverse aging as scientists explore ways to return cells to a younger state. But how far off are these experimental treatments? Will they really work? At a virtual Roundtables event today, MIT Technology Review will examine the science behind the hype.

Science editor Mary Beth Griggs and senior biotechnology reporter Jessica Hamzelou will explore longevity’s latest frontier in a subscriber-only discussion.

Register here to join the session at 11:30 AM ET / 8:30 AM PT / 16:30 GMT.

The must-reads

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

1 The US House has passed new youth online safety legislation
+ It would set baseline federal standards for kids’ online safety. (Politico $)
+ States would be allowed to adopt more aggressive protections. (Reuters $)
+ But critics say it lets tech companies avoid accountability. (Axios)
+ And tech groups warn it threatens privacy and free expression. (NBC)
+ The Senate is expected to push for tougher rules. (The Hill)

2 Ford is rehiring human engineers after AI failed to match quality checks
It said the AI lacked the training and expertise of technicians. (Bloomberg $) 
+ The new hires will train younger staff and reprogram AI tools. (BBC)
+ Many firms that replaced workers with AI are now rehiring humans. (Forbes)
+ The AI jobs hysteria needs a reality check. (MIT Technology Review)
 
3 Senator Mark Warren is set to introduce a bill to regulate AI agents
It would set rules for agent permissions and verification. (The Information $)
+ Voters of both parties want tighter AI regulation. (NBC News)
+ But politicians are bitterly divided on the rules. (MIT Technology Review)
 
4 Rocket Lab is buying Iridium for $8 billion to take on SpaceX
It wants to integrate the satellite network with its launch services. (The Verge)
+ Which could create a fleet that can compete with SpaceX. (WSJ $)
 
5 Hackers have exposed secrets about Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18
The data was stolen from Tata Electronics, Apple’s Indian supplier. (Reuters $)
+ The breach also exposed Tesla secrets. (TechCrunch)

6 Chatbots are replacing therapists despite lacking scientific evidence
Experts question their safety and therapeutic quality. (WSJ $)
+ Chatbots may make us lose control of our brains. (MIT Technology Review)
 
7 Newborn DNA sequencing is edging closer to routine healthcare
Trials are expanding despite privacy and ethical concerns. (Economist $)
+ The push for perfect babies is an ethical mess. (MIT Technology Review)

8 Astronomers are using AI to find new galaxies
New tools are reviving decades of space telescope data. (FT $)

9 Remote-controlled cockroach swarms can now breathe underwater
The cyborg insects could one day explore Mars. (New Scientist $)

10 Drone shows are creating new forms of worship 
Churches are depicting biblical stories with thousands of UAVs. (Wired $))

Quote of the day

“This is taking us back to the 1950s, and that is not progress.” 

—Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, tells NPR that slashing regulations undoes decades of safety lessons from the industry.

One More Thing


Design thinking was supposed to fix the world. Where did it go wrong?

When Kyle Cornforth walked into IDEO’s San Francisco offices for a meeting about reimagining school lunches, she was impressed. “It was Post-its everywhere, prototypes everywhere,” she recalls. “What I really liked was that they offered a framework for collaboration and creation.”

Cornforth was new to IDEO’s way of working: a six-step methodology for innovation called design thinking. But when she looked at the ideas themselves, she had questions: “I was like, ‘You didn’t talk to anyone who works in a school, did you?’ They were not contextualized in the problem at all.”

Design thinking broadened the idea of “design,” elevating designers to take on big, knotty problems through a structured process. But critics argue it has produced unrealistic ideas and, by centering designers, reinforced existing inequities.

Read the full story on the rise and fall of design thinking.

—Rebecca Ackermann

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.)

+ A London tube station has solved its persistent flooding issue by reintroducing beavers.
+ The Beastie Boys song “Sabotage” has been stunningly recreated in this stop-motion video.
+ Classical antiquity is lovingly preserved in this collection of over 8,000 late Latin and Greek letters from the Roman world.
+ This homemade jet-powered fishing boat is a reminder that great engineering and good judgment don’t always travel together.

Top image credit: Photo Illustration by Sarah Rogers/MITTR | Photos Getty

Please send homemade jet-powered fishing boats to hi@technologyreview.com. 

You can follow me on LinkedIn. Thanks for reading!

—Thomas

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The effect of weather on unscheduled healthcare utilisation for mental health conditions in England, 2014–2022

BackgroundWeather conditions have been linked to adverse mental health outcomes, and rising concern about climate change has increased interest in these associations. However, most existing research focuses on extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, or on acute clinical outcomes, such as suicide. Evidence is more limited regarding population-level variations in mental health–related healthcare utilisation across the full range of daily weather conditions.ObjectiveTo examine associations between daily weather conditions and unscheduled mental health–related healthcare contacts in England using large-scale national surveillance data.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective observational study across nine English regions from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2022. Outcomes were daily counts of unscheduled mental health–related contacts to emergency departments (EDs), general practice out-of-hours (GP OOH) services, and the NHS 111 telephone advice line. Weather exposures included mean daily temperature (°C), hours of full sunshine, and total daily rainfall (mm). Associations were estimated using distributed lag non-linear models at regional level and combined through two-stage multivariate meta-analysis. Models were adjusted for seasonality, long-term trends, day of week, public holidays, and population size.ResultsMental health–related unscheduled healthcare contacts showed modest but consistent associations with temperature and sunshine. Across services, relative risks (demand) increased with rising temperatures up to around 18 °C and were higher on days with fewer hours of sunshine. Sunshine demonstrated the clearest pattern, with increased utilisation on low-sunshine days across all healthcare settings. Rainfall was not consistently associated with healthcare contacts. Age-stratified analyses showed a U-shaped relationship between temperature and ED attendances among adults aged over 64 years, with higher utilisation during both colder and warmer conditions. Overall variations in daily healthcare demand were modest, typically within ±10–20% of baseline levels.ConclusionIn England, short-term variations in temperature and sunshine are associated with changes in unscheduled mental health–related healthcare utilisation, whereas rainfall shows little consistent effect. Although effect sizes were modest, these findings highlight the role of everyday weather conditions in influencing mental health–related healthcare demand and may support planning and preparedness efforts for mental health services under current and future climate conditions.
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Adherence to a Digital Knee Rehabilitation Platform Among Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Hong Kong: Qualitative Study

Background: Exercise therapy is fundamental to rehabilitation for knee osteoarthritis and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, yet adherence to prescribed exercise typically declines once clinical supervision ends. Digital rehabilitation platforms offer a promising means of supporting sustained exercise adherence, but qualitative evidence on how patients experience these platforms in real-world clinical practice remains limited, particularly in non-Western health care contexts. Objective: This study aimed to explore how patients with different knee conditions experienced the Healthy Knees digital rehabilitation platform in Hong Kong and to identify the factors shaping their platform engagement and exercise adherence. Methods: A qualitative design was adopted using reflexive thematic analysis. Fifteen adults (9 with ACL, 6 with osteoarthritis) who had been prescribed the Healthy Knees web-based platform at Prince of Wales Hospital participated in semistructured, in-person interviews (30‐45 min). Interviews were conducted in Cantonese or Mandarin, transcribed verbatim, translated into English, and analyzed inductively. Ethics approval was obtained from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of New South Wales. Results: Participants were aged 21 to 79 years, with most being male (11/15). Younger participants were predominantly patients with postoperative ACL, while older participants were predominantly patients with preoperative osteoarthritis. Three interrelated themes were identified, collectively describing the fit between the platform and participants’ contexts. Content fit captured the alignment between exercise content and rehabilitation needs; participants across both groups perceived substantial overlap with existing physiotherapy, and content was often mismatched to their recovery stage. Motivational fit captured the alignment between platform support features and motivational needs; pain functioned as both a driver and a deterrent to exercise, and participants ranged from highly self-directed to reliant on external scaffolding, not following a simple age pattern. Access fit captured the alignment between the platform’s delivery mechanism and participants’ technological circumstances; QR code–dependent access, absence of a dedicated mobile app, and display issues created friction that led several participants to migrate to alternative resources, maintaining exercise adherence while abandoning platform engagement. Conclusions: Adherence to digital knee rehabilitation was shaped by the degree of fit between the platform and users’ contexts across content, motivational, and access dimensions. When access fit failed, participants often substituted alternative exercise resources rather than ceasing exercise entirely, highlighting a distinction between platform engagement and exercise adherence. As the sample’s clinical and demographic characteristics were closely linked, these findings should not be interpreted as diagnostic comparisons between ACL and osteoarthritis populations but as patterns shaped by the recovery phase and age. These findings suggest that digital rehabilitation platforms should incorporate adaptive content aligned with the recovery stage, integrated feedback mechanisms, and reduced access friction to sustain platform engagement within an ecosystem of competing alternatives.
<img src="https://jmir-production.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/thumbs/7a14e974f70af5794765b21582feb228" />

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Perspectives on Continuous Glucose Monitoring Among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes in the United Kingdom: Cross-Sectional Survey

<strong>Background:</strong> Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is one of the most common noncommunicable diseases, requiring ongoing lifestyle changes and continuous glucose management through medication, diet, and physical activity. Traditional self-monitoring of blood glucose can be burdensome, especially with frequent finger pricks. As continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) becomes more affordable and accessible, it offers benefits such as increased glucose awareness, behavioral modifications, and reduced anxiety. However, challenges remain, including cost, discomfort, skin reactions, and privacy concerns. In the United Kingdom, perceptions of CGM among people with T2D, including both users and nonusers, are not well understood, limiting insight into factors influencing adoption and sustained use. <strong>Objective:</strong> This study aims to explore how adults with T2D perceive the benefits and challenges of using CGM, including both current users and nonusers. <strong>Methods:</strong> This study used a cross-sectional, online survey using YouGov’s nationally representative panel to explore experiences of CGM among adults with T2D in the United Kingdom. A total of 531 participants were recruited from November to December 2024. Thematic analysis of responses to 2 open-ended questions identified key perceived benefits and challenges associated with CGM use. <strong>Results:</strong> A total of 531 adults with T2D completed the YouGov online survey. Over half were male (297/531, 55.9%) and aged 65 years and older (281/531, 52.9%). Two-thirds (347/531, 65.3%) had lived with T2D for more than 5 years, and 9.6% (51/531) use or had previously used a CGM. Overall, 50.8% (270/531) responded to at least one free-text question, with 49% (260/531) commenting on benefits and 33.1% (176/531) on challenges. Thematic analysis identified five key benefit themes: (1) reduced monitoring burden, described as eliminating frequent finger prick testing and simplifying daily routines; (2) lifestyle feedback, enabling participants to better understand how diet and physical activity influence glucose levels; (3) greater control, by supporting more informed decision-making and increasing confidence in self-management; (4) feeling safer, through alerts for hypo- and hyperglycemia; and (5) sharing data with clinicians, which facilitated communication and more collaborative care. The main challenges were (1) access barriers, including restrictive eligibility criteria and the high cost of self-funding; (2) device issues, such as discomfort, inconvenience, and practical difficulties wearing the sensor; (3) technology reliance, with concerns about depending on devices rather than listening to bodily cues; (4) emotional strain, including anxiety, over-monitoring, and increased preoccupation with glucose levels; and (5) data concerns, particularly regarding accuracy, interpretation, and privacy. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> Adults with T2D, including both users and nonusers, described CGM as a practical and empowering tool that improves understanding, safety, and collaboration with health care providers. Nevertheless, access barriers, usability issues, and emotional and data-related burdens remain major obstacles to equitable adoption. Addressing these through improved affordability, digital literacy support, and customized clinical guidance may support ongoing and inclusive CGM use in routine care.
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Blood Protein May Signal Dementia Risk Decades Before Symptoms Appear

A blood protein long associated with dementia in older adults may also identify people at increased risk decades before symptoms develop, according to a large international study published in Science Advances.

Analyzing data from six large longitudinal cohorts, researchers from the National Institute on Aging found that elevated levels of growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF15)—a circulating cytokine involved in inflammation and cellular stress responses—in adults younger than 55 years were associated with a significantly greater risk of developing dementia later in life, particularly vascular dementia. The findings suggest that molecular changes associated with neurodegeneration may be detectable years before cognitive symptoms emerge.

“Our findings extend existing evidence by demonstrating that elevated GDF15 levels are detectable in midlife—before age 55—in individuals who later develop dementia,’” the authors write.

The study included approximately 500,000 participants from the UK Biobank, more than 15,000 from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, nearly 5,700 from the AGES-Reykjavik Study, and three additional cohorts. Participants were followed for 15 to 25 years, enabling investigators to determine whether plasma GDF15 levels measured in midlife predicted future dementia.

Across nearly all cohorts, elevated plasma GDF15 was associated with increased risk for all-cause dementia. However, the relationship was strongest for vascular dementia, with effect sizes approximately two to five times greater than those observed for Alzheimer’s disease.

The distinction suggests GDF15 may be particularly useful for identifying individuals at risk for vascular cognitive impairment rather than the amyloid-driven pathology typically associated with Alzheimer’s disease. As the authors note, “the association was particularly pronounced for vascular dementia,” supporting the protein’s potential as an early marker of vascular brain injury.

To investigate whether GDF15 might play a biological role in disease rather than simply reflect ongoing pathology, the researchers performed Mendelian randomization analyses using genetic data. The analyses supported a potential causal relationship between elevated circulating GDF15 and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Additional analyses linked higher plasma GDF15 concentrations with several established indicators of neurodegeneration, including cerebral small vessel disease, elevated phosphorylated tau (pTau-181) in both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, and increased neurofilament light, a marker of neuronal injury. In contrast, GDF15 was not associated with amyloid pathology, suggesting that it may reflect alternative disease mechanisms.

Instead, multiple lines of evidence pointed toward inflammation and immune dysregulation. Individuals with elevated GDF15 exhibited cerebrospinal fluid protein signatures consistent with neuroimmune activation, including complement activation, inflammatory signaling pathways, and disease-associated microglial responses.

To better understand these mechanisms, the investigators exposed cultured human macrophages to recombinant GDF15. The protein altered cellular pathways involved in interferon signaling, energy metabolism, and heme scavenging—processes that have all been implicated in dementia risk. Together, the experimental and clinical findings suggest that GDF15 may actively influence neurodegeneration through immune and vascular pathways rather than acting solely as a marker of biological aging.

The authors conclude that “these findings support circulating GDF15’s role as an early biomarker—particularly for vascular dementia and neuroinflammation—and identify the mechanisms by which it may drive dementia risk.”

The post Blood Protein May Signal Dementia Risk Decades Before Symptoms Appear appeared first on Inside Precision Medicine.