The Download: seafloor science and military chatbots

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.

Inexpensive seafloor-hopping submersibles could stoke deep-sea science—and mining

Last week, two oblong neon submersibles started to descend nearly 6,000 meters into the Pacific Ocean. Throughout the rest of May, they will map the seafloor in search of critical mineral deposits. 

If all goes well, the vehicles, built by Orpheus Ocean, could help scientists probe the vastly understudied deep sea—and the resources it holds—at a fraction of the cost of existing systems.

But the same submersibles are also attracting deep-sea mining companies, raising concerns about environmental impacts. Find out why they’re drawing so much attention.

—Hannah Richter

The new war room: 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now 

A new kind of system has entered the war room: conversational AI tools that commanders turn to not just for analysis, but for advice. 

One US defense official told MIT Technology Review that personnel might give these advice engines a list of potential targets to help decide which to strike first. China is commissioning similar tools too.

But as the systems gain traction, they’re also sparking concerns about AI-generated errors, a lack of transparency, and Big Tech gaining undue influence over what information gets seen. 

Here’s how these AI advice engines could impact the battlefield.

—James O’Donnell

The new war room is one of the 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now, our list of the big ideas, trends, and advances in the field that are driving progress today—and will shape what’s possible tomorrow.

MIT Technology Review Narrated: is fake grass a bad idea? The AstroTurf wars are far from over. 

In 2001, Americans installed just over 7 million square meters of synthetic turf. By 2024, that number was 79 million square meters—enough to carpet all of Manhattan and then some. The increase worries folks who study microplastics and environmental pollution.  

While the plastic-making industry insists that synthetic fields are safe if properly installed, lots of researchers think that isn’t so. 

—Douglas Main 

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 Elon Musk pushed OpenAI to go commercial, its president has testified
Greg Brockman said Musk tried to turn it into a for-profit company years ago. (NYT $)
+ Musk allegedly wanted full control so he could raise $80 billion to colonize Mars. (Reuters $)
+ The Tesla CEO claims he intended for OpenAI to remain a non-profit. (BBC)
+ Here’s what happened in week one of Musk v. Altman. (MIT Technology Review)

2 Google and Meta are building AI agents to rival OpenClaw
Google’s Gemini agent will take actions on the users’ behalf. (Business Insider)
+ Meta’s will be powered by its Muse Spark AI model. (FT $)
+ Hustlers are cashing in on China’s OpenClaw AI craze. (MIT Technology Review)

3 Anthropic will spend $200 billion on Google’s cloud and chips
The investment will be spread across five years. (The Information $)
+ It’s part of a broader AI compute war. (Axios) 

4 DeepSeek is nearing a $45 billion valuation
A state-backed “Big Fund” will lead a new investment round in the company. (FT $)
+ Beijing is pushing to build alternatives to Nvidia and OpenAI. (Bloomberg $)
+ Here’s why DeepSeek’s new model matters. (MIT Technology Review)

5 Anthropic is launching AI agents for banks and financial firms
The 10 tools cover a broad mix of financial services tasks. (WSJ $)
+ They’re part of a push to win over Wall Street. (Bloomberg $)

6 Apple will pay $250 million to settle an AI lawsuit
It was accused of misleading iPhone buyers about Apple Intelligence. (BBC)
+ Some iPhone owners are eligible to receive up to $95. (NYT $)

7 Cheap laptops and phones may be disappearing because of AI demand
 Competition for memory chips is driving up gadget prices worldwide. (The Guardian)

8 Google DeepMind workers in the UK have voted to unionize
As a result of Google’s work with the Pentagon. (Wired $)

9 Pennsylvania is suing Character.AI over chatbots posing as doctors
Investigators say the bots claimed to hold medical licenses. (NPR)
+ How well do AI health tools work? (MIT Technology Review)

10 Scientists created a “living” plastic that destroys itself on command
It could help to eliminate microplastics. (Gizmodo)

Quote of the day

“I want AI to benefit humanity, not to facilitate a genocide.” 

—An anonymous Google DeepMind worker tells the Guardian that Google’s work with the Israel Defense Forces had motivated their vote to unionize.

One More Thing

How tracking animal movement may save the planet

For decades, wildlife researchers have dreamed of building an “Internet of Animals”—a big-data system that monitors and analyzes animal behavior to help us understand the planet. Advances in sensors, AI, and satellite technology are now bringing that vision to reality.

Scientists want the system to track 100,000 sensor-tagged animals. They believe it could reveal how species respond to climate change and ecosystem loss—and even predict environmental disasters. Read the full story on how their idea could save our planet.

—Matthew Ponsford

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.)

+ Master the art of fried chicken with this definitive chef’s guide.
+ Find out why some birds hop and others walk in this breakdown of avian lifestyles.
+ This vintage Hollywood map shows how California’s landscape stood in for everything from the Nile to the Alps.
+ Here’s a fascinating look at the “Flatbed” airplane that was surprisingly efficient on paper but never left the hangar.