Fwd: The State of AI: How war will be changed forever

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: The State of AI: How war will be changed forever
Date: 2025-11-18 08:01
From: The Download from MIT Technology Review
<newsletters@technologyreview.com>
To: <kenneth@hamer-hodges.us>

Job titles of the future: AI embryologist

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Save 50% + bonus AI content [2]

The Download

_YOUR DAILY DOSE OF WHAT'S UP IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGY_

BY RHIANNON WILLIAMS • 11.18.25

_Hello! Today: the latest edition of our new collaboration with the
Financial Times examines the ethics of using AI to wage warfare. Plus:
how future embryologists could use AI to keep better tabs on vulnerable
embryos as they develop._

[3]

THE STATE OF AI: HOW WAR WILL BE CHANGED FOREVER

_—Helen Warrell & James O'Donnell_

It is July 2027, and China is on the brink of invading Taiwan.
Autonomous drones with AI targeting capabilities are primed to overpower
the island's air defenses as a series of crippling AI-generated
cyberattacks cut off energy supplies and key communications. In the
meantime, a vast disinformation campaign enacted by an AI-powered
pro-Chinese meme farm spreads across global social media, deadening the
outcry at Beijing's act of aggression.

Scenarios such as this have brought dystopian horror to the debate about
the use of AI in warfare. Military commanders hope for a digitally
enhanced force that is faster and more accurate than human-directed
combat.

But there are fears that as AI assumes an increasingly central role,
these same commanders will lose control of a conflict that escalates too
quickly and lacks ethical or legal oversight. Read the full story [4].
This is the third edition of The State of AI, our subscriber-only
collaboration between the Financial Times & MIT Technology Review
examining the ways in which AI is reshaping global power.

Every Monday, writers from both publications will debate one aspect of
the generative AI revolution reshaping global power. While subscribers
to The Algorithm, our weekly AI newsletter, get access to an extended
excerpt, subscribers to MIT Technology Review are able to read the whole
thing. Sign up [5] here to receive future editions every Monday.

JOB TITLES OF THE FUTURE: AI EMBRYOLOGIST

Embryologists are the scientists behind the scenes of in vitro
fertilization who oversee the development and selection of embryos,
prepare them for transfer, and maintain the lab environment. They've
been a critical part of IVF for decades, but their job has gotten a
whole lot busier in recent years as demand for the fertility treatment
skyrockets and clinics struggle to keep up.

Klaus Wiemer, a veteran embryologist and IVF lab director, believes
artificial intelligence might help by predicting embryo health in real
time and unlocking new avenues for productivity in the lab. Read the
full story [6].

_—Amanda Smith_

[7]

THE MUST-READS

_I've combed the internet to find you today's most
fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology._

1 Big Tech's job cuts are a warning sign
They're a canary down the mine for other industries. (WP [8] $)
+ _Americans appear to feel increasingly unsettled by AI. _(WSJ [9] $)
+ _Global fund managers worry companies are overinvesting in the
technology. _(FT [10] $)

2 Iran is attempting to stimulate rain to end its deadly drought
But critics warn that cloud seeding is a challenging process. (New
Scientist [11] $)
+ _Parts of western Iran are now experiencing flooding. _(Reuters [12])
+ _Why it's so hard to bust the weather control conspiracy theory.
_(MIT Technology Review [13])

3 Air taxi startups may produce new aircraft for war zones
The US Army has announced its intentions to acquire most of its weapons
from startups, not major contractors. (The Information [14] $)
+ _US firm Joby Aviation is launching flying taxis in Dubai. _(NBC News
[15])
+ _This giant microwave may change the future of war. _(MIT Technology
Review [16])

4 Weight-loss drug make Eli Lilly is likely to cross a trillion-dollar
valuation
As it prepares to launch a pill alternative to its injections. (WSJ [17]
$)
+ _Arch rival Novo Nordisk A/S is undercutting the company to compete.
_(Bloomberg [18] $)
+ _We're learning more about what weight-loss drugs do to the body.
_(MIT Technology Review [19])

5 What's going on with the US TikTok ban?
Even the lawmakers in charge don't seem to know. (The Verge [20])

6 It's getting harder to grow cocoa
Mass tree felling and lower rainfall in the Congo Basin is to blame. (FT
[21] $)
+ _Industrial agriculture activists are everywhere at COP30. _(The
Guardian [22])
+ _Africa fights rising hunger by looking to foods of the past. _(MIT
Technology Review [23])

7 Russia is cracking down on its critical military bloggers
Armchair critics are facing jail time if they refuse to apologize.
(Economist [24] $)

8 Why the auto industry is so obsessed with humanoid robots
It's not just Tesla—plenty of others want to get in on the act. (The
Atlantic [25] $)
+ _China's EV giants are betting big on humanoid robots. _(MIT
Technology Review [26])

9 Indian startups are challenging ChatGPT's AI dominance
They support a far wider range of languages than the large AI firms'
models. (Rest of World [27])
+ _OpenAI is huge in India. Its models are steeped in caste bias. _(MIT
Technology Review [28])

10 These tiny sensors track butterflies on their journey to Mexico 🦋
Scientists hope it'll shed some light on their mysterious life cycles.
(NYT [29] $)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

-------------------------

"I THINK NO COMPANY IS GOING TO BE IMMUNE, INCLUDING US."

—Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, warns the BBC [30] about the precarious
nature of the AI bubble.

ONE MORE THING

[31]

HOW A 1980S TOY ROBOT ARM INSPIRED MODERN ROBOTICS

_—Jon Keegan_

As a child of an electronic engineer, I spent a lot of time in our local
Radio Shack as a kid. While my dad was locating capacitors and
resistors, I was in the toy section. It was there, in 1984, that I
discovered the best toy of my childhood: the Armatron robotic arm.

Described as a "robot-like arm to aid young masterminds in scientific
and laboratory experiments," it was a legit robotic arm. And the bold
look and function of Armatron made quite an impression on many young
kids who would one day have a career in robotics. Read the full story
[32].

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 o_r _skeet 'em at me [33]_.)

+ The US Library of Congress has attained some handwritten drafts of
iconic songs from _The Wizard of Oz [34]._
+ This interesting dashboard [35] tracks the world's top 500 musical
artists in the world right now—some of the listings may surprise you
(or just make you feel really old.)
+ Cult author Chris Kraus [36] shares what's floating her boat right
now.
+ The first images of the forthcoming _Legend of Zelda [37] _film are
here!

[38]

🚨 Full access. Half price. [39] Unlock unlimited access to deep
reads, scoops, and analysis on AI, energy, biotech, and more. Plus,
receive bonus AI content.

CLAIM 50% OFF [40]

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Corporate gifting made smarter. Celebrate your top performers and
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a gift that helps you navigate what's next and why it matters. Contact
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LEARN MORE [43]

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Join us for MIT Technology Review's signature conference for AI
leadership, EmTech AI, coming April 21-23, 2026. As a newsletter reader
you save an additional 10% off [45] our already reduced early access
price.
Use the code: NEWSLETTERAI10

_Top image credit: FT/MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW | ADOBE STOCK_

Please send hot new artists to hi@technologyreview.com.

I'm now on Bluesky! Follow me at @rhiannonwilliams [46]. Thanks for
reading!

—Rhiannon

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