The Download: words of wisdom from the departing White House tech advisor, and controversial AI manga translation

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.

What the departing White House chief tech advisor has to say on AI

President Biden’s administration will end within two months, and likely to depart with him is Arati Prabhakar, the top mind for science and technology in his cabinet. She has served as Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy since 2022 and was the first to demonstrate ChatGPT to the president in the Oval Office. 

Prabhakar was instrumental in passing the president’s executive order on AI in 2023, which sets guidelines for tech companies to make AI safer and more transparent (though it relies on voluntary participation).

As she prepares for the end of the administration, MIT Technology Review sat down with Prabhakar and asked her to reflect on President Biden’s AI accomplishments, and how the approach to AI risks, immigration policies, the CHIPS Act and more could change under Trump. Read the full story.

—James O’Donnell

This manga publisher is using Anthropic’s AI to translate Japanese comics into English

A Japanese publishing startup is using Anthropic’s flagship large language model Claude to help translate manga into English, allowing the company to churn out a new title for a Western audience in just a few days rather than the 2-3 months it would take a team of humans.

But not everyone is happy about it. The firm has angered a number of manga fans who see the use of AI to translate a celebrated and traditional art-form as one more front in the ongoing battle between tech companies and artists. Read the full story.

—Will Douglas Heaven

The must-reads

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

1 The US has announced more restrictions on chip exports to China
It’s the third round of crackdowns on the industry in as many years. (Reuters)
+ It’s not just China-based companies that could suffer, either. (WP $)
+ The delayed announcement gave China the chance to stockpile affected chips. (WSJ $)
+ Meanwhile, computer scientists in the West are trying to make peace. (Economist $)
+ What’s next in chips. (MIT Technology Review)

2 Donald Trump’s administration is full of pseudo-influencers
They’re capitalizing on their fame to make big bucks ahead of the inauguration. (WP $)
+ A lot of his cabinet also happen to be billionaires. (NY Mag $)

 3 We’re not prepared for a clean energy future
It seems energy authorities keep underestimating how much clean power the world really wants. (Vox)
+ Why artificial intelligence and clean energy need each other. (MIT Technology Review)

4 Ads could start cropping up in ChatGPT
OpenAI is on a revenue drive, and advertising is an obvious cash source. (FT $)
+ Elon Musk is doing all he can to prevent it becoming a for-profit business. (Bloomberg $)

5 Chemistry students in Mexico are being lured into making fentanyl
Cartels are offering young chemists large sums to make the drug even more potent. (NYT $)
+ Deaths from fentanyl are falling—and it looks it’s because of supply changes.(FT $)
+ Anti-opioid groups are cautiously optimistic about Trump’s new tariffs. (The Guardian)

6 BYD isn’t just a EV company these days
It’s carved out an unlikely side gig assembling Apple’s iPads. (WSJ $)
+ BYD has also experimented with shipping for its colossal car consignments. (MIT Technology Review)

7 Our organs age at different rates
And AI is giving us a window into understanding why. (New Scientist $)
+ Aging hits us in our 40s and 60s. But well-being doesn’t have to fall off a cliff. (MIT Technology Review)

8 The unbearable mundanity of home DNA tests
The likelihood of them revealing anything interesting is actually pretty low. (The Guardian)
+ How to… delete your 23andMe data. (MIT Technology Review)

9 This website is full of random, barely-watched home videos
Which one you’ll be served is anyone’s guess. (WP $)

10 Brain rot is the Oxford University dictionary word of the year
Specifically in the context of spending too long looking at nonsense online. (BBC)

Quote of the day

“It’s like trying to prevent a fisherman from catching bigger fish simply by denying him bigger fishing poles. He’ll get there in the end.”

—Meghan Harris, an export control expert at consultancy Beacon Global Strategies, explains the limits of the US government’s plans to curb China’s chipmaking to the Financial Times.

The big story

The quest to build wildfire-resistant homes

April 2023

With each devastating wildfire in the US West, officials consider new methods or regulations that might save homes or lives the next time.

In the parts of California where the hillsides meet human development, and where the state has suffered recurring seasonal fire tragedies, that search for new means of survival has especially high stakes.

Many of these methods are low cost and low tech, but no less truly innovative. In fact, the hardest part to tackle may not be materials engineering, but social change. Read the full story.

—Susie Cagle

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 or tweet ’em at me.)

+ This Instagram account is a treasure trove of bygone mobile phones.
+ The newly renovated Notre Dame cathedral is really quite something.
+ Bad news: we’re probably not going to find alien life any time soon
+ Think you know grilled cheese? This recipe might make you question everything you know and hold dear.