The Download: The Pentagon’s new AI plans, and next-gen nuclear reactors

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.

The Pentagon is planning for AI companies to train on classified data,defenseofficial says

The Pentagon plans to set up secure environments for generative AI companies to train military-specific versions of their models on classified data, MIT Technology Review has learned.

AI models likeAnthropic'sClaude are already used to answer questions in classified settings, including foranalyzingtargets in Iran. But allowing them to train on and learn from classified data is a major new development that presents unique security risks.

It would embed sensitive intelligence-like surveillance reports or battlefield assessments-into the models themselves. It would also bring AI firms closer to classified data than ever before.Read the full story.

-James O'Donnell

What do new nuclear reactors mean for waste?

The way the world currently deals with nuclear waste is as creative as it is varied: drown it in water pools, encase it in steel, bury it hundreds of meters underground. But an approaching wave of new reactors could introduce fresh challenges to nuclear waste management.

Thenew designsand materials could require some engineering solutions. Andthere'sa huge rangeof them coming, meaningthere'san equally wide range of potential waste types to handle.Read the full story.

-Casey Crownhart

Thisstoryis part ofourMITTechnology Review Explains series, which untangles the complex, messy world of technology to show youwhat'scoming next. Check out the full serieshere.

MIT Technology Review Narrated: how uncrewednarcosubs could transform the Colombian drug trade

For decades, handmadenarcosubs have been among the cocaine trade's most elusive and productive workhorses, ferrying tons of drugs from Colombia to the rest of the world.

Now off-the-shelf technology-Starlink terminals, plug-and-play nautical autopilots, high-resolution video cameras-may be advancing that cat-and-mouse game into a new phase.

Uncrewed subs could move more cocaine over longer distances, and theywouldn'tput human smugglers at risk of capture. Law enforcement agencies are only just beginning to grapple with the consequences.

-Eduardo Echeverri Lopez

This is ourlateststoryto be turned into an MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, whichwe'republishing each week onSpotifyandApple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform,andfollow us to get all ournew contentasit'sreleased.

The must-reads

1 Nvidia has joined theOpenClawcraze with the launch ofNemoClaw
It's adding privacy and security to the AI agent platform. (Business Insider)
+ Chinese AI stocks surged on the news.(Bloomberg$)
+ Nvidia has also gained Beijing's approval to sell H200 chips.(Reuters)
+ Tech-savvy Tinkerers" are cashing in on China'sOpenClawfrenzy.(MIT Technology Review)

2 Microsoft is mulling legal action over theAmazon-OpenAI clouddeal
Citing a potential violation of its exclusive partnership. (FT$)

3 The Pentagon wants to mass-produce the drones it used to strike Iran
The kamikaze drone, called Lucas, is a copy of Iran's Shahed UAV. (WSJ$)
+ TheShahedshave proven highly effective in the conflict.(NBC News)
+ AI is turning the war intotheater.(MIT Technology Review)

4 US officials say Anthropiccan'tbe trusted with warfighting systems
They want to oust the AI company from all government agencies. (Wired$)
+ OpenAI has taken advantage of the spat.(MIT Technology Review)
+ Here's how GenAI may be used in strikes.(MIT Technology Review)

5 China is penalizing people linked to Meta's $2 billion acquisition of Manus
It's seen as an attempt to stop Chinese AI leaders from relocating. (NYT)

6 DeepSeekappears to be quietlytesting a next-generation AI model
An official launch of the new system may be imminent. (Reuters)
+ DeepSeek ripped up the AI playbook.(MIT Technology Review)

7 Meta is ending VR access to Horizon Worlds in June
It was Meta's flagship metaverse project. (Engadget)
+ And became notorious for sexual harassment.(MIT Technology Review)

8 Sensorveillance" is turning consumer tech into tracking tools for police
It's turning our most personal devices into digital informants. (IEE Spectrum)
+ In the surveillance capitalism era, we need to rethink privacy.(MIT Technology Review)

9 Two landmark lawsuits could transform social media for the better
They target the dangers that the platforms pose to children. (New Scientist)

10 A DNA discovery suggests humanity may have seeded from space
An asteroidmay have transported the ingredients for life to Earth. (404 Media)

Quote of the day

It is now the largest, most popular, the most successful open-sourced project in the history of humanity. This isdefinitely thenext ChatGPT."

-Nvidia CEO tellsCNBCwhyOpenClawis a big step forward for AI.

One More Thing

AP Photo/Alex BrandonHow the Pentagon is adapting to China's technological rise

It'sbeen just over a year since Kathleen Hicks stepped down as US deputy secretary ofdefense.

As the highest-ranking woman in Pentagon history, Hicks shaped US military posture through an era defined by renewed competition between powerful countries and a scramble to modernizedefensetechnology.

In this conversation with MIT Technology Review, Hicks reflects on how the Pentagon is adapting-orfailing to adapt-to a new era of geopolitical competition. She discusses China's technological rise, the future of AI in warfare, and her signature initiative: Replicator.Read the full story.

-CaiweiChen

We can still havenice things

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas?Drop me a line.)

+ Give typing a tuneful tempo by turning your keyboard into a piano with thisnew tool.
+Barry's Border Pointsis a fascinating photographic journey through the lines that divide us.
+ Feast your eyes on thesefive architectural contendersfor a new wonder of the world."
+This Ancient Rome cosplay gamelets you live your best gladiator life.