The Download: smarter AI in schools, and a robot “carnival” in Shanghai

<p><em>This is today&#8217;s edition of </em><a href="https://forms.technologyreview.com/newsletters/briefing-the-download/?_ga=2.179569122.736533416.1649661040-405833893.1649413289"><em>The Download</em></a>,<em> our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what&#8217;s going on in the world of technology.</em><br></p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">How to encourage smarter AI use in the classroom<strong></strong></h3> <p>Chatbots took schools by surprise. Suddenly, students carried an app in their phones that could magically answer almost any homework question or spin up an essay in seconds.</p> <p>Organizations ranging from OpenAI to UNESCO encourage AI use in the classroom, but many teachers aren’t sure how to handle it. Yet some promising approaches are emerging.</p> <p>At Cheshire Academy, for example, teachers are trained on general techniques for using AI rather than prescribed tools. They use generative AI to prepare class materials, and one teacher has developed a traffic light system that tells students when they can use AI for assignments.</p> <p>The school has also explored specialized tools including an  AI platform for educators. <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/24/1142630/ai-school-classroom-policies/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">Here’s how it works—and how other teachers can apply it</a>.</p> <p><em>—Peter Hall</em><br><strong><br>This <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/24/1142630/ai-school-classroom-policies/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*|SUBCLASS|*&amp;utm_content=*|DATE:m-d-Y|*" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">article</a> is from <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/02/09/1132462/ai-newsletter-professional-applications/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Making AI Work</a>, our limited-run newsletter examining how to apply LLMs across industries. To receive it in your inbox, <a href="https://forms.technologyreview.com/newsletters/making-ai-work/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*|SUBCLASS|*&amp;utm_content=*|DATE:m-d-Y|*" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sign up here</a>.</strong></p> <p></p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">I spent a day at a robot “carnival” in Shanghai. Here’s what I saw.</h3> <p><em>—You Xiaoying</em></p> <p>Applause rings out from the main tent of a robot “carnival” on the outskirts of Shanghai. There, a humanoid wearing a blinged-out top is showing off a martial arts style known as drunken boxing as a fellow humanoid performs a front flip to woo the crowd. The audience can’t get enough. They chant: “More, more, more.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Humanoid robots are having a moment in China. The popular machines are part of the country’s strategy to bring AI into daily life. Nearly 90% of the more than 13,000 two-armed, two-legged robots delivered globally last year were made in China.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Showcases like this event are important because they invite the public to experience robots up close. And exposure matters, as elsewhere, humanoids’ progress has been slow,</p> <p><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/25/1141907/dispatch-shanghai-humanoid-robot-carnival/">Take a tour of the robot carnival to see what it reveals about China’s humanoid ambitions</a>.</p> <p><strong>This </strong><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/24/1142630/ai-school-classroom-policies/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*"><strong>story</strong></a><strong> is from the next issue of our print magazine, which is all about kids. </strong><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/subscribe?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*"><strong>Subscribe now</strong></a><strong> to get a copy when it lands.</strong></p> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The must-reads</strong></p> <p><em>I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.</em></p> <p><strong>1 No one really knows how to safely test frontier AI models</strong><br>The best models are increasingly difficult to contain and evaluate<strong>.</strong> (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/technology/irregular-ai-test-hacks.html">NYT</a> $)<br><em>+ Alabama’s AG has subpoenaed OpenAI over the Hugging Face hack. </em>(<a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/984239/alabama-attorney-general-subpoena-openai-hugging-face-hack">Verge</a>)<br><em>+ China’s Z.ai is open-sourcing a model with powerful hacking abilities. </em>(<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/25/science/cybersecurity-zai-open-weights.html">NYT</a> $)<br><em>+ Here’s why AI agents lie and cheat. </em>(<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/03/1141009/heres-why-ai-agents-lie-and-cheat-to-reach-their-goals/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">MIT Technology Review</a>)<br>&nbsp;<br><strong>2 An Nvidia manager was charged with smuggling AI chips into China</strong><br>Prosecutors called the employee&nbsp;a “central figure” in the scheme. (<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/af815e45-b132-4db4-96bc-428f8e0b76f3?syn-25a6b1a6=1">FT</a> $)<br><em>+ Jensen Huang had scolded Supermicro for AI smuggling.</em> (<a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/08/nvidia-senior-manager-linked-to-supermicro-scheme-smuggling-ai-servers-to-china/">Ars Technica</a>)<br><em>+ Taiwan has indicted nine people over the alleged illegal exports.</em> (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-indicts-9-over-alleged-illegal-export-ai-servers-china-2026-08-24/">Reuters</a> $)<br>&nbsp;<br><strong>3 Unitree’s stock plunge has raised&nbsp;fears Chinese&nbsp;robotics is a bubble</strong><br>After a spectacular IPO debut, shares have fallen 45%. (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/china-robot-maker-unitrees-post-listing-slump-sparks-bubble-fears-2026-08-25/">Reuters</a> $)<br><em>+ But China is still replacing factory workers with robots at speed.</em> (<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62m4zn1q6mo">BBC</a>)<br><em>+ And its robotics firms are becoming dominant.</em> (<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/12/1131193/ces-showed-me-why-chinese-tech-companies-feel-so-optimistic/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">MIT Technology Review</a>)<br>&nbsp;<br><strong>4 The UK and Ukraine have signed a partnership to develop AI for defense</strong><br>Britain will gain access to Ukraine’s battlefield AI data platform. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/aug/24/uk-to-use-ukraine-battlefield-data-to-train-ai-to-protect-sensitive-sites">Guardian</a>)<br><em>+ The resulting models will be used to protect sensitive sites.</em> (<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/uk-ukraine-sign-ai-defence-partnership-linked-battlefield-technology-2026-08-24/">Reuters</a> $)<br><br><strong>5 The data center era is reshaping America</strong><br>The AI buildout is straining the country’s grid, labor, and politics. (<a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/25/data-centers-ai-electricity-water-politics">Axios</a>)<br><em>+ No one wants a data center in their backyard.</em> (<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/14/1131253/data-centers-are-amazing-everyone-hates-them/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">MIT Technology Review</a>)<br>&nbsp;<br><strong>6 Trump tried to curb clean energy, but it&#8217;s booming anyway</strong><br>Clean energy additions are setting new records. (<a href="https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/08/trump-tried-to-curb-clean-energy-its-booming-anyway/">Ars Technica</a>)<br><em>+ Climate tech companies are now going public.</em> (<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/05/28/1138067/climate-tech-ipos/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">MIT Technology Review</a>)<br>&nbsp;<br><strong>7 Amazon has hiked device prices by up to 60% amid a memory shortage</strong><br>The company blamed the AI-driven memory crunch. (<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/24/amazon-hikes-hardware-prices-by-60-percent-blaming-memory-shortage/">TechCrunch</a>)<br>&nbsp;<br><strong>8 Muscle-boosting drugs could be the next big thing after GLP-1s</strong><br>New treatments aim to preserve muscle while shedding fat. (<a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2585855-will-muscle-boosting-meds-be-the-next-big-thing-after-glp-1-drugs/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&amp;utm_content=home&amp;utm_medium=RSS&amp;utm_source=NSNS">New Scientist</a> $)<br><br><strong>9 A Chinese aircraft has generated electricity from high-altitude winds</strong><br>The helium-filled craft harnessed winds at an altitude of 4,000 meters.&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3365180/china-taps-high-altitude-winds-power-generation-flying-craft-4000m?utm_source=feedly_feed">SCMP</a>)<br>&nbsp;<br><strong>10 Digital carrier pigeons&nbsp;are providing an escape from instant messaging</strong><br>Apps that slow down texting are taking off. (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/22/technology/carrier-pigeon-app-texting-technology.html">NYT</a> $)</p> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Quote of the day</strong></p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>“</strong><strong>Dear peasants, we will bequeath upon you these gifts of a cure for cancer and material wealth and great entertainment, and you stop complaining, and we’ll make all the decisions about the future. And just trust us, we’ll be benevolent dictators.”&nbsp;</strong></h2> <p>—Sam Altman caricatures the AI industry’s sales pitch as a grotesque bargain with the public in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG8AoExkX40">an interview</a> with the podcaster David Senra.</p> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>One More Thing</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="3000" height="1688" src="https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Clones-3.jpg?w=840" alt="An older man with the top of his head removed placing a glowing brain into a younger version of himself sitting in a wheelchair in a mock coronation." class="wp-image-1134700" srcset="https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Clones-3.jpg 3000w, https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Clones-3.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Clones-3.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Clones-3.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Clones-3.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px" /><div class="image-credit">STEPHANIE ARNETT/MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW | ADOBE STOCK, GETTY, ENVATO, PUBLIC DOMAIN</div> </figure> </div> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><br>Inside the stealthy startup that pitched brainless human clones</h4> <p>After operating in secrecy for years, R3 Bio, a California-based startup, suddenly revealed last week that it had raised money to create non-sentient monkey “organ sacks” as an alternative to animal testing. But there is more to the story. And R3 doesn’t want that story told.</p> <p><em>MIT Technology Review</em> discovered that founder John Schloendorn also pitched a startling, ethically charged vision: “brainless clones” that serve as backup human bodies.</p> <p><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/03/30/1134780/r3-bio-brainless-human-clones-full-body-replacement-john-schloendorn-aging-longevity/?utm_source=the_download&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_term=*%7CSUBCLASS%7C*&amp;utm_content=*%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C*">Dive into the details on the radical proposal</a>.</p> <p><em>—Antonio Regalado</em></p> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>We can still have nice things</strong></p> <p><em>A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? </em><a href="mailto:[email protected]"><em>Drop me a line</em></a><em>.)</em></p> <p>+ A hamster has become a <a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a73355106/hamster-wheel-strava-running/">surprisingly serious Strava athlete</a>.<br>+ Here’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGxz4LQfRpo">a gorgeous cinematic tribute</a> to the breathtaking imagery from Artemis II.<br>+ Chomp your way through Planetwurst’s deliciously niche <a href="https://planetwurst.com/?ref=DenseDiscovery-401">world atlas of sausages</a>.<br>+ Shipwreck divers have discovered <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/shipwreck-divers-discovered-a-162-year-old-bottle-of-guinness-brewed-during-the-reign-of-queen-victoria-and-they-want-to-take-a-swig-180989320/">a 162-year-old bottle of Guinness</a>—and they want to take a swig.</p> <p></p>