The Download: AI bottleneck debates, and BCI trials take off

<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"><strong>A startup claims it broke through a bottleneck that’s holding back LLMs</strong></h3> <p>AI startup Subquadratic came out of stealth last month with a huge claim: it had solved a mathematical bottleneck that had held back large language models for almost a decade.</p> <p>The purported breakthrough comes from slashing the number of computations transformers need to carry out to generate answers. The result is a faster and cheaper LLM that uses far less energy than any other model on the market.</p> <p>Many experts remained skeptical—but Subquadratic has started to share the receipts. They suggest that their approach might be worth paying attention to.</p> <p><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/19/1139313/a-startup-claims-it-broke-through-a-bottleneck-thats-holding-back-llms/?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 the system works—and why some researchers still aren’t convinced</a>.</p> <p><em>—Will Douglas Heaven</em></p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Brain-computer interface trials are taking off</strong></h3> <p><em>—Jessica Hamzelou</em></p> <p>This week, I covered <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/15/1138953/man-als-first-power-user-brain-implant-speak-bci/?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*">the story of Casey Harrell</a>—a man with ALS who is “the first power user” of a brain implant. The device has enabled him to maintain an income, reconnect with friends and family, and read to his daughter. He told me that it’s “nothing short of revolutionary.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Over the past couple of years, the number of BCI trial volunteers has soared. This year, China became the first country to approve a BCI for medical use. Advances in technology are allowing engineers to provide more features than ever. BCI research is properly taking off.</p> <p><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/15/1138953/man-als-first-power-user-brain-implant-speak-bci/?utm_source=the_checkup&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the_checkup.unpaid.engagement&amp;utm_content=06-18-26">Find out how the technology is edging from the lab towards the market</a>.<br><br><strong>This </strong><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/19/1139270/brain-computer-interface-trials-are-taking-off/?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 Checkup, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things biotech. </strong><a href="https://forms.technologyreview.com/newsletters/biotech-the-checkup/?_ga=2.27955388.1879496638.1664182320-160041263.1657781451&amp;mc_cid=a40eac2491&amp;mc_eid=f221407621&amp;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>Sign up</strong></a><strong> to receive it in your inbox every Thursday.</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 Amazon workers who backed data center limits may face termination</strong><br>The engineers say they’re under investigation by the company. (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/technology/amazon-worker-retaliation-data-center-complaints.html">NYT</a> $)<br><em>+ And could face discipline, including potential termination. </em>(<a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/952180/amazon-seattle-data-center-moratorium-aecj-disciplinary-action">The Verge</a>)<br>+<em>They had testified at meetings about pausing data centers. </em>(<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/18/amazon-engineers-ai-data-center-opposition.html">CNBC</a>)<br><em>+ They’ve filed a joint complaint to Seattle’s Office for Civil Rights. </em>(<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-workers-under-internal-investigation-after-speaking-out-about-data-centers/">Wired</a> $)<br><br><strong>2 A new fossil discovery has rewritten 150 years of evolutionary theory</strong><br>It suggests early land vertebrates skipped the tadpole stage. (<a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2531039-remarkable-fossils-rewrite-the-story-of-how-animals-conquered-the-land/">New Scientist</a> $)<br><em>+ And raises questions about how vertebrates adapted to land. </em>(<a href="https://www.404media.co/a-new-fossil-discovery-just-rewrote-150-years-of-evolutionary-theory/">404 Media</a>)<br><em>+ Sponges may have been the first animals.</em> (<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/06/1129016/sponges-may-have-been-the-first-animals/?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> <br><strong>3 Bernie Sanders plans to give the public direct ownership of AI firms</strong><br>He’s unveiled new legislation to create an AI sovereign wealth fund. (<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bernie-sanders-ai-public-ownership-57b9f20d96490083e2749adba0f13977">AP News</a>)<br><em>+ It would be funded through a one-time tax on AI companies’ stock.</em> (<a href="https://qz.com/bernie-sanders-ai-sovereign-wealth-fund-public-ownership-061826">Quartz</a>)<br><em>+ And make annual payments directly to Americans.</em> (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/06/18/bernie-sanders-proposes-wealth-fund-give-americans-stake-ai/">Washington Post</a> $) <br> <br><strong>4 Investors in China secretly acquired stakes in SpaceX before its IPO</strong><br>One had ties to Chinese military contractors. (<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/spacex-elon-musk-ipo-foreign-investors-china">ProPublica</a>)<br><em>+ The US fears China has got one of ASML’s top machines. </em>(<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-targets-chinese-chipmaking-with-proposed-export-restrictions-asml-others-2026-04-03/">Reuters</a> $)<br> <br><strong>5 Researchers have figured out Russia&#8217;s nuclear-powered missile</strong><br>They call it “a terrible idea”—but not an impossible one. (<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/06/18/nx-s1-5843252/russia-nuclear-powered-missile-burevestnik">NPR</a>)<br><em>+ NASA is building a nuclear reactor-powered spacecraft.</em> (<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/04/14/1135848/nasa-nuclear-powered-spacecraft/?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> <br><strong>6 Longevity medicine faces a do-or-die moment in a landmark trial</strong><br>It will test whether cellular aging can be safely reversed in humans. (<a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/18/longevity-medicine-critical-moment">Axios</a>)<br><em>+ The next step is “chemical reprogramming.”</em> (<a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/09/1138545/david-sinclair-plans-to-test-whole-body-rejuvenation-drugs-in-the-xprize-competition/?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> <br><strong>7 Studies suggest AI may already be deskilling professionals</strong><br>Over-reliance appears to weaken doctors’ and engineers’ abilities. (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01947-1">Nature</a>)<br> <br><strong>8 Tech workers who maxed out their AI use are now trying to minimize it</strong><br>Spiralling costs mean “tokenminning” has replaced “tokenmaxxing.” (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/technology/ai-token-minimizing.html">NYT</a> $)<br> <br><strong>9 Scientists say the human genome’s structure may confound AI models</strong><br>Which would constrain AI-based models of biology and disease. (<a href="https://www.quantamagazine.org/why-the-human-genomes-tangled-physicality-may-confound-ai-20260618/">Quanta</a>)<br><br><strong>10 A new robotic self-driving toilet brings the bathroom to you</strong><br>The Xiaoban also cleans up and empties itself all on its own. (<a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/952441/yueban-xiaoban-self-driving-autonomous-toilet">The Verge</a>)</p> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Quote of the day</strong></p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>“They hated me. They were doing everything they could to knock me down. And look at them now.”&nbsp;</strong></h2> <p>—Donald Trump mocks Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos in a conversation with Elon Musk that’s recounted in a new book, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trump-mocked-mark-zuckerberg-and-jeff-bezos-by-showing-off-fawning-texts/">Wired reports</a>.&nbsp;</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" height="2000" width="2600" src="https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/JF21_intro.jpeg?w=2600" alt="chicken network" class="wp-image-1013794" srcset="https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/JF21_intro.jpeg 3000w, https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/JF21_intro.jpeg?resize=300,231 300w, https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/JF21_intro.jpeg?resize=768,591 768w, https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/JF21_intro.jpeg?resize=1536,1182 1536w, https://wp.technologyreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/JF21_intro.jpeg?resize=2048,1576 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2600px) 100vw, 2600px" /><div class="image-credit">PABLO DELCAN</div> </figure> </div> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong><br>Technology can help us feed the world, if we look beyond profit</strong></h4> <p>The pandemic exposed the weak spots in our interconnected food system. They’re the result of decades’ worth of technological advances, from globe-spanning shipping to refrigeration networks. But technology is not inherently opposed to sustainable and resilient food systems.</p> <p>Powerful technologies like genetic modification can create stronger local agriculture and a healthier food system—but they normally aren’t. The challenge is ensuring they serve food security and human well-being, rather than simply maximizing profits.</p> <p><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/12/18/1013215/food-technology-sustainability-capitalism-pandemic-gmos/?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 our food system’s problems and the solutions that technology can provide</a>.</p> <p><em>—Fabio Parasecoli</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>+ This intriguing video tracks the covert reality of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVc_xY6TWiY">Japan&#8217;s shinobi</a>.<br>+ Dive into this admirably obsessive archive covering <a href="https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/index.htm">over 100 different ways to tie your shoes</a>.<br>+ One of the world’s largest digital collections of plants and fungi is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01917-7">now available for free</a> to everyone.<br>+ A grand orchestra has beautifully covered Michael Jackson’s &#8220;Human Nature&#8221; at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSKF-4jBJ-w">Abbey Road Studios</a>.</p>