The Download: expanded carrier screening, and how Southeast Asia plans to get to space
Plus: OpenAI and Disney have agreed a major AI deal
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.
Expanded carrier screening: Is it worth it?
Carrier screening tests would-be parents for hidden genetic mutations that might affect their children. It initially involved testing for specific genes in at-risk populations.
Expanded carrier screening takes things further, giving would-be parents an option to test for a wide array of diseases in prospective parents and egg and sperm donors.
The companies offering these screens “started out with 100 genes, and now some of them go up to 2,000,” Sara Levene, genetics counsellor at Guided Genetics, said at a meeting I attended this week. “It’s becoming a bit of an arms race amongst labs, to be honest.”
But expanded carrier screening comes with downsides. And it isn’t for everyone. Read the full story.
—Jessica Hamzelou
This article first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review’s weekly biotech newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Thursday, and read articles like this first, sign up here.
Southeast Asia seeks its place in space
It’s a scorching October day in Bangkok and I’m wandering through the exhibits at the Thai Space Expo, held in one of the city’s busiest shopping malls, when I do a double take. Amid the flashy space suits and model rockets on display, there’s a plain-looking package of Thai basil chicken. I’m told the same kind of vacuum-sealed package has just been launched to the International Space Station.
It’s an unexpected sight, one that reflects the growing excitement within the Southeast Asian space sector. And while there is some uncertainty about how exactly the region’s space sector may evolve, there is plenty of optimism, too. Read the full story.
—Jonathan O’Callaghan
This story is from the next print issue of MIT Technology Review magazine. If you haven’t already, subscribe now to receive future issues once they land.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Disney just signed a major deal with OpenAI
Meaning you’ll soon be able to create Sora clips starring 200 Marvel, Pixel and Star Wars characters. (Hollywood Reporter $)
+ Disney used to be openly skeptical of AI. What changed? (WSJ $)
+ It’s not feeling quite so friendly towards Google, however. (Ars Technica)
+ Expect a load of AI slop making its way to Disney Plus. (The Verge)
2 Donald Trump has blocked US states from enforcing their own AI rules
But technically, only Congress has the power to override state laws. (NYT $)
+ A new task force will seek out states with “inconsistent” AI rules. (Engadget)
+ The move is particularly bad news for California. (The Markup)
3 Reddit is challenging Australia’s social media ban for teens
It’s arguing that the ban infringes on their freedom of political communication. (Bloomberg $)
+ We’re learning more about the mysterious machinations of the teenage brain. (Vox)
4 ChatGPT’s “adult mode” is due to launch early next year
But OpenAI admits it needs to improve its age estimation tech first. (The Verge)
+ It’s pretty easy to get DeepSeek to talk dirty. (MIT Technology Review)
5 The death of Running Tide’s carbon removal dream
The company’s demise is a wake-up call to others dabbling in experimental tech. (Wired $)
+ We first wrote about Running Tide’s issues back in 2022. (MIT Technology Review)
+ What’s next for carbon removal? (MIT Technology Review)
6 That dirty-talking AI teddy bear wasn’t a one-off
It turns out that a wide range of LLM-powered toys aren’t suitable for children. (NBC News)
+ AI toys are all the rage in China—and now they’re appearing on shelves in the US too. (MIT Technology Review)
7 These are the cheapest places to create a fake online account
For a few cents, scammers can easily set up bots. (FT $)
8 How professors are attempting to AI-proof exams
ChatGPT won’t help you cut corners to ace an oral examination. (WP $)
9 Can a font be woke?
Marco Rubio seems to think so. (The Atlantic $)
10 Next year is all about maximalist circus decor 🎪
That’s according to Pinterest’s trend predictions for 2026. (The Guardian)
Quote of the day
“Trump is delivering exactly what his billionaire benefactors demanded—all at the expense of our kids, our communities, our workers, and our planet.”
—Senator Ed Markey criticizes Donald Trump’s decision to sign an order cracking down on US states’ ability to self-regulate AI, the Wall Street Journal reports.
One more thing
Taiwan’s “silicon shield” could be weakeningTaiwanese politics increasingly revolves around one crucial question: Will China invade? China’s ruling party has wanted to seize Taiwan for more than half a century. But in recent years, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has placed greater emphasis on the idea of “taking back” the island (which the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, has never controlled).
Many in Taiwan and elsewhere think one major deterrent has to do with the island’s critical role in semiconductor manufacturing. Taiwan produces the majority of the world’s semiconductors and more than 90% of the most advanced chips needed for AI applications.
But now some Taiwan specialists and some of the island’s citizens are worried that this “silicon shield,” if it ever existed, is cracking. Read the full story.
—Johanna M. Costigan
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 skeet ’em at me.)+ Reasons to be cheerful: people are actually nicer than we think they are.
+ This year’s Krampus Run in Whitby—the Yorkshire town that inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula—looks delightfully spooky.
+ How to find the magic in that most mundane of locations: the airport.
+ The happiest of birthdays to Dionne Warwick, who turns 85 today.
