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The Download: testing new AI agent Manus, and Waabi’s virtual robotruck ambitions
Plus: the US has resumed aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine
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.
Everyone in AI is talking about Manus. We put it to the test.
Since the general AI agent Manus was launched last week, it has spread online like wildfire. And not just in China, where it was developed by the Wuhan-based startup Butterfly Effect. It’s made its way into the global conversation, with some even dubbing it “the second DeepSeek”.
Manus claims to be the world’s first general AI agent, building off multiple AI models and agents to act autonomously on a wide range of tasks. Despite all the hype, very few people have had a chance to use it. MIT Technology Review was able to obtain access to Manus. Here’s what we made of it.
—Caiwei Chen
Waabi says its virtual robotrucks are realistic enough to prove the real ones are safe
The news: Canadian robotruck startup Waabi says its super-realistic virtual simulation is now accurate enough to prove the safety of its driverless big rigs without having to run them for miles on real roads.
How it did it: The company uses a digital twin of its real-world robotrucks, loaded up with real sensor data, and measures how the twin’s performance compares to that of real trucks on real roads. Waabi says they now match almost exactly, and claims its approach is a better way to demonstrate safety than just racking up real-world miles, as many of its competitors do. Read the full story.
—Will Douglas Heaven
This artificial leaf makes hydrocarbons out of carbon dioxide
For many years, researchers have been working to build devices that can mimic photosynthesis—the process by which plants use sunlight and carbon dioxide to make their fuel. These artificial leaves use sunlight to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen, which could then be used to fuel cars or generate electricity. Now a research team from the University of Cambridge has taken aim at creating more energy-dense fuels.
The group’s device produces ethylene and ethane, proving that artificial leaves can create hydrocarbons. The development could offer a cheaper, cleaner way to make fuels, chemicals, and plastics—with the ultimate goal of creating fuels that don’t leave a harmful carbon footprint after they’re burned. Read the full story.
—Carly Kay
This startup just hit a big milestone for green steel production
Green-steel startup Boston Metal just showed that it has all the ingredients needed to make steel without emitting gobs of greenhouse gases. The company successfully ran its largest reactor yet to make steel, producing over a ton of metal, MIT Technology Review can exclusively report.
The latest milestone means that Boston Metal just got one step closer to commercializing its technology. And while there are still a lot of milestones left before reaching the scale needed to make a dent in the steel industry, the latest run shows that the company can scale up its process. Read the full story.
—Casey Crownhart
This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here.
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 resumed aid deliveries to Ukraine
Leaders have also agreed to start sharing military intelligence again. (The Guardian)
+ Ukraine also endorsed a US proposal for a ceasefire. (Vox)
+ Meet the radio-obsessed civilian shaping Ukraine’s drone defense. (MIT Technology Review)
2 Donald Trump has imposed a 25% tariff on metal imports
The decision is likely to raise costs for American carmakers, and other manufacturers. (NYT $)
+ Business leaders feel spooked by his frequent mixed messaging around tariffs. (WSJ $)
+ However, US-native metal makers are delighted by the tariffs. (Economist $)
+ How Trump’s tariffs could drive up the cost of batteries, EVs, and more. (MIT Technology Review)
3 Texas’ measles outbreak appears to be spreading
Two people in Oklahoma are being treated for measles-like symptoms. (Ars Technica)
+ An unvaccinated six-year old girl recently died in Texas. (The Atlantic $)
+ The state is scrambling to respond to the outbreak. (Undark)
+ The virus is extremely contagious and dangerous to children and adults alike. (Wired $)
4 Elon Musk wants the US government to shut down
Partly because it would make it easier to fire federal workers. (Wired $)
+ A judge has ruled that DOGE must comply with the Freedom of Information Act. (The Verge)
+ Can AI help DOGE slash government budgets? It’s complex. (MIT Technology Review)
5 OpenAI says it’s trained an AI to be ‘really good’ at creative writing|
The question is, can a model trained on existing material ever be truly creative? (TechCrunch)
+ AI can make you more creative—but it has limits. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Silicon Valley’s AI startups are expanding in India
Talent is plentiful, particularly in tech hub Bangalore. (Bloomberg $)
7 Spotify claims it paid $10 billion in royalties last year
It called the payout “the largest in music industry history.” (FT $)
+ How to break free of Spotify’s algorithm. (MIT Technology Review)
8 Saturn has more moons than the rest of the planets combined 🪐
Researchers have finally spotted new moons that have previously evaded detection. (New Scientist $)
9 This coffee shop is New York’s hottest AI spot ☕
Handily, OpenAI’s office is just across the street. (Insider $)
10 Netflix shouldn’t use AI to upscale resolution
The technology left sitcom A Different World looking freakishly warped. (Vice)
Quote of the day
“The uncertainty is just as bad as tariffs themselves.”
—Donald Schneider, deputy head of US policy at investment bank Piper Sandler, explains to the Washington Post why investors are feeling rattled by Donald Trump’s volatile approach to imposing tariffs.
The big story
Can Afghanistan’s underground “sneakernet” survive the Taliban?
November 2021
When Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, Mohammad Yasin had to make some difficult decisions very quickly. He began erasing some of the sensitive data on his computer and moving the rest onto two of his largest hard drives, which he then wrapped in a layer of plastic and buried underground.
Yasin is what is locally referred to as a “computer kar”: someone who sells digital content by hand in a country where a steady internet connection can be hard to come by, selling everything from movies, music, mobile applications, to iOS updates. And despite the dangers of Taliban rule, the country’s extensive “sneakernet” isn’t planning on shutting down. Read the full story.
—Ruchi Kumar
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.)
+ Check out these novels inspired by what it means to be middle-aged.
+ After a long absence, it’s looking like the Loch Ness Monster is staging its return.
+ Chappell Roan, you are just fantastic.
+ An AI stylist telling me what to wear? No thanks.
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