The Download: therapists secretly using AI, and Apple AirPods’ hearing aid potential
Plus: The MAHA movement is splitting
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.
Therapists are secretly using ChatGPT. Clients are triggered.
Declan would never have found out his therapist was using ChatGPT had it not been for a technical mishap. The connection was patchy during one of their online sessions, so Declan suggested they turn off their video feeds. Instead, his therapist began inadvertently sharing his screen.
For the rest of the session, Declan was privy to a real-time stream of ChatGPT analysis rippling across his therapist’s screen, who was taking what Declan was saying, putting it into ChatGPT, and then parroting its answers.
But Declan is not alone. In fact, a growing number of people are reporting receiving AI-generated communiqués from their therapists. Clients’ trust and privacy are being abandoned in the process. Read the full story.
—Laurie Clarke
Apple AirPods: a gateway hearing aid
—Ashley Shew
When the US Food and Drug Administration approved hearing-aid software for Apple’s AirPods Pro in September 2024, with a device price point around $200, I was excited.
I have hearing loss and tinnitus, and my everyday hearing aids cost just over $2,000. Ninety percent of the hearing-aid market is concentrated in the hands of a few companies, and there’s little competitive pricing. So I was thrilled that a major tech company has entered this field with the AirPods Pro 2. Here’s what I made of them.
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The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 MAHA is in chaos
RFK Jr’s movement is tearing itself apart over what it wants to achieve. (WSJ $)
+ Trying to pressure food companies to alter their products is unlikely to work. (The Atlantic $)
+ Ultra-processed food makes up a sizable proportion of the American diet. (Axios)
+ RFK Jr’s plan to improve America’s diet is missing the point. (MIT Technology Review)
2 DOGE is using AI to target SEC rules to ditch
Experts fear its decisions won’t be checked by qualified humans. (The Information $)
+ Can AI help DOGE slash government budgets? It’s complex. (MIT Technology Review)
3 Salesforce has replaced around 4,000 jobs with AI agents
It’s slashed its support staff team nearly in half. (SF Chronicle $)
+ Workers are trying to weather the AI-induced storm. (Vox)
+ AI is coming for the job market, security, and prosperity. (MIT Technology Review)
4 What’s up with China’s EV industry?
Its cutthroat competitive practices are starting to grate on the government. (NYT $)
+ The country’s robotmakers are on the rise. (FT $)
+ China’s EV giants are betting big on humanoid robots. (MIT Technology Review)
5 A “nearly naked” black hole has been spotted
The never-before-seen black hole may have been created moments after the big bang. (The Guardian)
6 How to make quantum computers useful
Researchers have turned their attention towards making software for the machines. (FT $)
+ Why AI could eat quantum computing’s lunch. (MIT Technology Review)
7 OnlyFans has a piracy problem
Adult creators’ content isn’t staying behind the paywall. (404 Media)
8 These humans are paid to fix AI slop
Anyone can prompt AI, but the results aren’t always good. (NBC News)
9 The hottest gadget for kids is a landline phone
And they’re learning phone etiquette for the first time. (Insider $)
10 Meet iTunes’ diehard fans
They’re eschewing streaming platforms in favor of their digital libraries. (WP $)
+ How to break free of Spotify’s algorithm. (MIT Technology Review)
Quote of the day
“The calculator doesn’t construct facts about world knowledge and give them to you.”
—Elisha Roberts, assistant director at the nonprofit Colorado Education Initiative, tells Bloomberg she doesn’t buy the idea that AI is comparable to other classroom tools like the calculator.
One more thing
Supershoes are reshaping distance runningSince 2016, when Nike introduced the Vaporfly, a paradigm-shifting shoe that helped athletes run more efficiently (and therefore faster), the elite running world has muddled through a period of soul-searching over the impact of high-tech footwear on the sport.
“Supershoes” —which combine a lightweight, energy-returning foam with a carbon-fiber plate for stiffness—have been behind every broken world record in distances from 5,000 meters to the marathon since 2020.
To some, this is a sign of progress. In much of the world, elite running lacks a widespread following. Record-breaking adds a layer of excitement. And the shoes have benefits beyond the clock: most important, they help minimize wear on the body and enable faster recovery from hard workouts and races.
Still, some argue that they’ve changed the sport too quickly. Read the full story.
—Jonathan W. Rosen
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.)
+ Happy birthday to Keanu Reeves, who turns 61 today! Here’s a compilation of his hilariously bad acting in Bram Stroker’s Dracula.
+ Why do some cats hate water, yet others love it?
+ If you fancy setting a Guinness World Record, there’s a few still up for grabs.
+ To mark world coconut day (what do you mean, you forgot?), check out these delicious-looking recipes 🥥
