The Download: Yann LeCun’s new venture, and lithium’s on the rise
Plus: Trump has climbed down from his plan for the US to take Greenland.
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.
Yann LeCun’s new venture is a contrarian bet against large language models
Yann LeCun is a Turing Award recipient and a top AI researcher, but he has long been a contrarian figure in the tech world. He believes that the industry’s current obsession with large language models is wrong-headed and will ultimately fail to solve many pressing problems.
Instead, he thinks we should be betting on world models—a different type of AI that accurately reflects the dynamics of the real world. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that he recently left Meta, where he had served as chief scientist for FAIR (Fundamental AI Research), the company’s influential research lab that he founded.
LeCun sat down with MIT Technology Review in an exclusive online interview from his Paris apartment to discuss his new venture, life after Meta, the future of artificial intelligence, and why he thinks the industry is chasing the wrong ideas. Read the full interview.
—Caiwei Chen
Why 2026 is a hot year for lithium
—Casey Crownhart
In 2026, I’m going to be closely watching the price of lithium.
If you’re not in the habit of obsessively tracking commodity markets, I certainly don’t blame you. (Though the news lately definitely makes the case that minerals can have major implications for global politics and the economy.)
But lithium is worthy of a close look right now. The metal is crucial for lithium-ion batteries used in phones and laptops, electric vehicles, and large-scale energy storage arrays on the grid.
Prices have been on quite the roller coaster over the last few years, and they’re ticking up again. What happens next could have big implications for mining and battery technology. Read the full story. This story first appeared in The Spark, our newsletter all about the tech we can use to combat the climate crisis. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 Trump has climbed down from his plan for the US to take Greenland
To the relief of many across Europe. (BBC)
+ Trump says he’s agreed a deal to access Greenland’s rare earths. Experts say that’s ‘bonkers.’ (CNN)
+ European leaders are feeling flummoxed about what’s going on. (FT $)
2 Apple is reportedly developing a wearable AI pin
It’s still in the very early stages—but this could be a huge deal if it makes it to launch. (The Information $)
+ It’s also planning to revamp Siri and turn it into an AI chatbot. (Bloomberg $)
+ Are we ready to trust AI with our bodies? (MIT Technology Review)
3 CEOs say AI saves people time. Their employees disagree.
Many even say that it’s currently dragging down their productivity. (WSJ $)
+ The AI boom will increase US carbon emissions—but it doesn’t have to. (Wired $)
+ Let’s also not forget that large language models remain a security nightmare. (IEEE Spectrum)
4 This chart shows how measles cases are exploding in America
They’ve hit a 30-year high, with the US on track to lose its ‘elimination status.’ (Axios $)
+ Things are poised to get even worse this year. (Wired $)
5 Your first humanoid robot coworker will almost definitely be Chinese
But will it be truly useful? That’s the even bigger question. (Wired $)
+ Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says Europe could do more to compete in robotics and AI. (CNBC)
6 Bezos’ Blue Origin is about to compete with Starlink
It plans to send the first ‘TeraWave’ satellites into space next year. (Reuters $)
+ On the ground in Ukraine’s largest Starlink repair shop. (MIT Technology Review)
7 Trump’s family made $1.4 billion off crypto last year
Move along, no conflicts of interest to see here. (Bloomberg $)
8 Comic-Con has banned AI art
After an artist-led backlash last week. (404 Media)
+ Hundreds of creatives are warning against an AI future built on ‘theft on a grand scale’. (The Verge $)
9 What it’s like living without a smartphone for a month
Potentially blissful for you, but probably a bit annoying for everyone else. (The Guardian)
+ Why teens with ADHD are particularly vulnerable to the perils of social media. (Nature)
10 Elon Musk is feuding with a budget airline
The airline is winning, in case you wondered. (WP $)
Quote of the day
“I wouldn’t edit anything about Donald Trump, because the man makes me insane.”
—Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales tells Wired why he’s steering clear of the US President’s page.
One more thing
BOB O’CONNOR
How electricity could help tackle a surprising climate villain
Cement hides in plain sight—it’s used to build everything from roads and buildings to dams and basement floors. But it’s also a climate threat. Cement production accounts for more than 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions—more than sectors like aviation, shipping, or landfills.
One solution to this climate catastrophe might be coursing through the pipes at Sublime Systems. The startup is developing an entirely new way to make cement. Instead of heating crushed-up rocks in lava-hot kilns, Sublime’s technology zaps them in water with electricity, kicking off chemical reactions that form the main ingredients in its cement.
But it faces huge challenges: competing with established industry players, and persuading builders to use its materials in the first place. Read the full story.
—Casey Crownhart
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet ’em at me.)
+ Earth may be a garbage fire, but space is beautiful.
+ Do you know how to tie your shoelaces up properly? Are you sure?!
+ I defy British readers not to feel a pang of nostalgia at these crisp packets.
+ Going to bed around the same time every night seems to be a habit worth adopting. ($)
