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Technology
Government Regulations Are Keeping Drone Delivery Grounded
To fly a drone out of sight, you must get airline-level certification, which requires a lengthy approval process from the Federal Aviation Administration.
What if the Future Is Actually Good?
Jason Silva discusses the promise of AI, the psychedelic renaissance, and the case for embracing technological optimism.
AI Is Already Beating Human Doctors in Medical Tests
Robo-docs are not likely to take over healthcare anytime soon, but they could do more to assist human doctors—if we let them.
Democrats Want To Tax AI Companies for Job Losses That Haven't Happened
The proposed tax would rise with unemployment and fund a new federal jobs program—even though AI has yet to cause mass unemployment.
Scott Galloway's Bad Idea To Make Young Men Happier
Hint: It's mandatory national service.
Minnesota's Nudification Ban Could Punish People Over Parodies and Stripped-Down Selfies. Elon Musk's xAI Is Suing.
The law is written so broadly it could punish services that let you fake an image of yourself in a swimsuit.
Roanoke Removes Gunshot Detectors Months After Approving Them
Limited evidence of effectiveness combined with privacy concerns raises questions about the sensors.
FCC Bans Foreign-Made Robots, Including Roombas
The ban on new foreign-made robotic devices comes soon after regulators nearly killed Roomba maker, iRobot.
Police Mix Up Usernames, Man Spends 18 Months in Prison for Someone Else's Sex Crimes
"He should never have been charged, let alone convicted," judges now say.
Kansas Lawsuit: ALPRs Turn a License Plate Into the 'Functional Equivalent' of a 'GPS Tracking Device'
The Kansas Justice Institute argues that Wichita's "warrantless ALPR dragnet surveillance program" violates the state constitution's privacy protections.
The Real Cost of Turning Away Foreign Talent
Researchers estimate that discouraging just one-third of international STEM graduates could leave the American economy 0.7 percent to 1.3 percent smaller—equivalent to losing the entire economy of Utah or South Carolina.
'Class Divide' in Teen Social Media Habits Could Explain Differences Between Heavy and Light Users
A new survey finds most teens use social media moderately, though class divides persist.
No, Remote Work Is Not Making Us Miserable
The rise of remote work is a tech success story, despite what one new and very convoluted study claims.
Nashville Considers Using Eminent Domain To Stop a Planned Data Center From Irritating Zoo Animals
The Nashville Zoo says the vibrations from next door's planned data center might negatively affect hearing-sensitive animals.
E.U. Fines Google $1 Billion and Orders It To Give Competitors Equal Treatment
European regulators claim to promote innovation while extracting billions from the companies producing it.
Anthropic's $1.5 Billion Copyright Settlement Sets a Bad Precedent
The record settlement pushes AI companies away from a fair use fight they might have won.
Don't Blame AI for Your Own Medical Problems
A former pastor suing ChatGPT says the chatbot gave him life-threatening medical advice. But tech-enabled healthcare is not the problem.
The People Fighting Technology That Could Save Thousands of Lives
Automation will destroy some jobs—and create others.
France Passes Social Media Ban for Under-15s, Leading Europe's Crackdown on Internet Freedom
French President Emmanuel Macron has advocated for social media bans before. Now, he's gotten his wish before leaving office.
Where Can the Data Centers Go?
In a committee hearing yesterday, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez complained about data centers' impacts on rural areas and industrial parks.
Trump's New DOJ Nominee Wants To Ban Online Porn and Prosecute Big Tech
Adam Candeub has been nominated to head the Justice Department's Antitrust Division.
Labor Unions Hate Robots—and It's Stopping Democrats From Delivering on Affordability
Labor unions almost always value union jobs over technologies that save time, money, and lives.
Europe Requires Cameras in Cars To Monitor Drivers
The E.U. pulls ahead of the U.S. in the creepy international automobile surveillance race.
The U.K. Wants a Social Media Curfew for 16- and 17-Year-Olds
Tech companies may soon have to comply with yet another U.K. regulation.
Iran Used Ad Tracking To Hunt American Soldiers: Report
The U.S. government has used private ad data to get around the Fourth Amendment. Now foreign enemies are turning it into a weapon.
New York Becomes the First State To Ban New Data Centers
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s one-year moratorium buys time for the state to create a convoluted regulatory regime.
Border Cops Can Search Your Phone Whenever They Want, If You're Within 100 Miles of the Border
They can also search it without a warrant if you're flying abroad. Yes, even if you're an American citizen.
Photo: A New Map of the Universe
Researchers studying the history of the universe have captured the largest-ever high-resolution 3D map of the cosmos.
Pew Poll: 56% of U.S. Adults Support Social Media Ban for Everyone Under 16
The anti-social media crusaders have popular support. That should worry online freedom advocates.
U.K. Might Force Social Platforms To Give Government-Backed Media Special Status
Plus: The Democrats' Project 2029 would ban minors from social media, the Supreme Court protects private data in geofence warrant ruling, and more...
A.I. Predictions Failing To Come True
Plus: Democrats taking a new tack, the popularity of social media bans, an influencer correspondent, and more...
Do Americans Have a 'Freedom to Fix' Their Cars?
A Trump memo revives debate over the right to repair.
84% of American Students Use AI. They're Still Worried About What Comes Next.
AI anxiety is widespread, but American students are best placed to succeed.
The War on Self-Driving Cars Will Kill People
Data show that Waymo has far fewer bodily injury and property damage claims. So why do some politicians oppose it?
The Age of Stupid—and Self-Serving—AI Regulation Is Here!
Anthropic and OpenAI may not like current federal controls on their products, but it will be consumers who end up getting screwed.
America Spent a Fortune Shooting Down Cheap Drones. Now the Missile Stores Are Bare.
After burning through interceptors in the Iran war, the U.S. faces a dire math problem: Enemies can build drones faster than America can build missiles.
A New Bipartisan Bill Promises Innovation and Choice. It Will Deliver Neither.
The recently reintroduced American Innovation and Choice Online Act is a departure from America’s current antitrust regime, not an improvement.
Carded Before Sexting?
The U.K. says tech companies have three months to stop minors from sending or receiving nude images—and universal identity checks for phone users may be the only way forward.
Even an AI-Sparked Economic Miracle Will Not Save the Federal Budget
Congress cannot sit by and hope for AI to fix the deficit.
The White House vs. Anthropic's New AI Model
The government says this is about national security. But given the history—and ongoing litigation—between the White House and Anthropic, something more may be going on.
The Smartphone Theory of Birth Rate Decline Still Doesn't Hold Up
A new NBER study suffers from the same flaws plaguing previous research on phones and fertility rates.
The Next AI Success Story Might Be Nepal
A market-friendly ruling party, abundant energy, and ample talent could jumpstart a new tech hub in the Himalayas.
Why You Can't Settle Mars or Colonize the Moon Without Real Property Rights
The Outer Space Treaty and other legal obstacles could block our sci-fi future.
Reading: The Quietest Way To Disobey
Today's anxieties about digital culture are prefigured in the long and wobbly history of books.
New Embryo Editing Technique Takes Us a Step Closer to Designing Babies Without Disease
Gene-editing human embryos may now be a reality.
