The Download: a donor conception cap and world models for AI

Apple has sued OpenAI for allegedly stealing trade secrets to develop its own consumer hardware, claiming OpenAI poached Apple staff and requested trade secrets in job interviews. The lawsuit also names two former Apple employees, Chang Liu and Tang Tan.

The Download: a donor conception cap and world models for AI Plus: Apple has sued OpenAI for allegedly stealing trade secrets. This is today's edition of The Download https://forms.technologyreview.com/newsletters/briefing-the-download/? ga=2.179569122.736533416.1649661040-405833893.1649413289 , our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. Sperm donors need limits, says a European fertility group Ties van der Meer doesn’t know how many siblings he has. The 47-year-old was conceived at a private fertility clinic using sperm from an anonymous donor. He eventually tracked down one sibling, but he may have others he’ll never find. Other donor-conceived people have found they have tens or even hundreds of them. “It does make you feel a bit mass-produced,” said one who discovered they had 25 half-siblings. In response, a European fertility organization says we need international limits on the number of children a single donor can contribute to. Find out what their proposal could achieve—and where it may fall short https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/07/10/1140289/sperm-donors-need-limits-says-a-european-fertility-group/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . —Jessica Hamzelou This story is from The Checkup, our weekly biotech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday. How will AI understand the real world? LLMs have transformed what AI can do with language, but helping machines understand and operate within physical spaces presents a different challenge. In response, researchers are developing a new form of artificial intelligence: world models. At a LinkedIn Live event tomorrow, MIT Technology Review will explore how this technology could shape the future of robotics and open one of AI’s next major frontiers. Join Will Douglas Heaven, our senior editor for AI, and Sam Sinha, founding AI researcher and head of world models at 1X Technologies, for the conversation on Tuesday, July 14. Register here to attend the free session https://www.linkedin.com/events/7477364739304742912/ at 9:30 PDT, 12:30 PM EDT, and 5:30 PM BST. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Apple has sued OpenAI for allegedly stealing trade secrets OpenAI purportedly stole IP to develop its own consumer hardware. CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/10/apple-openai-lawsuit-trade-secrets.html + The suit claims OpenAI poached Apple staff to access the information. BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8w379e091o + And requested trade secrets in job interviews with Apple workers. Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/10/apple-sues-openai-trade-secrets + Apple also sued two former employees, Chang Liu and Tang Tan. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/apple-sues-openai-alleging-misappropriation-trade-secrets-court-records-show-2026-07-10/ $ 2 A Nobel-winning chemist is leaving the US to lead an AI lab in China Omar Yaghi will head an institute using AI to discover new materials. LA Times https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2026-07-10/nobel-prize-winner-leaving-uc-berkeley-for-new-role-in-china $ + He won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for creating “molecular sponges.” NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/science/nobel-winning-us-chemist-will-move-to-china-to-lead-ai-institute.html $ + His departure comes as China tries to woo US scientists. Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02143-x + The White House has slashed science spending. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/05/01/1136722/mass-firing-trump-fresh-blow-american-science-nsf-nsb/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 3 The EU is moving closer to banning children from social media It’s proposed barring under-13s unless supervised by an adult. NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/13/technology/europe-teen-social-media-ban.html $ + And limiting access for older children. Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-13/eu-to-present-plan-to-restrict-children-s-access-to-social-media $ + The EU has also told Meta to disable autoplay and infinite scroll. Politico https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-orders-instagram-facebook-meta-change-addictive-design/ $ 4 Meta scrapped an AI image feature on Instagram after a backlash It allowed users to generate images based on public accounts. TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/10/meta-removes-controversial-ai-feature-on-instagram-after-backlash/ + And automatically opted in any Instagram user with a public account. NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/technology/meta-muse-images-instagram-removal.html $ + AI memories are privacy’s next frontier. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/28/1131835/what-ai-remembers-about-you-is-privacys-next-frontier/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 5 Phoebe Gates’ shopping app claimed credit for sales it didn’t drive Phia claimed unearned affiliate sales through fake clicks. Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-09/gates-heir-s-shopping-app-took-credit-for-sales-it-didn-t-drive $ + Cofounder Gates is the daughter of Microsoft cofounder Bill. Engadget https://www.engadget.com/2212973/phoebe-gates-ai-shopping-app-phia-affiliate-sales-fake-clicks/ 6 Leaked police drone footage exposes the new reality of surveillance Hours of San Francisco Police video were accidentally released. Wired https://www.wired.com/story/sfpd-drone-video-leak-surveillance/ $ + Surveillance from drones is on the rise in the US. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/09/30/1124470/the-us-may-be-heading-toward-a-drone-filled-future/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 7 Over two-thirds of Americans back a Sanders-style AI ownership plan A poll found strong support for public ownership of AI stock. Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com/over-2-3-of-americans-support-bernie-sanders-style-ai-stock-ownership-plan-poll-shows-2000784466 + Tech firms have their own takes on the idea. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/07/06/1140176/your-familys-300-stake-in-openai/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 8 AI may soon make campaign text messages more potent—and irritating AI platforms are training bots to sound like political candidates. NPR https://www.npr.org/2026/07/12/nx-s1-5867763/ai-artificial-intelligence-data-texts-bots-voters-campaigns 9 An orbiting disco ball gave Einstein’s theory its most precise test yet It measured Earth’s twisting of space-time more precisely. Rest of World https://restofworld.org/2026/china-seniors-ai-slop/ 10 Australia’s biggest radio hit may be the product of GenAI Musicians are questioning how the song was made. Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jul/13/josh-fawaz-like-a-prayer-song-is-it-ai-radio Quote of the day “LOL, I found out I can access the network storage , so funny.” —A text message sent by former Apple engineer Chang Liu to a colleague, which a new lawsuit https://chatgptiseatingtheworld.com/2026/07/11/apple-goes-to-war-v-openai-alleges-trade-secret-theft/? alleges was part of a scheme to steal hardware IP for OpenAI. One More Thing How uncrewed narco subs could transform the Colombian drug trade How uncrewed narco subs could transform the Colombian drug trade On a bright April morning in 2025, a surveillance plane operated by the Colombian military spotted a 40-foot-long “narco sub” idling in the Caribbean Sea. The stealthy vessel, used by drug cartels to move cocaine north, could sail with its hull almost entirely underwater. After seizing the boat, the coast guard noticed something unusual: there was no one on board. This was Colombia’s first confirmed uncrewed narco sub, operable by remote control, but also capable of a degree of autonomous travel. Uncrewed subs could move more cocaine over longer distances, and they won’t put human smugglers at risk of capture. Find out how they may transform the drug trade https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/02/19/1132619/uncrewed-narco-subs-transform-columbian-drug-trade/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . — Eduardo Echeverri López 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 . + Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” has been reinvented as a yacht rock track https://www.instagram.com/p/DLP8 g9sVTB . + Two super-puff planets lighter than cotton candy https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2026-06-24-researchers-discover-pair-of-giant-super-puff-planets-lighter-than-candy-floss have been spotted floating through space. + An inventor has given Tic Tac fans like Donald Trump https://gizmodo.com/why-does-donald-trump-keep-talking-about-tic-tac-2000783073 a solution to the box’s annoying rattling https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvhfJtrjxes in their pockets. + Imbibe a dose of adrenaline with this first-person footage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad2IzyWsNUY of a rider on heart-pounding Red Bull Genova Cerro Abajo. Deep Dive The Download The Download: the future of chipmaking and Anthropic’s government clash Plus: Meta is pausing an AI training program that tracks workers’ keystrokes. The Download: AI hacking beyond Mythos, and chatbots’ impact on our brains Plus: Anthropic has called for a global slowdown in AI development. The Download: a reality check for geoengineering and the science of interoception Plus: SpaceX is now valued higher than Amazon. The Download: keeping up with AI, and the future of IVF Plus: NASA unveiled plans for three uncrewed missions to the Moon this year. Stay connected Get the latest updates from MIT Technology Review Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.