The Download: AI hacking beyond Mythos, and chatbots’ impact on our brains

Attackers used Meta's AI customer support agent to steal Instagram accounts by simply asking the agent to link accounts to email addresses they controlled. The hack demonstrates that unsophisticated exploits against AI systems remain a significant security threat, even as industry focus has centered on advanced model risks.

The Download: AI hacking beyond Mythos, and chatbots’ impact on our brains Plus: Anthropic has called for a global slowdown in AI development. 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. The Meta hack shows there’s more to AI security than Mythos On Monday, reports emerged that attackers had used Meta’s AI customer support agent to steal Instagram accounts. Their approach was simple: they asked the agent to link the accounts to email addresses they controlled, and it complied. Since Anthropic announced that its Mythos model was too good at hacking for a general release, cybersecurity concerns have focused on the risk of superpowered AI systems overwhelming computer infrastructure. But the Instagram hack shows that far simpler exploits can still cause damage. As companies offload more work to AI, these comparatively unsophisticated attacks are becoming harder to ignore. Read the full story to understand why https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/05/1138437/the-meta-hack-shows-theres-more-to-ai-security-than-mythos/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . —Grace Huckins Are AI chatbots making us lose control of our brains? Gloria Mark, a psychologist at the University of California, Irvine, fears that digital technologies are weakening our cognitive abilities. Her research suggests attention spans have fallen sharply over time, leading to higher stress and lower performance. She now believes AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude may accelerate this shift. “You’re deferring your cognitive work to AI,” she said. “And it’s not good for us.” Mark argues this could weaken critical thinking and emotional intelligence. Luckily, she thinks we can course-correct by changing our relationship with these technologies. Find out how AI could reshape attention and thinking https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/05/1138427/are-ai-chatbots-making-us-lose-control-of-our-brains/?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 newsletter giving you the inside track on all things biotech. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Anthropic has called for a global slowdown in AI development It flagged the risk of models “self-improving.” WSJ https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anthropic-urges-global-pause-in-ai-development-flags-self-improvement-risk-99cefb73?mod=tech lead pos3 $ + And wants a coordinated plan to stop them. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/business/anthropic-says-ai-labs-need-coordinated-plan-halt-development-if-risks-rise-2026-06-04/ $ + Skeptics note that the timing is awfully convenient. The Register https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/06/05/it-would-be-good-for-the-world-to-slow-down-ai-sprints-anthropic-says/5251460 2 In a first, scientists have precisely edited human embryo genes They relied on a newer gene-editing technique. NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/science/embryos-gene-editing-crispr.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share $ + Genetically-modified babies could be on their way. Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/may/30/there-is-no-way-to-stop-this-biotech-barbie-cathy-tie-on-her-mission-to-genetically-modify-babies + Companies have big plans for the technology. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/10/31/1127461/heres-the-latest-company-planning-for-gene-edited-babies/?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 US officials have discussed taking financial stakes in the AI firms They’ve held talks about the government acquiring shares. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/us-officials-eye-government-stakes-ai-companies-notus-reports-2026-06-05/ $ + Sam Altman pitched the idea to the White House last year. WSJ https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/u-s-officials-discuss-taking-financial-stakes-in-ai-industry-b654d41a?mod=tech lead story $ 4 Bot web traffic has overtaken human web traffic Cloudflare said 57.4% of traffic now comes from bots. NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/bot-web-traffic-overtaken-human-web-traffic-data-shows-rcna348522 + Its CEO expected the milestone at the end of 2027. CNET https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/its-official-agentic-bots-surf-the-web-more-than-real-people-do/ 5 The White House plans to bring AI doctors into American medicine It wants chatbots to diagnose illness and prescribe medicine. WSJ https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/06/04/inside-trump-backed-push-bring-ai-doctors-into-american-medicine/ $ + But we don’t even know if healthcare AI actually helps patients. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/04/24/1136352/health-care-ai-dont-know-actually-helps-patients/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 6 Meta quietly added facial recognition code for smart glasses to its app The exploratory feature would identify people via biometric data. Wired https://www.wired.com/story/meta-smart-glasses-face-recognition-nametag-connections/ $ + Smart glasses are also entering warfare. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/05/18/1137412/inside-anduril-and-metas-quest-to-make-smart-glasses-for-warfare/?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 South Korea’s labour minister wants tech firms to share AI profits Kim Young wants staff and suppliers to get a share. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/south-korea-labour-minister-calls-tech-firms-share-excess-ai-profits-with-2026-06-05/ $ + He helped avert a huge strike over AI profit-sharing at Samsung. NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/27/world/asia/samsung-ai-profit-bonus-workers.html :~:text=Last%20week%2C%20Samsung%20agreed%20to,it%20clears%20some%20profitability%20targets. $ 8 Canada's highly-anticipated AI strategy has launched It promises over $2 billion in funding and aims to create 250,000 jobs. BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g7gv8l0xlo + AI could strengthen democracy. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/05/05/1136843/ai-democracy-blueprint/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 9 Investment in agricultural tech is booming That’s good news at a time when we’re facing unprecedented levels of food market volatility. The Economist https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/06/04/investment-in-agricultural-tech-is-growing $ 10 Bumblebees can use tools to solve problems, new research shows Not just busy—they’re clever too Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/04/bees-use-tools-to-solve-problems-study-finds Quote of the day “Welp, that happened faster than I predicted.” —Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare, one of the largest internet hosting services, reacts on X https://x.com/eastdakota/status/2062212701414187452 to reports that bots have overtaken humans in driving web traffic. One More Thing Inside the machine that saved Moore’s Law Inside the machine that saved Moore’s Law In a Connecticut clean room, the Dutch company ASML is developing the world’s most advanced machine for extreme ultraviolet EUV lithography, a crucial process for manufacturing microchips. The system has become vital to Moore’s Law—the observation that the number of transistors on a chip roughly doubles every two years as components shrink, driving gains in performance and efficiency. “Without this machine, it’s gone,” says Wayne Lam, a director of research at CCS Insight. “You can’t really make any leading-edge processors without EUV.” Discover how ASML’s EUV technology saved Moore’s Law https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/10/27/1037118/moores-law-computer-chips/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . —Clive Thompson 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 . + Tech bosses love Tolkien. Here’s what the writer might think of them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53cfZgDxEWY& . + Rare footage captures an underwater volcano erupting beneath the Pacific Ocean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK00tvzJ1Yc& . + Watch a tiny rescued cub grow into adulthood in this heartwarming tiger compilation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19IAwHsWy58& . + This medieval version of “Take On Me” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OW47Ih6KSU& is like stepping into a tavern of synth-pop bards. Deep Dive The Download The Download: DeepSeek’s latest AI breakthrough, and the race to build world models Plus: China has blocked Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus. The Download: introducing the 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now Plus: An unauthorized group has reportedly accessed Anthropic’s Mythos. The Download: supercharged scams and studying AI healthcare Plus: DeepSeek has unveiled its long-awaited new AI model. 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.