The Download: AI puzzles and a path to our nearest star system

OpenAI is restricting its next model, Astra, after internal testing rated it a 'critical' cyber risk, according to a report in MIT Technology Review's The Download newsletter. The restriction follows evaluations that flagged the model's potential for misuse in cybersecurity contexts, marking a significant safety decision by the company.

The Download: AI puzzles and a path to our nearest star system Plus: OpenAI is restricting its next model after rating it a “critical” cyber risk. 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. AI models flub these intelligence tests. Can you fare any better? Puzzles and games have always been central to AI development. The term “machine learning” was popularized in a 1959 article about an algorithm that learned to play checkers. Chess and Go are famous AI test beds too. Judged purely on its puzzling skills, AI is improving a lot—and quickly. In late 2024, even the best models could figure out only 18% of the infamous New York Times Connections puzzles; by early 2025, some could solve them nearly perfectly every time. But puzzles do more than highlight AI’s progress. Seeing where models succeed and fail, and where humans still beat them, offers a window into the technology’s strengths and weaknesses. We’ve gathered seven puzzles that have stumped models at one time or another—now it’s your turn to see how you fare. Take our test to find out whether you can outsmart AI https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/26/1141952/puzzles-ai-models-flub-these-tests/?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 This article is from our latest print magazine, which is all about kids. Subscribe now to get all our future issues. How AI plotted an interstellar journey to Alpha Centauri A nonprofit organization called the Fermi Explorer Mission announced yesterday that it intends to launch a spacecraft to our nearest star system by the end of 2029. It’s a hugely ambitious mission—if all goes well, the spacecraft could take up to 80,000 years to arrive at Alpha Centauri, which is 4.4 light-years away. To get there, it will follow a novel trajectory discovered by an AI system developed by PSI, a physics research lab. —Michelle Kim MIT Technology Review Narrated: the role of the astronaut is in flux We go to space for geopolitical prestige, manifest destiny, spiritual fulfillment, scientific curiosity, and, increasingly, business opportunities. In the wake of Artemis II, a slew of new books suggest that these justifications are subsumed by one unifying fact: humans have itchy feet, and we are simply wired to roam. In The Ultraview Effect , space anthropologist Deana L. Weibel frames human space exploration as part of our need to embark on pilgrimages. In A Heart for Space , civilian astronaut Eiman Jahangir recounts one such voyage with Blue Origin. And in Dinner with an Astronaut , former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao argues that people simply “need to know what’s on the other side.” “We go into space because we want to explore,” says. “We want to see what it’s like to walk on another world.” But as our presence in space expands, we are bound to bring along the same human foibles that have stymied us on Earth https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/18/1141614/book-review-astronaut-role-in-flux/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . This is our latest article to become an MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we publish each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts . Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it’s released. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 OpenAI is restricting its next model after rating it a “critical” cyber risk Testing showed Astra can automate cyberattacks. WSJ https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/openai-to-restrict-astra-model-after-rating-it-critical-cyber-risk-499b5a46?mod=rss Technology $ + OpenAI says it’s the first model to cross its “critical” threshold. CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/01/open-ai-astra-cyber-model.html + The company plans to give it extra security measures. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/business/openai-says-upcoming-model-is-so-capable-it-requires-stronger-guardrails-2026-09-01/ $ + Its safety issues could indicate cultural problems. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/31/1143180/hugging-face-hack-could-indicate-cultural-issues-at-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 2 The Pentagon official overseeing military AI just sold millions in AI stock Emil Michael sold his Perplexity shares for up to $25 million. Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/01/top-pentagon-official-ai-stock-holdings + Pundits say he’s turning the Pentagon into a VC firm. WP https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/04/27/emil-michael-pentagon-silicon-valley/ $ + He previously sold xAI stock after the Pentagon adopted Grok. Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/09/pentagon-ai-xai-emil-michael 3 A data center backlash appears to have cost a Missouri councilman his seat Voters opposed the billions in tax breaks he helped approve. NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/technology/data-center-recall-vote-independence.html $ + Data center construction spending surged in July. Axios https://www.axios.com/2026/09/01/ai-data-center-constructon-spending + But they face bipartisan public opposition. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/14/1131253/data-centers-are-amazing-everyone-hates-them/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 4 The first signs of dark matter particles may finally have been spotted The finding could be monumental, but more evidence is needed. New Scientist https://www.newscientist.com/article/2587086-the-first-signs-of-dark-matter-particles-may-finally-have-been-spotted/?utm campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm content=home&utm medium=RSS&utm source=NSNS $ + The search for dark matter has been blown wide open. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/18/1138755/search-for-dark-matter-blown-wide-open/?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 Google is reportedly set to release a model that closes the coding gap Tests suggest it could rival OpenAI and Anthropic on coding. WSJ https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/new-google-ai-model-said-to-narrow-gap-on-coding-ability-264c6052?mod=rss Technology $ + Named Gemini 3.8 Flash, it may be released today. Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com/right-on-cue-google-is-reportedly-on-the-verge-of-shipping-a-coding-first-ai-model-2000805941 + But not everyone is convinced about AI coding. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/12/15/1128352/rise-of-ai-coding-developers-2026/?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 The US Army used a laser to shoot down three drones near the Mexico border The weapon can detect, track and destroy drones with light. Wired https://www.wired.com/story/high-energy-laser-us-shoots-down-drones-near-mexico-border/ $ + Palantir’s CEO is backing the former Ukrainian defense minister’s startup. WP https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/09/01/palantir-ceo-sets-sights-ukraine-next-target/ $ 7 Map apps are handling Trump’s “Lake America” order differently Google and Apple made the change, while MapQuest refused. Axios https://www.axios.com/2026/09/01/apple-maps-google-lake-ontario-lake-america + MapQuest downloads subsequently surged more than tenfold. TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/31/mapquests-app-surges-to-no-1-in-navigation-after-refusing-to-rename-lake-ontario/ 8 AI groups are racing to limit bioweapon risks The industry sees biology as the next major AI safety challenge. FT https://www.ft.com/content/22bfa989-7477-434a-aa53-6fbfe6cd0335?syn-25a6b1a6=1 $ + Microsoft says AI can create “zero day” threats in biology. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/10/02/1124767/microsoft-says-ai-can-create-zero-day-threats-in-biology/?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 GoPro just pivoted into AI data centers, sending shares up 40% The camera maker is also merging with photonics firm Starman Optical. CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/01/gopro-stock-ai-data-centers.html 10 Dyson’s new camera-equipped toothbrush flosses for you The $499 electric toothbrush is the first with a camera in the brush head. Verge https://www.theverge.com/tech/986737/dyson-camerajet-smart-toothbrush-live-camera-flosser-pricing-availability Quote of the day “If you build an entity that is vastly smarter than you, it better be on your side.” —Marius Hobbhahn, CEO of AI safety research group Apollo Research, tells the Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/sep/01/if-you-build-something-vastly-smarter-than-you-it-better-be-on-your-side-can-we-stop-ai-from-deceiving-us that companies building superintelligent systems urgently need to keep their creations under control. One more thing Namibia wants to build the world’s first hydrogen economy Namibia has immense untapped potential for wind and solar power, which could make it possible to produce hydrogen and its derivative products as cheaply as anywhere else. The country hopes to turn that potential into a new engine of national development. Since 2021, when the government identified hydrogen as a potentially “transformative strategic industry,” it’s become something of a national obsession. There are at least nine projects planned or under construction. One, in Namibia’s south, is among the largest proposed green hydrogen investments in the world. If even a fraction of this production comes to pass, it will give Namibia’s economy a major boost. But it is a gamble. Green hydrogen technology is still in its infancy, and long-term demand for its products remains uncertain. Can the country turn its hydrogen ambitions into national development? https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/06/24/1118433/namibia-world-first-hydrogen-economy-wind-solar-power/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C —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 . + Watch Korea’s last neon master https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QfbvK3FCE4 craft the dazzling displays of retrofuturistic light. + Artist Sara Irie has crafted a collection of intricate sculptures https://spoon-tamago.com/saya-irie-eraser-shavings/ from eraser shavings. + Lifts in Film https://www.liftsinfilm.com/ celebrates the memorable movie moments that have taken place in elevators. + In a stupendous and arguably stupid stunt, a BMX rider has jumped between two moving boats https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiuK4Wwu8Wk . Deep Dive The Download The Download: Claude’s inner workings and OpenAI’s “super app” Plus: OpenAI has unveiled its long-awaited "super app." The Download: Claude’s inner workings, and the future of world models Plus: New York has become the first state to enact a data center moratorium. The Download: AI’s self-improvement problem, and what’s driving the heat Plus: OpenAI has paused some model work over safety concerns. The Download: Google’s AI shake-up and Meta’s rogue model Plus: Meta has become the latest firm to say its AI hacked another company. Stay connected Get the latest updates from MIT Technology Review Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.