The Download: AI’s real extinction threat and age-reversal tech for eyes

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Elon Musk publicly called for slowing AI development, with Amodei urging independent monitors and new industry-wide rules, Altman backing pacing but not stopping, and Musk posting on X that "Dario is right." AI-linked stocks slumped in response to the rare show of unity among the rival leaders, as reported by the Guardian, BBC, Bloomberg, WSJ, and FT. Separately, geneticist Yuancheng (Ryan) Lu's age-reversal reprogramming technique, which restored vision in blind mice, has entered human clinical trials, and Lu is a biotechnology and health honoree on MIT Technology Review's 35 Innovators Under 35 list for 2026.

The Download: AI’s real extinction threat and age-reversal tech for eyes Plus: Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, and Elon Musk have called for an AI slowdown. 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. Roundtables: could AI really kill us all? Employees at the world's leading AI labs are saying there's a real possibility that advanced AI could destroy humanity. Are they right? Or is this more scaremongering and hype? Join MIT Technology Review executive editor Niall Firth, senior AI editor Will Douglas Heaven, and AI reporter Grace Huckins for a subscriber-only conversation unpacking the debate around AI extinction. They’ll explore where the fears come from, whether they hold any water and, if they do, what we should do about them. Register now to attend on Tuesday, September 15 at 16:00 BST / 11:00am EST / 8:00am PST https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/11/1143936/roundtables-will-ai-really-kill-us-all/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . Want to join the conversation? Subscribe to MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/subscribe?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C for exclusive access to all our Roundtables. This geneticist’s age-reversal tech could help restore sight Yuancheng Ryan Lu is obsessed with aging. And with eyes. As he steps outside the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, his aviator glasses darken automatically in the sun. Age-related blindness runs in his family, and his own 23andMe test came back with a mutation for macular degeneration, a top cause of vision loss in old age. That obsession extends to his work. Lu is behind one of the coolest results in rejuvenation science and eye research: an age-reversal technique called reprogramming that repaired the optic nerves of blind mice, restoring their vision. Now, nearly the same genetic therapy he developed as a student has entered human clinical trials. Learn more about Lu’s work on restoring sight with age-reversal therapy https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/08/1142088/danijar-hafner-developing-plan-ahead-agents/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . —Antonio Regalado Yuancheng Ryan Lu is one of the biotechnology and health honorees on our 35 Innovators Under 35 list for 2026. Meet the rest of them here , or explore the full list across the biotechnology and health, AI, computing and robotics, and climate and energy categories. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Dario Amodei, Sam Altman, and Elon Musk have called for an AI slowdown In a rare show of unity, the rivals agreed that AI needs stronger brakes. Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/13/openai-sam-altman-elon-musk-back-anthropic-calls-brakes-ai-development + Amodei wants independent monitors and new industry-wide rules. BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c14dpgm0rg4o + Altman called for pacing, but not stopping. Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-14/openai-s-altman-voices-support-for-pacing-ai-development $ + While Musk said on X that “Dario is right.” WSJ https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anthropic-boss-warns-ai-industry-must-slow-the-pace-a4267b56?mod=rss Technology $ + AI-linked stocks slumped in response. FT https://www.ft.com/content/aa8a1be7-abe0-44b7-bcd3-31fd0a44de08?syn-25a6b1a6=1 $ + Chinese state media blasted the calls as a “Cold War” tactic. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-state-newspaper-blasts-anthropics-calls-slow-ai-cold-war-tactic-2026-09-14/ $ + AI’s impacts are getting harder to predict. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/06/1130707/why-ai-predictions-are-so-hard/?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 Trump and Congress are resisting calls for stronger AI regulation Trump downplayed AI risks, prioritizing the AI race with China. NPR https://www.npr.org/2026/09/13/nx-s1-5968078/trump-mike-johnson-ai-slowdown + While the House Speaker said Congress won’t lead on AI regulation. Politico https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/13/tech-ai-safety-johnson-01073735 $ + But Democrats are pushing for new rules before the midterms. CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/13/ai-congress-anthropic-openai-crisis.html + States and the White House are dividing over AI. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/23/1131559/americas-coming-war-over-ai-regulation/?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 China plans to lead AI development across the BRICS countries President Xi proposed open-source AI cooperation. CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/13/china-xi-ai-tech-brics.html + Beijing’s spy agency has warned of AI threats to national security. FT https://www.ft.com/content/8715d1c6-054d-4eab-bcad-147acebfd2a9?syn-25a6b1a6=1 $ 4 South Korea has tightened espionage laws to protect its chip secrets Foreign spies can now face up to 30 years in prison. FT https://www.ft.com/content/6fa49d3c-e7b9-4bcd-9eb1-b737ff0c552e $ + The changes follow alleged transfers of Samsung tech to China. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/china/south-koreas-expanded-espionage-law-takes-effect-amid-push-protect-chip-2026-09-13/ $ 5 The US and Mexico are teaming up to zap drones at the border The operation may employ high-energy lasers. Wired https://www.wired.com/story/us-and-mexico-announce-teaming-up-against-drones/ $ + Ukraine is a Wild West market for drone data. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/04/1143452/drone-data-wild-west/?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 AI agents are creating a new problem for the criminal justice system The law has no clear answer when AI agents act independently. Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2026-ai-crime-legal-ikner-chatgpt/?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc4ODk3NjYxNSwiZXhwIjoxNzg5NTgxNDE1LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUTDNENFFLSVAzSU4wMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiIxQzU5RkM5NjZDRTU0N0QwOTc1RkRBNTFBRTY1N0ZENyJ9.-lZtbagSFrQqOnr2OmIkA0ipKU0AqLMqZlE0v01O3Z8&leadSource=article-gifting $ + While courts face a flood of AI-generated lawsuits. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/04/1138391/courts-coping-ai-lawsuits/?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 A Waymo pulled over and alerted police after detecting a gun The riders were juveniles carrying a loaded AR-style ghost gun. LA Times https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-09-12/juveniles-riding-in-waymo-arrested-after-police-find-ghost-gun $ 8 Meta has been sued over data used to train its smart glasses It allegedly used Facebook and Instagram photos without consent. Wired https://www.wired.com/story/meta-sued-over-training-data-for-its-ai-and-face-recognition-systems/ $ 9 A hidden crypto farm in Mexico has put a spotlight on cartel funding Authorities are investigating whether it stole power from a nearby dam. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/hidden-crypto-farm-mexican-mountains-puts-spotlight-cartel-funding-2026-09-12/ $ 10 StarCraft is returning in 2030 as an open-world shooter Fifteen years since its last release, the iconic franchise will be reborn. Verge https://www.theverge.com/games/994371/starcraft-returns-in-2030-as-an-open-world-shooter Quote of the day “Dr. Frankenstein is telling us the monster is escaping; help us stop this.” —Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz, calls for new AI regulation https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/sotu/date/2026-09-13/segment/01 on CNN’s “State of the Union.” One more thing Inside the hunt for the most dangerous asteroid ever As asteroid 2024 YR4 hurtled toward Earth, astronomers determined that this massive rock posed a higher risk of impact than any object of its size in recorded history. Then, just as quickly as history was made, experts declared that the danger had passed. This is the inside story of the network of global scientists who found, followed, planned for, and finally dismissed the most dangerous asteroid ever found—all under the tightest of timelines and with the highest of stakes. Find out how they did it https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/08/1119757/asteroid-hunt-2024-yr4-earth-planet-protection/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . —Robin George Andrews 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 . + This master paperboy http://iuxonzkwe delivers newspapers with astonishing speed and skill. + Public Enemy and Led Zeppelin collide in this gloriously unlikely musical mashup https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PddG4Rz7Yok&t=6s . + Dozens of synchronized lasers have created extraordinary kaleidoscopic starburst patterns https://www.instagram.com/p/Da6xkm8SYMP/ . + Check out the breathtaking winning images from the 2026 International Aerial Photographer of the Year https://internationalaerialphotographer.com/ competition. Deep Dive The Download 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. The Download: the next big thing in LLMs and how AI academic research is shifting Plus: Nvidia has secured $500 billion from Wall Street for AI infrastructure. The Download: inside OpenAI’s Hugging Face hack, and a new EV takes on the US Plus: Meta will pay up to $18 billion to settle a landmark child-safety case. Stay connected Get the latest updates from MIT Technology Review Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.