The Download: controlling AI agents and “Super Intelligence” loyalty tests

President Trump signed an executive order at the end of September directing government agencies to rebrand artificial intelligence as "Super Intelligence," and one month later the term is appearing across some government websites and documents while some of the biggest names in tech still use "AI," MIT Technology Review reported. The rebrand has become a political loyalty test, with those who use the term signaling allegiance to the administration and those who don't becoming targets for attacks, according to James O'Donnell's report in The Algorithm newsletter. The same edition covers "reverse game theory," an approach researchers say could keep AI agents in check by designing rules that incentivize them to follow instructions, though questions remain about whether the mechanisms work in practice.

The Download: controlling AI agents and “Super Intelligence” loyalty tests Plus: Today’s midterms will test AI’s influence on US politics. 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. How “reverse game theory” could keep AI agents in check A new approach known as “reverse game theory” aims to control powerful AI models by designing systems that incentivize them to stick to the rules. While game theory predicts how rational actors behave under particular rules, reverse game theory designs rules to elicit the behavior we want. Think of splitting a cake: if one person cuts it and the other gets first choice, the cutter has an incentive to make the portions equal. Researchers believe the approach could align AI more closely with our rules and instructions. But big questions remain about whether these mechanisms will work in practice. Here’s how reverse game theory could help make AI agents behave https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/11/03/1147934/reverse-game-theory-mechanism-design-ai-alignment/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . —Amit Katwala Here’s who is falling in line for Trump’s “Super Intelligence” loyalty test At the end of September, President Trump signed an executive order with just one directive: government agencies must rebrand artificial intelligence as “Super Intelligence.” One month on, the rebrand is slowly appearing across government websites and documents, but it hasn't caught on with everyone. Even some of the biggest names in tech still use “AI.” But the bigger concern is the new term becoming a political loyalty test: Those who use it signal allegiance to the administration. Those who don’t become targets for attacks. —James O'Donnell This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly AI newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Today’s midterms will test AI’s influence on US politics Candidates are betting that AI regulation will sway voters to their side. Axios https://www.axios.com/2026/11/03/ai-election-politics-2026-midterms + Angry constituents could derail Elon Musk’s Republican bets. BI https://www.businessinsider.com/2026-midterms-elon-musk-tech-ai-economy-2026-11 + Tech investors are on edge about the results. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/china/global-markets-wrapup-1-2026-11-03/ $ + America is divided over AI regulation. 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 2 Nvidia is ordering data centre clients to limit their business with China It told providers that the majority of their sales must be non-Chinese. FT https://www.ft.com/content/1902df70-1380-4588-bad5-171352b575f2?syn-25a6b1a6=1 $ + The move follows pressure from Washington. Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-11-03/nvidia-tells-data-center-clients-to-trim-china-business-ft-says $ + Chinese AI has ruptured the White House. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/07/20/1140675/chinas-ai-models-have-trumps-ai-world-at-war-with-itself/?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 Hackers have turned supermarket fridges into a food security risk Attacks in Europe have put US supermarket systems on alert. CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2026/11/03/supermarket-fridges-hack-cyberattack-europe.html + They’ve also sparked concerns over other domestic appliances. BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckpqg8lve73go + It’s a good time for doing crime. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/02/25/1132840/editors-letter-march-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 4 Scientists have detected signals at the smallest scale ever explored The discovery offers clues to a world of exotic new particles. BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5pvgxkkv4dzo + It came via CERN's Large Hadron Collider. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/uk/science/article/cern-breakthrough-zeptoverse-large-hadron-collider-085sbm9ch $ 5 Zapping part of the brain makes you think harder—at a cost It can both improve performance and reduce motivation. New Scientist https://www.newscientist.com/article/2596810-zapping-part-of-the-brain-makes-you-think-harder-at-a-cost/?utm campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm content=home&utm medium=RSS&utm source=NSNS $ + Neuropixels probes are transforming how we study the brain. Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-03511-3 6 Big tech is splurging on mega gas plants to power data centers The projectsthreaten to reverse years of climate pledges. WP https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/10/19/big-tech-vowed-lead-climate-now-its-driving-fossil-fuel-boom/ $ 7 Google says an Android partner infected 1.3 million devices The malware infected TV boxes and other Android-based devices. Verge https://www.theverge.com/1024807/google-botnet-android-tv-shut-down 8 Apple is trying to create its first robot It’s proving a lot harder than expected, though. Information https://www.theinformation.com/articles/inside-apples-slog-create-first-robot $ + AI robots are still a long way from useful. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/10/08/1145923/ai-breakthroughs-in-robotics-wont-change-your-life-any-time-soon/?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 China’s biggest shopping festival has a new product to sell: AI AI tokens have become a major new Singles’ Day category. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/chinas-lipstick-king-touts-ai-tokens-first-singles-day-festival-2026-11-03/ $ 10 A meteorite in the Sahara has revealed new clues about Mars Its chemistry may help explain how the planet lost its water. Wired https://www.wired.com/story/ancient-fragment-from-mars-found-in-the-sahara-holds-secrets-about-the-planets-watery-past/ $ Quote of the day “Don’t spend money unduly by asking a human expert to enter into a debate with a robot expert.” —Steven Benmor, a family lawyer, tells the Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/people-are-using-ai-for-divorce-advice-and-its-driving-their-lawyers-crazy-9b03b123 that clients increasingly need to pay human experts to correct advice they’ve received from chatbots. One more thing The noise we make is hurting animals. Can we learn to shut up? As human society has expanded, animals have started struggling to hear one another. For many birds, the noise has grown so loud that they’ve begun to sing with faster trills. Now, their mating calls aren’t as effective. The growing hubbub can also increase bird-on-bird conflict, and entire species that can’t handle urban clamor simply leave town for good. But there are technological solutions to the noises hurting animals—and they could help humans, too. —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 . + Watch five newborn cheetah cubs https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams/cheetah-cub-cam grow up on the Smithsonian's livestream. + Fifty years after Songs in the Key of Life , Stevie Wonder has released four lost tracks https://pitchfork.com/story/stevie-wonder-unvaults-four-songs-in-the-key-of-life-tracks/ from the album. + 50 air guitarists shredded absolutely nothing at the 30th Air Guitar World Championships https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bKaxDN5QuI in Finland. + The Ocean Photographer of the Year https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/ocean-photographer-of-the-year-winners-announced/ winners show both the beauty of marine life and the perils it faces. Deep Dive The Download The Download: why AI’s latest breakthroughs and fears may be more hype than reality Plus: 22 nations have called for a new global body to oversee AI. The Download: weight-loss drugs slowing aging and carbon dioxide batteries Plus: OpenAI has released 377 new math findings, further rattling the field. The Download: 10 climate tech companies to watch Plus: Musk’s new Pentagon role has raised conflict-of-interest fears. The Download: dead startups fueling AI and interspecies communication Plus: Hackers have disrupted the US Federal Election Commission’s website. Stay connected Get the latest updates from MIT Technology Review Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.