The Download: rethinking child safety and fossil-fueled farming

New York City has banned AI in elementary and middle schools, a one-year moratorium affecting 600,000 students, according to Politico and the Associated Press. The ban applies to any software using student-facing generative AI. The move comes amid growing concerns about digital harms and follows reporting on child-monitoring apps and fossil-fueled farming in MIT Technology Review's newsletter.

The Download: rethinking child safety and fossil-fueled farming Plus: New York City has banned AI in elementary and middle schools. 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. Child-monitoring apps might need a reboot Digital harms have become the defining fear of American parents. In response, they’re increasingly turning to content-monitoring apps that scan their children’s texts, photos, emails, and chats, issuing alerts whenever an algorithm flags something it deems dangerous. These tools have had genuine successes, preventing suicide attempts, intercepting predators, and averting school shootings. But they can also cause harm themselves, from false alarms and unnecessary interventions to damaged trust and anxiety. Child-safety researchers say better approaches exist. Here’s what they think those could look like https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/19/1141623/child-monitoring-apps-need-reboot/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . —Kelly Clancy This article is from our latest print magazine, which is all about kids. Subscribe now to get every issue as soon as it lands. Agriculture relies on fossil fuels. It’s costing us. Fertilizer prices have been on a roller coaster this year, driven in part by trade disruptions and high natural-gas prices. That’s because natural gas is both an energy source and a chemical input in the production of ammonia, a key fertilizer ingredient. The war in Iran has pushed natural-gas prices higher and disrupted fertilizer trade through the Strait of Hormuz—and its closure could make access harder still for some of the world’s poorest countries. —Casey Crownhart This story is from The Spark, our weekly climate tech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 New York City has banned AI in elementary and middle schools The one-year moratorium will affect 600,000 students. Politico https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/02/nyc-schools-ai-ban-01062674 + It applies to any software using student-facing generative AI. AP https://apnews.com/article/zohran-mamdani-ai-ban-nyc-schools-647f6a968eea0399521b7934418b1aff + Here’s how kids feel about AI, in their own words. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/13/1141410/how-kids-feel-about-ai-own-words/?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 Taiwan has uncovered a hidden Chinese network targeting its chip sector It’s linked 166 cases to illegal operations and talent poaching. Rest of World https://restofworld.org/2026/taiwan-china-chip-investigations/?utm source=feedly&utm medium=rss&utm campaign=feeds + Taiwan's president says its chip prowess is built on democracy. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwans-chip-prowess-is-built-democracy-rule-law-president-says-2026-09-01/ $ + But its “silicon shield” could be weakening. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/08/15/1121358/taiwan-silicon-shield-tsmc-china-chip-manufacturing/?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 Uber has launched the UK’s first commercial robotaxi service It’s using tech from UK startup Wayve and, initially, safety drivers. Verge https://www.theverge.com/news/988415/uber-wayve-robotaxi-london-launch + But in the US, Uber has allied with driver unions to slow robotaxis. FT https://www.ft.com/content/84171f91-5f39-4878-bbc5-e4e6262c4321?syn-25a6b1a6=1 $ + And, back in the UK, Uber’s being sued over algorithmic pay. Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/02/uber-drivers-europe-legal-action-ai-algorithm 4 Google has avoided a breakup of its ad tech business A US judge rejected the government’s demand to force a sale. Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/02/google-defeats-justice-department-bid-ad-tech-sale + But it must change how it treats rivals and shares information. NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/technology/google-ad-tech-remedies.html $ + The decision is a big deal for antitrust investigations . WSJ https://www.wsj.com/business/media/google-avoids-breakup-of-dominant-ad-tech-business-0eb492c0 $ 5 Serbians have been targeted with mercenary spyware after elections Targets included student activists, lawmakers and a local councilor. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/more-than-dozen-serbians-targeted-with-mercenary-spyware-digital-rights-group-2026-09-02/ $ 6 The Trump administration has backed OpenAI in its NYT lawsuit The Justice Department says AI training can be fair use. Quartz https://qz.com/trump-administration-openai-new-york-times-copyright-lawsuit-090226 + It added that national security depended on US tech dominance. NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/technology/justice-department-openai-copyright-suit.html $ + The US is also urging G20 countries to allow AI training on creators' work . Reuters https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/nvidia-ceo-urges-g20-avoid-ai-rules-theoretical-harms-2026-09-02/ $ + Does AI know too much? MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/04/21/1135000/does-ai-know-too-much/?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 Public housing tenants are suing over sensors monitoring their homes The devices collect minute-by-minute data on noise and motion. NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/technology/noise-monitors-public-housing.html $ 8 Anthropic seems to have won back the Trump administration’s trust The commerce secretary said the firm is “back on the right side.” Axios https://www.axios.com/2026/09/02/lutnick-anthropic-trump 9 Humble exoskeletons are proving more useful than combat supersuits Smaller devices are assisting workers, patients, and athletes. Economist https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/09/02/humble-exoskeletons-work-better-than-combat-supersuits $ 10 AI food slop has made its way onto real restaurant menus It’s providing cheap images, which frequently look revolting. NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/side-slop-bizarre-ai-food-images-jump-online-irl-menus-rcna594786 Quote of the day “I think this will be the end of an era of the US trying to break up platforms this complex. The courts remain hesitant to dismantle these really complex tech systems, even when finding conduct that is anticompetitive.” —Nikhil Lai, a principal analyst at Forrester, tells the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/technology/google-ad-tech-remedies.html that Google’s legal win against antitrust enforcers trying to break up its ad business is a seminal victory. One more thing Colossal Biosciences said it cloned red wolves. Is it for real? Last year, Colossal Biosciences announced that it had cloned four red wolves, surprising scientists working to save the species and even people whose canids supplied the DNA. They also disagreed about the company’s big idea: de-extinction. Colossal kept the location of the mystery clones secret, and even their purpose was murky to some scientists. Just how they might restore red wolf populations was unclear. Perhaps the most curious question, though, was whether the company had cloned red wolves at all. Can cloning really help save the red wolf? And what should we really be trying to preserve? Read the full story to find out https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/04/20/1135222/red-wolves-colossal-biosciences-clones/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . —Boyce Upholt 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 . + Zelda gets a very British makeover in this charming Wallace and Gromit parody https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5iIs8SCHO0 . + The “ugliest shark on the planet” has been spotted alive in its natural habitat https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/12/goblin-shark-seen-alive-natural-habitat-first-time for the first time. + The Euclid space telescope has captured the most detailed image yet of the Milky Way's heart https://www.cbsnews.com/news/euclid-telescope-most-detailed-image-milky-way-stars/ . + Take a tour through the history of web browsers on game consoles in this illuminating dive into a corner of juvenile web https://vale.rocks/posts/game-console-browsers . 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.