The Download: the first brain implant power user and South Korea’s AI obsession

Casey Harrell, a man with ALS, has become the first "power user" of a speech brain-computer interface, using it to speak, surf the web, and work. Meanwhile, South Korea shows the highest optimism toward AI among 25 countries surveyed, with only 16% expressing concern, driven by a cultural conviction that technology is key to modernization.

The Download: the first brain implant power user and South Korea’s AI obsession Plus: The US says it restricted Anthropic AI over foreign intelligence risks. 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. This man with ALS is the first “power user” of a brain implant that lets him speak Casey Harrell has had a set of electrodes embedded in his brain for almost three years. Harrell, who has ALS and is paralyzed, first used his brain-computer interface BCI to “speak” in 2023. Since then, he’s clocked thousands of hours of use. Harrell can now use the device largely independently. His team has added new features to it, and he also uses it to surf the web and perform his job. “Living with a disease like ALS, you are supposed to have diminished dreams. I do not,” Harrell told MIT Technology Review . The team behind the device call Harrell “the first power user of a speech BCI.” They now plan to add further enhancements to the device. Dive into the groundbreaking impact of Casey Harrell’s BCI https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/15/1138953/man-als-first-power-user-brain-implant-speak-bci/?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 Why do South Koreans love AI so much? While a public backlash against AI brews across the US, South Koreans are optimistic. Only 16% say they are more concerned than excited about AI—the lowest of the 25 countries surveyed by the Pew Research Center—while 50% of Americans were more worried than excited. South Koreans share a deep conviction that embracing technology is integral to modernizing the country and cementing its place in the global order. Their fascination with AI is just the latest incarnation of that ethos—and it’s making them anxious to stay ahead. Read the full story on South Korea’s AI fervour https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/06/15/1138983/why-do-south-koreans-love-ai-so-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 . —Michelle Kim This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things AI. 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 The US says it restricted Anthropic AI over foreign intelligence risks Commerce chief Lutnick said he acted over national security fears. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/technology/anthropic-us-officials-meeting-monday-resolve-dispute-over-export-curbs-2026-06-15/ $ + Following the ban, Anthropic disabled access to its new models. BBC http://bbc.com/news/articles/c932g3v3e13o + Both sides are increasingly desperate for a resolution. WSJ https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/anthropic-trump-officials-seek-deal-on-restoring-powerful-model-access-d9c4ffee?mod=tech lead story $ 2 DeepSeek just became China's most valuable startup It raised $7 billion, the largest-ever first-round funding for an AI startup. The Information https://www.theinformation.com/articles/deepseek-closes-record-7-billion-plus-funding-unusual-deal-structure $ + The deal values DeepSeek at over $50 billion. WSJ https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/deepseek-becomes-chinas-most-valuable-ai-startup-after-over-7-4-billion-fundraise-78ef64c0 $ + Its unusual structure preserves founder control. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinas-deepseek-closes-over-7-billion-funding-with-unusual-deal-structure-2026-06-16/ $ + DeepSeek’s new flagship model has caused a stir. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/04/24/1136422/why-deepseeks-v4-matters/?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 Alibaba has unveiled AI models for robots amid a shift from chatbots It’s joined a global race to move AI into the physical world. SCMP https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3357260/alibaba-eyes-physical-world-its-first-suite-ai-models-robots?utm source=feedly feed + AI is learning to understand its surroundings. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/04/21/1135650/world-models-ai-artificial-intelligence/?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 Fox is buying streaming giant Roku for $22 billion The deal creates the third-largest player in US TV by viewing share. BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cql1yew3vezo + Fox is making a big bet on free streaming. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/06/15/fox-is-buying-roku-its-big-bet-making-streaming-free/ $ 5 EA has launched a new way to advertise “directly into gameplay” EA Advertising allows brands to become part of the game itself. CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/15/electronic-arts-launches-a-new-way-to-advertise-directly-into-gameplay.html + Xbox’s new chief strategy officer is also eyeing in-game ads. PC Gamer https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/xboxs-new-chief-strategy-officer-is-still-a-big-believer-in-in-game-ads/ + GenAI could reinvent what it means to play. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/06/20/1093428/generative-ai-reinventing-video-games-immersive-npcs/?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 It’s trivially easy to use Reddit to manipulate AI search A tiny snippet of text can trick ChatGPT and Google’s AI search. 404 Media https://www.404media.co/it-is-trivially-easy-to-use-reddit-to-manipulate-ai-search-research-suggests/ + AI search is being manipulated to generate dangerous biases. BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20260519-google-tackles-attempts-to-hack-its-ai-results 7 Sperm have been made magnetic to allow IVF inside the body The technique enables remote guidance towards an egg. New Scientist https://www.newscientist.com/article/2530334-sperm-have-been-made-magnetic-to-allow-ivf-inside-the-body/ $ + Automation and AI are transforming IVF. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/05/07/1136946/whats-next-for-ivf-ai-robot-pgt-gene-editing/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C 8 The world’s leading deepfake expert no longer trusts his own eyes He’s struggling to prove what’s real before the internet decides. NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/us/ai-deepfake-hany-farid.html%20%3E $ 9 Meta’s CTO admits its AI reorganisation was “atrocious” He's promised staff better communication—and snacks. Wired https://www.wired.com/story/andrew-bosworth-meta-employees-unrest/ $ 10 Silicon Valley billionaires are pretending to kill each other for fun In a new game show from Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. WSJ https://www.wsj.com/tech/silicon-valley-mafia-founders-fund-b014f603?mod=tech lead pos3 $ Quote of the day “There was a speeding ticket, and they gave Fable the death penalty.” —Alex Stamos, the former chief security officer of Facebook, tells the Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/06/15/how-anthropic-lost-white-houses-trust-then-its-flagship-product/ that banning foreign access to Anthropic’s leading model is a disproportionate punishment. One More Thing Inside effective altruism, where the far future counts a lot more than the present Inside effective altruism, where the far future counts a lot more than the present Since its birth in the late 2000s, effective altruism has aimed to answer a deceptively simple question: “How can those with means have the greatest impact?” Directing money to evidence-based approaches is EA’s best-known technique. But as it’s expanded from an academic philosophy into a community and a movement, its ideas of the “best” way to change the world have evolved as well. —Rebecca Ackermann 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 . + The humble table has been reimagined as an unconventional public artifact https://fengfanyang.com/hang-on-1 . + Take a visual tour of the weird, centuries-old history of architecture's most gruesome gargoyles https://www.kuriositas.com/2012/08/gargoyles-glorious-gruesome-grotesques.html . + A colorful parakeet unseen for an entire century was triumphantly rediscovered in an unexplored Indonesian forest https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/this-colorful-parakeet-had-been-seen-only-once-over-the-past-century-birders-just-rediscovered-it-in-an-unexplored-indonesian-forest-180988907/ . + This shimmering Southern Lights timelapse filmed by an astronaut on the SpaceX Dragon https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cr5j4e4r3v9o is stunning. 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: AI hacking beyond Mythos, and chatbots’ impact on our brains Plus: Anthropic has called for a global slowdown in AI development. The Download: supercharged scams and studying AI healthcare Plus: DeepSeek has unveiled its long-awaited new AI model. Stay connected Get the latest updates from MIT Technology Review Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.