The Download: why AI’s latest breakthroughs and fears may be more hype than reality

Timnit Gebru, executive director of the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR), and Emily M. Bender, a professor of linguistics at the University of Washington, argue that recent AI claims about hacking, mathematical breakthroughs, and self-improving superintelligence are overstated and driven by commercial incentives to misdirect policymakers and the public. Separately, 22 nations called for a new global body to oversee AI with pre-deployment testing and common safety standards, though neither the US nor China joined the declaration, while OpenAI proposed its own global AI safety standards and urged the US to lead the international effort. Texas halted new data center permits pending a grid audit and California passed new laws covering data center power and water use, as chipmaker AMD became the twelfth $1 trillion company on AI chip sales that lifted its shares more than 180% this year.

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. 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. Don’t be fooled by this summer of AI hype —Timnit Gebru, executive director of the Distributed AI Research Institute DAIR , and Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the University of Washington It’s been a busy few months for AI hype, with companies making breathless claims about hacking, mathematical breakthroughs, and the prospect of self-improving superintelligence. In all these cases, massive fanfare from the companies, presented as mea culpas in the hacking incidents, has been accompanied by intense press coverage. But once experts have had time to examine what happened, very different stories emerge. There’s a strong commercial incentive to overstate AI capabilities. The authors argue that the illusion of speed and urgency promulgated by the tech companies is also a ploy to misdirect policymakers and the public. Here’s why they say we must remain skeptical about AI hype https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/22/1144867/dont-be-fooled-summer-ai-hype/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 22 nations have called for a new global body to oversee AI They want pre-deployment testing and common safety standards. Politico https://www.politico.eu/article/20-countries-urge-to-strenghten-oversight-of-ai-to-keep-it-under-human-control/ + But neither the US nor China are part of the new declaration. NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/20-countries-call-global-ai-oversight-rcna599062 + Meanwhile, OpenAI has proposed its own global AI safety standards. Axios https://www.axios.com/2026/09/21/openai-ai-safety-standards-us-china + The company wants the US to lead the international effort. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/openai-calls-us-take-lead-global-efforts-develop-technical-standards-2026-09-21/ $ + Could AI really kill us all? MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/18/1144435/could-ai-really-kill-us-all-your-questions-answered/?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 Texas and California have moved to rein in data centers Texas has halted new permits pending a grid audit. NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/us-proposes-exchanging-ai-safety-alerts-china-bessent-says-rcna598923 + California has passed new laws covering power and water use. LA Times https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-09-21/newsom-signs-bills-to-regulate-data-center-industry-criticizes-trump-for-inaction $ + Data centers are amazing. Everyone hates them. 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 3 Chipmaker AMD has become the twelfth $1 trillion company AI chip sales have helped its shares rise more than 180% this year. CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/21/amd-stock-1-trillion-value.html + Hyperscalers are making a trillion-dollar bet on AI. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/09/15/1144028/ai-infrastructure-boom-investment-bubble-risk/?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 Meta’s AI agent Muse has overtaken ChatGPT to top the US App Store It’s helped set Meta shares for their best month in 13 years. Quartz https://qz.com/meta-stock-muse-ai-app-store-092126 + But Muse has a major zero-day vulnerability. Ars Technica https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/09/muse-metas-extraordinarily-privileged-ai-assistant-has-a-serious-0-day/ + And Amazon has blocked the agent from shopping on its site. GeekWire https://www.theverge.com/tech/998078/amazon-blocks-meta-muse-ai-agent-shopping 5 A new edible battery could power medical devices inside the body It could run sensors, cameras, and drug-delivery capsules. Economist https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/09/21/a-new-battery-could-make-edible-electronics-safer $ + It’s been tested in pigs with an RFID tracker and stomach stimulator. Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02987-3 6 Trump’s budget chief could gain veto power over NIH grants The NIH is the world’s largest funder of biomedical research. Ars Technica https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/09/trump-planning-to-hand-veto-power-over-nih-grants-to-political-appointee/ + Trump’s firings dealt another blow to science. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/05/01/1136722/mass-firing-trump-fresh-blow-american-science-nsf-nsb/?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 Epigenetic editing has reached human trials for hepatitis B The treatment uses chemical tags to shut down viral DNA. Nature https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02981-9 8 Tree vaccines and gene-edited butterflies have won UK biotech funding The projects aim to boost nature’s adaptation to climate change. Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/21/gene-edited-butterflies-vaccines-ash-trees-uk-science-projects-30m-funding + Why this summer was so hot—and 2027 could be worse. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/13/1141788/summer-heat-el-nino/?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 A rocket shortage is making it harder to get satellites into space SpaceX is winding down Falcon 9 as rivals struggle to catch up. WSJ https://www.wsj.com/business/a-rocket-supply-crunch-is-making-it-harder-to-hitch-a-ride-to-space-883f5e53?mod=rss Technology $ 10 Something has gone badly wrong with Dyson’s $500 toothbrush A mysterious “component issue” has emerged. Wired https://www.wired.com/story/dyson-wont-say-whats-wrong-with-the-camerajet-toothbrush/ $ Quote of the day “If AI succeeds, then it may kill all of our jobs. If it fails, then the whole economy falls apart, and your 401 k blows up, and maybe you still lose your job.” —Ben Casselman, the New York Times’s chief economics correspondent, explains why https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/21/us/politics/midterm-elections-economy.html people feel trapped in a lose-lose dynamic with the AI boom. One more thing How wind tech could help decarbonize cargo shipping Cargo shipping is responsible for about 3% of the world’s annual greenhouse-gas emissions, and the industry is under pressure to find alternatives to fossil fuels. Wind power is one option. In the Marshall Islands, where people have relied on wind-powered vessels for millennia, a new cargo sailboat inspired by traditional vessels made its maiden voyage last year. It could cut emissions by up to 80% compared with a fuel-powered cargo ship. See how engineers are bringing wind power back to cargo shipping https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/01/02/1108651/wind-shipping-decarbonize-climate-change/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term= %7CSUBCLASS%7C &utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C . —Sofia Quaglia 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 . + An unlikely new garment is helping Chilean penguins https://apnews.com/article/chile-el-nino-humboldt-penguins-vulnerable-injuries-rehabilitation-6e93b8d4eaef903e4c85d16ade7d5881 to heal. + Taxi drivers rarely die of Alzheimer’s. Their mental maps may help explain why https://theconversation.com/taxi-drivers-rarely-die-of-alzheimers-how-complex-mental-maps-and-spatial-reasoning-protect-your-brain-286650 . + A 91-year-old nicknamed “Grey Beard” has become the oldest person to hike the entire Appalachian Trail https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/91-year-old-grey-beard-is-oldest-person-to-hike-entire-appalachian-trail . + These 10 spectacular images of space https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-ten-spectacular-images-from-this-years-astronomy-photographer-of-the-year-contest-that-capture-the-wonders-of-the-universe-180989065/ were shortlisted for this year’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest. 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.