AI Agents Are Running Amok, And We're Flying Blind

The most important issue worth pausing to unpack in today's briefing is the monitoring of AI agents.

AI agents are already in action, while monitoring still relies on post-hoc guesswork

Madhulika Srikumar and Claire Leibowicz from Partnership on AI put it bluntly in their op-ed: AI agents are carrying out unauthorized actions, from accessing dark web platforms to breaching government private documents. In many cases, even researchers and security teams tasked with supervising these agents cannot keep up with their behavior.

As critical sectors including finance, government and healthcare begin rolling out AI agents at scale, real-time monitoring has become an absolute bottom line. Security relies on monitoring, and monitoring relies on observability. Put in plain terms: we need full clarity on exactly what an agent did, and why it did it. Right now, deploying these tools is essentially equivalent to driving with your eyes closed and guessing what happened after you crash.

This needs to change.

Climate models are missing the most dangerous pieces of the puzzle

Climate change is now accelerating itself. Rising greenhouse gas concentrations are driving up global temperatures, creating dangerous feedback loops that are not fully accounted for in climate models, nor fully reflected in global emissions reduction targets.

Scientists have long warned that rising temperatures will trigger even more warming. Now a growing body of observations and research shows these cascading effects could be far stronger than what models have predicted. In other words, the rate of global warming this century may be faster than we previously assumed. James Temple breaks down the details.

Read more.

Solid-state batteries: the promises are neatly laid out, but the timeline is far from certain

Lithium-ion batteries power everything from consumer electronics to grid energy storage, but their liquid electrolyte carries a longstanding flaw: high fire risk. Solid-state batteries replace that liquid with ceramics or polymers.

They promise faster charging, longer lifespan, higher energy density and far better safety. A new wave of startups is racing to bring the technology to market. If they pull it off, the transition away from fossil fuels will become far more manageable. Alexander C. Kaufman evaluates the progress as part of our "Are we there yet?" series.

See how far the tech is from delivering on its potential.

Today's must-reads

1. Hackers leaked data on 41,000 US Department of Homeland Security employees, including undercover ICE agents. Most of the data relates to Customs and Border Protection, and also links government agencies to specific surveillance tools. Big Tech is pushing back against ICE requests for user data, while activists are calling on ChatGPT users to cancel their subscriptions over the platform's ties to ICE. (Wired, TechCrunch, Reuters, MIT Technology Review)
2. Putin says Russia is coordinating with "genius" Elon Musk on satellite programs, claiming the partnership preserves order in orbital space. Russia is developing its own version of Starlink, and Moscow has added Apple and Microsoft to its national surveillance registry. (Bloomberg, Guardian, Quartz)
3. Apple released its first MacBook with a touchscreen, as part of a wave of product launches under new CEO John Ternus. Both Steve Jobs and Tim Cook previously rejected the idea, but executives now say advancements in touchscreen technology have made it a worthwhile feature. (CNN, Wired)
4. Bloomberg and two trading firms have paid for priority access to Donald Trump's posts, signing up for Truth Social's paid fast-track access program. (Reuters)
5. As tensions with the US rise, Europe is planning the first undersea cable link to Greenland, routing around the US to connect Canada, Japan and South Korea. The EU's AI champion says Europe is fully capable of competing with US tech giants. (Ars Technica, FT)
6. Palantir's head of defense says AI could drive China to take military action against Taiwan. He argues Beijing may move to stop the US from opening up an unassailable lead in AI, while Taiwan's famous "silicon shield" is reportedly weakening. (Bloomberg, MIT Technology Review)
7. Elon Musk's xAI has offered to buy local residents' houses if they drop noise lawsuits targeting the power supply of its Mississippi data center. (Guardian)
8. The world's first spinal cord transplant is mired in controversy. Experts say there is very little evidence the procedure will work. (New Scientist)
9. Chinese tech giants are grabbing public attention with AI-powered micro-dramas, as Tencent and ByteDance battle for a fast-expanding market. (SCMP, MIT Technology Review)
10. Astronomers have spotted a possible dwarf planet beyond Pluto. This icy world would become the sixth recognized dwarf planet in our solar system. (Gizmodo)

Quote of the day

"They have our information, so it's only fair we get theirs."

That's the explanation a hacker group gave for leaking the personal data of US Department of Homeland Security employees. (NPR)

How the Pentagon is adapting to China's tech rise

It has been just over a year since Kathleen Hicks stepped down as US Deputy Secretary of Defense. The highest-ranking woman in Pentagon history, she shaped US military posture during the era of renewed great power competition and accelerated defense tech modernization.

In a conversation with MIT Technology Review, Hicks talks about how the Pentagon is adapting (and where it's failing to adapt), the rise of China as a tech power, the future of AI in warfare, and her signature Replicator program.

Read the full interview.

Good news to end on

Astronomers discovered a green star 280 light-years away. A Scottish Labrador won Animal of the Year for its ability to sniff out "sea vomit". New signs of life have emerged three years after the iconic English landmark Sycamore Gap tree was cut down. From medieval jousting on Lime e-bikes to pop stars wearing chainmail, youth culture is fully embracing all things medieval.