The Download: K-pop stans’ climate plans, and what AI isn’t

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

Music streaming can be a drag on the environment. These K-pop fans want to clean it up.

K-pop fans have for years been known for their incredible organizing power. As their numbers have grown around the world, they have become influential political forces, shaping elections and advocating for social change.

It was these actions that inspired Kpop4planet. It’s a small group of volunteers that is achieving surprising success in mobilizing K-pop fans to act against the energy-intensive practices of the music streaming industry.

And, buoyed by its success, Kpop4planet has started targeting companies outside the music industry; it’s asked them to make similar pledges on renewable energy or other climate goals. Read the full story.

—Zeyi Yang

A short history of AI, and what it is (and isn’t)

It’s the simplest questions that are often the hardest to answer. That applies to AI, too. Even though it’s sold as a solution to the world’s problems, nobody seems to know what it really is.

For months, my colleague Will Douglas Heaven has been on a quest to go deeper to understand why everybody seems to disagree on exactly what AI is, and why you’re right to care about it. 

He’s been talking to some of the top thinkers in the field, asking them, simply: What is AI? The end result is a great piece that looks at the past and present of AI to see where it is going next. Read the full story.

—Melissa Heikkilä

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 Silicon Valley is backing Donald Trump to become US President
Major VCs and tech leaders are lining up to pledge their financial support. (FT $)
+ JD Vance, Trump’s VP candidate, used to be a VC himself. (TechCrunch)
+ Wealthy far right activists are preparing for Trump to win. (New Yorker $)
+ The FBI has gained access to the phone of the suspected Trump shooter. (404 Media)

2 This site sells selfie ID verification photos and videos
Allowing customers to sign up for accounts using other people’s likenesses. (404 Media)

3 Bird flu cases could be undetected among US dairy workers
Health officials are struggling to keep track of who has been exposed. (New Scientist $)
+ What’s next for bird flu vaccines. (MIT Technology Review)

4 Scientists have discovered a cave on the moon
It could serve as a base for astronauts to shelter from radiation. (BBC)
+ It could be part of a hidden network of lunar caves. (New Scientist $)

5 China’s state support for AI is a double-edged sword
Its robust regulatory regime forces startups to jump through hoops. (WSJ $)
+ Critics aren’t happy about the EU’s new rules for AI. (FT $)
+ Why the Chinese government is sparing AI from harsh regulations—for now. (MIT Technology Review)

6 Google tried to ruin a pact between EU cloud firms and Microsoft
It offered the firms a $512 million package to uphold a complaint against Microsoft—but failed in its endeavor. (Bloomberg $)

7 Cloaking healthy cells could protect them from intensive cancer treatments
Drugs and therapies usually target all cells indiscriminately. (Ars Technica)
+ Cancer vaccines are having a renaissance. (MIT Technology Review)

8 Artists in Latin America can’t opt out of Meta’s AI training project
The company failed to notify users in the region about its plans. (Rest of World)
+ Here’s how to opt out of Meta’s AI training if you’re in the US, UK, or Europe. (MIT Technology Review)

9 How to safeguard yourself against online conspiracy theories
It can be easy to share misinformation in the heat of the moment. (WP $)

10 Poker is essentially a math game
Which explains why computers are getting so good at it. (Vox)
+ Facebook’s poker-playing AI could wreck the online poker industry—so it’s not being released. (MIT Technology Review)

Quote of the day

“I have questions. My biggest one: why??”

—Hebba Youssef, chief people officer at Workweek, reacts to HR company Lattice’s new tool designed to help organizations make employee records for AI bots, the Verge reports.

The big story

This scientist is trying to create an accessible, unhackable voting machine

November 2022

For the past 19 years, computer science professor Juan Gilbert has immersed himself in perhaps the most contentious debate over election administration in the United States—what role, if any, touch-screen ballot-marking devices should play in the voting process.

While advocates claim that electronic voting systems can be relatively secure, improve accessibility, and simplify voting and vote tallying, critics have argued that they are insecure and should be used as infrequently as possible.

As for Gilbert? He claims he’s finally invented “the most secure voting technology ever created.” And he’s invited several of the most respected and vocal critics of voting technology to prove his point. Read the full story.

—Spenser Mestel

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 or tweet ’em at me.)

+ This tiny red squirrel is beyond adorable.
+ Apparently, looking a bit disheveled is the hot new trend for the summer—sign me up.
+ Animals change their social habits as they age, just like us.
+ You’re using your freezer all wrong: here’s how to make the most of it.