The Download: AI bottleneck debates, and BCI trials take off

The Download：AI 瓶颈之争与脑机接口试验的兴起

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. 这是我们工作日时事通讯《The Download》的今日版，为您提供每日科技世界的动态。

A startup claims it broke through a bottleneck that’s holding back LLMs

一家初创公司声称突破了阻碍大语言模型（LLM）发展的瓶颈

AI startup Subquadratic came out of stealth last month with a huge claim: it had solved a mathematical bottleneck that had held back large language models for almost a decade. The purported breakthrough comes from slashing the number of computations transformers need to carry out to generate answers. The result is a faster and cheaper LLM that uses far less energy than any other model on the market. Many experts remained skeptical—but Subquadratic has started to share the receipts. They suggest that their approach might be worth paying attention to. Here’s how the system works—and why some researchers still aren’t convinced. —Will Douglas Heaven AI 初创公司 Subquadratic 上个月结束了隐身状态，并提出了一个惊人的主张：他们解决了一个困扰大语言模型近十年的数学瓶颈。这一所谓的突破源于大幅减少了 Transformer 模型生成答案所需的计算量。其结果是一个更快、更便宜的大语言模型，且能耗远低于市场上任何其他模型。许多专家对此仍持怀疑态度，但 Subquadratic 已经开始展示其实际成果。这表明他们的方法或许值得关注。以下是该系统的工作原理，以及为什么一些研究人员仍未被说服。——Will Douglas Heaven

Brain-computer interface trials are taking off

脑机接口试验正在兴起

—Jessica Hamzelou —Jessica Hamzelou

This week, I covered the story of Casey Harrell—a man with ALS who is “the first power user” of a brain implant. The device has enabled him to maintain an income, reconnect with friends and family, and read to his daughter. He told me that it’s “nothing short of revolutionary.” Over the past couple of years, the number of BCI trial volunteers has soared. This year, China became the first country to approve a BCI for medical use. Advances in technology are allowing engineers to provide more features than ever. BCI research is properly taking off. Find out how the technology is edging from the lab towards the market. 本周，我报道了 Casey Harrell 的故事——他是一位患有渐冻症（ALS）的男子，也是脑植入设备的“首位深度用户”。该设备使他能够维持收入、与亲友重新建立联系，并为女儿读书。他告诉我，这“简直是革命性的”。在过去几年里，脑机接口（BCI）试验的志愿者人数激增。今年，中国成为首个批准将 BCI 用于医疗用途的国家。技术的进步使工程师能够提供比以往更多的功能。BCI 研究正在真正兴起。了解这项技术如何从实验室走向市场。

This story is from The Checkup, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things biotech. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday. 本文摘自我们的每周时事通讯《The Checkup》，为您提供生物技术领域的前沿内幕。欢迎订阅，每周四即可在收件箱中查收。

The must-reads

必读内容

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 我已梳理了互联网，为您找出今天关于科技最有趣、最重要、最令人担忧及最引人入胜的故事。

Amazon workers who backed data center limits may face termination 支持限制数据中心的亚马逊员工可能面临解雇 The engineers say they’re under investigation by the company. (NYT $)+ And could face discipline, including potential termination. (The Verge)+ They had testified at meetings about pausing data centers. (CNBC)+ They’ve filed a joint complaint to Seattle’s Office for Civil Rights. (Wired $) 工程师们表示他们正受到公司调查。（《纽约时报》$）+ 可能面临纪律处分，包括潜在的解雇。（The Verge）+ 他们曾在关于暂停数据中心建设的会议上作证。（CNBC）+ 他们已向西雅图民权办公室提交了联合投诉。（《连线》$）
A new fossil discovery has rewritten 150 years of evolutionary theory 一项新的化石发现改写了 150 年的进化论 It suggests early land vertebrates skipped the tadpole stage. (New Scientist $)+ And raises questions about how vertebrates adapted to land. (404 Media)+ Sponges may have been the first animals. (MIT Technology Review) 这表明早期陆生脊椎动物跳过了蝌蚪阶段。（《新科学家》$）+ 并引发了关于脊椎动物如何适应陆地生活的疑问。（404 Media）+ 海绵可能是最早的动物。（《麻省理工科技评论》）
Bernie Sanders plans to give the public direct ownership of AI firms 伯尼·桑德斯计划让公众直接拥有 AI 公司股份 He’s unveiled new legislation to create an AI sovereign wealth fund. (AP News)+ It would be funded through a one-time tax on AI companies’ stock. (Quartz)+ And make annual payments directly to Americans. (Washington Post $) 他公布了一项新立法，旨在建立一个 AI 主权财富基金。（美联社）+ 该基金将通过对 AI 公司股票征收一次性税款来筹集资金。（Quartz）+ 并每年直接向美国人支付款项。（《华盛顿邮报》$）
Investors in China secretly acquired stakes in SpaceX before its IPO 中国投资者在 SpaceX IPO 前秘密收购了其股份 One had ties to Chinese military contractors. (ProPublica)+ The US fears China has got one of ASML’s top machines. (Reuters $) 其中一人与中国军工承包商有联系。（ProPublica）+ 美国担心中国已获得 ASML 的顶级机器之一。（路透社 $）
Researchers have figured out Russia’s nuclear-powered missile 研究人员破解了俄罗斯的核动力导弹 They call it “a terrible idea”—but not an impossible one. (NPR)+ NASA is building a nuclear reactor-powered spacecraft. (MIT Technology Review) 他们称其为“一个糟糕的主意”，但并非不可能实现。（NPR）+ 美国国家航空航天局（NASA）正在建造一艘核反应堆驱动的航天器。（《麻省理工科技评论》）
Longevity medicine faces a do-or-die moment in a landmark trial 长寿医学在一项里程碑式的试验中面临生死攸关的时刻 It will test whether cellular aging can be safely reversed in humans. (Axios)+ The next step is “chemical reprogramming.” (MIT Technology Review) 该试验将测试人类细胞衰老是否能被安全逆转。（Axios）+ 下一步是“化学重编程”。（《麻省理工科技评论》）
Studies suggest AI may already be deskilling professionals 研究表明 AI 可能已经导致专业人士技能退化 Over-reliance appears to weaken doctors’ and engineers’ abilities. (Nature) 过度依赖似乎削弱了医生和工程师的能力。（《自然》）
Tech workers who maxed out their AI use are now trying to minimize it 曾最大限度使用 AI 的科技工作者现在正试图减少使用 Spiralling costs mean “tokenminning” has replaced “tokenmaxxing.” (NYT $) 成本飙升意味着“代币最小化”已取代了“代币最大化”。（《纽约时报》$）
Scientists say the human genome’s structure may confound AI models 科学家称人类基因组结构可能会困扰 AI 模型 Which would constrain AI-based models of biology and disease. (Quanta) 这将限制基于 AI 的生物学和疾病模型。（Quanta）
A new robotic self-driving toilet brings the bathroom to you 一款新型自动驾驶机器人马桶将卫生间带到你身边 The Xiaoban also cleans up and empties itself all on its own. (The Verge) “小伴”（Xiaoban）还能自动清洁和清空。（The Verge）

Quote of the day

今日名言

“They hated me. They were doing everything they could to knock me down. And look at them now.” “他们恨我。他们竭尽全力想把我打倒。但看看他们现在怎么样了。”

—Donald Trump mocks Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos in a conversation with Elon Musk that’s recounted in a new book, Wired reports. ——据《连线》报道，唐纳德·特朗普在一本新书中记录的与埃隆·马斯克的对话中，嘲讽了马克·扎克伯格和杰夫·贝索斯。

One More Thing

还有一件事

Technology can help us feed the world, if we look beyond profit 如果我们超越利润的视角，技术可以帮助我们养活世界

The pandemic exposed the weak spots in our interconnected food system. They’re the result of decades’ worth of technological advances, from globe-spanning shipping to refrigeration networks. But technology is not inherently opposed to sustainable and resilient food systems. Powerful technologies like genetic modification can create stronger local agriculture and a healthier food system—but they normally aren’t. The challenge is ensuring they serve food security and human well-being, rather than simply maximizing profits. Dive into our food system’s problems and the solutions that technology can provide. —Fabio Parasecoli 疫情暴露了我们相互关联的食品系统中的薄弱环节。这些薄弱环节是数十年来技术进步的结果，从全球航运到冷链网络。但技术本身并不与可持续和有韧性的食品系统对立。基因改造等强大的技术可以创造更强大的本地农业和更健康的食品系统——但通常情况并非如此。挑战在于确保它们服务于粮食安全和人类福祉，而不是仅仅为了实现利润最大化。深入了解我们食品系统的问题以及技术可以提供的解决方案。——Fabio Parasecoli

We can still have nice things

我们依然可以拥有美好事物

A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.) 一个为您提供舒适、乐趣和消遣，点亮您一天的地方。（有什么想法吗？给我写信。）

This intriguing video tracks the covert reality of Japan’s shinobi.
这段引人入胜的视频追踪了日本忍者（Shinobi）的隐秘现实。
Dive into this admirably obsessive archive covering over 100 different ways to tie your shoes.
深入了解这个令人钦佩的痴迷档案，涵盖了 100 多种系鞋带的方法。
One of the world’s largest digital collections of plants and fungi is now available for free to everyone.
全球最大的植物和真菌数字收藏之一现已免费向所有人开放。
A grand orchestra has beautifully covered Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” at Abbey Road Studios.
一个大型管弦乐队在艾比路录音室（Abbey Road Studios）精彩翻唱了迈克尔·杰克逊的《Human Nature》。