The Download: rethinking child safety and fossil-fueled farming

每日下载：重新思考儿童安全与化石燃料农业

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. 这是今日份的《每日下载》，我们平日更新的简报，为您提供每日科技世界的动态。

Child-monitoring apps might need a reboot

儿童监控应用或许需要“重启”

Digital harms have become the defining fear of American parents. In response, they’re increasingly turning to content-monitoring apps that scan their children’s texts, photos, emails, and chats, issuing alerts whenever an algorithm flags something it deems dangerous. These tools have had genuine successes, preventing suicide attempts, intercepting predators, and averting school shootings. But they can also cause harm themselves, from false alarms and unnecessary interventions to damaged trust and anxiety. Child-safety researchers say better approaches exist. Here’s what they think those could look like. —Kelly Clancy 数字伤害已成为美国家长最核心的恐惧。作为回应，他们越来越多地转向内容监控应用，这些应用会扫描孩子的短信、照片、电子邮件和聊天记录，并在算法标记出其认为危险的内容时发出警报。这些工具确实取得了一些成功，例如预防自杀企图、拦截不法分子以及避免校园枪击事件。但它们本身也可能造成伤害，从误报和不必要的干预，到破坏信任和引发焦虑。儿童安全研究人员表示，存在更好的方法。以下是他们认为这些方法可能的样子。——Kelly Clancy

This article is from our latest print magazine, which is all about kids. Subscribe now to get every issue as soon as it lands. 本文摘自我们最新的纸质杂志，该期主题聚焦于儿童。立即订阅，即可在每期出版时第一时间收到。

Agriculture relies on fossil fuels. It’s costing us.

农业依赖化石燃料，我们正为此付出代价

Fertilizer prices have been on a roller coaster this year, driven in part by trade disruptions and high natural-gas prices. That’s because natural gas is both an energy source and a chemical input in the production of ammonia, a key fertilizer ingredient. The war in Iran has pushed natural-gas prices higher and disrupted fertilizer trade through the Strait of Hormuz—and its closure could make access harder still for some of the world’s poorest countries. Let’s take a closer look at the surging fertilizer prices, and how a few climate-friendly alternatives could bring farmers some relief. —Casey Crownhart 今年化肥价格像坐过山车一样波动，部分原因是贸易中断和天然气价格高企。这是因为天然气既是能源，也是生产氨（化肥的关键成分）的化学原料。伊朗战争推高了天然气价格，并扰乱了通过霍尔木兹海峡的化肥贸易——如果海峡关闭，世界上一些最贫穷的国家获取化肥的难度可能会进一步加大。让我们深入了解一下飙升的化肥价格，以及一些气候友好型替代方案如何能为农民带来缓解。——Casey Crownhart

This story is from The Spark, our weekly climate tech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday. 本文来自我们的每周气候科技简报《The Spark》。注册即可在每周三收到邮件。

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，为您找出今天最有趣、最重要、最令人恐惧或最引人入胜的科技故事。

New York City has banned AI in elementary and middle schools The one-year moratorium will affect 600,000 students. (Politico) 纽约市禁止在小学和初中使用人工智能 为期一年的禁令将影响 60 万名学生。（Politico）
Taiwan has uncovered a hidden Chinese network targeting its chip sector It’s linked 166 cases to illegal operations and talent poaching. (Rest of World) 台湾地区发现了一个针对其芯片行业的隐秘中国网络 该网络涉及 166 起非法运营和人才挖角案件。（Rest of World）
Uber has launched the UK’s first commercial robotaxi service It’s using tech from UK startup Wayve and, initially, safety drivers. (Verge) Uber 在英国推出了首个商业化自动驾驶出租车服务 该服务使用英国初创公司 Wayve 的技术，初期配备安全员。（Verge）
Google has avoided a breakup of its ad tech business A US judge rejected the government’s demand to force a sale. (Guardian) 谷歌避免了广告技术业务被拆分 美国法官驳回了政府强制出售该业务的要求。（卫报）
Serbians have been targeted with mercenary spyware after elections Targets included student activists, lawmakers and a local councilor. (Reuters) 塞尔维亚人在选举后成为雇佣兵间谍软件的目标 目标包括学生积极分子、立法者和地方议员。（路透社）
The Trump administration has backed OpenAI in its NYT lawsuit The Justice Department says AI training can be fair use. (Quartz) 特朗普政府在《纽约时报》诉讼案中支持 OpenAI 司法部表示，人工智能训练可以属于“合理使用”。（Quartz）
Public housing tenants are suing over sensors monitoring their homes The devices collect minute-by-minute data on noise and motion. (NYT) 公租房租户起诉监控其住所的传感器 这些设备会收集关于噪音和运动的实时数据。（《纽约时报》）
Anthropic seems to have won back the Trump administration’s trust The commerce secretary said the firm is “back on the right side.” (Axios) Anthropic 似乎重新赢得了特朗普政府的信任 商务部长表示该公司“回到了正确的一边”。（Axios）
Humble exoskeletons are proving more useful than combat supersuits Smaller devices are assisting workers, patients, and athletes. (Economist) 简易外骨骼比战斗超级套装更有用 小型设备正在为工人、病人和运动员提供辅助。（《经济学人》）
AI food slop has made its way onto real restaurant menus It’s providing cheap images, which frequently look revolting. (NBC News) AI 生成的“垃圾食品图”已出现在真实餐厅菜单上 它提供了廉价的图片，但看起来往往令人作呕。（NBC 新闻）

Quote of the day

今日金句

“I think this will be the end of an era of the US trying to break up platforms this complex. The courts remain hesitant to dismantle these really complex tech systems, even when finding conduct that is anticompetitive.” “我认为这将终结美国试图拆分如此复杂平台的时代。法院仍然不愿拆除这些极其复杂的科技系统，即使在发现存在反竞争行为时也是如此。”

—Nikhil Lai, a principal analyst at Forrester, tells the New York Times that Google’s legal win against antitrust enforcers trying to break up its ad business is a seminal victory. —Forrester 首席分析师 Nikhil Lai 对《纽约时报》表示，谷歌在针对试图拆分其广告业务的反垄断执法者的法律战中获胜，是一场具有里程碑意义的胜利。

One more thing

还有一件事

Colossal Biosciences said it cloned red wolves. Is it for real? Colossal Biosciences 声称克隆了红狼，这是真的吗？

Last year, Colossal Biosciences announced that it had cloned four red wolves, surprising scientists working to save the species and even people whose canids supplied the DNA. They also disagreed about the company’s big idea: de-extinction. Colossal kept the location of the mystery clones secret, and even their purpose was murky to some scientists. Just how they might restore red wolf populations was unclear. Perhaps the most curious question, though, was whether the company had cloned red wolves at all. Can cloning really help save the red wolf? And what should we really be trying to preserve? Read the full story to find out. —Boyce Upholt 去年，Colossal Biosciences 宣布已克隆出四只红狼，这让致力于拯救该物种的科学家，甚至提供 DNA 的犬科动物主人都感到惊讶。他们对该公司宏大的“复活灭绝物种”理念也存在分歧。Colossal 对这些神秘克隆体的所在地保密，甚至在一些科学家看来，它们的目的也很模糊。它们究竟如何能恢复红狼种群尚不清楚。不过，最令人好奇的问题或许是：该公司是否真的克隆了红狼？克隆真的能帮助拯救红狼吗？我们真正应该努力保护的是什么？阅读全文以了解详情。——Boyce Upholt