The Download: AI roadblocks for humanoids and portable rubber dams

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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《下载》的今日版，我们平日发行的时事通讯，为您提供每日科技界动态。

AI breakthroughs in robotics won’t change your life any time soon. The hype around humanoid robots is reaching fever pitch. Much of it comes from the idea that the same AI advances behind ChatGPT and Claude could enable robots to imitate human movement the way chatbots imitate human language. But many researchers are skeptical. They argue that such assumptions minimize the challenges of using an intelligence built on language and images to master the infinite variability of the physical world. They also point out that conflating humanoids with so-called generalist machines is misleading. Across robotics labs, tensions have emerged over whether current forms of AI are all that’s needed to perfect all-purpose humanoids or whether an entirely new path is required. Read the full story on what it will take to build truly general-purpose robots. —Jamie Condliffe

人工智能在机器人领域的突破短期内不会改变你的生活。围绕人形机器人的炒作正达到狂热的程度。很大程度上源于这样一种观点：ChatGPT 和 Claude 背后的 AI 进步，能够让机器人像聊天机器人模仿人类语言那样模仿人类动作。但许多研究人员对此持怀疑态度。他们认为，这种假设低估了利用建立在语言和图像基础上的智能来掌握物理世界无限变异性的挑战。他们还指出，将人形机器人与所谓的通用机器混为一谈具有误导性。在各大机器人实验室中，关于当前的 AI 形式是否足以完善通用人形机器人，还是需要一条全新的路径，各方已出现分歧。阅读关于构建真正通用机器人所需条件的完整报道。——Jamie Condliffe

This story is a collaboration between MIT Technology Review and Aventine, a non-profit research foundation that creates and supports content about how technology and science are changing the way we live.

本文是《麻省理工科技评论》与 Aventine 的合作成果，后者是一家非营利性研究基金会，致力于创作和支持有关科技如何改变我们生活方式的内容。

10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch: WaveSave and its portable rubber dam. WaveSave is one of MIT Technology Review’s 10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch 2026, available exclusively to subscribers. As sea levels rise and flood risks worsen, WaveSave has emerged with an ingeniously simple tool: a portable rubber dam that’s quick to install when flooding starts. Anyone can unfurl the SlamDam on the ground along a riverbank or shoreline and pump it full of water until it swells into place. And there it stands, up to 1.3 meters high, shielding nearby property or structures from damage as waters rise. WaveSave now plans to take its unusual approach to flood protection much further. —Amy Nordrum

值得关注的 10 家气候科技公司：WaveSave 及其便携式橡胶坝。WaveSave 是《麻省理工科技评论》“2026 年值得关注的 10 家气候科技公司”之一，该榜单仅供订阅用户查看。随着海平面上升和洪水风险加剧，WaveSave 推出了一种巧妙而简单的工具：一种在洪水开始时可快速安装的便携式橡胶坝。任何人都可以将 SlamDam 铺在河岸或海岸线上，并注水直至其膨胀到位。它最高可达 1.3 米，在水位上涨时保护附近的财产或建筑物免受损害。WaveSave 现在计划将其独特的防洪方法进一步推广。——Amy Nordrum

Subscribers can now access the full 10 Climate Tech Companies to Watch, spanning everything from smart turbines and sustainable cement to carbon dioxide batteries.

订阅用户现在可以访问完整的“值得关注的 10 家气候科技公司”榜单，涵盖从智能涡轮机、可持续水泥到二氧化碳电池等各个领域。

Why we’re watching these climate tech companies —Casey Crownhart. Our Climate Tech Companies to Watch list is always a little ray of hope for me—there are some fascinating ideas out there about how we power our world or move away from fossil fuels. Our chosen companies also reflect several aspects of the current moment. One is that China is the center of the climate and energy tech world. Another is that everybody wants a piece of the data center pie. And then there’s the fact that the grid needs support, with energy storage a key piece moving forward. Here’s what this year’s list reveals about the state of climate tech. This story is from The Spark, our weekly climate tech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.

我们为何关注这些气候科技公司——Casey Crownhart。我们的“值得关注的气候科技公司”榜单对我来说总是一丝希望之光——关于我们如何为世界供电或摆脱化石燃料，外界有一些令人着迷的想法。我们选择的公司也反映了当前形势的几个方面。其一是中国处于气候和能源科技世界的中心。其二是每个人都想在数据中心领域分一杯羹。此外，电网需要支持，而储能是未来发展的关键一环。以下是今年榜单揭示的气候科技现状。本文来自我们的每周气候科技通讯《The Spark》。注册即可在每周三收到邮件。

The must-reads: I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

必读内容：我已梳理互联网，为您找出今天关于科技的最有趣/重要/可怕/迷人的故事。

  1. Scientists in Austria and China have built the first nuclear clocks. They could become the world’s most precise timekeepers. They could also help scientists search for dark matter. China’s nuclear clock is six times more stable than Austria’s. A space clock could help measure Earth.

  2. 奥地利和中国的科学家建造了首批核钟。它们可能成为世界上最精确的计时器。它们还可以帮助科学家寻找暗物质。中国的核钟比奥地利的稳定六倍。太空时钟有助于测量地球。

  3. Three fired OpenAI researchers want to protect AI reasoning monitoring. They warn that AI companies could lose a key safety tool. OpenAI fired them for allegedly sharing sensitive information. Don’t be fooled—LLMs don’t reason.

  4. 三名被解雇的 OpenAI 研究人员希望保护 AI 推理监控。他们警告称，AI 公司可能会失去一项关键的安全工具。OpenAI 因他们涉嫌分享敏感信息而将其解雇。别被骗了——大语言模型（LLM）并不会推理。

  5. Samsung has forecast the highest quarterly profit ever for a tech firm. The AI chip boom has sent its projected profits to $80 billion. Can AI labs ever turn a profit? What even is the AI bubble?

  6. 三星预测其季度利润将创下科技公司历史新高。AI 芯片热潮使其预计利润达到 800 亿美元。AI 实验室能盈利吗？AI 泡沫到底是什么？

  7. OpenAI’s math breakthroughs point beyond mathematics. AI is progressing into increasingly specialised fields. OpenAI is catching up with Anthropic on coding. A new AI tool could speed up math research.

  8. OpenAI 的数学突破指向数学之外。AI 正在向日益专业化的领域发展。OpenAI 在编程方面正在赶超 Anthropic。一种新的 AI 工具可以加速数学研究。

  9. A 194-year-old tortoise has had its genome sequenced. His longevity could reveal ways to extend human lifespan. Jonathan is the world’s oldest known land animal. His youthful mitochondria may help repair DNA.

  10. 一只 194 岁的乌龟完成了基因组测序。它的长寿可能揭示延长人类寿命的方法。乔纳森是世界上已知最古老的陆地动物。它年轻的线粒体可能有助于修复 DNA。

  11. A fraudster who used AI to outstream Taylor Swift has been jailed. He used AI-generated songs and bots to earn $8 million. But prosecutors said he stole royalty payments.

  12. 一名利用 AI 刷高泰勒·斯威夫特播放量的诈骗者已被判入狱。他利用 AI 生成的歌曲和机器人赚取了 800 万美元。但检察官称他窃取了版税。

  13. TikTok allegedly gave kids fake safety features to study engagement. The tests measured time spent and ad revenue.

  14. 据称 TikTok 为研究用户参与度向儿童提供了虚假的安全功能。这些测试旨在衡量使用时长和广告收入。

  15. Burglars could be identified from DNA floating in the air. Thanks to a new device that collects airborne genetic material.

  16. 入室窃贼可以通过漂浮在空气中的 DNA 被识别出来。这得益于一种收集空气中遗传物质的新设备。

  17. Pioneers of mirror-image molecules have won the chemistry Nobel. Their work has become a key tool in developing medicines.

  18. 镜像分子先驱获得诺贝尔化学奖。他们的工作已成为开发药物的关键工具。

  19. California has declared a human-vs-robot fight illegal. The state’s combat-sports laws were never written for machines.

  20. 加利福尼亚州宣布人机对战非法。该州的格斗运动法律从未针对机器制定。

Quote of the day: “We grew a mind.” —David Robinson, who last week quit his job as OpenAI safety transparency lead, tells The New York Times that his former company has built models that develop capabilities their creators did not explicitly design.

今日名言：“我们培育出了一个心智。”——上周辞去 OpenAI 安全透明度主管职务的 David Robinson 对《纽约时报》表示，他曾经所在的公司构建的模型所展现出的能力，并非由其创造者明确设计。

One more thing: We need a moonshot for computing. The US government is organizing itself for the next era of computing. Ultimately, it has one big choice to make: adopt a conservative strategy that aims to preserve its lead for the next five years—or orient itself toward genuine computing moonshots. There is no shortage of candidates, including quantum computing, neuromorphic computing and reversible computing. And there are plenty of novel materials and devices. These possibilities could even be combined to form hybrid computing systems. The National Semiconductor Technology Center can drive these ideas forward. To be successful, it would do well to follow DARPA’s lead by focusing on moonshot programs. Read the full story. —Brady Helwig

最后一件事：我们需要计算领域的“登月计划”。美国政府正在为下一个计算时代进行组织调整。最终，它必须做出一个重大选择：采取旨在保持未来五年领先地位的保守策略，还是转向真正的计算“登月计划”。候选方案不胜枚举，包括量子计算、神经形态计算和可逆计算。此外还有大量新颖的材料和设备。这些可能性甚至可以结合起来形成混合计算系统。国家半导体技术中心可以推动这些想法向前发展。为了取得成功，它最好效仿美国国防高级研究计划局（DARPA），专注于“登月计划”。阅读完整报道。——Brady Helwig

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