The Download: storing nuclear waste and orchestrating agents

查看原文 / View Original

The Download: Storing nuclear waste and orchestrating agents

《下载》：核废料储存与智能体编排

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. 这是今天《下载》的内容，这是我们的工作日通讯，为您提供每日科技界动态。

It’s time to make a plan for nuclear waste

是时候为核废料制定计划了

Today, nuclear energy enjoys rare support across the political spectrum. Public approval has spiked, and Big Tech is throwing money around to meet rising electricity demand. That newfound interest is exactly why it’s time to talk about an old problem: nuclear waste. In the US, nuclear reactors produce about 2,000 metric tons of high-level waste each year—and there’s nowhere to put it. Now, the need for a permanent storage solution is becoming urgent. Here’s what’s at stake. —Casey Crownhart 如今，核能跨越了政治光谱，获得了罕见的支持。公众认可度激增，大型科技公司也纷纷投入资金以满足日益增长的电力需求。这种新出现的兴趣正是我们讨论一个老问题的原因：核废料。在美国，核反应堆每年产生约 2000 公吨的高放射性废料，但却无处安放。现在，寻找永久性储存方案的需求变得迫在眉睫。以下是相关利害关系。——Casey Crownhart

This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday. 本文摘自《麻省理工科技评论》的每周气候通讯《火花》（The Spark）。订阅即可在每周三收到邮件。

Orchestrated agents are coming for white-collar work

智能体编排即将来袭，白领工作面临变革

When people say AI will transform industries, what they have in mind—whether they know it or not—are AI agents. ChatGPT showed AI can talk. But to change the world, it needs to do stuff. The real power comes when agents work as teams, coordinating multiple roles to tackle complex tasks. Apps like Codex and Claude Cowork offer a glimpse of this shift, bringing multi-agent general-purpose productivity tools. In theory, networks of AI agents could do to white-collar knowledge work what assembly lines did to manufacturing. That’s the vision. But as agents move into real-world systems, the risks grow too. Read the full story. —Will Douglas Heaven 当人们说人工智能将改变行业时，他们脑海中想到的——无论他们是否意识到——其实是人工智能智能体（AI agents）。ChatGPT 展示了人工智能的对话能力，但要改变世界，它还需要付诸行动。真正的力量在于智能体以团队形式协作，协调多种角色来处理复杂任务。Codex 和 Claude Cowork 等应用让我们得以一窥这种转变，它们带来了多智能体通用生产力工具。理论上，人工智能智能体网络对白领知识工作的影响，可能就像流水线对制造业的影响一样。这就是愿景。但随着智能体进入现实世界系统，风险也在增加。阅读全文。——Will Douglas Heaven

Agent Orchestration is one of the 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now, MIT Technology Review’s guide to what’s really worth your attention in the busy, buzzy world of AI. We’re unpacking one item from the list each day here in The Download, so stay tuned. “智能体编排”是《麻省理工科技评论》“当前人工智能领域 10 件大事”之一，这份指南旨在帮助您在繁忙喧嚣的人工智能世界中关注真正重要的事情。我们每天会在《下载》中解读列表中的一项，敬请关注。

Narrated: no one’s sure if synthetic mirror life will kill us all

播客：没人确定合成“镜像生命”是否会毁灭人类

In February 2019, a group of scientists proposed a high-risk, cutting-edge, irresistibly exciting idea that the National Science Foundation should fund: making “mirror” bacteria. These lab-created microbes would be organized like ordinary bacteria, but their proteins and sugars would be mirror images of those found in nature. Researchers believed they could reveal new insights into building cells, designing drugs, and even the origins of life. But now, many of them have reversed course. They’ve become convinced that mirror organisms could trigger a catastrophic event threatening every form of life on Earth. Find out why. —Stephen Ornes 2019 年 2 月，一群科学家提出了一项高风险、前沿且令人兴奋的构想，并建议美国国家科学基金会予以资助：制造“镜像”细菌。这些实验室培育的微生物结构与普通细菌相似，但其蛋白质和糖类是自然界中物质的镜像。研究人员认为，这可以为构建细胞、设计药物甚至探索生命起源提供新见解。但现在，许多人改变了立场。他们确信，镜像生物可能会引发一场威胁地球上所有生命形式的灾难性事件。了解原因。——Stephen Ornes

This is our latest story to be turned into an MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we publish each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it’s released. 这是我们最新制作的《麻省理工科技评论》播客（MIT Technology Review Narrated）内容，我们每周在 Spotify 和 Apple Podcasts 上发布。只需在任一平台搜索“MIT Technology Review Narrated”并关注我们，即可获取最新内容。

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. 我已为您搜罗了互联网上今天最有趣、最重要、最令人恐惧或最引人入胜的科技新闻。

  1. Elon Musk says Sam Altman “stole a charity” at the OpenAI trial 埃隆·马斯克在 OpenAI 庭审中称萨姆·奥特曼“窃取了一家慈善机构”

    • Musk testified for the first time yesterday in the landmark legal showdown.
    • 马斯克昨天首次在这场里程碑式的法律对决中出庭作证。
    • He said OpenAI was founded as a non-profit to avoid a “Terminator outcome.”
    • 他表示，OpenAI 成立之初是一家非营利组织，旨在避免出现“终结者式的结果”。
    • And claimed he came up with the idea for the company.
    • 并声称该公司的主意是他想出来的。
    • The trial could upend the global AI race.
    • 这场审判可能会颠覆全球人工智能竞赛。

  2. The White House has plans to bypass Anthropic’s blacklisting 白宫计划绕过 Anthropic 的黑名单限制

    • It’s drafting guidance to sidestep the supply-chain risk designation.
    • 白宫正在起草指导方针，以规避供应链风险认定。
    • The White House is also meeting other tech firms to discuss AI risks.
    • 白宫还在与其他科技公司会面，讨论人工智能风险。
    • The Pentagon’s culture war against Anthropic has backfired.
    • 五角大楼针对 Anthropic 的文化战争适得其反。

  3. OpenAI is tightening ties with Amazon after retreating from Microsoft OpenAI 在撤出微软后加强了与亚马逊的联系

    • AWS customers are getting extra access to OpenAI systems.
    • AWS 客户将获得更多访问 OpenAI 系统的权限。
    • While OpenAI gets new users and cloud-computing capabilities.
    • 同时 OpenAI 获得了新用户和云计算能力。

  4. AI bots told scientists how to create biological weapons 人工智能机器人告诉科学家如何制造生物武器

    • And unleash them in public spaces.
    • 并在公共场所释放它们。
    • AI will change war forever.
    • 人工智能将永远改变战争。

  5. China has suspended robotaxi licenses after a scary outage 中国在发生可怕的故障后暂停了自动驾驶出租车牌照

    • Dozens of Baidu vehicles suddenly stopped last month.
    • 上个月数十辆百度车辆突然停驶。
    • Chinese robotaxi firms are planning global expansions.
    • 中国自动驾驶出租车公司正计划全球扩张。

  6. Meta has been found in breach of EU rules on protecting children Meta 被认定违反了欧盟关于保护儿童的规定

    • After failing to block access to Facebook and Instagram.
    • 因为未能阻止儿童访问 Facebook 和 Instagram。
    • Parents are forcing schools to roll back classroom tech use.
    • 家长们正在迫使学校减少课堂科技的使用。

  7. AI is spotting pancreatic cancer years before symptoms appear 人工智能在症状出现前数年就能发现胰腺癌

    • A study found it could catch the tumor early enough to treat.
    • 一项研究发现，它能足够早地发现肿瘤并进行治疗。

  8. The Iran war is disrupting data center rollouts 伊朗战争正在扰乱数据中心的部署

    • Oaktree-owned Pure DC is the latest firm to pause investments.
    • Oaktree 旗下的 Pure DC 是最新一家暂停投资的公司。

  9. SpaceX is tying Elon Musk’s pay to Mars colonization goals SpaceX 将埃隆·马斯克的薪酬与火星殖民目标挂钩

    • It’s set lofty goals for his jaw-dropping compensation.
    • 公司为其惊人的薪酬设定了崇高的目标。

  10. AI has reconstructed the face of an ancient Pompeii victim 人工智能重建了一名古代庞贝遇难者的面容

    • Technology is reshaping our understanding of the distant past.
    • 科技正在重塑我们对遥远过去的理解。

Quote of the day

今日名言

“Overnight, without you even knowing it, your own life chances, the life chances of your children, will be dependent on people continuing to prop up Musk’s visions of how the world should look.” “一夜之间，在您毫无察觉的情况下，您自己的人生机会，以及您孩子的人生机会，都将取决于那些继续支持马斯克对世界愿景的人。”

—Elon Musk biographer Michel Martin tells NPR how the Tesla tycoon is shaping our lives. ——埃隆·马斯克的传记作者米歇尔·马丁（Michel Martin）在接受 NPR 采访时，讲述了这位特斯拉大亨如何塑造我们的生活。

One More Thing

还有一件事

Inside Clear’s ambitions to manage your identity beyond the airport 深入了解 Clear 在机场之外管理您身份的雄心

If you’ve ever been through a large US airport, you’re probably aware of Clear, the identity verification service that uses biometric scans to whisk travelers past standard security checks. Now Clear wants to expand that “face-first” experience from airports to just about everywhere, from retailers and banks to even your doctor’s office. Its CEO has designs on making Clear the “identity layer of the internet” and the “universal identity platform” of the physical world. All you have to do is show up—and show your face. But as biometric identity systems go mainstream, concerns about privacy, security, and control are becoming harder to ignore. And the cost of convenience may not be shared equally. Discover what’s at stake. —Eileen Guo 如果您曾经过美国的大型机场，您可能听说过 Clear，这是一种利用生物识别扫描帮助旅客快速通过标准安检的身份验证服务。现在，Clear 希望将这种“刷脸”体验从机场扩展到几乎所有地方，从零售商、银行甚至到您的医生办公室。其首席执行官计划将 Clear 打造成“互联网的身份层”和物理世界的“通用身份平台”。您所要做的就是到场——并展示您的脸。但随着生物识别身份系统成为主流，对隐私、安全和控制权的担忧变得越来越难以忽视。而且，便利的代价可能并非由所有人平等承担。了解其中的利害关系。——Eileen Guo

← 返回新闻列表 / Back to news list