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.

Stay on top of what’s going on in AI this summer

Here at MIT Technology Review, we understand exactly how relentless the pace of news from the world of artificial intelligence feels. New models and capabilities crop up as fast as we can cover them, and the ripple effects they send through tech and wider society are never far behind.

Our unique strength lies in cutting through the day-to-day noise to help you understand what’s really happening, and what lies around the corner.

That’s why we created our list of 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now, unveiled at our flagship AI event EmTech AI a few weeks back (check the list out if you haven’t already!) And it’s why we publish so many stories dedicated to explaining how AI works, and what's coming next. We also regularly run live subscriber-only Roundtables events—you can still catch up on last week’s session, where we explored how AI might enter the physical realm via world models.

Right now, there’s a 25% discount on subscriptions. Sign up now to deepen your understanding of AI this summer. You can also join the conversation by subscribing to The Algorithm, our free weekly newsletter all about the latest in AI.

MIT Technology Review Narrated: what’s next for IVF

IVF has brought millions of babies into the world over the last four decades. But the process can still be slow, painful, and expensive—and far from guaranteed to work. Now, a wave of new technologies aims to change that. 

Researchers are using AI to identify promising sperm and embryos, developing robotic systems that could automate parts of the IVF process, and even exploring controversial genetic editing techniques designed to prevent inherited disease.

The technologies could make IVF more effective and accessible. But they’re also raising difficult ethical questions about how far reproductive medicine should go.

—Jessica Hamzelou

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.

The must-reads

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

1 NASA unveiled plans for three uncrewed missions to the Moon this year
They’re part of preparations for a crewed landing in 2028. (The Verge)
+ And steps to build the first lunar base at the Moon’s south pole. (NBC News)
+ Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin will lead the first uncrewed mission. (WP $)
+ NASA is building the first nuclear reactor-powered spacecraft. (MIT Technology Review)

4 China has overhauled the world’s biggest surveillance network with AI
Beijing is pushing law enforcement towards predictive policing. (FT $)
+ Police use of smart glasses is also booming in China. (Gizmodo)
+ LLMs could supercharge mass surveillance. (MIT Technology Review)

Quote of the day

“AI and its capabilities represent something analogous to the Second Coming.” 

—Jeremy Nixon, the cofounder of AGI House and a former Google Brain researcher, tells the New York Times how Silicon Valley’s innovations could affect the pope.

One More Thing

ANDREW MERRITT

Inside the experimental world of animal infrastructure

In the mid-2000s, toads were meeting a gruesome end near Ede, a leafy old town in the Netherlands. Residents responded by building wildlife tunnels beneath the road to help them reach their breeding ponds safely.

The crossings became popular. But a few years later, researchers found the local toad population had crashed from more than 10,000 to fewer than 1,000.

The case reflects a wider global push to build wildlife crossings and other forms of “animal infrastructure.” But do they actually help animal populations recover? Read the full story to find out.

—Matthew Ponsford

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.)

+ The votes for “International Mollusc of the Year” are finally in.
+ Track aircraft in real time across a gorgeous 3D digital globe using live flight data.
+ NASA’s Psyche spacecraft has delivered breathtaking new close-up images of Mars.
+ This deep dive into instant coffee reveals the extraordinary engineering effort behind making it vaguely drinkable.