Technology

My Mom Will Email Me After She Dies

It’s common now for people to linger as digital ghosts after they die, transforming the nature of loss.

Never Tweet

Trump’s megaphone is coming back to haunt him.

Sports Betting Won

Of course ESPN is pivoting to gambling.

Welcome to the Age of ‘Foomscrolling’

The online frenzies that followed LK-99 and ChatGPT reveal a resurgent techno-optimism—and a shared longing for a new technology that will free us from human limits.

Killer Apps

Is social media making America’s murder surge worse?

The AI Crackdown Is Coming

Five ways for Washington to hold Silicon Valley accountable

Texas Is a Look Into the Future of Driving

Mindless energy consumption can no longer be the status quo.

What in the World Is Happening on TikTok Live?

The app’s livestreaming section has turned into a huge business as users pay for quick hits of cheap, personalized (and frequently bizarre) entertainment.

Would You Drive an Extra Five Minutes to Save the Planet?

Google Maps’ eco-routing feature wants to help me conserve two teaspoons of gas.

The Ugly Honesty of Elon Musk’s Twitter Rebrand

The platform’s new logo seems a little juvenile. So does the internet.

America Is Drowning in Packages

UPS workers have an impossible job in the Amazon age.

All Soda Is Lemon-Lime Soda

It’s not a flavor; it’s a vibe.

Tech Companies’ Friendly New Strategy to Destroy One Another

Meta has decided that it’s time to open up the internet’s walled gardens. Be wary.

TikTok Is Doing Something Very Un-TikTok

The famously discreet platform is making a clear pivot to shopping.

So Maybe Facebook Didn’t Ruin Politics

Large-scale experiments on social media, run behind the scenes during the 2020 election, suggest there is no simple fix for American democracy.

America Already Has an AI Underclass

Search engines, ChatGPT, and other AI tools wouldn’t function without an army of contractors. Now those workers say they’re underpaid and mistreated.

Oppenheimer’s Cry of Despair in The Atlantic

At the dawn of America’s arms race with the Soviet Union, all the great scientist could do was plead for hope.

Why Elon Killed the Bird

Three theories about Twitter’s seemingly nonsensical rebrand to X

The Perfect Service to Make Everyone at the Airport Hate You

The identification company Clear allows travelers to pay to cut in line. But you can’t buy your way out of inconvenience at America’s airports.

Does Sam Altman Know What He’s Creating?

The OpenAI CEO’s ambitious, ingenious, terrifying quest to create a new form of intelligence