Technology

How a Social Network Fails

Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino are making the same mistake that has tanked other social networks.

A Robot’s Nightmare Is a Burrito Full of Guac

Chipotle’s new machine can make a burrito bowl—and not much else.

AI’s Present Matters More Than Its Imagined Future

Let’s not spend too much time daydreaming.

Artists Are Losing the War Against AI

OpenAI has introduced a tool for artists to keep their images from training future AI programs. It may not make a difference.

The Supreme Court Cases That Could Redefine the Internet

What does freedom of speech actually mean on social media? We’re about to find out.

A Scientific Feud Breaks Out Into the Open

I’m a pseudoscience? No, you’re a pseudoscience!

The 24-Year-Old Who Outsold Oprah This Week

The Shadow Work Journal has exploded on TikTok as an inexpensive mental-health tool, even as experts question its approach—and the author’s credentials.

The Best Thing About Amazon Was Never Going to Last

If shopping on the site feels different now, that’s because it is.

My Books Were Used to Train Meta’s Generative AI. Good.

It can have my next one too.

A New Coca-Cola Flavor at the End of the World

Y3000, the latest Coke flavor, was purportedly made with the assistance of AI. What does it taste like?

So Much for ‘Learn to Code’

In the age of AI, computer science is no longer the safe major.

What I Found in a Database Meta Uses to Train Generative AI

Nobel-winning authors, Dungeons and Dragons, Christian literature, and erotica all serve as datapoints for the machine.

These 183,000 Books Are Fueling the Biggest Fight in Publishing and Tech

Use our new search tool to see which authors have been used to train the machines.

The Tragedy of Google Search

With a landmark antitrust trial under way, a giant of the modern web is buckling under its own weight.

What Big Tech Knows About Your Body

The most intimate details of your health are just data points.

The Microwave Makes No Sense

Every kitchen appliance is getting smart—except one.

Elon Musk’s Anti-Semitic, Apartheid-Loving Grandfather

The billionaire has described his grandfather as a risk-taking adventurer. A closer read of history reveals something much darker.

America Is Just Now Entering the Age of Tesla

The UAW strike is what happens when the car companies in Detroit start acting like Silicon Valley.

The End of Scantron Tests

Machine-graded bubble sheets are the defining feature of American schools. Today’s kindergartners may never have to fill one out.

Airbnb Really Is Different Now

At this point, the company hardly seems part of the gig economy at all.