That is right this moment’s version of The Obtain, our weekday publication that gives a day by day dose of what’s happening on the planet of expertise.
I used generative AI to show my story into a comic book—and you’ll too
—Will Douglas Heaven
13 years in the past, as an task for a journalism class, I wrote a silly brief story a few man who eats luxurious cat meals. This morning, I sat and watched as a generative AI platform known as Lore Machine introduced my bizarre phrases to life.
Lore Machine analyzed the textual content, extracted descriptions of the characters and areas talked about, after which handed these bits of knowledge off to an image-generation mannequin. An illustrated storyboard popped up on the display. As I clicked by vivid comic-book renderings of my half-forgotten characters, my coronary heart was pounding.
What units Lore Machine other than its rivals is how simple it’s to make use of. Between importing my story and downloading its storyboard, I clicked perhaps half a dozen instances. That makes it one in all a brand new wave of user-friendly instruments that cover the gorgeous energy of generative fashions behind a one-click net interface—and heralds the arrival of one-click AI. Learn the complete story.
Chinese language EVs have entered middle stage in US-China tensions
Thus far, electrical automobiles have largely been mentioned within the US by a scientific, financial, or environmental lens. However rapidly, they’ve change into extremely political.
Final Thursday, the Biden administration introduced it will examine the safety dangers posed by Chinese language-made sensible automobiles, which might “acquire delicate information about our residents and our infrastructure and ship this information again to the Individuals’s Republic of China,”
Whereas many different applied sciences from China have been scrutinized due to safety issues, EVs have largely averted that form of consideration till now. However US-China relations have been at a low level because the Trump years and the pandemic, and it looks as if solely a matter of time earlier than any commerce or interplay between the 2 nations falls beneath safety scrutiny. Now it’s EVs’ flip. Learn the complete story.
—Zeyi Yang
This story is from China Report, our weekly publication supplying you with the within monitor on all issues taking place in China. Enroll to obtain it in your inbox each Tuesday.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to search out you right this moment’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.
1 Elon Musk wished to merge OpenAI with Tesla
OpenAI is airing all its soiled laundry to counter Musk’s lawsuit. (The Verge)
+ Musk and Sam Altman used to like one another. What occurred? (WSJ $)
2 Is Bitcoin actually again?
It’s having fun with one more main surge—however stays as risky as ever. (NYT $)
+ It seems to be just like the US regulator’s approval is responsible/thank. (The Guardian)
+ What’s crypto for, precisely? (The Atlantic $)
+ Cryptomania is proving exhausting to kill. (Reuters)
three Google is set to kill off AI clickbait
Good luck with that. (Wired $)
+ We’re hurtling towards a glitchy, spammy, scammy, AI-powered web. (MIT Expertise Assessment)
four Self-driving automobiles are in disaster mode
The bubble has burst, and nobody is aware of the place to go from right here. (NY Magazine $)
+ What’s subsequent for robotaxis in 2024. (MIT Expertise Assessment)
5 Weight reduction medication are for the mind, not the intestine
Our unique scientific understanding of how they work is all incorrect. (The Atlantic $)
+ Weight-loss injections have taken over the web. However what does this imply for folks IRL? (MIT Expertise Assessment)
6 The world’s largest EV maker is rewriting the foundations of batteries
China’s BYD is betting massive on sodium ion cells. (IEEE Spectrum)
+ Why hydrogen is dropping the race to energy cleaner automobiles. (MIT Expertise Assessment)
7 Contained in the unstoppable rise of China’s retail large Temu
US traders are speeding to finance its fast enlargement into the West, whereas turning a blind eye to the way it’s run. (FT $)
+ The battle over quick vogue is heating up. (MIT Expertise Assessment)
eight Would you reside in a 3D-printed residence?
Non-profit Citizen Robotics appears to suppose so. (Insider $)
+ Meet the designers printing homes out of salt and clay. (MIT Expertise Assessment)
9 Fly me to the moon, once more 
Lunar explorations are lastly underway, after many years of inaction. (New Yorker $)
+ In different information, China and Russia need to construct a nuclear energy plant on the moon. (Bloomberg $)
+ What’s subsequent for the moon. (MIT Expertise Assessment)
10 We’re not going to outline the Anthropocene in spite of everything|
And scientists are removed from completely satisfied about it. (New Scientist $)
Quote of the day
“I’ve been influenced! To purchase any model however Tarte.”
—A TikTok person is just not impressed by magnificence model Tarte Cosmetics’ resolution to take 30 influencers on a lavish journey to Bora Bora within the present financial local weather, the New York Instances reviews.
The large story
Contained in the messy ethics of creating battle with machines
August 2023
In recent times, clever autonomous weapons—weapons that may choose and fireplace upon targets with none human enter—have change into a matter of significant concern. Giving an AI system the ability to determine issues of life and demise would transform warfare without end.
Clever autonomous weapons that absolutely displace human decision-making have (possible) but to see real-world use.
Nevertheless, these techniques have change into refined sufficient to boost novel questions—ones which can be surprisingly tough to reply. What does it imply when a choice is just half human and half machine? And when, if ever, is it moral for that call to be a choice to kill? Learn the complete story.
—Arthur Holland Michel
We will nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction to brighten up your day. (Acquired any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)+ If you happen to haven’t already seen it, chill and admire the fully bonkers resolution to splice beer adverts into the unique Star Wars trilogy when it was aired on Chilean TV.
+ These photos documenting the good British package deal vacation custom are improbable.
+ Brace your self: a Manchester Metropolis docuseries is on the best way. 
+ What does it take to construct the world’s tallest towers? Expertise.
