The Download: China’s Mineral Ban, And Three Technologies To Watch

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.

What China’s critical mineral ban means for the US

This week, China banned exports of several critical minerals to the US, marking the latest move in an escalating series of tit-for-tat trade restrictions between the world’s two largest economies.

In explicitly cutting off, rather than merely restricting, materials of strategic importance to the semiconductor, defense, and electric vehicle sectors, China has clearly crossed a new line in the long-simmering trade war.

But at the same time, it selected minerals that won’t cripple any industries—which leaves China plenty of ammunition to inflict greater economic pain in response to any further trade restrictions that the incoming Trump administration may impose. Read more about what drove China’s decision, how it affects climate tech and what’s likely to happen next. 

—James Temple

This story is part of our MIT Technology Review Explains series. Let our writers untangle the complex, messy world of technology to help you understand what’s coming next. You can read more from the series here.

3 things that didn’t make the 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2025 list

Next month, MIT Technology Review will unveil the 2025 list of 10 Breakthrough Technologies. Every year, our newsroom looks across the fields we cover for technologies that are having a true breakthrough moment. This annual package highlights the technologies that we think matter most right now.

In the meantime, here are three technologies that we considered including on the 2025 list but ultimately decided to leave off. And although these nominees didn’t make the cut this year, they’re still worth keeping an eye on. Read the full story.

—Amy Nordrum

The US Department of Defense is investing in deepfake detection

What’s new: The US Department of Defense has invested $2.4 million over two years in deepfake detection technology from a startup called Hive AI. It’s the first contract of its kind for the DOD’s Defense Innovation Unit, which accelerates the adoption of new technologies for the US defense sector. Hive AI’s models are capable of detecting AI-generated video, image, and audio content. 

Why? Although deepfakes have been around for the better part of a decade, generative AI has made them easier to create and more realistic-looking than ever before, which makes them ripe for abuse in disinformation campaigns or fraud. Defending against these sorts of threats is now crucial for national security. Read the full story.

—Melissa Heikkilä

Donating embryos for research is surprisingly complex

IVF is a success story for embryo research. But today, valuable embryos that could be used for research are being wasted, say researchers who gathered at a conference in central London earlier this week.

The embryos studied in labs have usually been created for IVF but are no longer needed by the people whose cells created them. And there’s a few reasons why embryos aren’t making it into research labs. Read the full story.

—Jessica Hamzelou

This story is from the Checkup, our weekly health and biotech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday.

The must-reads

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

1 Internet detectives are racing to identify UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer
It’s yet another example of online sleuths inserting themselves into active investigations. (WP $)
+ Similar firms are removing their leadership pages for fear of copycat attacks. (404 Media)
+ Online reaction to the killing demonstrates how hated health insurers are. (NY Mag $)

2 NASA has delayed its return to the moon—yet again
It’s pushed back its planned mission from 2026 to mid-2027. (CNN)
+ The agency has safety concerns and says its next test flight needs to be overhauled. (WP $)
+ What’s next for NASA’s giant moon rocket? (MIT Technology Review)

3 OpenAI is charging $200 a month for a ChatGPT Pro subscription 
Access to its o1 “reasoning” model sure doesn’t come cheap. (TechCrunch)
+ Here’s what you get for that hefty fee. (Wired $)

4 Google Search is getting a makeover in 2025
And I’d be prepared to bet a lot of money that AI is involved. (NYT $)
+ AI search could break the web. (MIT Technology Review)

5 Spotify Wrapped is a flop
It’s oddly free of actual data, and contains bizarre summaries. (Rolling Stone $)
+ “Pink Pilates Princess Roller Skating Pop,” anyone? (NYT $)
+ Wrapped’s AI-generated podcast makes for a bleak listening experience. (Vox)

6 What’s next for China’s manufacturing industry
As the threat of tariffs looms, native demand for its goods is weakening. (FT $)
+ How Trump’s tariffs could drive up the cost of batteries, EVs, and more. (MIT Technology Review)

7 How to turn human poo into medicine
The first microbiome-related product for cancer care is on the horizon. (Bloomberg $)
+ How bugs and chemicals in your poo could give away exactly what you’ve eaten. (MIT Technology Review)

8 Meet the final devotees of the NFT
After the bubble bursts, only the true believers remain. (NYT $)
+ I tried to buy an Olive Garden NFT. All I got was heartburn. (MIT Technology Review)

9 Want to live sustainably? Retrofit your home
It reduces emissions and could save you money in the long run. (Knowable Magazine)
+ Is this the most energy-efficient way to build homes? (MIT Technology Review)

10 Winter isn’t what it used to be
Water, water everywhere. (The Atlantic $)

Quote of the day

“I think the leaders of the industry should look at this and ask: ‘Why does everybody hate us so much that when one of us gets killed in an assassination…we’re not hearing sympathy from the general public—we’re hearing scorn?’”

—Matthew Holt, a healthcare commenter, reflects on what the online reaction to the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO reveals about the US public’s attitude to health insurance firms, the Washington Post reports.

The big story

What is AI?

July 2024

AI is sexy, AI is cool. AI is entrenching inequality, upending the job market, and wrecking education. The AI boom will boost the economy, the AI bubble is about to burst. AI will increase abundance and empower humanity to maximally flourish in the universe. AI will kill us all.

What the hell is everybody talking about?

Artificial intelligence is the hottest technology of our time. But what is it? It sounds like a stupid question, but it’s one that’s never been more urgent. 

If you’re willing to buckle up and come for a ride, I can tell you why nobody really knows, why everybody seems to disagree, and why you’re right to care about it. Read the full story.

—Will Douglas Heaven

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 or tweet ’em at me.)

+ This year produced some incredible songs. Here are just a few of the best.
+ Would you consider growing your own toilet paper? Meet the brave souls giving it a go.
+ There’s only one Willem Dafoe—a master of the craft.
+ Congratulations are in order for Wisdom, the world’s oldest known wild bird who has just laid an egg at the ripe old age of 74.