Startup Skyward Wildfire says it might stop catastrophic fires by stopping the lightning strikes that ignite them. Up to now, it hasn’t publicly revealed the way it does so, however on-line paperwork recommend the corporate is counting on an method the US authorities started evaluating within the early Sixties: seeding clouds with metallic chaff, or slender fiberglass strands coated with aluminum.
It simply raised tens of millions of {dollars} to speed up its product growth and increase its operations. However researchers and environmental observers say uncertainties stay, together with how nicely the seeding may match beneath various circumstances, how a lot materials would have to be launched, how often it must be carried out, and what types of secondary environmental impacts may outcome. Learn the total story.
—James Temple
OpenAI’s “compromise” with the Pentagon is what Anthropic feared
OpenAI has reached a deal that can enable the US army to make use of its applied sciences in categorized settings. CEO Sam Altman mentioned the negotiations, which the corporate started pursuing solely after the Pentagon’s public reprimand of Anthropic, have been “undoubtedly rushed.”
OpenAI has taken nice pains to say that it has not caved to permit the Pentagon to do no matter it needs with its know-how. The corporate printed a weblog put up explaining that its settlement protected towards use for autonomous weapons and mass home surveillance, and Altman mentioned the corporate didn’t merely settle for the identical phrases that Anthropic refused.
However it’s not but clear if OpenAI can construct within the security precautions it guarantees because the army rushes out a politicized AI technique throughout strikes on Iran, or if the deal will likely be seen as adequate by staff who needed the corporate to take a more durable line. Strolling that tightrope will likely be tough. Learn the total story.
—James O’Donnell
