Here's your daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology and AI: Conspiracy Theories Infiltrate the Doctor’s Office The internet's ease of self-diagnosis, coupled with the spread of misinformation on social media, is impacting healthcare. Health professionals are reporting an increase in patients who "do their own research," often leading to dangerous and misinformed decisions. This trend is reshaping the medical profession as doctors grapple with patients influenced by online conspiracy theories. Stop Worrying About Your AI Footprint. Look at the Big Picture Instead. While concerns about AI's energy consumption are valid, focusing solely on individual usage is misplaced, argues climate technology reporter Casey Crownhart. The emphasis should be on systemic changes and broader environmental impact rather than individual users feeling guilty about using AI tools for everyday tasks. A New Ion-Based Quantum Computer Makes Error Correction Simpler Quantinuum has launched Helios, its third-generation quantum computer. Helios includes expanded computing power and enhanced error correction capabilities. Quantinuum’s machines, which use individual ions as qubits, could be easier to scale up than quantum computers that use superconducting circuits as qubits, such as Google’s and IBM’s. The Must-Reads:

A new California law could change how all Americans browse online, giving web users the chance to opt out of having their personal information sold or shared. (The Markup)
The FDA has fast-tracked a pill to treat pancreatic cancer. (WP)
AI pioneers claim it is already superior to humans in many tasks (FT)
IBM is planning on cutting thousands of jobs, shifting its focus to software and AI consulting (Bloomberg).
Big Tech’s data centers aren’t the job-generators we were promised. (Rest of World)
Microsoft let AI shopping agents loose in a fake marketplace, where they were easily manipulated into buying goods. (TechCrunch)
Sony has compiled a dataset to test the fairness of computer vision models. (The Register)
Social networks are becoming a thing of the past as we enter the age of anti-social media. (The Atlantic)
Vibe coding is Collins Dictionary’s word of 2025. (The Guardian)
People are finding romance with their chatbot companions. (NYT)

Quote of the Day “The opportunistic side of me is realizing that your average accountant won’t be doing this.” - Sal Abdulla, founder of accounting-software startup NixSheets, tells the Wall Street Journal he’s using AI tools to gain an edge on his competitors. One More Thing Ethically sourced “spare” human bodies could revolutionize medicine. Advances in biotechnology now provide a pathway to producing living human bodies without the neural components that allow us to think, be aware, or feel pain, offering a potential solution to the shortage of ethically sourced human bodies for medical research and procedures.