MIT Technology Review Explores the Future of the Human Body and AI's Impact

Published on May 15, 2024 at 12:00 AM
MIT Technology Review has released its latest issue, focusing on the future of the human body and the potential impact of science and technology. The issue explores several key areas:
  • Embryo Engineering: A new field claims to predict aesthetic traits, intelligence, and moral character in embryos, raising ethical questions about human evolution.
  • Reversing Aging: Research into aging clocks seeks to understand and potentially reverse the aging process.
  • Synthetic Biology: Stem-cell scientist Jacob Hanna is attempting to create animal bodies directly from stem cells.
  • Muscle Memory: Bonnie Tsui examines how our bodies learn and remember exercise through muscle cell memory.
Also featured is a story about how Starlink is ending Antarctica's isolation. A construction specialist at New Zealand’s Scott Base, Matty Jordan, posted a video showcasing Ernest Shackleton's hut, which garnered millions of views thanks to the newfound connectivity provided by SpaceX's Starlink. The magazine also highlighted OpenAI's launch of its own web browser, Atlas, which features an Ask ChatGPT sidebar and agent mode. Other key stories include:
  • China's demand for US chip firms to share sales data.
  • AI pioneers, including Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, calling for a ban on superintelligent systems.
  • Debates around whether Anthropic's AI is "woke."
  • Climate scientists anticipating more solar geoengineering attempts.
  • Silicon Valley's fascination with China's rapid innovation.
  • YouTube's launch of a likeness detector to combat AI doppelgängers.
  • The threat of bots to Reddit's human chat environment.
  • The rise of AI-powered pet toys like Moflin.
  • The surprising accessibility of jobs in AI, even without extensive AI knowledge.
Finally, Researchers are developing an innovative sensor that tracks vital signs with a goal of anticipating when a worker is at risk of developing heat illness and issuing an alert to protect farmworkers from extreme heat.