Everyone wants AI sovereignty. No one can truly have it.
—Cathy Li is head of the Centre for AI Excellence at the World Economic Forum
Governments plan to pour $1.3 trillion into AI infrastructure by 2030 to invest in “sovereign AI,” with the premise being that countries should be in control of their own AI capabilities. The funds include financing for domestic data centers, locally trained models, independent supply chains, and national talent pipelines.
This is a response to real shocks: covid-era supply chain breakdowns, rising geopolitical tensions, and the war in Ukraine. But the pursuit of absolute autonomy is running into reality: AI supply chains are irreducibly global. If sovereignty is to remain meaningful, it must shift from defensive self-reliance to a vision that balances national autonomy with strategic partnership. Read the full story.
Here’s how extinct DNA could help us in the present—and the future
Thanks to genetic science, gene editing, and techniques like cloning, it’s now possible to move DNA through time, studying genetic information in ancient remains and then re-creating it in the bodies of modern beings. And that, scientists say, offers new ways to try to help endangered species, engineer new plants that resist climate change, or even create new human medicines.
Read more about why genetic resurrection is one of our 10 Breakthrough Technologies this year, and check out the rest of the list.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 The White House wants Americans to embrace AI
It faces an uphill battle—the US public is mostly pretty gloomy about AI’s impact. (WP $)
+ What’s next for AI in 2026. (MIT Technology Review)
2 The UN says we’re entering an “era of water bankruptcy”
And it’s set to affect the vast majority of us on the planet. (Reuters $)
+ Water shortages are fueling the protests in Iran. (Undark)
+ This Nobel Prize–winning chemist dreams of making water from thin air. (MIT Technology Review)
3 How is US science faring after a year of Trump?
Not that well, after proposed budget cuts amounting to $32 billion. (Nature $)
+ The foundations of America’s prosperity are being dismantled. (MIT Technology Review)
4 We need to talk about the early career AI jobs crisis
Young people are graduating and finding there simply aren’t any roles for them to do. (NY Mag $)
+ AI companies are fighting to win over teachers. (Axios $)
+ Chinese universities want students to use more AI, not less. (MIT Technology Review)
5 The AI boyfriend business is booming in China
And it’s mostly geared towards Gen Z women. (Wired $)
+ It’s surprisingly easy to stumble into a relationship with an AI chatbot. (MIT Technology Review)
#Download #Trump #Davos #scientists
