Plus: NASA unveiled plans for three uncrewed missions to the Moon this year.May 27, 2026 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. Stay on top of what’s going on in AI this summer Here at MIT Technology Review, we understand exactly how relentless the pace of news from the world of artificial intelligence feels. New models and capabilities crop up as fast as we can cover them, and the ripple effects they send through tech and wider society are never far behind. Our unique strength lies in cutting through the day-to-day noise to help you understand what’s really happening, and what lies around the corner. That’s why we created our list of 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now, unveiled at our flagship AI event EmTech AI a few weeks back (check the list out if you haven’t already!) And it’s why we publish so many stories dedicated to explaining how AI works, and what's coming next. We also regularly run live subscriber-only Roundtables events—you can still catch up on last week’s session, where we explored how AI might enter the physical realm via world models.
Researchers are using AI to identify promising sperm and embryos, developing robotic systems that could automate parts of the IVF process, and even exploring controversial genetic editing techniques designed to prevent inherited disease. The technologies could make IVF more effective and accessible. But they’re also raising difficult ethical questions about how far reproductive medicine should go. —Jessica Hamzelou This is our latest story to be turned into an MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we publish each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as it’s released. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 NASA unveiled plans for three uncrewed missions to the Moon this yearThey’re part of preparations for a crewed landing in 2028. (The Verge)+ And steps to build the first lunar base at the Moon’s south pole. (NBC News)+ Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin will lead the first uncrewed mission. (WP $)+ NASA is building the first nuclear reactor-powered spacecraft. (MIT Technology Review) 2 Samsung’s largest unions have approved a landmark bonus schemeThe deal averts a massive strike at the world’s largest memory-chip maker. (WSJ $)+ Chip workers will get an average bonus of about $340,000. (Bloomberg $)+ The dispute centered on who profits from the AI boom. (BI)+ Resistance to AI is growing. (MIT Technology Review)3 Elon Musk accused the Pentagon of misusing Starlink for dronesHe says military use of the system violates SpaceX rules. (Ars Technica)+ The DoD is disputing a Starlink price hike during the Iran war. (Reuters $)+ Stratospheric internet could take off this year. (MIT Technology Review)
