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. South Korea’s hottest new bachelors are chip workers Baek, a 35-year-old manager at the South Korean semiconductor titan SK Hynix, was enrolled in a matchmaking company a year ago. In a move typical of anxious South Korean parents, his mother signed him up, hoping to find a good wife for her son. Lately, says Baek, he and his coworkers are having better luck finding dates—perhaps because of the dazzling bonuses they just got. Flush with eye-popping profits from the AI chip boom, SK Hynix agreed to pay 10% of operating profits to employees, which translates to an extra $476,000 per employee this year. Samsung workers received a similar deal this May. With their newfound wealth, chip workers like Baek have become the most sought-after bachelors and bachelorettes in South Korea.
Discover how AI chip profits are transforming South Korea's dating market—and stoking anxieties. —Michelle Kim
A device that revives eyeballs from dead donors could make eye transplants possible It’s not easy to transplant a whole human eye. The surgery is difficult, and eyes start to degenerate as soon as they’ve left the body. When surgeons attempted it a few years ago, the newly transplanted eye couldn’t see. But researchers believe they might have a solution: a device that maintains and revives freshly removed eyeballs using a technique called perfusion. Treated eyes don’t degrade as quickly and appear to retain the ability to transmit electrical signals—and potentially see. The device could one day make whole-eye transplants a viable possibility. Here’s how it works. —Jessica Hamzelou The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 The UN’s chief has warned that AI is outpacing global rulesHe’s called for globally harmonised guardrails. (Reuters $)+ The UN also said AI could worsen global inequality. (Guardian) 2 An Israeli battlefield system identified 850,000 targets in Gaza and LebanonElbit Systems says it detected targets in real time. (Guardian)+ Congress wants to permanently integrate US and Israeli defence tech. (Intercept) + How AI turned the Iran conflict into theater. (MIT Technology Review)
