The Download: Selling battlefield drone data and AI reshaping language

The latest edition of MIT Technology Review's 'The Download' highlights the emergence of a new marketplace for battlefield drone data. Ukraine is providing military contractors and commercial firms with millions of data points from drone flights, turning the front lines into a unique training ground for AI development. Experts warn that this practice requires new regulatory frameworks to ensure sensitive combat data is not treated as standard commercial material. The newsletter also features a short story exploring the implications of AI systems influencing human language and societal norms. Additionally, the update covers major industry developments, including OpenAI's launch of the Astra model, growing bipartisan friction regarding AI policy in the US, and significant advancements in medical technology, such as the record-breaking success of a transplanted pig kidney. The report underscores the rapid, often unpredictable, intersection of advanced AI, global security, and ethical governance.