How AI Is Shaping Modern Warfare Decisions — And What Earth's Seismic Activity Is Telling Us

This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter delivering a daily briefing on the forces shaping the technology landscape.

Tuning in to Earth's hidden infrasonic voice

The thunderous crack of a calving glacier. The low, seething rumble of a wildfire consuming thousands of acres. The deep atmospheric roar of an advancing storm system. These are the visceral, elemental sounds of a dynamic planet—yet for all their raw power, each phenomenon radiates even greater acoustic energy below the threshold of human perception, at frequencies of 20 hertz and under.

These so-called "infrasounds" carry wavelengths so vast that they propagate across entire continents, circling the globe as slow-moving signatures of distant geological and meteorological events. For all of recorded history, this planetary soundtrack has remained entirely inaccessible to human ears. That's beginning to change. Read the full story and experience the sounds firsthand.

—Monique Brouillette

This feature appears in the latest March/April print issue, dedicated entirely to the intersection of technology and crime. Subscribe today for full access, plus an in-depth digital AI report and an exclusive e-book unpacking AI's defining moment of reckoning.

MIT Technology Review Narrated: The curious case of the disappearing Lamborghinis

A sophisticated new wave of theft is destabilizing the luxury automotive sector—one that fuses cutting-edge technology with the time-worn mechanics of organized vehicle theft rings to intercept high-value cars while they're still in transit.

The scheme has operated largely beneath the industry's radar for the past two years, even as its impact has reverberated across dealerships and insurers nationwide. MIT Technology Review's investigation identified more than a dozen documented cases involving premium vehicles, reviewed court records, and conducted interviews with law enforcement officials, transport brokers, drivers, and victims across multiple states—exposing how transport fraud has evolved into a systemic threat with few easy countermeasures.

This investigation is the latest to be adapted for the MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast series, released weekly on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Search for MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform and follow us to receive new episodes as they drop.

The must-reads

A curated selection of today's most consequential, thought-provoking, and surprising stories from across the technology world.

1 How Anthropic's Claude is being deployed in US military strikes on Iran
The AI system is reportedly assisting with target identification and prioritization—at least for now. (WP $)
+ The White House's pivot toward Anthropic should concern everyone paying attention. (The Atlantic $)
+ OpenAI is now actively pursuing a defense contract with NATO. (Reuters)

2 Iran's Shahed drones are reshaping the asymmetric warfare calculus
Inexpensive to produce at scale, they impose a disproportionate financial burden on any adversary attempting to intercept them. (CNBC)
+ The US has begun reverse-engineering and manufacturing its own variants to deploy against Iran. (New Scientist $)
+ Israel's long-running operation to neutralize Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was years in the planning. (FT $)

3 Data center infrastructure is becoming a flashpoint in North Carolina politics
At least one candidate is calling for a decade-long national moratorium on new construction. (The Guardian)
+ Data centers aren't the only factor driving residential electricity costs higher. (Inside Climate News)
+ Data centers are engineering marvels. They're also deeply unpopular with the communities hosting them. (MIT Technology Review)
+ One proposed alternative: co-locating compute infrastructure within floating offshore wind installations. (IEEE Spectrum)

4 Large language models can de-anonymize pseudonymous users at scale
The capability operates at a speed and throughput that far exceeds even the most experienced human investigators. (Ars Technica)
+ These same models can also be readily manipulated into generating fabricated scientific literature. (Nature $)

5 TikTok has formally ruled out end-to-end encryption, citing user safety concerns
The decision places the platform in a distinct minority among major social media services. (BBC)
+ The policy may satisfy regulators and parents—but it's a gift to threat actors. (Cybernews)
+ TikTok is once again grappling with Oracle-related server instability. (Gizmodo)

6 What's really driving SpaceX's IPO ambitions?
Whatever the rationale, it almost certainly isn't the one Musk is publicly advancing. (The Verge $)
+ Two separate companies have unveiled competing blueprints for lunar resource extraction hardware. (Ars Technica)

7 NASA has confirmed its next launch window for the Artemis II crewed lunar mission
The target date is April 1st. No, really. (Space)

8 What years of living with a neural implant actually feels like
For 65-year-old Rodney Gorham—who has lost the ability to walk, speak, or use his hands—a brain-computer interface has become an indispensable lifeline. (Wired $)
+ A Neuralink patient's implant is now being augmented with generative AI capabilities. (MIT Technology Review)

9 Pokémon Pokopia is drawing widespread critical acclaim
Early impressions suggest it blends the pastoral charm of Animal Crossing with Stardew Valley's depth, layered over Minecraft-style construction mechanics. (BBC)

10. Hollywood is mining YouTube for its next generation of horror IP
Major studios are moving to internalize the creative talent and formats that have been thriving on the platform. (The New Yorker $)
+ One independent YouTuber's self-funded horror feature secured a theatrical release across 4,000 screens. (Variety)

Quote of the day

"I think it just looked opportunistic and sloppy."

—OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, writing on X, reflecting on his decision to rapidly pursue a partnership with the US Department of War after its negotiations with Anthropic collapsed.

One More Thing

Crypto millionaires are bankrolling sovereign city projects across Central America

El Salvador's Conchagua Volcano—currently home to a thriving ecotourism destination nestled within its dense, sun-filtered forest canopy—has been designated by the country's president as the future site of a purpose-built Bitcoin City, funded and envisioned by the cryptocurrency elite.

While some politicians and local communities see cryptocurrency as a genuine catalyst for economic revitalization, skeptics warn that the pattern feels familiar — and troubling. Central questions persist around who these blockchain initiatives are actually designed to serve, and whether the nations volunteering as proving grounds will see any meaningful return on that experiment. Read the full story.

—Laurie Clarke

We can still have nice things

A space for comfort, curiosity, and the occasional welcome distraction. (Have something worth sharing? Send it my way or toss it over on Bluesky.)

+ Art has a way of turning up in the most unexpected corners of Los Angeles — you just have to know where to look.
+ Survivor has somehow reached 50 seasons. Jeff Probst reflects on what that kind of longevity actually does to a person.
+ MP3 players are having a moment again. The nostalgia cycle waits for no one.
+ Consider this your heads-up: the internet is now home to AI-generated Homer Simpson cover songs, and they are absolutely out there waiting for you.