The Download: tracking the evolution of street drugs, and the next wave of military AI

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.

How the federal government is tracking changes in the supply of street drugs

In 2021, the Maryland Department of Health and the state police were confronting a crisis: Fatal drug overdoses in the state were at an all-time high, and authorities didn’t know why.

Seeking answers, Maryland officials turned to scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the national metrology institute for the United States, which defines and maintains standards of measurement essential to a wide range of industrial sectors and health and security applications.

There, a research chemist named Ed Sisco and his team had developed methods for detecting trace amounts of drugs, explosives, and other dangerous materials—techniques that could protect law enforcement officials and others who had to collect these samples. And a pilot uncovered new, critical information almost immediately. Read the full story.

—Adam Bluestein

This story is from the next edition of our print magazine. Subscribe now to read it and get a copy of the magazine when it lands!

Phase two of military AI has arrived

—James O’Donnell

Last week, I spoke with two US Marines who spent much of last year deployed in the Pacific, conducting training exercises from South Korea to the Philippines. Both were responsible for analyzing surveillance to warn their superiors about possible threats to the unit. But this deployment was unique: For the first time, they were using generative AI to scour intelligence, through a chatbot interface similar to ChatGPT. 

As I wrote in my new story, this experiment is the latest evidence of the Pentagon’s push to use generative AI—tools that can engage in humanlike conversation—throughout its ranks, for tasks including surveillance. This push raises alarms from some AI safety experts about whether large language models are fit to analyze subtle pieces of intelligence in situations with high geopolitical stakes.

Here are three open questions to keep your eye on as the US military, and others around the world, bring generative AI to more parts of the so-called “kill chain.” Read the full story.

This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 The FCC wants Europe to choose between US and Chinese technology
Trump official Brendan Carr has urged Western allies to pick Elon Musk’s Starlink over rival Chinese satellite firms. (FT $)
+ China may look like a less erratic choice right now. (NY Mag $)

2 Nvidia wants to build its AI supercomputers entirely in the US
It’s a decision the Trump administration has claimed credit for. (WP $)
+ That said, Nvidia hasn’t said how much gear it plans to make in America. (WSJ $)
+ Production of its latest chip has already begun in Arizona. (Bloomberg $)

 3 Mark Zuckerberg defended Meta in the first day of its antitrust trial
He downplayed the company’s decision to purchase Instagram and WhatsApp. (Politico)
+ The government claims he bought the firms to stifle competition. (The Verge)
+ Zuckerberg has previously denied that his purchases had hurt competition. (NYT $)

4 OpenAI’s new models are designed to excel at coding
The three models have been optimized to follow complex instructions. (Wired $)
+ We’re still waiting for confirmation of GPT-5. (The Verge)
+ The second wave of AI coding is here. (MIT Technology Review)

5 Apple has increased its iPhone shipments by 10%
It’s part of a pre-emptive plan to mitigate tariff disruptions. (Bloomberg $)
+ The tariff chaos has played havoc with Apple stocks. (Insider $)

6 We’re learning more about the link between long covid and cognitive impairment
Studies suggest that a patient’s age when they contracted covid may be a key factor. (WSJ $)

7 Can’t be bothered to call your elderly parents? Get AI to do it Read More