The Download: Turkey’s Electric Vehicle Ambitions and Making AI Fair for Artists

This is today’s edition of The Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s happening in the tech world.

How a Chinese battery company is powering Turkish electric vehicles

2023 is a big year for Turkey, with both the 100th anniversary of the republic and a high-stakes election ahead. It’s also the year the country is set to start shipping its first domestic electric vehicle, a symbol of future economic growth.

There are many similarities between the path taken by China and the path taken by Turkey. Both countries are automotive powerhouses that are not content to stay at the lower end of the automotive supply chain. Electric vehicles offer the opportunity to enter a new growing market.

The main difference is that China is already in the lead in the EV race, while Turkey has just entered it. This is why Turkey is not going it alone. It joins forces with Farasis, one of China’s leading battery companies, heralding the next step in the already close economic relationship between the two countries. Read the full story.

—Zeyi Yang

Zeyi’sThe story comes from China Report, its weekly newsletter that gives you information on all things China. Register to receive it in your inbox every Tuesday.

Learn more about China’s electric vehicle ambitions:

+ How did China come to dominate the world of electric cars? Hint: generous government grants helped. Read the full story.

+ Electric vehicle batteries are the next point of tension between China and the United States. The US wants to move away from gas-powered cars, but it won’t be able to do that without China-made batteries. Read the full story.

Podcast: Generating Creativity

In the latest episode of In Machines We Trust, the team meets people building next-gen tools for creativity and explore how these AI models need to be trained and deployed in order to be both useful and fair. for artists. Listen to it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

The unavoidable

I’ve scoured the internet to find you today’s funniest/important/scariest/fascinating stories about technology.

1 We already know how to make AI safer
Making research more transparent and strong guidelines are the first steps. (Wired $)
+ Advances in robotics are massively lagging behind AI these days. (Atlantic $)
+ Should AI systems come with safety warnings? (MIT Technology Review)

2 China Blocks Mergers Involving American Companies
It is a coup to counter recent US export rules. (WSJ$)
+ China scrutinizes security of major US chipmaker. (NYT$)+ How a security blog discovered surveillance in China. (Wired $)

3 Amazon helped kill an emissions reduction climate bill
If passed, the bill would have regulated its data centers. (WP$)
+ Amazon refers to large businesses as “small businesses.” (Information $)

4 Google is extremely proud of its supercomputer
It says the machine is faster and greener than similar systems from Nvidia. (Reuters)

5 Chatbots’ understanding of languages ​​other than English is fragile
A group of AI startups want to improve their responses for users in other countries. (FT$)

6 The market for weight-loss drugs is exploding
But the side effects can be brutal. (Atlantic $)
+ Weight loss injections have taken over the internet. But what does this mean for people IRL? (MIT Technology Review)

7 How Europe became a hotbed of green aviation
The bloc’s ambitious carbon neutrality goals are incentivizing startups. ($Bloomberg)
+ The fall in lithium prices is good news for manufacturers of electric vehicles. (WSJ$)+ How new technologies could clean up air travel. (MIT Technology Review)

8 Inside the fierce battle over chip design
Researchers argue over whether humans or AI design better chips. (IEEE Spectrum)
+ These simple design rules could shake up the chip industry. (MIT Technology Review)

9Marketing students learn how to go viral online
Staying ahead of the algorithm takes serious work. (NYT$)

10 Why pop-ups keep showing up
Cookie notices and subscription request boxes are relentless right now. (The edge)

quote of the day

“It’s like the MAGA hat for Twitter.”

— Podcast host Rick Smith says Twitter’s blue check mark has become more of an indicator of someone’s opinion than a sign of their credibility, reports Bloomberg.

The big story

The Metaverse is the next body dysmorphia place online

November 2021

In Facebook’s metaverse vision, we will all interact in a mashup of the digital and physical worlds. Digital representations of ourselves will eat, talk, date, shop, and more.

But if these avatars are really on the way, we’ll have to face some tough questions about how we present ourselves to others. And how might these virtual versions of ourselves change the way we experience our bodies, for better or for worse? Read the full story.

—Tanya Basu

We can still have beautiful things

A place of comfort, pleasure and distraction in these strange times. (You have any ideas ? Write to me Or tweet them to me.)

+ Daisy Jones and the Six may feature some dodgy lyrics, but makes for some pretty fun TV.
+ Many sports teams use owls as mascots, but how do they compare?
+ #SpiritualBath is a TikTok trend I fully agree with.
+ These photos are a joyful celebration of New York’s vibrant roller disco scene.
+ Now that we know the third season of The White Lotus will be set in Thailand, here are some of the best hotel predictions that could feature.

Tech