The Download: threats from space mirrors and credit for AI drugs
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. This company’s plans to deploy space mirrors could jeopardize the night sky for many A company that plans to beam sunlight from space to Earth on demand might unintentionally brighten the…
This week's edition of The Download explores the potential consequences of deploying space mirrors to beam sunlight to Earth on demand. A new study warns that the massive mirrors could unintentionally brighten the night sky for millions of people. Reflect Orbital plans to launch a test satellite with an 18-by-18-meter mirror, with up to 50,000 larger mirrors potentially following.
The technology could provide benefits like solar panel charging and emergency response, but concerns have been raised about the brightness of the beams, which could rival 10,000 full moons and scatter light over tens of kilometers. The study also highlights the challenges of determining credit for AI-generated drugs. When Insilico Medicine used AI to propose a drug for pulmonary fibrosis, the company named five humans as inventors on the patent, rather than acknowledging the AI.
As AI becomes capable of generating drug designs, the question of who actually invented something becomes increasingly complex.
Written by urgent.news from MIT Technology Review's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
