Technology

The world is now awash in chips. The oversupply marks a sharp turnaround from a global shortage during two years of supercharged demand. Consumer appetite for electronics has weakened against a backdrop of rising interest rates, a falling stock market and recession fears. Chip inventories are swelling, mirroring what is Read more…

Deep brain stimulation is already used to treat severe cases of epilepsy and a few movement disorders such as Parkinson’s. But depression is more complicated — partly because we still don’t fully understand what’s going on in the brain when it occurs. “Depression is a complex illness,” says Patricio Riva Read more…

The chief executive of one of Europe’s biggest insurance companies has warned that cyber attacks, rather than natural catastrophes, will become “uninsurable” as the disruption from hacks continues to grow. Insurance executives have been increasingly vocal in recent years about systemic risks, such as pandemics and climate change, that test Read more…

The Verge presents what it’s calling “an interview with an AI early adopter,” who is currently using ChatGPT not just to generate titles, but also the plots for their mysteries. For example, “I need four murder suspects with information about why they’re suspected and how they are cleared. And then Read more…

“The first mostly non-human-run McDonald’s is open for business just outside Fort Worth, Texas,” reports the Guardian. CNN calls it “an almost fully-automated restaurant,” noting there’s just one self-service kiosk (with a credit card reader) for ordering food. McDonalds tells CNN there’s “some interaction between customers and the restaurant team” Read more…

What if the U.S. placed a tax on robots? The concept has been publicly discussed by policy analysts, scholars, and Bill Gates (who favors the notion). Because robots can replace jobs, the idea goes, a stiff tax on them would give firms incentive to help retain workers, while also compensating Read more…