The Download: 10 climate tech companies to watch

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.

10 climate tech companies to watch

Each year, MIT Technology Review puts together a list of the most promising climate tech companies in the world. This year, the stakes feel higher than ever. The world is on track for one of its hottest years on record, climate-fueled disasters are taking lives and costing billions, while political shifts and international conflict have stalled progress. 

We urgently need to cut emissions and avoid climate change’s most harmful effects, and that’s where our 10 companies come in. 

They’re working on everything from mobile flood barriers and semi-solid-state batteries to compressed-CO₂ energy storage and next-generation nuclear reactors. They also reflect the biggest shifts in climate tech—including the surging energy demands of AI data centers. 

Meet the 10 companies working on some of the biggest challenges in climate tech.

Over the coming days, we’ll take a closer look at each of the 10 companies, along with how we chose this year’s list, right here in The Download. So stay tuned!

The must-reads

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

1 Musk’s new Pentagon role has raised conflict-of-interest fears
His companies could directly benefit from the weapons he recommends. (NPR)
+ SpaceX has received billions in Pentagon and NASA contracts. (NYT $)
+ Beware the rise of the “Pentagon-Silicon Complex.” (Gizmodo)
+ The Pentagon wants an AI-powered lie detector. (MIT Technology Review)

2 The only billionaires making money this year are in tech
Tech fortunes now account for 36% of billionaire wealth. (Bloomberg $)
+ Nvidia is on the verge of the first $6 trillion valuation. (CNBC)
+ SpaceX stock has made Elon Musk a trillionaire again. (Gizmodo)

3 Norway is planning the first national ban on smart glasses
Camera-enabled glasses could be barred from public spaces. (Guardian)
+ Several other countries are also mulling bans. (Reuters $)
+ Smart glasses are causing havoc in India. (MIT Technology Review)

4 Tandem panels could help the US catch up with China in solar
They could produce 25% more electricity from sunlight. (NYT $)
+ The balcony solar boom is coming to the US. (MIT Technology Review)

5 South Korea’s President suspects AI’s been used in bank hacks
He called for new cybersecurity measures for the AI era. (Reuters $)
+ OpenAI agents may have caused a Wikimedia outage. (Verge)
+ Who’s liable when AI agents go rogue? (MIT Technology Review)

6 Russian drones are exploiting air defense gaps to hit data centers
The attacks are disrupting Ukraine’s digital infrastructure. (Ars Technica)

7 The AI boom is killing the world’s cheapest smartphones
Memory costs are squeezing out affordable phones. (Rest of World)

8 Pioneers of light-based brain mapping have won a Nobel prize
Their technique shines new light on brain circuits. (BBC)

9 AI slop has pushed arXiv to limit preprint research submissions
Submissions have doubled in two years. (404 Media)

10 McDonald’s is being sued over AI-powered Big Mac pricing
The lawsuit alleges AI helped franchises coordinate prices. (Reuters $)

Quote of the day

“In the extreme, I could see someone describing Anthropic as a cult that’s trying to take over the world.”

—AI researcher Jacob Coxon, who resigned from Anthropic over fears that it’s building systems that it won’t be able to control, tells New York Magazine his views on the company’s culture.

One more thing

How AI is turning the Iran conflict into theater

Much of the spotlight on AI in the Iran conflict has focused on models like Claude helping the US military decide where to strike. But a wave of “vibe-coded” intelligence dashboards—and the ecosystem surrounding them—reflect a new role that AI is playing in wartime: mediating information, often for the worse.

These sorts of intelligence tools have much promise. Yet there are real reasons to be suspicious of their data feeds. Read the full story.

—James O'Donnell

We can still have nice things

A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)

+ A forgotten forest experiment reveals a “win-win-win” for trees 30 years later.
+ A gym-rat bear and a scowling owl star in this showcase of the year's funniest wildlife photos.
+ Some fast-food chains have vanished, but these eight nostalgic names are still serving up beloved junk.
+ Find out what happens when you put a grown man inside a giant water balloon and roll him down a ramp.