This edition of the download highlights how Artificial Intelligence is changing software development and what to watch next. Amazon Web Services has revealed three new “frontier” Artificial Intelligence agents intended to run autonomously for days at a time. One agent, called Kiro, is designed to work independently without constant human direction, while AWS Security Agent scans projects for common vulnerabilities after other coding assistants have sometimes introduced errors. The newsletter points to reporting on a string of startups racing to build models that produce better software, a primer on vibe coding, a piece in which Anthropic’s cofounder and chief scientist Jared Kaplan outlines 4 ways agents will improve, and broader coverage of how assistants are already changing the way code gets made.
The must-reads round up items across transportation, regulation, space and culture. Waymo’s driverless cars are being tuned to be “confidently assertive,” a change that critics say leads the vehicles to bend some rules even as their crash rate remains far lower than human drivers. The FDA’s top drug regulator stepped down after only three weeks in the role, and a leaked vaccine memo raised concerns. Coverage also notes that many former DOGE staff now work across federal agencies, a Chinese startup’s reusable rocket crash-landed after an “abnormal burn,” and startups are building digital clones of major sites to train Artificial Intelligence agents. Policy shifts include Half of US states now requiring visitors to porn sites to upload their ID as Missouri became the 25th state to enact age verification laws. Other items cover AGI truthers trying to influence the Pope, marketers testing ragebait ads, and a story on how plant pores could help fight drought.
The newsletter closes with a quote and a meditation on space. An anonymous source tells Reuters, “Everyone is begging for supply,” describing desperate measures by Chinese Artificial Intelligence companies to secure scarce chips. In a longer essay titled the case against humans in space, the piece questions the feasibility and human cost of off-Earth settlement, weighing the dream of orbital stations and Martian cities against the harsh realities of the environment and the toll on human bodies. Lighter items include a roundup titled 21st century floor fillers, discoveries like a fire-loving amoeba, and retro gaming and film-adaptation features for readers seeking distraction.
