{"id":21111,"date":"2026-04-14T12:45:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T12:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/14\/the-download-state-of-ai-drones-protecting-bears\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T12:45:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T12:45:11","slug":"the-download-state-of-ai-drones-protecting-bears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/14\/the-download-state-of-ai-drones-protecting-bears\/","title":{"rendered":"The Download: the state of AI, and protecting bears with drones"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

This is today\u2019s edition of <\/em>The Download<\/em><\/a>, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what\u2019s going on in the world of technology.<\/em><\/p>\n

Want to understand the current state of AI? Check out these charts.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n

If\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0following AI news,\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0probably getting\u00a0whiplash. AI is a gold rush. AI is a bubble. AI is taking your job. AI\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0even read a clock. Stanford\u2019s 2026 AI Index\u2014the field\u2019s annual report card\u2014cuts through the noise.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The data reveals a technology evolving faster than we can manage. From the China-US rivalry and model breakthroughs to public sentiment and the impact on jobs,\u00a0here are the index\u2019s key findings on the state of AI today<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2014Michelle Kim<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Why opinion on AI is so divided<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Stanford\u2019s 2026 AI Index is full of striking stats. It also reveals a field riddled with inconsistencies, most notably in the gap between experts and non-experts.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

On jobs, 73% of US experts view AI\u2019s impact positively, compared to just 23% of the public. Similar divides\u00a0emerged\u00a0on the economy and healthcare.\u00a0What\u2019s\u00a0driving this disconnect?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Part of the answer may lie in their diverging experiences. Those using AI for coding and technical work see it at its best, while everyone else gets a more mixed bag. The result is two\u00a0very different\u00a0realities.\u00a0Read the full story on what they are\u2014and why they matter<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This\u00a0<\/strong>story<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is from The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI.\u00a0<\/strong>Sign up<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to receive it in your inbox every Monday.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2014Will Douglas Heaven<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Job titles of the future: Wildlife first responder<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Grizzly bears have made such a comeback across eastern Montana that in 2017, the state hired its first-ever prairie-based grizzly manager: wildlife biologist Wesley Sarmento.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

For seven years, Sarmento worked to keep both bears and humans out of trouble. He acted like a first responder, trying to defuse potentially dangerous situations. He even got caught in some himself, which led him to a new wildlife safety tool: drones.\u00a0Find out the results of his experiments in digital ecology<\/a>.\u00a0
\u00a0
\u00a0\u2014Emily\u00a0Senkosky<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

This\u00a0<\/strong>article<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is from the next issue of our print magazine, which is all about nature.\u00a0<\/strong>Subscribe now<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0to read it when it lands on Wednesday, April 22.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

The must-reads\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve\u00a0combed the internet to find you today\u2019s most fun\/important\/scary\/fascinating stories about technology.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

1 Human\u00a0scientists\u00a0still trounce the top AI agents at complex tasks\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0
The best agents perform only half as well as experts with PhDs.\u00a0<\/strong>(Nature<\/a>)\u00a0
+ Can AI really help us discover new materials?<\/em>\u00a0(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)\u00a0
\u00a0
2 OpenAI is escalating its fight with Anthropic while pulling away from Microsoft<\/strong>\u00a0
A leaked memo exposes plans to attack Anthropic. (Axios<\/a>)\u00a0
+ And says Microsoft \u201climited our ability\u201d to reach clients.\u00a0<\/em>(The Information<\/a>\u00a0$)\u00a0
+ While touting a budding alliance with Amazon.\u00a0<\/em>(CNBC<\/a>)\u00a0<\/p>\n

3 Carbon removal technology is stalling\u2014and that may be good news<\/strong>\u00a0
Better solutions could now\u00a0emerge.\u00a0<\/strong>(New Scientist<\/a>)\u00a0
+ Here are three that are set to break through.<\/em>\u00a0(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)\u00a0
\u00a0
4 AI is finding bugs faster than we can fix them\u2014and hackers will benefit<\/strong>\u00a0
Welcome to the bug\u00a0armageddon. (WSJ<\/a>\u00a0$)\u00a0\u00a0
+ AI may soon be capable of fully automated attacks.<\/em>\u00a0(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)\u00a0
\u00a0
5 A Texas man has been charged with the attempted murder of Sam Altman<\/strong>\u00a0
He allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at the OpenAI CEO\u2019s home last Friday. (NPR<\/a>)\u00a0
+ The suspect\u00a0reportedly had\u00a0a list of other AI leaders.<\/em>\u00a0(NYT<\/a>\u00a0$)\u00a0
\u00a0
6 AI is beginning to transform mathematics<\/strong>\u00a0
It\u2019s proving new results at a rapid pace. (Quanta<\/a>)\u00a0
+ One AI startup plans to unearth new mathematical patterns.<\/em>\u00a0(MIT Technology Review<\/a>)\u00a0
\u00a0
7 Students are turning away from computer science<\/strong>\u00a0
It\u2019s had a massive drop in\u00a0enrollments. (WP<\/a>\u00a0$)\u00a0
+ AI coding tools have diminished the degree\u2019s value.<\/em>\u00a0(NYT<\/a>\u00a0$)\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0
\u00a0
8 India\u2019s bid to become a data\u00a0center\u00a0hub is sparking a fierce backlash<\/strong>\u00a0
Farmers are protesting Delhi\u2019s courtship of\u00a0hyperscalers. (Rest of World<\/a>)\u00a0
\u00a0
9 Meta is set to overtake Google in advertising revenue this year<\/strong>\u00a0
And become the world\u2019s largest digital ad platform for the first time. (WSJ<\/a>)\u00a0
\u00a0
10 AI influencers are taking over Coachella\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0
Synthetic content creators are \u201ceverywhere\u201d at the festival. (The Verge<\/a>)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Quote of the day\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThese people are almost nothing like you. They are\u00a0most likely sociopathic\/psychopathic\u00a0and, in the case of Altman, consistently reported to be a pathological liar.\u201d\u00a0<\/h2>\n

\u2014The alleged firebomber of Sam Altman\u2019s home shares his distrust of AI leaders in\u00a0a blog<\/a>\u00a0post.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One More Thing\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

We\u2019ve\u00a0never understood how hunger works. That might be about to change.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h4>\n

A few years ago, Brad Lowell, a Harvard University neuro\u00adscientist, figured out how to crank the food drive to the maximum. He did it by stimulating neurons in mice. Now,\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0following known parts of the neural hunger circuits into uncharted parts of the brain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The work could have important implications for public health. More than 1.9 billion adults worldwide are overweight, and more than 650 million are obese. Understanding the circuits involved could shed new light on why these numbers are skyrocketing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read the full story<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2014Adam\u00a0Piore<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

We can still have\u00a0nice things\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas?\u00a0<\/em>Drop me a line<\/em><\/a>.)<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Top image credit: Stephanie Arnett\/MIT Technology Review | Getty Images<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

+ Someone built a\u00a0mechanical version of Tony Hawk\u2019s Pro Skater<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a0Lego.\u00a0
+ Enjoy this\u00a0wholesome clip<\/a>\u00a0of toddlers discovering the existence of hugs.\u00a0
+ This\u00a0interactive body map<\/a>\u00a0shows exactly which exercises you need.\u00a0
+ Jon McCormack\u2019s\u00a0photos of nature\u2019s patterns<\/a>\u00a0are breathtaking.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is today\u2019s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[226],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21111"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21111\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ideainthebox.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}