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. Meet GPT-Red: an LLM super-hacker OpenAI built to make its models safer OpenAI has built an LLM super-hacker called GPT-Red that it uses as a sparring p artner to help its other models boost their defenses against cyberattacks.  It automates a type of safety evaluation for software systems known as red-teaming, which is typically done by a team of human testers. The aim is to find as many different ways to break or hijack a system as possible. OpenAI gave MIT Technology Review an exclusive peek into the system. Find out how it could keep the company ahead of human attackers. —Will Douglas Heaven Why heat pumps are still so hot in the US —Casey Crownhart It feels as if it should be illegal to even think about heating appliances during the height of summer, but we need to talk about heat pumps.  The appliances use electricity for heating, they’re incredibly efficient, and they’re on the rise. In the US, their sales have doubled over the past 15 years, according to a new report. They’re also winning the heating race against fossil fuels, outpacing natural-gas furnaces by 32% during the first quarter of 2026.  These stats are especially striking at this moment, because a key tax credit for heat pumps just ended. So why are heat pumps still so hot? Read the full story for the answer. This article is from The Spark, our weekly climate tech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Elon Musk discreetly bought a $1 billion gas turbine firm to power GrokHe acquired fossil fuel company APR Energy in May. (Electrek)+ The most likely application will be powering AI data centers. (Engadget)+ The deal was revealed through an FTC filing. (Gizmodo)+ What will power AI’s growth? (MIT Technology Review) 2 A hack shows the Suno AI music generator scraped YouTube, DeezerIt scraped decades’ worth of music to train its models. (404 Media)+ The hacked is a unique look into the black boxes powering GenAI. (CNET)+ AI is coming for music, too. (MIT Technology Review) 3 Thinking Machines has launched an open-weight AI modelInkling offers a US alternative to China’s open-source models. (Reuters $)+ It’s the first AI model built by Thinking Machines. (WSJ $)+ The startup was founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. (Axios) 4 Europe is narrowing its ambitions for tech independenceManufacturing and research show promise, but funding is a problem. (NYT $)+ Earnings are strong, but an AI gap persists. (Reuters $)+ India is also scrambling for AI independence. (MIT Technology Review) 5 Earth is absorbing energy at a rate that’s alarming climate scientistsThe planet is taking in more heat than models predicted. (Economist $)+ The legal case for climate justice is growing. (MIT Technology Review) 6 The AI backlash has tech executives fearing for their livesViolent threats against AI firms are spilling into the real world. (WSJ $)+ An anti-AI movement is growing globally. (MIT Technology Review) 7 A Moroccan intelligence insider exposed widespread Pegasus useIncluding to target journalists, activists, and foreign politicians. (Guardian)8 AI is powering citizen-led disaster relief from afar for VenezuelaIt’s helping to locate missing people and coordinate relief. (Rest of World) 9 Thermodynamic computers could turn noise into useful calculationsThey may offer a cooler, more efficient way to process information. (Quanta)10 An engineer has explained every ’90s computer in Jurassic ParkFans have debated the technology in the film for decades. (Ars Technica) Quote of the day “We hit pause because the communities powering AI should share in its success. Maybe that’s a novel concept in Washington.”  —New York Gov. Kathy Hochul responds on X to President Donald Trump’s criticism of her state’s new data center moratorium. One More Thing Will we ever trust robots? Robotics firm Prosper is developing a humanoid called Alfie to perform tasks in homes, hospitals, and hotels. The company’s founder, Shariq Hashme, has identified trustworthiness as the top design priority—and first hurdle to clear before humanoids can live up to their hype. Hashme believes one essential tactic to get people to put their trust in Alfie is to build a detailed character from the ground up—something humanlike but not too human. But the robot’s reliance on remote human operators raises broader questions about privacy, labour, and whether society will truly accept humanoids in our private spaces. Read the full story on the humanoid trust dilemma. —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.) + Meet the man behind the world’s most beautiful books.+ 3D printing has revived Roman Britain’s most popular board game.+ “Lucha Libro” is an imaginative idea to boost literacy: staging live wrestling matches in US libraries.+ Over 100 years after the death of legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton, the wreck of his final ship has been photographed for the first time. ...read more read less