The Obtain: China’s dying EV batteries, and why AI doomers are doubling down
Up to now decade, China has seen an EV increase, thanks partly to authorities assist. Shopping for an electrical automotive has gone from a novel determination to a routine one; by late 2025, almost 60% of latest vehicles bought have been electrical or plug-in hybrids.
However because the batteries in China’s first wave of EVs attain the tip of their helpful life, early homeowners are beginning to retire their vehicles, and the nation is now underneath stress to determine what to do with these getting older elements.
The difficulty is placing pressure on China’s still-developing battery recycling trade and has given rise to a grey market that usually cuts corners on security and environmental requirements. Nationwide regulators and industrial gamers are additionally stepping in, however to this point these efforts have struggled to maintain tempo with the flood of batteries coming off the highway. Learn the total story.
—Caiwei Chen
The AI doomers really feel undeterred
It’s a bizarre time to be an AI doomer.This small however influential neighborhood believes, within the easiest phrases, that AI may get so good it could possibly be unhealthy—very, very unhealthy—for humanity.
The doomer crowd has had some notable success over the previous a number of years: together with serving to form AI coverage coming from the Biden administration. However numerous developments over the previous six months have put them on the again foot. Discuss of an AI bubble has overwhelmed the discourse as tech firms proceed to spend money on a number of Manhattan Initiatives’ price of information facilities with none certainty that future demand will match what they’re constructing.
So the place does this go away the doomers? We determined to ask a few of the motion’s largest names to see if the current setbacks and normal vibe shift had altered their views. See what they needed to say in our story.
—Garrison Beautiful
This story is a part of our new Hype Correction bundle, a group of tales designed that will help you reset your expectations about what AI makes doable—and what it doesn’t. Take a look at the remainder of the bundle.
Take our quiz on the 12 months in well being and biotechnology
In simply a few weeks, we’ll be bidding farewell to 2025. And what a 12 months it has been! Synthetic intelligence is being included into extra elements of our lives, weight-loss medication have expanded in scope, and there have been some actual “omg” biotech tales from the fields of gene remedy, IVF, neurotech, and extra.
Jessica Hamzelou, our senior biotech reporter, is inviting you to place your individual reminiscence to the take a look at. So how intently have you ever been paying consideration this 12 months?
