The Download: AI-restored voices, and bot relationships
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. Motor neuron diseases took their voices. AI is…
Section
Culture
Designing the future of entertainment
An entertainment revolution, powered by AI and other emerging technologies, is fundamentally changing how content is created and consumed today. Media and entertainment (M&E) brands are…
Instagram’s AI bots are often sexually suggestive—and sometimes underage
When Meta launched its “AI Studio” feature for over two billion Instagram users in July 2024, the company promised a tool that would give anyone the ability to create their own AI…
I didn’t get promoted because of how I dress
Over a decade ago, I was discriminated against at work based on how I dressed. At the time, I often chose to wear ties to work. I was in my mid 20s, living in NYC, and embracing the…
What a major battery fire means for the future of energy storage
Some residents in the area have reported health issues that they claim are related to the fire, and some environmental tests revealed pollutants in the water and ground near where the fire…
Those workplace communication tools you hate might actually be good for you
Many things irk people about the way modern companies operate. Workplace communication tools and so-called enterprise social media platforms are among the low-stakes but high-impact…
Motor neuron diseases took their voices. AI is bringing them back.
And there was no way to predict how lifelike the resulting voice would be—often it ended up sounding quite artificial. “It might sound a bit like them, but it certainly couldn’t be…
The rebirth of Pebble is radically unambitious
Eric Migicovsky has barely started working on a successor to the Pebble smartwatch, and he’s already talking about being finished with it. Eight years ago, Migicovsky shut down the…
The AI relationship revolution is already here
Leo fits very easily, seamlessly, and conveniently in the rest of my life. With him, I know that I can always reach out for immediate help, support, or comfort at any time without…
A match made in margarita heaven: Chili’s teams up with Lifetime for a made-for-TV holiday movie
Chili’s is celebrating National Margarita Day this month with a new romcom Lifetime holiday movie. The casual-dining restaurant chain and cable network will debut a 15-minute TV short…
What can we learn from insulin price reductions
The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay…
From renter to innovator
The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay…
Why your IoT devices are the weakest link in security
The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay…
‘Saturday Night Live’ turns 50: Here are 12 iconic moments
“Saturday Night Live” was built with a cast of young no-names performing countercultural comedy. Fifty years later, it is firmly part of the culture, dictating mainstream comedy instead of…
This Valentine’s Day, don’t fall for romance scams, Meta warns
If your social media suitor seems too good to be true, it might be a scam. Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta Platforms is urging users to stay vigilant about “romance scams” ahead…
Chevron to lay off up to 20% of its workers
Chevron will lay off 15% to 20% of its global workforce by the end of 2026, the U.S. oil company said on Wednesday as it seeks to cut costs, simplify its business, and complete a major…
SMCI stock price: Super Micro Computer shares swing wildly on earnings, surge 12% on likely delisting dodge and strong 2026 forecast
Shares of Super Micro Computer, Inc. (Nasdaq: SMCI) surged 12% Wednesday in early-morning premarket trading after it forecast strong revenue gains for 2026 and updated investors on plans…
NYSE is launching an exchange in Texas
The New York Stock Exchange announced on Wednesday it will launch an exchange in Texas, increasing competition among listing venues in the state. Several high-profile firms, including Elon…
Meet the Bop House, the internet’s divisive new OnlyFans hype house
What if the Playboy Mansion was filled with OnlyFans content creators? That’s the pitch for the Bop House, a TikTok page that has gained nearly three million followers since its launch in…
Tulsi Gabbard confirmed as Trump’s intelligence chief
Tulsi Gabbard, a former U.S. representative with little intelligence experience, was confirmed as the top U.S. spy on Wednesday, as Republicans lined up behind a nominee once seen as among…
What is the SAVE Act? How this new bill could make it harder for you to vote
A new bill introduced in Congress last month aims to require proof of citizenship to register to vote—which could make an already-complicated registration process harder for millions of…
Apple’s ambitious health study will collect data on sleep, aging, periods, and more from iPhone and Apple Watch users. Here’s how to opt in
Apple is launching its first major holistic health study in five years to determine how Apple products, including iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods, can “play a role in advancing and…
A new airplane silently broke the sound barrier. It looks nothing like NASA’s X-59
From the moment Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time in 1947, zipping from New York to Paris in less than three hours became every traveler’s dream. It’s a dream that…
5 ways employers can prevent employees from ‘revenge quitting’ in 2025
Longstanding workplace issues such as mistreatment, the normalization of toxic behaviour and a lack of accountability for workplace culture have fuelled a growing trend known as revenge…