The Download: what’s next for electricity, and living in the conspiracy age

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 Donald Trump is poised to ban AI state laws
The US President is considering signing an order to give the federal government unilateral power over regulating AI. (The Verge)
+ It would give the Justice Department power to sue dissenting states. (WP $)
+ Critics claim the draft undermines trust in the US’s ability to make AI safe. (Wired $)
+ It’s not just America—the EU fumbled its attempts to rein in AI, too. (FT $)

2 The CDC is making false claims about a link between vaccines and autism
Despite previously spending decades fighting misinformation connecting them. (WP $)
+ The National Institutes of Health is parroting RFK Jr’s messaging, too. (The Atlantic $)

3 China is going all-in on autonomous vehicles
Which is bad news for its millions of delivery drivers. (FT $)
+ It’s also throwing its full weight behind its native EV industry. (Rest of World)

5 Major music labels have inked a deal with an AI streaming service
Klay users will be able to remodel songs from the likes of Universal using AI. (Bloomberg $)
+ What happens next is anyone’s guess. (Billboard $)
+ AI is coming for music, too. (MIT Technology Review)

5 How quantum sensors could overhaul GPS navigation
Current GPS is vulnerable to spoofing and jamming. But what comes next? (WSJ $)
+ Inside the race to find GPS alternatives. (MIT Technology Review)

6 There’s a divide inside the community of people in relationships with chatbots
Some users assert their love interests are real—to the concern of others. (NY Mag $)
+ It’s surprisingly easy to stumble into a relationship with an AI chatbot. (MIT Technology Review)

7 There’s still hope for a functional cure to HIV
Even in the face of crippling funding cuts. (Knowable Magazine)
+ Breakthrough drug lenacapavir is being rolled out in parts of Africa. (NPR)
+ This annual shot might protect against HIV infections. (MIT Technology Review)

8 Is it possible to reverse years of AI brainrot?
A new wave of memes is fighting the good fight. (Wired $)
+ How to fix the internet. (MIT Technology Review)

9 Tourists fell for an AI-generated Christmas market outside Buckingham Palace 🎄
If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. (The Guardian)
+ It’s unclear who is behind the pictures, which spread on Instagram. (BBC)