On the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico lies the nation’s solely coal-fired energy station, flanked by a mountain of poisonous ash. The plant, owned by the utility large AES, has lengthy plagued this a part of Puerto Rico with air and water air pollution.
Earlier than the coal plant opened Guayama had on common simply over 103 most cancers circumstances per 12 months. In 2003, the 12 months after the plant opened, the variety of most cancers circumstances within the municipality surged by 50%, to 167. In 2022, the newest 12 months with obtainable knowledge, circumstances hit a brand new excessive of 209. The query is: How did it get this unhealthy? Learn the total story.
—Alexander C. Kaufman
This story is from the subsequent print version of MIT Know-how Assessment, which explores energy—who has it, and who needs it. It’s set to go stay on Wednesday June 25, so subscribe & save 25% to learn it and get a replica of the difficulty when it lands!
When AIs cut price, a much less superior agent may price you
The race to construct ever bigger AI fashions is slowing down. The trade’s focus is shifting towards brokers—techniques that may act autonomously, make selections, and negotiate on customers’ behalf.
However what would occur if each a buyer and a vendor had been utilizing an AI agent? A latest research put agent-to-agent negotiations to the check and located that stronger brokers can exploit weaker ones to get a greater deal. It’s a bit like coming into court docket with a seasoned lawyer versus a rookie: You’re technically enjoying the identical sport, however the odds are skewed from the beginning. Learn the total story.
—Caiwei Chen