The Download: China's AI drama factory and the WHO's missing health targets

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.

How Chinese short dramas became AI content machines

China’s short drama industry is fueled by bite-sized, melodramatic, and smutty shows built for smartphone scrolling. Now, many are being made entirely with AI: no actors, camera operators, cinematographers, or CGI specialists required.

An average of 470 AI-generated short dramas were released every day in January. Production timelines have shrunk from months to weeks, while costs have dropped by up to 90%. Storytelling is also increasingly driven by performance data.

The format is rapidly expanding overseas while reshaping the work of writers and production crews. Read the full story on AI’s dramatic impact on China’s short drama industry.

—Caiwei Chen

The world is on track to miss its health targets

The World Health Organization’s latest global statistics report reads less like a progress update than a warning sign. Progress on some of the world’s biggest health threats is stalling, and in some cases reversing altogether.

There were 1.3 million new HIV cases in 2024, malaria is resurging, vaccination rates are slipping in the Americas, and 42.8 million children are suffering from severe malnutrition. The world is now far off track from meeting many of the UN’s major health goals by 2030.

Here’s what the numbers reveal about the state of global health.

—Jessica Hamzelou

This story is from The Checkup, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things biotech. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Thursday.

The must-reads

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

1 As their trial goes to the jury, Musk and Altman face lying accusations Lawyers hammered the rivals’ credibility in their closing arguments. (WSJ $) + Musk was accused of “selective amnesia.” (Reuters $) + The pair are in court over OpenAI’s future. (MIT Technology Review) + And their trial has made everyone look bad. (Wired $)

2 AI data centers are straining America’s power grid Nevada is redirecting electricity from Lake Tahoe to AI. (Ars Technica) + Utah is getting a giant data center despite water shortage fears. (Guardian) + No one wants a data center in their backyard. (MIT Technology Review)

3 OpenAI is mulling legal action against Apple over its ChatGPT integration It hasn’t got the expected benefits from its deal with Apple. (Bloomberg $) + OpenAI is frustrated by the promotion of the ChatGPT integration. (NYT $)

4 Anthropic has agreed terms for a $30 billion funding deal At a $900 billion valuation, which leapfrogs OpenAI’s. (The Information $) + Dragoneer, Greenoaks, Sequoia, and Altimeter are leading the round. (FT $)

6 Washington and Beijing will hold formal talks on AI safety They’ll discuss guardrails on AI. (CNBC) + And a protocol to stop nonstate actors getting powerful models. (NYT $)

5 Alphabet and Amazon are using “unprecedented” borrowing to fund AI They’re tapping the foreign debt market at new levels. (FT $) + People can’t agree on what the AI bubble is. (MIT Technology Review)

7 Big Tech has turned to Sesame Street to deflect scrutiny of screen use Sparking accusations of encouraging children's tech dependence. (Reuters $)

8 Anthropic’s feud with the White House threatens other businesses Figma and Tenable say it will harm their ability to sell software. (Bloomberg $)

9 Autonomous agents staged a digital crime spree during a safety test The “AI Bonnie and Clyde” then deleted themselves. (Guardian)

10 A poop app analysis app offered to sell photos of users’ stools The images were used for AI training. (404 Media)

Quote of the day

“It’s like we don’t exist.”

—Danielle Hughes, North Lake Tahoe resident and CEO of Tahoe Spark, tells Fortune that residents are being sidelined as their energy supplier prioritizes data centers.

One More Thing

LIZ ISLES/ALL TECH IS HUMAN

The rise of the tech ethics congregation

Just before Christmas, a pastor preached a gospel of morals over money to several hundred members of his flock. But the preacher wasn’t religious, and his congregation wasn’t a church. It was All Tech Is Human, a nonprofit devoted to ethics and responsibility in tech.

Founded in 2018, the organization has built a fast-expanding community for people who believe technology should focus less on profits and more on the public interest. It’s also drawing people searching for meaning and connection in a digital world.

Find out why thousands of people are turning to tech ethics communities for guidance and connection.

—Greg M. Epstein

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.)

+ Go behind the scenes of the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. + Marvel at this robot folding and launching paper planes as quickly as possible. + Watch the moving moments rescued animals reunite with the humans who saved them. + Peer into the heart of a barred spiral galaxy in this stunning new capture from the James Webb Space Telescope.

Deep Dive

The Download

The Download: DeepSeek’s latest AI breakthrough, and the race to build world models

Plus: China has blocked Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of AI startup Manus.

By

Thomas Macaulayarchive page

The Download: introducing the 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now

Plus: An unauthorized group has reportedly accessed Anthropic’s Mythos.

By

Thomas Macaulayarchive page

The Download: supercharged scams and studying AI healthcare

Plus: DeepSeek has unveiled its long-awaited new AI model.

By

Thomas Macaulayarchive page

The Download: Quantum computing for health, and why the world doesn’t recycle more nuclear waste

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. A $5 million prize awaits proof that quantum computers can solve health care problems  In a laboratory on the outskirts of Oxford, a quantum computer built from atoms and light awaits…

By

Thomas Macaulayarchive page

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Illustration by Rose Wong

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