AI Daily Briefing — 2026-06-01

Pope Leo XIV’s latest encyclical, *Magnifica Humanitas* (“Magnificent Humanity”), delivers a stark warning to technologists and policymakers: “Technology is never neutral.” The document frames artificial intelligence as the most transformative force since the Industrial Revolution, presenting humanity with a fundamental choice between the Tower of Babel—a pursuit of unchecked growth leading to division—and the collaborative rebuilding of a shared future. Drawing on the biblical story of Nehemiah, the pope highlights how collective responsibility, with God at the center, can rebuild relationships and communities in an age of rapid technological change.

The encyclical challenges the notion that AI is an abstract, inevitable force. Instead, it emphasizes that AI is a commercial product, shaped by a concentration of power in a handful of corporations. This message resonates with a growing movement of institutional investors who have already stepped into the regulatory vacuum left by governments. With limited oversight from bodies like the US Federal Trade Commission or the EU AI Act, shareholders managing over $400 billion in assets have filed resolutions demanding transparency, risk assessment, and accountability from tech giants such as Alphabet, Amazon, and Nvidia.

For the authors—both Catholic advocates for socially responsible investment—the encyclical ratifies an ongoing governance effort led not by states, but by shareholders. They argue that when governments fail to regulate and corporations prioritize profit, society retains the power—and duty—to steer AI toward human dignity. The message is clear: the path forward requires courage, solidarity, and a refusal to treat AI as anything other than a tool subject to human values and collective oversight.

The relentless pace of artificial intelligence news can feel overwhelming, with new models and capabilities emerging almost daily. At MIT Technology Review AI, we cut through the noise to highlight what truly matters. Our recent EmTech AI event unveiled a curated list of 10 key developments in AI right now, and we continue to publish in-depth explainers on how AI works and what lies ahead. For those seeking deeper insights, our subscriber-only Roundtables recently explored how AI might enter the physical world through world models, and a 25% subscription discount is currently available to help you stay informed this summer.

Meanwhile, a wave of new technologies is poised to transform in vitro fertilization (IVF), which has helped bring millions of babies into the world over the past four decades. Despite its success, the process remains slow, painful, expensive, and far from guaranteed. Researchers are now leveraging AI to identify promising sperm and embryos, developing robotic systems to automate parts of the procedure, and exploring controversial genetic editing techniques to prevent inherited diseases. These innovations could make IVF more effective and accessible, but they also raise difficult ethical questions about the limits of reproductive medicine.

In other tech news, NASA has announced plans for three uncrewed Moon missions this year as part of preparations for a crewed landing in 2028, with Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin leading the first mission. Samsung’s largest unions have approved a landmark bonus scheme, averting a massive strike at the world’s largest memory-chip maker, while Elon Musk has accused the Pentagon of misusing Starlink for drones. China has overhauled its massive surveillance network with AI, pushing law enforcement toward predictive policing, and Space Force is awarding SpaceX $2 billion to build a military data network connecting sensors and weapons platforms.

A breakthrough technique for extracting lithium promises to dramatically reduce both costs and environmental impact for electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems. The process employs a weak acid to dissolve silicate minerals, simultaneously releasing lithium along with valuable byproducts like alumina and silica. MIT professor Yet-Ming Chiang, co-author of a study published in Science, claims that at scale, this could become the world's cheapest lithium sourcing method. Startup Rock Zero is already working to bring the technology to market.

Meanwhile, health authorities are struggling to contain a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The alarm was raised on May 5 after four healthcare workers died from an unknown illness within days. Tests identified the Bundibugyo virus, a strain of Ebola. Unlike a recent hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that was quickly contained, this outbreak poses greater challenges due to the disease's severity, limited treatment options, and the local environment.

In other technology news, Pope Leo XIV's new encyclical on artificial intelligence, Magnifica Humanitas, warns that "technology is never neutral." The document calls for courage and solidarity as AI transforms human life, arguing that corporations alone cannot steer this transformation. With governments slow to regulate AI, institutional investors are increasingly stepping in to fill the gap.

A wave of climate technology companies is going public, marking a significant shift in the energy sector. Solar and battery firm Solv Energy debuted in February with a $6 billion valuation, followed by nuclear reactor builder X-energy at $11.5 billion and geothermal player Fervo Energy at roughly $12.4 billion. These successful IPOs are not coincidental—they reflect a surging demand for electricity, fueled in part by the growth of data centers. The trend raises questions about the future of the power grid and what lies ahead for clean energy investment.

Meanwhile, separating AI reality from hype has become increasingly challenging. MIT Technology Review AI has released its latest AI Hype Index, a snapshot of industry trends that includes billionaire road trips, student protests, fabricated quotes, and an overabundance of sci-fi references. The index aims to provide clarity in a field often clouded by exaggerated claims and speculative narratives.

In other developments, Illinois has passed what could become the strongest AI safety law in the U.S., requiring third-party audits. A Google engineer faces insider trading charges for allegedly betting on search trends using internal data. ByteDance is developing custom CPUs amid chip shortages, while Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have backed a clean energy initiative for AI data centers. These stories highlight the complex interplay between technology, regulation, and market forces shaping the industry today.

GitHub Copilot is shifting from a flat subscription fee to a token-based billing model, set to take effect June 1. The change has sparked widespread frustration among developers, particularly those in smaller firms or working independently. Under the new system, users are charged based on token consumption rather than a fixed monthly rate, leading to what some describe as exorbitant cost increases.

On platforms like Reddit and X, developers have shared alarming comparisons. One user reported their monthly bill jumping from $29 to nearly $750, while another claimed costs soared from $50 to around $3,000. Critics have labeled the new pricing “ridiculous” and “a joke,” with many threatening to cancel their subscriptions. Some argue the model penalizes heavy users who relied on Copilot’s earlier, more affordable structure.

However, not all feedback is negative. Some developers contend that excessive token usage stems from inefficient coding habits, often associated with “vibe coding”—a term for unstructured, iterative development. They suggest that disciplined users can still keep costs manageable. Others question the sustainability of Copilot’s previous pricing, speculating that Microsoft was subsidizing heavy usage at a loss.

Despite the debate, a segment of users holds Microsoft responsible for encouraging high token consumption through its own design choices. They claim the company built a system that rewarded extensive usage and is now abruptly changing the rules. As the June 1 deadline approaches, the developer community remains divided, with many awaiting further clarification from Microsoft.