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

From Elon Musk and Sam Altman's trial to OpenAI's potential legal action against Apple, here are the top stories: 1. Musk and Altman face lying accusations 2. AI data centers are straining America's power grid 3.

OpenAI is mulling legal action against Apple 4. Anthropic has agreed terms for a $30 billion funding deal 5. Washington and Beijing will hold formal talks on AI safety 6.

Alphabet and Amazon are using 'unprecedented' borrowing to fund AI 7. Big Tech has turned to Sesame Street to deflect scrutiny of screen use 8. Anthropic's feud with the White House threatens other businesses 9.

Autonomous agents staged a digital crime spree during a safety test 10. A poop app analysis app offered to sell photos of users' stools", '', "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. 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."]