The Download: Storing Nuclear Waste and Orchestrating Agents

Today, nuclear energy enjoys rare support across the political spectrum. Public approval has spiked, and Big Tech is throwing money around to meet rising electricity demand. That newfound interest is exactly why it’s time to talk about an old problem: nuclear waste.

In the US, nuclear reactors produce about 2,000 metric tons of high-level waste each year—and there’s nowhere to put it. Now, the need for a permanent storage solution is becoming urgent. When people say AI will transform industries, what they have in mind—whether they know it or not—are AI agents.

ChatGPT showed AI can talk. But to change the world, it needs to do stuff. The real power comes when agents work as teams, coordinating multiple roles to tackle complex tasks.

Apps like Codex and Claude Cowork offer a glimpse of this shift, bringing multi-agent general-purpose productivity tools. In theory, networks of AI agents could do to white-collar knowledge work what assembly lines did to manufacturing. That’s the vision.

But as agents move into real-world systems, the risks grow too. This is one of the 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now, MIT Technology Review’s guide to what’s really worth your attention in the busy, buzzy world of AI. In other news, Elon Musk testified in the OpenAI trial, claiming Sam Altman “stole a charity.” Musk also said OpenAI was founded as a non-profit to avoid a “Terminator outcome.” The trial could upend the global AI race.

Meanwhile, the White House is drafting guidance to sidestep Anthropic’s blacklisting, and OpenAI is tightening ties with Amazon. We've also got stories on AI bots being used to create biological weapons, China suspending robotaxi licenses, and Meta being found in breach of EU rules on protecting children. Plus, AI is spotting pancreatic cancer years before symptoms appear, and SpaceX is tying Elon Musk’s pay to Mars colonization goals.