The Download: a humanoid cleans house and Samsung builds for the AI boom

This is today's edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. When I saw an X post about a new humanoid-robot cleaning service in San Francisco, I immediately signed up for the waitlist. I wanted my apartment to feel likeThe Jetsons, even if just for an hour. The device that arrived at my building belongs to Tau Robotics, a local startup. Its long-term goal is to make autonomous cleaning robots a reality, but the technology isn’t quite there yet. For now, humans pilot the robots remotely, watching them work through onboard cameras. There were some unexpected challenges along the way, but also moments that felt like a glimpse of the future. Find out how well the machine cleaned my home—and how close we are to truly autonomous domestic robots. Generative AI models depend on stacks of specialized memory chips. To meet soaring demand, Samsung is building a vast new semiconductor manufacturing campus in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. I visited the sprawling campus south of Seoul, where three fabs already operate around the clock, a fourth is coming online, and thousands of workers are racing to build a fifth. Step inside the vast chipmaking complex powering the AI boom. This storyis fromtheImpossibleeditionof our print magazine.Subscribe nowto get every issue as soon as it lands. I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Almost $2.5 trillion has been wiped off tech stocksThe Nasdaq suffered its worst day since April 2025 amid fears of an AI slowdown. (CNN)+ The Magnificent Seven lost over$1 trillion.(WSJ$)+ Tesla and SpaceX lost over$420 billion combined.(CNBC)+ Wall Street’s AI sell-off has spread to Asia and Europe.(WP$)+ The AI stock bubble may finally be bursting.(FT$)+ What even is the AI bubble?(MIT Technology Review) 2 Emboldened Democrats are lining up to rein in Big TechThey’re preparing to haul tech CEOs before Congress. (Verge)+ Bernie Sanders wants a national data center moratorium.(Quartz)+ Yassamin Ansari plans to pause advanced AI development.(CNBC)+ The backlash could delay Anthropic’s IPO.(Reuters$)+ No one wants a data center in their backyard.(MIT Technology Review) 3 The US has warned of an “ongoing cyber threat” to fridgesA spate of hacks has hit commercial freezers.(Reuters$)+ Russia has denied claims it’s behind the attacks.(Politico) 4 AI is helping Anthropic’s models improve nearly twice as fastResearchers say Claude is speeding up its successors.(Information$)+ But recursive self-improvement will take time.(MIT Technology Review) 5 Scientists have new evidence of active volcanoes on MarsThey may boost chances of finding life on the planet. (BBC)6 Covid vaccines’ economic benefits may be double what we thoughtNew analysis places their value at up to$64 trillion. (New Scientist$) 7 The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is changing the ocean’s colorThe infamous debris has brightened the water. (Scientific American) 8 NASA has unveiled a mysterious new experimental aircraftThe X-70 is expected to take flight within two years. (Ars Technica) 9 Elon Musk has signaled the end for the CybertruckTesla is winding down production in Texas next year. (FT$)+ It was one of last year’s biggest tech flops.(MIT Technology Review) 10 Three-hour movies have sent viewers rushing to a pee break app7,000 RunPee users signed up forYou Can See Everything. (WSJ$) —Jim Carroll, a senior wealth adviser at Ballast Rock Private Wealth,tells Reutershow investors feel as the AI trade unravels and$2.5 trillion is wiped off tech stocks. The best snow-forecasting app for skiers isn’t a federally-funded service or a big-name brand. It’s OpenSnow, a startup that uses government data, its own AI models, and decades of alpine-life experience to deliver the best predictions out there. The app proved especially vital last winter, one of the weirdest on record. It even made microcelebrities of its forecasters, who sift through reams of data to write “Daily Snow” reports for locations around the world. We headed to the Tahoe mountains to hear how two broke skiers created the best weather app on the slopes. A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas?Drop me a line.) + The US has a new national park:Arizona's otherworldly Chiricahua.+ Fancy living in a flying saucer? A rare1960s Futuro houseis on the market.+Don't Cook Thatcollects real recipes from old cookbooks that you should absolutely not make.+ Backpack, who rode on his mum's back as a cub, has been crownedFat Bear Week champion. Plus: 22 nations have called for a new global body to oversee AI. Plus: Hackers have disrupted the US Federal Election Commission’s website. Plus: OpenAI has released 377 new math findings, further rattling the field. Plus: Hackers exposed 41,000 Homeland Security workers. Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.