This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more about AI's impact on the web, follow Emma Roth. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started The digital publishing industry has relied on […]
Google’s AI search changes upended online publishing

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r/opensource just banned AI, non-English speakers and more
The mods at r/opensource posted new submission rules that, among other things, banned projects that use AI. The post made Saturday evening opens by saying, "If your project uses AI, is made by AI, or is intended for AI, it's not welcome on r/opensource. AI, as it exists today, is incongruent to this Open Source […]

What the US Movement Against Data Centers Can Learn From Abroad
Paris Marx, author of Hyperscale, has been tracking global data center development for years. The US has a lot to learn from what’s happened everywhere from Ireland to New Zealand.

Blue Planet III is keeping the rough edges in the age of AI
BBC's Blue Planet III is looking to prove its authenticity by leaving in the less-than-perfect shots. Previous incarnations of the nature series were defined by their gorgeous, crystal-clear footage that seemed almost too good to be real. But one dead giveaway of AI is when things look too polished and seamless. To counter that, Blue […]
Starlink seems to be working normally again in Ukraine
Elon Musk reportedly ordered SpaceX to throttle Ukraine's Starlink access.
Will AI expose the rickety infrastructure of the internet?
The moment you realize the internet is "held together by glue and dreams."
The AI graveyard: a running list of projects and startups that didn’t make it
From Apple's repeatedly delayed Siri AI to OpenAI's messy "super app" launch, here's a look at the AI projects that shut down or missed expectations.