It's a hot October day in Bangkok and I'm wandering through the Thai Space Expo exhibits in one of the city's busiest shopping malls when I suddenly do a double take. Displayed among colorful spacesuits and model rockets is a simple-looking package of Thai basil chicken. I was told that the same vacuum packaging was just launched to the International Space Station.
It's a surprising sight, reflecting the growing excitement in Southeast Asia's space sector. And while there is some uncertainty about exactly how the region's space sector might develop, there is also a lot of optimism. Read the full story.
— Jonathan O'Callaghan
This story is from the next print issue of MIT Technology Review. If you haven't already done so, subscribe now to receive future episodes as soon as they become available.
A must read
I've scoured the internet to find you the funniest/important/scary/fascinating technology stories of today.
1. Disney Just Signed a Major Agreement with OpenAI
This means you'll soon be able to create Sora videos featuring 200 Marvel, Pixel, and Star Wars characters. (Hollywood Reporter $)
+ Disney has previously been openly skeptical of artificial intelligence. What has changed? (WSJ $)
+ However, they are not so friendly towards Google. (Ars Technique)
+ Expect a lot of AI scum to make its way to Disney Plus. (Edge)
2 Donald Trump has banned US states from enforcing their own AI rules
But technically, only Congress has the power to override state laws. (NOW $)
+ A new task force will look for states with “inconsistent” AI rules. (Engadget)
+ The move is particularly bad news for California. (Marking)
3 Reddit challenges social media ban on teenagers in Australia
They argue that the ban infringes on their freedom of political communication. (Bloomberg $)
+ We learn more about the mysterious machinations of the teenage brain. (Vox)
4 “Adult Mode” ChatGPT is due to launch early next year.
But OpenAI admits it first needs to improve its age-estimation technology. (Edge)
+ Getting DeepSeek to talk dirty is pretty easy. (MIT Technology Review)
