Whether to promote election integrity, protect evidence, reduce misinformation, or preserve historical records, it’s increasingly clear that we ought to know when content has been manipulated or generated with AI. 

Disclosure methods like watermarks are a good start. However, they’re complicated to put into practice, and they aren’t a quick fix. Here are six initial questions that could help us evaluate their usefulness.

Inside MIT’s nuclear reactor laboratory

Our climate and energy reporter Casey Crownhart got a chance to tour MIT’s nuclear reactor last week. It was built in the 1950s, and its purpose has shifted over the decades. At various points, it’s been used to study everything from nuclear physics to medical therapies, alongside its consistent use for teaching the next generation of nuclear scientists.

Now, it’s poised to take on a new purpose: as a testbed for the growing number of startups seeking to use molten salt as an alternative to water for cooling nuclear reactors. Read the full story. 

Casey’s story is from The Spark, her weekly newsletter explaining the tech that could combat the climate crisis. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.

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