The Download: brainless human clones and the first uterus kept alive outside a body
A stealth startup pitched brainless human clones as organ sources, while AI data centers create urban heat islands affecting 340M people.
Operating in secrecy for years, California startup R3 Bio suddenly revealed funding to create nonsentient monkey 'organ sacks' as alternatives to animal testing. However, MIT Technology Review discovered founder John Schloendorn also pitched a more radical vision: creating 'brainless human clones' that could serve as backup bodies or organ sources. This ethically charged proposal represents one of biotechnology's most controversial frontiers, raising profound questions about human cloning and consciousness.
Meanwhile, AI's physical infrastructure is creating measurable environmental impacts. New research shows AI data centers generate significant 'heat islands' that warm surrounding areas, potentially affecting 340 million people already. This comes as European AI company Mistral raised $830 million specifically to build Nvidia-powered AI centers, highlighting the industry's rapid expansion despite growing community resistance to data center construction.
These developments occur alongside other significant tech news: Eli Lilly secured a $2.75 billion AI drug collaboration with Insilico Medicine, Meta plans prescription smart glasses, and Bluesky built an AI app using Anthropic's Claude for customizing social feeds. The convergence of biotechnology, AI infrastructure, and commercial applications demonstrates technology's accelerating pace across multiple domains.
- R3 Bio founder pitched 'brainless human clones' as backup bodies alongside monkey organ sacks for testing
- AI data centers create heat islands affecting 340M people as Mistral raises $830M for European AI centers
- Eli Lilly's $2.75B AI drug deal with Insilico Medicine highlights pharmaceutical industry's AI adoption
Why It Matters
These developments force urgent conversations about biotechnology ethics and the environmental costs of AI infrastructure expansion.