Generative AI has taken off. Since the introduction of ChatGPT in November 2022, businesses have flocked to large language models (LLMs) and generative AI models looking for solutions to their mostcomplex and labor-intensive problems. The promise that customer service could be turned over to highly trained chat platforms that could recognize a customers problem and present user-friendly technical feedback, for example, or that companies could break down and analyze their troves of unstructured data, from videos to PDFs, has fueled massive enterprise interest in the technology. This hype is moving into production. The share of businesses that use generative AI in at least one business function nearly doubled this year to 65%, according to McKinsey. The vast majority of organizations (91%) expect generative AI applications to increase their productivity, with IT, cybersecurity, marketing, customer service, and product development among the most impacted areas, according to Deloitte. DOWNLOAD THE REPORT Yet, difficulty successfully deploying generative AI continues to hamper progress. Companies know that generative AI could transform their businessesand that failing to adopt will leave them behindbut they are faced with hurdles during implementation. This leaves two-thirds of business leaders dissatisfied with progress on their AI deployments. And while, in Q3 2023,79% of companies said they planned to deploy generative AI projects in the next year, only 5% reported having use cases in production in May 2024. Were just at the beginning of figuring out how to productize AI deployment and make it cost effective, says Rowan Trollope, CEO of Redis, a maker of real-time data platforms and AI accelerators. The cost and complexity of implementing these systems is not straightforward. Estimates of the eventual GDP impact of generative AI range from just under $1 trillion to a staggering $4.4 trillion annually, with projected productivity impacts comparable to those of the Internet, robotic automation, and the steam engine. Yet, while the promise of accelerated revenue growth and cost reductions remains, the path to get to these goals is complex and often costly. Companies need to find ways to efficiently build and deploy AI projects with well-understood components at scale, says Trollope. Download the full report. This content was produced by Insights, the custom content arm of MIT Technology Review. It was not written by MIT Technology Reviews editorial staff.

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. What the departing White House chief tech advisor has to say on AI President Bidens administration will end within two months, and likely to depart with him is Arati Prabhakar, the top mind for science and technology in his cabinet. She has served as Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy since 2022 and was the first to demonstrate ChatGPT to the president in the Oval Office. Prabhakar was instrumental in passing the presidents executive order on AI in 2023, which sets guidelines for tech companies to make AI safer and more transparent (though it relies on voluntary participation). As she prepares for the end of the administration, MIT Technology Review sat down with Prabhakar and asked her to reflect on President Bidens AI accomplishments, and how the approach to AI risks, immigration policies, the CHIPS Act and more could change under Trump. Read the full story. James ODonnell This manga publisher is using Anthropics AI to translate Japanese comics into English A Japanese publishing startup is using Anthropics flagship large language model Claude to help translate manga into English, allowing the company to churn out a new title for a Western audience in just a few days rather than the 2-3 months it would take a team of humans. But not everyone is happy about it. The firm has angered a number of manga fans who see the use of AI to translate a celebrated and traditional art-form as one more front in the ongoing battle between tech companies and artists. Read the full story. Will Douglas Heaven The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 The US has announced more restrictions on chip exports to China Its the third round of crackdowns on the industry in as many years. (Reuters)+ Its not just China-based companies that could suffer, either. (WP $)+ The delayed announcement gave China the chance to stockpile affected chips. (WSJ $)+ Meanwhile, computer scientists in the West are trying to make peace. (Economist $)+ Whats next in chips. (MIT Technology Review)2 Donald Trumps administration is full of pseudo-influencersTheyre capitalizing on their fame to make big bucks ahead of the inauguration. (WP $) + A lot of his cabinet also happen to be billionaires. (NY Mag $)3 Were not prepared for a clean energy futureIt seems energy authorities keep underestimating how much clean power the world really wants. (Vox)+ Why artificial intelligence and clean energy need each other. (MIT Technology Review)4 Ads could start cropping up in ChatGPT OpenAI is on a revenue drive, and advertising is an obvious cash source. (FT $)+ Elon Musk is doing all he can to prevent it becoming a for-profit business. (Bloomberg $)5 Chemistry students in Mexico are being lured into making fentanyl Cartels are offering young chemists large sums to make the drug even more potent. (NYT $)+ Deaths from fentanyl are fallingand it looks its because of supply changes.(FT $)+ Anti-opioid groups are cautiously optimistic about Trumps new tariffs. (The Guardian) 6 BYD isnt just a EV company these daysIts carved out an unlikely side gig assembling Apples iPads. (WSJ $) + BYD has also experimented with shipping for its colossal car consignments. (MIT Technology Review)7 Our organs age at different ratesAnd AI is giving us a window into understanding why. (New Scientist $) + Aging hits us in our 40s and 60s. But well-being doesnt have to fall off a cliff. (MIT Technology Review)8 The unbearable mundanity of home DNA testsThe likelihood of them revealing anything interesting is actually pretty low. (The Guardian) + How to delete your 23andMe data. (MIT Technology Review)9 This website is full of random, barely-watched home videos Which one youll be served is anyones guess. (WP $)10 Brain rot is the Oxford University dictionary word of the year Specifically in the context of spending too long looking at nonsense online. (BBC)Quote of the day Its like trying to prevent a fisherman from catching bigger fish simply by denying him bigger fishing poles. Hell get there in the end. Meghan Harris, an export control expert at consultancy Beacon Global Strategies, explains the limits of the US governments plans to curb Chinas chipmaking to the Financial Times. The big story The quest to build wildfire-resistant homes April 2023 With each devastating wildfire in the US West, officials consider new methods or regulations that might save homes or lives the next time. In the parts of California where the hillsides meet human development, and where the state has suffered recurring seasonal fire tragedies, that search for new means of survival has especially high stakes. Many of these methods are low cost and low tech, but no less truly innovative. In fact, the hardest part to tackle may not be materials engineering, but social change. Read the full story. Susie Cagle We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.) + This Instagram account is a treasure trove of bygone mobile phones.+ The newly renovated Notre Dame cathedral is really quite something.+ Bad news: were probably not going to find alien life any time soon + Think you know grilled cheese? This recipe might make you question everything you know and hold dear.

Jaguar unveiled the first concept car as part of its newly rebranded identity.Its rebrand has stirred controversy for not including any cars and some have argued it was "woke."Jaguar said it would reveal a new electric model in late 2025 as part of its all-electric future. Jaguar unveiled a design concept Monday for its next generation of electric vehicles finally pairing an image of a car with its "exuberant modernism" rebranding campaign.Jaguar's rebranding campaign had drawn fierce criticism over the past few weeks from some who said it was "woke" for featuring diverse models and bright colors. The campaign also didn't feature any cars.Now, the luxury British carmaker has filled in some of the blanks regarding its new identity by revealing a concept car at Miami Art Week. A front view of Jaguar's concept car. Jaguar The exterior of the concept car dubbed "Type 00" for zero tailpipe emissions and its status as car zero in the brand's new lineage features butterfly doors, a glassless rear tailgate, and a panoramic roof. It is conceptualized in two colors "Miami Pink" to honor the pastel Art Deco architecture of its reveal city, and "London Blue" inspired by the Opalescent Silver Blue of the 1960s in honor of the company's British roots, Jaguar said in a statement."Type 00 commands attention, like all the best Jaguars of the past," Jaguar's chief exterior designer, Constantino Segui Gilabert, said in the statement. "It is a dramatic presence, channeling a unique spirit of British creativity and originality. It celebrates art and embodies the essence of Exuberant Modernism." A side-view of Jaguar's concept car. Jaguar The wheels of the concept car feature Jaguar's new logo. Jaguar The Jag's exterior design also showcases the redesigned Jaguar "leaper" mark laser-etched into a brass ingot that opens up to reveal rear-facing cameras when needed.On the inside, three brass lines run the length of the interior one on each door and one straight down the middle of the cabin.Floating instrument panels mark either side of the middle brass line, which is supported by a pedestal of travertine stone, as are the floating seats.A woven wool blend fabric surrounds the two seats, sound bar, and cabin floor."Just as on the outside, deployable technologies are a hallmark of the interior," Jaguar's chief interior designer, Tom Holden, said in the statement. "Screens glide silently and theatrically from the dashboard, while powered stowage areas slide open softly on demand, revealing hidden splashes of exuberant color." Jaguar's new "leaper" mark pops out the side of the concept car to reveal a camera. Jaguar Three brass lines run through the length of the concept car, with one right down the middle. Jaguar An interior view of Jaguar's concept car. Jaguar It's not clear what specific design elements of the new concept could end up being implemented in Jaguar's forthcoming electric vehicle models. Jaguar said Type 00 is meant as "an indicator of design philosophy and intent for the coming new vehicles."The brand announced in 2021 that it would be moving to all-electric vehicles. The first model of its new lineup an electric four-door will be revealed in late 2025, the company said Monday. The forthcoming model is expected to use dedicated Jaguar Electric Architecture, and is expected to have a projected driving range of up to 430 miles on a single charge, and be able to add up to 200 miles of range after 15 minutes of rapid charging, the company said Monday.With the new vehicles expected to become available in 2026, the company is already phasing out production of its internal combustion engine cars, converting its Halewood, UK factory to all-electric production, andceasing sales of new cars in the UK.In preparation for its EV lineup launch, Jaguar first debuted its rebranding campaign in November, and it included an updated typeface for its "Jaguar" logo, a redesign of the leaping jaguar mark, and a colorful new video advertisement that showed models clad in high fashion and no cars in sight. British carmaker Jaguar released a redesigned logo this week. Jaguar The promo video caught a lot of flack on social media, late-night TV, and in the media for not featuring any cars, while some conservative personalities accused the company of abandoning its history and pushing into "woke" politics. Elon Musk even weighed in.In an interview with the Financial Times, Jaguar's managing director, Rawdon Glover, defended the rebrand, saying the campaign's intended message was lost "in a blaze of intolerance" and that the controversial promo video was not meant to be a "woke" statement.The revamp of the iconic brand and chosen vehicle of Britain's royal family and prime ministers also included an introduction to its new design philosophy of "exuberant modernism," which the company defined as "imaginative, bold, and artistic at every touchpoint." Jaguar's new video ad has baffled people online. Jaguar Some marketing and rebranding experts have heavily criticized Jaguar's new identity. One told Business Insider that the rebrand is "bonkers" and another said he's not convinced the company is making the right statement. Still, others were more positive, with one advertising expert telling BI that the rebranding rollout had been relatively successful and another saying it was a "significant disruption" that could eventually work for the company. An SS Jaguar 100 was built between 1936 and 1941 by SS Cars Limited, the company that preceded Jaguar before founder Sir William Lyons renamed it in 1945. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images It's not just the shift in Jaguar's brand identity that has gotten marketers talking but also the apparent pivot in what audience base Jaguar is now trying to target.As part of the brand's positioning, the newly announced Jags are expected to be significantly more upmarket than the ones being phased out. Car and Driver previously reported that the brand, which is owned by India's Tata Motors, was looking toward Range Rover, its corporate cousin, as inspiration for where it wants to be. The magazine cited a Range Rover that costs about $400,000; most Jaguar models for 2024 had list prices of about $50,000 to $80,000."We have forged a fearlessly creative new character for Jaguar that is true to the DNA of the brand but future-facing, relevant, and one that really stands out," Glover said of Monday's concept debut.

In college, Wendy Altschuler studied abroad in India.She traveled back 20 years later, eager to bring along her husband and three sons.It showed her how different it feels to travel in your 20s alongside students versus exploring with kids in tow.It was dark when I arrived in India, the air was slothful with a gluey viscosity. I was still in college and had never traveled this far away from home before.I hadn't decided to study abroad in India on a whim. I had spent months preparing, saving, and studying. Delving deep, I was fully immersed in my classes, reading every book on the recommended list and watching every film.I also spent a lot of time wandering along Chicago's Devon Avenue, or Little India, which was home to 15 blocks of South Asian restaurants and shops at the time.Of course, none of this prepared me for what I experienced in Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur: the Golden Triangle.Studying abroad in IndiaDuring my last year in school, as part of mystudy-abroadprogram, I volunteered at a children's home about 90 minutes south of Delhi. Through my work, I learned the power of Jugaad, a Hindi word an ethos, really which compels one to make the most of what one has, even if it's very little.After a day of serving others, I'd return to the YMCA, my home in New Delhi at the time. I'd meet up with classmates to chat about the day's discoveries. I'd share about how generous and selfless it was for the home leaders to help. Others would discuss how difficult it was to witness families living on the street.More than once during my first stay, a stranger welcomed me into their home, often just two rooms for their entire family. They would offer me a hot cup of tea or a bangle for my wrist. The people who ostensibly had the least seemed hell-bent on giving the most.This was a formative time in my life, an era of tipping my toe into what might be possible for my future. The kindness and sincerity of the people I met in India, both at the children's home and also in other places I visited, made an indelible impression on me. Altschuler (second from left) was reminded of all the kindness in India on her second trip to India. Wendy Altschuler I returned 20 years later with my three sonsSo, when I got the opportunity to bring my three boys to India two decades later, I raised my hand.As a travel writer, I've had the opportunity to visit many countries around the world, and as a result, I've accumulated a fair amount of airline miles. My husband, who also travels for work, does the same.We decided to cash in our miles and book a family trip to South and Southeast Asia, taking advantage of extended layovers. This included four days lighting up all five of our senses in India.We made the most of our limited time by visiting some of Delhi's landmarks, including Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate, Lotus Temple, and Jama Masjid. These were all the same locales my feet had wandered through as a university student.We hired human-powered cycle rickshaws to explore the constricted streets of Old Delhi, where hundreds of snaking power cords blocked out the sky above. I watched my sons' eyes widen as we narrowly avoided itinerant goats, men and women carrying hefty bundles on their heads, beeping motorbikes, and green and yellow tuk-tuks. The author enjoyed watching her sons' eyes as they looked at tuk-tuks on the streets of Delhi. Wendy Altschuler The most distinctive stop for me was the timeworn YMCA. I didn't recognize it, truly, until I saw the hallway leading to the bedrooms where I could picture myself running down the stairs, a palpable sensation where I remembered unerringly how I felt when I was young, well before the demands of adulthood and motherhood.In a snap of a finger, so powerfully poignant that errant tears escaped down my cheeks, I was now standing there, in the exact same spot, with my husband and three children. Time is wild.Later, we'd leave Delhi and travel to Agra, stopping off at the famous Taj Mahal. A multi-generational family of women smiled and asked to have a photo with me at Agra Fort, and each time I spotted them around the grounds, we would all wave and giggle, verifying that the warmth and adoration were mutually felt.In Jaipur, the Pink City, my 15-year-old middle son met a man who coaxed a green bird out of a cage. The bird then selected a red card with his beak, a delightful fortune of goodwill. When the rain poured down in sheets while visiting Chandra Mahal and City Palace, my boys dared each other to step out from under the safety of the overhang and get soaked a dare my youngest took hook, line, and sinker.Looking at the photos that my kids had taken later elephants walking in the road, magnified details of gems stuck in walls, garbage on the ground, and plenty of goofy selfies I recognized that they were going through something completely different on this journey than I was, which is the magic of travel. Altschuler enjoyed riding around the city with her family on rickshaws. Wendy Altschuler Sojourning in India during my 20s with other students was undoubtedly a much different opportunity than seeing the country with my family in tow. We can all wander through the same destination together, but our ages, life experiences, and circumstances will always dictate a unique, personalized adventure. It's up to us to assign meaning to what we experience.India is fragrant smoke, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, and dangling strings of chilies; tight round marigolds, fresh jasmine, and bursting bougainvillea; raucous tuk-tuks and inert cows. It's humidity, then a deluge of rain then beams of sunshine. It's smiles under draping colorful scarves and a bob of the head. There's an effervescence that must be experienced firsthand to comprehend, to believe, to feel.My boys will likely be unpacking their journey for years to come, just as I am decades later still; and perhaps, in 20 more years, we will meet in the country of curry, textiles, forts, and flowers once again.

President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden on Sunday, just weeks before he leaves the White House and despite previously promising not to do so. Biden said in a statement announcing the pardon that his son had been selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted and that his political opponents had undertaken an effort to break Hunter, suggesting that the Justice Department under a second Trump administration would continue to go after him. Hunter Biden was convicted in two separate federal cases involving handgun and tax-related charges and was awaiting sentencing. The full and unconditional pardon covers an 11-year period ending on December 1 and is not limited to all offenses charged or prosecuted. I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice, Biden said in the statement.Republicans, unsurprisingly, have criticized the decision, but so, too, have some of Bidens fellow Democrats. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) called the pardon a decision to put personal interest ahead of duty that further erodes Americans faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all, and Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) said it was a setback for those who want to believe in public service again. Heres what you need to know about Hunter Biden, the presidents pardon powers, and what this precedent could mean for Donald Trump.Who is Hunter Biden, and what did he do?Hunter Biden, 54, is the presidents only living son and the only family member of a sitting president to be convicted of federal crimes.In June, a Delaware jury convicted him on three charges related to misrepresenting his illegal drug use on a form he submitted while purchasing a handgun in 2018, when he was addicted to drugs. He had initially struck a plea deal with prosecutors that later fell apart, and instead, they brought the gun charges to trial a rare occurrence. In September, Biden also pled guilty to nine charges related to underpaying taxes between 2016 and 2019, including filing a false tax return and tax evasion. He would have faced up to 25 years in prison for the gun conviction and 17 years for the tax conviction, though likely would have only been sentenced for a fraction of that time, totaling under five years.Neither case involved longstanding probes into Bidens business dealings, which Republicans have attempted to link to his father. But its possible further charges could have been brought against him had he not been pardoned. What is a presidential pardon?Under the Constitution, the president has the power to grant Reprieves and Pardons. A full pardon reverses a past criminal conviction (or, in Hunter Bidens case, all of them within a certain span of time, as well as the possibility of facing legal jeopardy for as-of-yet-unprosecuted crimes) and its consequences, including restoring the right to vote, hold office, and sit on a jury, if lost as a consequence of the conviction. Presidents can also grant clemency to those convicted of federal crimes, reducing their sentences while leaving convictions in place. This authority, however, is not limitless.Though the president can grant an unlimited number of pardons, they can only do so for federal criminal offenses, not state crimes or civil liability. There are also other restrictions on the presidents pardon powers: Federal courts have found that pardons must advance public welfare; they cannot be used to infringe on constitutional rights, to obstruct justice, or as bribes; and they must not interfere with the presidents duty to take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed by encouraging future lawbreaking.Have presidents pardoned their family before?Presidents have pardoned members of their family before, though its relatively uncommon. Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother, who pleaded guilty to drug charges in 1985. Trump pardoned his son-in-law Jared Kushners father, Charles Kushner, who he recently appointed as the US ambassador to France. Trump also pardoned dozens of people shortly before leaving office in his first term who later went on to endorse him or financially support his 2024 campaign, including his former White House chief strategist Steven Bannon, former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, his former campaign chair Paul Manafort, and his former political consultant Roger Stone.In 1974, Gerald Ford notably pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon, after the Watergate scandal, a decision he attributed to the need to allow the country to move past the scandal.But Bidens controversial decision to pardon his son may pave the way for future presidents Trump included to abuse their pardon powers. Bidens pardon is incredibly broad, covering over a decade in which his son could have potentially committed crimes that have not even been charged yet, and in that sense, is unprecedented. Typically, presidents pardon specific crimes or any crimes related to a particular event. This one amounts to blanket amnesty.Will Trump pardon anyone when he takes office?Trump has previously claimed he has an absolute right to pardon himself, a statement that has divided legal scholars. Its unclear if he will test that theory, however; while he has 34 felony convictions to his name for falsifying business records, those lie outside his pardon power in New York state court. He also faces multiple federal criminal investigations, but following Trumps reelection, Special Counsel Jack Smith and the Justice Department said they would drop cases against him for trying to overturn the 2020 election and mishandling classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. The conservative majority on the Supreme Court has suggested it might side with Trump if he pardons himself. In a ruling earlier this year, it found that presidents have immunity from prosecution for official acts under their exclusive sphere of constitutional authority.Trump has also suggested he would pardon those behind the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol. More than 1,000 people have been convicted for their involvement, including on charges of seditious conspiracy and assaulting law enforcement officers, and hundreds of cases are still pending. Trump has previously, baselessly, called them hostages and said he would be inclined to pardon many of them.Past presidents have pardoned insurrectionists before, but not recently. Previous cases include during the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion and the Philippine-American War at the turn of the 20th century, but in those cases, the pardons were seen as an opportunity to quell further unrest. Potential Trump pardons for January 6 insurrectionists could have the opposite effect; by allowing his supporters to escape consequences for committing politically motivated violence, it could encourage further such violence on his behalf. Could the pardon power be reformed?Some Democrats have raised the possibility of putting guardrails on the presidents pardon power to prevent future abuses in the wake of Bidens decision. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) indicated Monday that he would support reforms: At the very least, weve got to circumscribe it so that you dont get to pardon relatives, even if you believe passionately that theyre innocent or their cause is just, he said on CNN.Other Democrats have previously suggested that not only a presidents family members, but members of their administrations or campaign staff and anyone who commits a crime to further the presidents personal interests should not be eligible for a pardon. Though that might already be beyond the scope of the presidents pardon powers, making that prohibition explicit would help prevent abuse, especially since courts may be reluctant to intervene.However, such reforms would require a constitutional amendment. Two-thirds of both chambers of Congress would have to approve it, which seems unlikely at such a moment of political polarization. How could Biden still use his pardon powers?With under two months left in office, Biden may still issue further pardons. Its traditional for presidents to issue grants of executive clemency before leaving office, and advocates have urged Biden to do so in a number of cases. Perhaps most prominently, Biden still has time to grant clemency to the 40 men currently on federal death row, who otherwise would face the possibility of execution under a second Trump administration.He could also use the power to alleviate the harms of mass incarceration, as dozens of lawmakers have recently urged him. Specifically, they asked Biden to help elderly and chronically ill, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers who are currently in prison, including many who do not pose a public safety threat and who have been separated from their families.Biden has granted 25 pardons and 132 commutations of sentences during his time in office, according to Department of Justice data. That puts him behind other recent Democratic presidents, including Barack Obama, who issued 212 pardons and 1,715 commutations during two terms. However, Obama issued hundreds of clemency actions on his last day in office, and Biden could do the same on Monday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that more pardons will be forthcoming.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

President Joe Biden has pardoned Hunter Biden for all crimes known and unknown that his son committed over the past 11 years.This is not a great look for a man whos decried President-elect Donald Trumps attacks on impartial law enforcement, declared that No one is above the law, and repeatedly vowed that he would not pardon his son. The president justified immunizing Hunter from criminal accountability by arguing that his son had been selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted. Hunter Biden was convicted of lying on a federal gun application and failing to pay his taxes, offenses that virtually never inspire felony charges, in the presidents telling. That Hunter was not only prosecuted for such indiscretions but charged so aggressively that he was likely to face 3 years in prison reflected a politically biased process, Biden argues: Were he not the child of the GOPs top political adversary, Hunter would never have faced hard time for such minor crimes.This is a plausible argument. But then, one can just as reasonably argue that New York would never have investigated anyone but Donald Trump for falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to a porn star paramour. And in that case, Biden was emphatic that the law was the law. All this said, it is not hard to understand Bidens hypocrisy. His sole surviving son was staring down years in prison, plausibly because of Bidens own decision to seek the presidency (thereby throwing a spotlight on his troubled, addiction-prone kid). The incoming president, meanwhile, has vowed to investigate the Biden family for further crimes. Joe Biden had the power to protect his child from imprisonment and further selective prosecutions. I suspect most fathers in his shoes would do as he has done.But Biden is not just a father. He is, for a few more weeks anyway, the de facto leader of the Democratic Party. And this pardon does his co-partisans no favors. To the contrary, it reinforces the narrative that Democrats ostensible horror at Trumps use of public power for private benefit is sanctimonious posturing. If all sides are corrupt, why not back the unabashed crook who promises to ruthlessly put America first? These sorts of (deluded) sentiments have badly undermined Democrats in recent years. And the pardoning of Hunter Biden lends credence to such reasoning.More concretely, Biden has made it more difficult for Democrats to claim the moral high ground in impending fights over Trumps abuses of the pardon power. Already, the president-elect has hinted that he intends to pardon the January 6 rioters en masse, an act that could embolden other MAGA diehards eager to commit lawless acts in service of their leader.Fortunately, Democrats now have the opportunity to demonstrate the sincerity of their ideals, while also mitigating one of their partys greatest political liabilities all by simply loudly and uniformly condemning Bidens pardon as an abuse of power.Indeed, from a certain angle, Biden may have just done his party a favor. The presidents extraordinary unpopularity has weighed on Democrats for years now. During the 2024 campaign, the party had limited capacity to distance themselves from the Biden administration, since their standard-bearer was its second-most prominent member. But now that Harris 2024 is no more, Democrats face little imperative to protect Bidens brand. And the impetus to get out from under his shadow has only grown since Election Day. According to both Gallup and 538s polling, Bidens approval rating has fallen since the election, with Americans now disapproving of him by a 19-point margin in the latters assessment. Exit polls, meanwhile, showed a record-high 45 percent of voters saying that they have grown worse off under the existing administration.Thus, even before Hunters pardon, it was in the interests of Democrats to loudly break with their president. Now, the party has a means of doing so without implicating anyone else in their firmament. Denouncing Biden over inflation would involve disparaging every Democratic member of Congress who voted for the presidents fiscal policies (which also still have much to recommend them on the merits). Decrying the president for pardoning his son, by contrast, damages no one but the president, whose career in Democratic politics is over.To be sure, many voters are not going to notice Democrats disavowing Biden en masse, while others will see it as a cynical ploy. Taking Biden to task for pardoning his son is not going to solve all of the partys problems. And this whole episode will have fallen far out of the publics consciousness by the 2026 midterms, let alone the 2028 presidential election.But the project of extricating the Democratic brand from a presidency that voters disdain however misguidedly must start somewhere. In pardoning Hunter, Biden has given both his son and his party a chance for a new beginning. Democrats should seize it.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

I am at that stage in life where my options are narrowing when it comes to the jobs I dreamed of doing as a child. I am too old to play football for Scotland, I will not own a brewery or become an astronaut. (In retrospect, aspiring to a job that combined all three was a tad ambitious.) Its also risky to give up any job in this economy without knowing whether the new one will work out. Luckily, thanks to video games, I can try them out before taking the plunge. And you are never too old to be a gangster, are you? Which is why I started playing Mafia: Definitive Edition.I did play it briefly in its original incarnation, 70bn years ago. Not for long, though, because it had driving sections as unintuitive and poorly controlled as that buggy on Mars.For me, the fantasy of being a mobster was always less about the murder, extortion and whatnot, and more about the social side: just hanging with guys and having bants. That is more than adequately represented in this game. As soon as I start showing interest in the bar owners daughter the guys tell me that Im always soft when it comes to broads. Boy, do those jabronis really have my number!The main character Tommys story is how I imagine my own path into the mafia. I was born from Polish stock on the east coast of Scotland and therefore could not trace my lineage back to Sicily, nor did I have any blood connection to the five families. Like Tommy, I imagined that I too would start off as a taxi driver, whisk some wounded guys away from rival mobsters one night, and do such a quality job that I would be invited to come and do some more work for them. This is the mobster equivalent of a five-star review on Uber.Its not Goodfellas or The Godfather but its solid Mafia: Definitive Edition. Photograph: Hangar 13You dont actually have to do a lot of driving in the updated edition. You can skip between destinations with the press of a button, although this does mean you miss out on in-journey chat which helps give the story more detail. And it is a good story. Its not Goodfellas or The Godfather, but its solid, and I thought the voice acting was pretty strong.The script is full of cliches, but I find them reassuring because they remind me of the mafia movies I grew up loving. Politicians are always on the take. Gangsters are always wanting to eventually go legit. You dont save lives, you save asses. You dont do things, you do what you gotta do. You arent brave, you have a real set of balls. Not just any set of balls, but a set that warrants frequent commentary and admiration. My boss, Don Salieri, kept telling my work colleagues to look at the set of balls on this kid. Is it any wonder the mafia dont have a HR department? After one meeting everyone exits the room leaving not one but two cigars burning in an ashtray. So, I dont think much of the health and safety in this workplace, either.Some things are a bit silly. My character is still called The Kid when he is 30; perhaps theyre bootlegging an elixir of eternal youth alongside all the bourbon. I have to go and see a guy called Vincenzo to get weapons. I am frequently told he will have just what I need. Most of the time it ends up being a baseball bat. I could have got that from Toys R Us.But I find this game so comforting to play in a predictable, undemanding way. For the most part its like settling down with a cosy crime thriller or a potato-based soup, though there are a couple of levels that are insanely hard: a race that was completely unforgiving, a motorbike chase with zero room for error, and a level where you have to shoot down a plane for which I not only had to drop down to easy difficulty, but also had to turn the controller sensitivity down so low that my gunsight moved like an ocean tanker. (Thanks to Reddit for that last tip, and also for the comments from other people who had suffered through that level it was like a video game PTSD group.)But just when I am feeling comfortable in this lovely mafia job, with the bants and the big bucks, one character gets bored and fed up with this life. We sit around for six months busting balls and I get rusty. Then Im fighting to stay awake while the Don tells me one of his stories, he says.I guess that like all jobs, even the mafia gets boring after a while.

Neil Newbon shone as Astarion in last year's incredible Baldur's Gate 3, but he's got his sights set on a role in the iconic Final Fantasy franchise - but don't call him a villain

The PS5 just added a 30th Anniversary update that brings with it some incredible nostalgic touches from all generations of Sony's console - but it won't be around forever.

Nintendo Switch 2 leak shows Joy-Con with a back pedal if its realGameCentralPublished December 2, 2024 7:00pm Is this a real picture of the Switch 2? (Nintendo)Just as Switch 2 news was starting to quieten down, pictures have emerged appearing to show the Joy-Con controllers for Nintendos next console.While it seems like we wont hear anything official about Nintendos next console until next year, that just means theres more time for leaks and rumours to circulate online.Nintendo has only confirmed its next console, unofficially dubbed the Switch 2, will be backwards compatible, but rumours suggest it will also have magnetic Joy-Con controllers and specs roughly in line with an Xbox Series S.A new leak from Chinese video sharing site Bilibili has now seemingly revealed the new controllers, which appear to include a mysterious new trigger on the back.As reported by NintendoSoup, its unclear where these images have originated from exactly, but the Bilibili video blurs out key parts (including what appears to be the console itself) to protect the original source.The short glimpses we do see show two IR sensors on the bottom, larger SL and SR buttons, and some kind of extra pedal or trigger on the back. Its unclear whether this is a button or a mechanism to remove it from the console itself.The Joy-Cons being magnetic a minor detail in the scale of things is one of the few things about the Switch 2 that has been mentioned by multiple sources, but while images of the console and its controllers have appeared online before theres been no confirmation that theyre real.The photos supposedly came from a factory worker in China, which is exactly where youd expect a leak to originate from, as the Switch 2 enters full production and Nintendo starts to stockpile them for launch.That certainly doesnt guarantee theyre real though and while many fans expect the Switch 2 to be physically quite similar to the current model theres no real evidence for that and Nintendo certainly hasnt said one way or another.In these circumstances its always sensible to assume the least interesting explanation, which in this case would be that its fake or that if its not the thing at the back is just to disconnect the Joy-Con from the main console.More TrendingOn the current models thats achieved via a small button at the top though, so its not clear why this would need to change to something bigger.One possibility could be that its an analogue trigger meant for driving games. Unlike the Xbox and PlayStation, the shoulder buttons on the Switch 2 are not analogue, which doesnt allow for much nuance in racing games.It would be nice to change that with the Switch 2 but if Nintendo is worried about backwards compatibility they may have decided to add a whole new button rather than replace the current ones.Although theres a very slim chance of some kind of Nintendo Switch 2 news at The Game Awards next week the most likely scenario at the moment is that the new console wont be unveiled properly until January or February so we wont know for sure until then. The original Joy-Cons are digital only (Nintendo)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy