This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.Its surprisingly easy to stumble into a relationship with an AI chatbotThe news: The first large-scale computational analysis of the Reddit community r/MyBoyfriendIsAI, which is dedicated to discussing AI relationships, found that many people formed those relationships unintentionally while using AI for other purposes. In fact, only 6.5% of them said theyd deliberately sought out an AI companion.Why it matters: The study found that AI companionship provides vital support for some but exacerbates underlying problems for others. This means its hard to take a one-size-fits-all approach to user safety. Read the full story.Rhiannon WilliamsJoin us at 1.30pm ET today to learn about the future of birth controlConversations around birth control usually focus on women, but Kevin Eisenfrats, one of the MIT Technology Review 2025 Innovators Under 35, is working to change that. His company, Contraline, is working toward testing new birth control options for men. Join us for an exclusive subscribers-only Roundtable interview to hear Kevin in conversation with our executive editor Amy Nordrum at 1.30 ET today.MIT Technology Review Narrated: Whats next for AI and mathThe last year has seen rapid progress in the ability of large language models to tackle math at high school level and beyond. Is AI closing in on human mathematicians?This story is the latest to be turned into a MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, which we publish every week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to listen to all our new episodes as theyre released.The must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 Secret Service agents dismantled a giant operation to cripple cell networksThey say its likely it was intended to be used for scams. (Wired $)2 Welcome to the new era of fragmented US vaccine policiesThe federal government is abdicating responsibility for public health. Who will fill the void? (New Yorker $)+ Why US federal health agencies are abandoning mRNA vaccines. (MIT Technology Review)3 European defense leaders are discussing building a drone wallTheyre scrambling to catch up as Russian incursions into their territory increase. (ABC)4 How will we know if weve reached artificial general intelligence?Thats the multi-billion dollar questionbut theres no clear answer. (IEEE Spectrum)+ Experts dont even agree on what AI is to begin with, never mind AGI. (MIT Technology Review)5 Robot umpires are coming to baseballs major leagues next yearHumans will still be in charge of calling balls and strikes, but tech will help to judge appealed decisions. (AP)6 AIs energy needs are being overstatedAnd that could lock us into unnecessary, costly fossil fuel projects. (The Verge)+ Four reasons to be optimistic about AIs energy usage. (MIT Technology Review)7 Extreme drought is set to become a lot more commonplaceGovernments need to do a lot more to prepare. (Gizmodo)8 AI is coming for subtitle writers jobsBut their work is harder to replace than you might think. (The Guardian)+ Workslop is slowing everything down. (Harvard Business Review)+ And, to add to the problem, AI systems may never be secure. (The Economist $)9 How epigenetics could help save wildlife from extinctionIt could allow scientists to detect accelerated aging before an animal population starts to visibly collapse. (Knowable)+ Aging clocks aim to predict how long youll live. (MIT Technology Review)10 TikTok is getting introduced to the concept of the raptureWhich is due today, according to some. If so, its been great knowing you. Good luck! (The Guardian)Quote of the dayEverybody has a backup.Stella Li, executive vice president at BYD, tells CNBC the company has contingency plans in case Beijing orders it to stop using Nvidia chips.One more thingGETTY IMAGESThis app is helping workers reclaim millions in lost wagesReclamo, a new web app, helps immigrant workers who have experienced wage theft. It guides them through assembling case details, and ultimately produces finished legal claims that can be filed instantly. A process that would otherwise take multiple meetings with an attorney can now be done within an hour.A significant amount of wage theft targets immigrants, both legal and undocumented, in part because of communication barriers and their perceived lack of power or legal recourse. But the app is already making a differencehelping workers to reclaim $1 million in lost wages since it started beta testing in October 2022. Read the full story.Patrick SissonWe can still have nice thingsA place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet em at me.)+ Its Fat Bear Week! Who gets your vote this year?+ Learn about Lord Woodbine, the forgotten sixth Beatle.+ There are some truly wild and wacky recipes in this Medieval Cookery collection. Venison porridge, anyone?+ Pessimism about technology is as old as technology itself, as this archive shows.