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. The 8 worst technology failures of 2024 They say you learn more from failure than success. If so, this is the story for you: MIT Technology Reviews annual roll call of the biggest flops, flimflams, and fiascos in all domains of technology. Some of the foul-ups were funny, like the "woke AI which got Google in trouble after it drew Black Nazis. Some caused lawsuits, like a computer error by CrowdStrike that left thousands of Delta passengers stranded. And we also reaped failures among startups that raced to expand from 2020 to 2022, a period of ultra-low interest rates. Check out what made our list of this years biggest technology failures. Antonio Regalado Antonio will be discussing this years worst failures with our executive editor Niall Firth in a subscriber-exclusive online Roundtable event today at 12.00 ET. Register here to make sure you dont miss outf you havent already, subscribe! AIs search for more energy is growing more urgent If you drove by one of the 2,990 data centers in the United States, youd probably think little more than Huh, thats a boring-looking building. You might not even notice it at all. However, these facilities underpin our entire digital world, and they are responsible for tons of greenhouse-gas emissions. New research shows just how much those emissions have skyrocketed during the AI boom. That leaves a big problem for the worlds leading AI companies, which are caught between pressure to meet their own sustainability goals and the relentless competition in AI thats leading them to build bigger models requiring tons of energy. And the trend toward ever more energy-intensive new AI models will only send those numbers higher. Read the full story.James O'Donnell This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday. The must-reads Ive combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 TikTok has asked the US Supreme Court for a lifeline Its asked lawmakers to intervene before the proposed ban kicks in on January 19. (WP $)+ TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew reportedly met with Donald Trump yesterday. (NBC News)+ Trump will take office the following day, on January 20. (WSJ $)+ Meanwhile, the EU is investigating TikToks role in Romanias election. (Politico)2 Waymos autonomous cars are heading to Tokyo In the first overseas venture for the firms vehicles. (The Verge)+ The cars will require human safety drivers initially. (CNBC)+ Whats next for robotaxis in 2024. (MIT Technology Review)3 Chinas tech workers are still keen to work in the US But securing the right to work there is much tougher than it used to be. (Rest of World)4 Digital license plates are vulnerable to hacking And theyre already legal to buy in multiple US states. (Wired $) 5 Were all slaves to the algorithmsFrom the mundane (Spotify) to the essential (housing applications.) (The Atlantic $) + How a group of tenants took on screening systemsand won. (The Guardian)+ The coming war on the hidden algorithms that trap people in poverty. (MIT Technology Review)6 How to build an undetectable submarine The race is on to stay hidden from the competition. (IEEE Spectrum)+ How underwater drones could shape a potential Taiwan-China conflict. (MIT Technology Review)7 How Empower became a viable rival to UberIts refusal to cooperate with authorities is straight out of Ubers early playbook. (NYT $) 8 Even airlines are using AirTags to find lost luggage Bloomberg $) + Heres how to keep tabs on your suitcase as you travel. (Forbes $)9 Youre reading your blood pressure all wrong Keep your feet flat on the floor and ditch your phone, for a start. (WSJ $)10 The rise and rise of the group chat Expressing yourself publicly on social media is so last year. (Insider $)+ How to fix the internet. (MIT Technology Review)Quote of the day Where are the adults in the room? Francesca Marano, a long-time contributor to WordPress, lambasts the platforms decision to require users to check a box reading Pineapple is delicious on pizza to log in, 404 Media reports. The big story Responsible AI has a burnout problem October 2022 Margaret Mitchell had been working at Google for two years before she realized she needed a break. Only after she spoke with a therapist did she understand the problem: she was burnt out. Mitchell, who now works as chief ethics scientist at the AI startup Hugging Face, is far from alone in her experience. Burnout is becoming increasingly common in responsible AI teams. All the practitioners MIT Technology Review interviewed spoke enthusiastically about their work: it is fueled by passion, a sense of urgency, and the satisfaction of building solutions for real problems. But that sense of mission can be overwhelming without the right support. Read the full story. Melissa Heikkil 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 skeet 'em at me.) + This timelapse of a pine tree growing from a tiny pinecone is pretty special + Shaboozeys A Bar Song (Tipsy) is one of 2024s biggest hits. But why has it struck such a chord?+ All hail Londons campest Christmas tree!+ Stay vigilant, Oregons googly eye bandit has struck again