This is todays edition ofThe Download,our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of whats going on in the world of technology.OpenAI has upped its lobbying efforts nearly sevenfoldOpenAI spent $1.76 million on government lobbying in 2024 and $510,000 in the last three months of the year alone, according to a new disclosure filed on Tuesdaya significant jump from 2023, when the company spent just $260,000 on Capitol Hill.The disclosure is a clear signal of the companys arrival as a political player, as its first year of serious lobbying ends and Republican control of Washington begins. While OpenAIs lobbying spending is still dwarfed by bigger tech players, the uptick comes as it and other AI companies are helping redraw the shape of AI policy. Read the full story.James ODonnellA new company plans to use Earth as a chemical reactorForget massive steel tankssome scientists want to make chemicals with the help of rocks deep beneath Earths surface.New research shows that ammonia, a chemical crucial for fertilizer, can be produced from rocks at temperatures and pressures that are common in the subsurface. The research was published yesterday in Joule, and MIT Technology Review can exclusively report that a new company, called Addis Energy, has been founded to commercialize the process.Ammonia is used in most fertilizers and is a vital part of our modern food system. Its also being considered for use as a green fuel in industries like transoceanic shipping. The problem is that current processes used to make ammonia require a lot of energy and produce huge amounts of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Read the full story.Casey CrownhartThere can be no winners in a US-China AI arms raceAlvin Wang Graylin and Paul TrioloThe United States and China are entangled in what many have dubbed an AI arms race.In the early days of this standoff, US policymakers drove an agenda centered on winning the race, mostly from an economic perspective. In recent months, leading AI labs such as OpenAI and Anthropic got involved in pushing the narrative of beating China in what appeared to be an attempt to align themselves with the incoming Trump administration. The belief that the US can win in such a race was based mostly on the early advantage it had over China in advanced GPU compute resources and the effectiveness of AIs scaling laws.But now it appears that access to large quantities of advanced compute resources is no longer the defining or sustainable advantage many had thought it would be. Read the full story.Meet the divers trying to figure out how deep humans can goFiguring out how the human body can withstand underwater pressure has been a problem for over a century, but a ragtag band of divers is experimenting with hydrogen to find out.This is our latest story to be turned into a MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, whichwere publishing each week on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Just navigate to MIT Technology Review Narrated on either platform, and follow us to get all our new content as its released.The must-readsIve combed the internet to find you todays most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.1 Donald Trump has pardoned the creator of Silk RoadRoss Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, money laundering, and hacking. (BBC)+ The 40-year old has been in prison since 2015. (NYT $)+ Its a clear attempt to curry favor with the crypto community. (Bloomberg $)2 The US is embarking on a major AI data center pushOpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle will create $100 billion in computing infrastructure. (NYT $)+ Sam Altman says the project will facilitate the birth of AGI in America. (Insider $)3 What Trumps executive orders mean for youFrom a national energy emergency to pausing wind projects. (Fast Company $)+ The new President also officially established DOGE. (Ars Technica)4 YouTuber Mr Beast is considering buying TikTokHis lawyer insists hes deadly serious. (CNN)+ What is the true value of TikTok, exactly? (The Information $)+ Trump is open to Elon Musk bidding for ownership too. (The Guardian)5 Microsoft will foot the bill to restore part of the Amazon rainforestIn exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars worth of carbon credits. (FT $)+ Google, Amazon and the problem with Big Techs climate claims. (MIT Technology Review)6 Google sold AI tools to Israels military in the wake of the Hamas attackIn stark contrast to its public stance distancing itself from Israels security apparatus. (WP $)7 Inside the fight raging over NASAs first deep space stationSome experts argue we should start building living quarters directly on the moon instead. (Undark)+ Heres what an exploding rocket looks like. (New Scientist $)+ Whats next for NASAs giant moon rocket? (MIT Technology Review) 8 How the Parcae satellite program helped to win the Cold WarAnd ushered in a new age of eavesdropping in the process. (IEEE Spectrum)9 Startup founders are hustling for deals at inauguration partiesNetworking is so back, baby. (TechCrunch)+ How a Greenwich Village bar became a MAGA mecca. (NY Mag $)10 How AI could revamp treatment for snake bites Courtesy of a recent Nobel chemistry prize winner. (Economist $)Quote of the dayIts not at all like being an employee. Theres nobody you can talk to. Everything is automated.A gig economy driver tells the Guardian about his frustration in navigating the platforms apps.The big storyHow tactile graphics can help end image povertyJune 2023Chancey FleetIn 2020, in the midst of the pandemic lockdown, my husband and I bought a house in Brooklyn and decided to rebuild the interior. He taught me a few key architectural symbols and before long I was drawing my own concepts, working toward a shared vision of the home we eventually designed.Its a commonplace story, except for one key factor: Im blind, and Ive made it my mission to ensure that blind New Yorkers can create and explore images. As a blind tech educator, its my joband my passionto introduce blind and low-vision patrons to tools that help them move through daily life with autonomy and ease. Read the full story.We 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.)+ To prevent sore shoulders and bad backs, it helps to know the muscles that cause them.+ Its time to join the crispy gnocchi club.+ If youre lucky enough to win an Academy Award, dont even think about trying to sell it.+ Space-age bachelor pad music looks like a pretty great genre to me.