The Download: AI’s impact on jobs, and data centres in space

MIT Technology Review
by Thomas Macaulay
April 7, 2026
2 views
4 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

AI's job impact and space data centers are key topics, alongside US science spending cuts and Apple's carbon plan.

How This Affects You

Economist Alex Imas suggests price elasticity data is crucial for understanding AI's effects on employment.

AI Summary

The Download newsletter highlights economist Alex Imas's belief that price elasticity data is vital to address AI's impact on jobs. It also discusses SpaceX's application to launch up to 1 million data centers into Earth's orbit to unleash AI's potential without environmental crisis. Other topics include former President Trump's proposed cuts to US science and tech spending, Sam Altman's lobbying against AI regulations, and NASA's Artemis II breaking humanity's all-time distance record. The newsletter also mentions Apple's controversial plan to plant millions of eucalyptus trees in Brazil to achieve its carbon-neutral goal.

What's Being Done

SpaceX applied to launch 1 million data centers into orbit; Sam Altman is lobbying against AI regulations.

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