The Download: Words of wisdom from the departing White House tech advisor, and controversial AI manga translation

President Biden’s 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 president’s 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 Biden’s 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 O’Donnell

This manga publisher is using Anthropic’s AI to translate Japanese comics into English

A Japanese publishing startup is using Anthropic’s 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.