The Download: AI’s real extinction threat and age-reversal tech for eyes

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In a rare cross-company alignment, Anthropic's Dario Amodei, OpenAI's Sam Altman, and Elon Musk have all called for slowing advanced AI development. Altman clarified the position as "pacing, not stopping" — arguing safety cases and monitoring impose real costs that should constrain development speed. AI-linked stocks dipped in response, per the FT. The calls drew backlash from two directions simultaneously: China's state media branded the push a "Cold War" tactic designed to lock in American advantage, while U.S. President Trump and House Speaker dismissed regulatory concerns, prioritizing the AI race with Beijing. This leaves AI lab leaders advocating slowdowns that neither their own government nor China will accept. Separately, the digest highlights researcher Yuancheng Lu's age-reversal gene therapy work. Lu developed a reprogramming technique that repaired the optic nerves of blind mice, restoring their sight. A version of the same therapy has now entered human clinical trials targeting macular degeneration, a leading cause of age-related blindness. Lu is among MIT Technology Review's 35 Innovators Under 35 for 2026. Note: this article is MIT Technology Review's "The Download" newsletter digest — it aggregates links and brief summaries rather than providing in-depth original reporting on any single story.