In a plot twist that would make even the most cynical sitcom writer blush, OpenAI employees have donated more than $215,000 to a political effort opposing Leading the Future, a group backed by the company’s own president, Greg Brockman. Nothing says 'we believe in your leadership' like funding a campaign to defang it.

Meanwhile, Gidi Littwin’s new AI startup, Hemispheric, is aiming to make diagnostic brain scans for conditions like depression, PTSD, and Parkinson’s as cheap and easy as a blood test. Because if there’s one thing we need, it’s AI that can tell us what’s wrong with our brains before we even get a chance to blame our parents.

New York governor Kathy Hochul, with all the solemnity of a leader who’s just realized her state is on fire, declared, 'We have no choice but to address the challenges created by these massive facilities.' Her executive order will pause construction for one year, presumably to give everyone time to figure out why thousands of new fossil-fuel power sources are quietly firing up across the state to power the AI boom, thanks to a regulatory loophole. Residents, of course, are feeling blindsided - shocked that the promise of shiny AI came with a side of pollution.

On a brighter note, solid-state batteries are safer and more capable - but harder to mass-produce. They also represent an opportunity for non-Chinese companies to get back in the game. Because nothing says 'global competition' like a battery that works better but requires a PhD to make.

And finally, in news that’s only slightly overdue: first it was chess and Go. Now AI can beat us at Diplomacy, the most human of board games. The way it wins offers hope that maybe AI will be a delight. Or at least a very smug opponent.