Can AI build a jet engine? JARVIS Challenge tests role of AI copilots in tough-tech engineering
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Artificial intelligence has rapidly transformed software engineering. Generative AI and large language models (LLMs) can create huge volumes of code and documentation; machine-learning algorithms can monitor performance and detect security vulnerabilities. But when the task is to conceive, design, and make a complex physical system such as a jet engine, are those AI tools equally […]
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Michigan Court of Appeals Decision Largely Upholds Michigan PSC’s Renewable Energy Siting Process
Michigan has recently taken steps to centralize and streamline the siting of renewable energy projects, in response to ongoing challenges from local opposition. In 2023, the Michigan state legislature enacted, and Governor Whitmer signed, Public Act 233 (PA 233) which establishes limits on the types of restrictions that local governments can place on renewable energy […]
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28 quotes from next UK leader Andy Burnham on climate, net-zero and fossil fuels
The UK’s incoming prime minister Andy Burnham has remained tight-lipped on his views on climate change during his leadership campaign. When asked his views on reversing Labour’s manifesto pledge to stop new North Sea drilling in June – a move that the oil-and-gas industry and right-wing media have pushed for in recent months – he […]
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Grid congestion driving shift towards smarter renewable operations
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Grid constraints in countries such as the Netherlands are driving renewable operators to adopt new software tools capable of coordinating large fleets of solar and battery assets in real time The Netherlands’ worsening grid congestion is providing one glimpse of how renewable operators across Europe may be forced to manage increasingly complex portfolios of distributed […]
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UK growth “out of reach” without cheaper electricity, warn CBI and energy experts
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Around 2.7 million businesses currently receive little or no protection from escalating power costs. Britain’s ambitions for stronger economic growth and industrial electrification will remain out of reach unless business energy costs are brought down, according to a new report from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Energy UK.1 The document argues that persistently […]
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Solar becomes EU’s largest power source as June output hits record high
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Photovoltaic power array in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France Solar power supplied a quarter of the European Union’s electricity in June for the first time ever, overtaking nuclear (21%), gas (15%), wind (14%)hydro (12%), and coal (8%). Analysis published by energy think tank Ember reports that solar generated a record 52 TWh of electricity across the EU in […]
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How MIT students are helping to prevent cyberattacks
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In May 2019, the government of Baltimore, Maryland, fell into chaos. Cybercriminals had locked the city out of many of its critical files and demanded payment to decrypt them. The city refused to pay ransom. The attack incapacitated a swath of services, including real estate transactions and bill payment, and recovery costs soared into the […]
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AI agents create virtual playgrounds to help robots get crucial training data
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Robots walking down the street, surrounded by astounded onlookers, is an increasingly common sight. But these machines aren’t yet the do-it-all assistants you’d want working in a kitchen or factory, and a major bottleneck is data. Much like humans, robots learn best by experience. The challenge is that it’s labor-intensive and time-consuming to physically teach […]
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A Closer Look at Two Recent Decisions Electrifying the Building Decarbonization World
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash Two major decisions in recent weeks are giving building electrification advocates good reason to be optimistic about the future of buildings that don’t burn gas. In the first—Association of Contracting Plumbers v. City of New York (“Plumbers”)—the Second Circuit upheld New York State and New York City’s laws restricting […]
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LLM Orchestration Frameworks Compared: LangChain vs. LlamaIndex vs. Raw API Calls
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The default assumption in most LLM developer communities is that you start with raw API calls and graduate to a framework as your project grows.
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Choosing the Right AI Agent Memory Strategy: A Decision-Tree Approach
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In this article, you will learn how to choose the right memory strategy for an AI agent by working through a simple decision tree, one…
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Building AI Agents? Here Are Some Anti-Patterns to Avoid.
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Agent systems change constantly in production.
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New method aims to keep kids safe from illegal AI-generated content
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With the exploding popularity of generative artificial intelligence, many open-source models are now available online for anyone to adapt for their task, such as generating product renderings in a certain artistic style. But these models also find their way into the hands of nefarious actors who may optimize them to produce illegal content, like hate […]
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DeBriefed 10 July 2026: Deadly Europe heat | EU electrification leak | COP31 president interview
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week ‘Catastrophic’ climate impacts RECORD HEAT: Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record – some 3C above average – according to analysis covered by the Guardian. It said the finding came “as the UK enters its third heatwave of […]
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Interview: COP31 president says electrification is ‘surest way to protect citizens’
Last month, COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum launched a target for 35% of the world’s final energy to come from electricity by 2035. In an interview with Carbon Brief, Kurum says that the target was not a political choice, but instead reflects the latest evidence on “what is needed to keep 1.5C within reach”. The ongoing […]
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Eight facts about air conditioning amid an overheated global debate
As successive heatwaves hit Europe, air-conditioning (AC) has emerged as a new front in the international “culture war” over climate action. France, Germany and the UK have experienced record-breaking heat and thousands of heat-related deaths this summer, with June temperatures in many regions passing 40C. This has drawn attention to the relatively low rates of […]
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Tiny robot boats build floating structures
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Most people think of the waterfront as the edge of the city. A team of MIT researchers sees it as a dynamic, Lego-like construction site. Their new system, called “FloatForm,” is a swarm of small square robotic boats that assemble themselves into larger structures on the water, break apart, and reassemble into something new, all […]
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China Briefing 9 July 2026: Guangxi floods | ‘Beautiful China’ plan | New EU-China mechanism
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s China Briefing. China Briefing handpicks and explains the most important climate and energy stories from China over the past fortnight. Subscribe for free here. Key developments Rain, typhoons and heat GUANGXI FLOODS: Severe floods hit south-western China’s Guangxi province after heavy rains, killing 39 people and leaving another nine missing, reported the […]