This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Today, we’re diving deep into two critical areas shaping our planet’s future: innovative strategies for carbon removal championed by tech giants and the promising rise of next-generation nuclear energy. These aren’t just buzzwords; they represent tangible efforts to combat climate change, each with its own set of complexities and revolutionary potential.
From multi-million dollar investments in capturing greenhouse gases to groundbreaking designs for safer, more efficient nuclear power, the tech world is placing significant bets on solutions that could redefine our energy landscape. Join us as we explore the ambition, the challenges, and the profound implications of these technological frontiers.
Big Tech’s Big Bet on Carbon Removal
The urgency of climate change has spurred some of the world’s largest companies to invest heavily in innovative solutions. Among these, carbon removal technologies are attracting substantial attention and capital. Specifically, a controversial but increasingly popular method called bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, or BECCS, is at the forefront of these efforts.
Big Tech’s big bet on a controversial carbon removal tactic is evident in recent financial commitments. Microsoft, JP MorganChase, and a tech company consortium that includes Alphabet, Meta, Shopify, and Stripe have all recently struck multimillion-dollar deals to pay paper mill owners to capture at least hundreds of thousands of tons of this greenhouse gas by installing carbon scrubbing equipment in their facilities.
This process is designed to significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The captured carbon dioxide will then be piped down into saline aquifers more than a mile underground, where it should be sequestered permanently. It’s a bold vision, turning industrial waste into a climate solution.
Big Tech is suddenly betting big on this form of carbon removal, known as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, or BECCS. The appeal lies in its potential to not only remove existing carbon but also generate energy in the process. However, as with any emerging technology, experts have raised a number of concerns, ranging from land use implications to the long-term integrity of sequestration sites. James Temple’s full story delves deeper into these critical considerations, highlighting the nuanced debate surrounding BECCS.
These massive investments signify a growing corporate recognition of the need for active carbon management. While the path forward for BECCS and other carbon removal technologies is not without hurdles, the financial commitment from these influential players underscores a profound shift towards integrating climate solutions into core business strategies. This is a critical step in scaling up efforts to achieve global decarbonization goals.
The Next Wave of Nuclear Reactors: Powering a Clean Future
As the world seeks reliable and sustainable energy sources, nuclear power is once again stepping into the spotlight, not as the technology of the past, but as a revitalized option for a clean energy future. The focus is increasingly shifting towards next-generation nuclear reactors, which promise enhanced safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
Among the innovators leading this charge is Kairos Power, a company that has earned a spot on our 2025 climate tech companies to watch list. Kairos Power and its next-generation nuclear reactors are making significant strides in advanced fission technology, offering a new perspective on atomic energy.
Like many new nuclear startups, Kairos promises a path to reliable, 24/7 decarbonized power. This reliability is a key advantage, providing consistent energy generation that complements intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind. What sets Kairos apart is its tangible progress: unlike most, it already has prototypes under construction and permits for several reactors.
The company employs a revolutionary approach, using molten salt to cool its reactions and transfer heat, rather than the high-pressure water that’s used in existing fission reactors. This innovative design offers several benefits, including lower operating pressures and a passive safety profile.
Kairos Power hopes its technology will enable commercial reactors that are cost-competitive with natural gas plants and boast safer operation than conventional reactors, even in the event of complete power loss. Mark Harris’s detailed report provides a comprehensive look at how this technology aims to transform the nuclear landscape, making it a more viable and attractive option for global energy security. Kairos Power is one of our 10 climate tech companies to watch—our annual list of some of the most promising climate tech firms on the planet. Check out the rest of the list here to discover other pioneers.
The emergence of advanced reactors like those from Kairos Power signals a pivotal moment for nuclear energy. By addressing long-standing concerns about safety and cost, these innovations could play a crucial role in achieving widespread decarbonization and ensuring a stable, clean energy supply for generations to come.
Beyond Energy: Navigating the Broader Landscape of Innovation and Ethics
While carbon removal and next-generation nuclear reactors address pressing environmental challenges, the world of technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, bringing forth innovations and ethical dilemmas across various domains. The scope of technological impact extends far beyond just energy and climate, touching upon deeply personal and societal issues.
One poignant example is the complex situation surrounding IVF embryos. As detailed in MIT Technology Review Narrated: Inside the strange limbo facing millions of IVF embryos, millions of embryos created through IVF sit frozen in time, stored in tanks around the world. The number is only growing thanks to advances in technology, the rising popularity of IVF, and improvements in its success rates. This technological advancement, while offering hope, also creates profound ethical quandaries.
At a basic level, an embryo is simply a tiny ball of a hundred or so cells. But unlike other types of body tissue, it holds the potential for life. Many argue that this endows embryos with a special moral status, one that requires special protections. The problem is that no one can really agree on what that status is. While these embryos persist in suspended animation, patients, clinicians, embryologists, and legislators must grapple with the essential question of what we should do with them. What do these embryos mean to us? Who should be responsible for them? These are not easily answered questions, underscoring how technological progress often outpaces our ethical frameworks.
Similarly, the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence continue to raise both excitement and apprehension. From OpenAI’s decisions regarding its chatbot’s conversational boundaries, as seen with ChatGPT, to the surprisingly easy development of relationships with AI chatbots, the ethical dimensions of AI are becoming increasingly prominent. Surveillance technologies also highlight the ever-present tension between innovation and privacy, as revealed by reports of secret surveillance empires tracking thousands of people globally.
Even the historical roots of AI offer fascinating insights. Why we should thank pigeons for our AI breakthroughs points to an unexpected origin. People looking for precursors to artificial intelligence often point to science fiction by authors like Isaac Asimov or thought experiments like the Turing test. But an equally important, if surprising and less appreciated, forerunner is American psychologist B.F. Skinner’s research with pigeons in the middle of the 20th century. Skinner’s behaviorist theories, initially dismissed, laid groundwork for the machine learning principles that underpin many of today’s leading AI firms.
These diverse developments remind us that technology is a double-edged sword, offering incredible solutions while simultaneously presenting complex ethical challenges that demand careful consideration and proactive governance. From digital privacy to the societal implications of AI, staying informed and engaged is paramount.
Conclusion
The landscape of technology is a vibrant tapestry of innovation, challenge, and profound societal impact. As highlighted by this edition of The Download, the concerted efforts by Big Tech in pioneering carbon removal technologies like BECCS, alongside the groundbreaking advancements in next-generation nuclear reactors exemplified by Kairos Power, offer compelling pathways toward a sustainable future. These initiatives are not just about environmental stewardship; they are about reimagining our fundamental relationship with energy and the planet.
Yet, the journey of technological progress extends beyond climate solutions, delving into intricate ethical considerations surrounding fields like IVF and the pervasive influence of artificial intelligence. From the nuanced debate over embryo status to the unexpected historical influences on AI, technology continuously pushes the boundaries of what’s possible, while also challenging our understanding of responsibility and ethics.
Staying abreast of these developments is crucial. As technology continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, it is imperative for us all—innovators, policymakers, and citizens alike—to remain engaged, critically evaluate new solutions, and steer progress towards a future that is not only technologically advanced but also equitable, secure, and sustainable. The choices we make today, driven by these technological leaps, will undoubtedly shape the world of tomorrow.
