Assad is out. Startups are in. Syria’s tech industry was put on hold by 14 years of devastating civil war and crippling economic sanctions. Now it’s roaring back to life as tech founders try to rebuild the country. @emilywither.bsky.social for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/syria-t...

“India is the world’s third-largest producer of e-waste, having generated approximately 1.75 million metric tons in the fiscal year ending 2024, an increase of nearly 75% over the last five years.” restofworld.org/2025/india-e...

this is a really important project, and I can't think of anyone better than @damonberes.com to be leading it

Interesting deep dive into DeepSeek providing medical advice to a kidney patient - @violazhou.bsky.social mother! restofworld.org/2025/ai-chat... Feat @melhoenig.bsky.social and @kidneyboy.bsky.social #NephSky #AI #LLM

“DeepSeek is so much better than doctors.” @violazhou.bsky.social is unsettled by the way her mother, a kidney transplant patient in eastern China, relies on an AI chatbot for health advice. But she also recognizes that the bigger problem is a systemic one. restofworld.org/2025/ai-chat...

“DeepSeek is more humane,” my mother told me in May. “Doctors are more like machines.” restofworld.org/2025/ai-chat...

“Our forefathers did this. … No one else can do it,” he continued. “If someone tried, he will be beaten black and blue.” The dirty truth behind the e-waste recycling industry restofworld.org/2025/india-e...

A reporter details how her mother, a kidney transplant patient who lives in China, bonded with DeepSeek's chatbot as her AI doctor, calling it "more humane" (Viola Zhou/Rest of World) Main Link | Techmeme Permalink

Good listen. restofworld.org/2025/ai-chat...

Not long after DeepSeek R1 launched, I discovered that my mother had started using the chatbot as her virtual doctor. I worried about her reliance on AI. But over time, I realized Dr. DeepSeek was offering something no human in her life could. restofworld.org/2025/ai-chat...

In this personal essay (my first for @restofworld.org), I explore patients’ relationship with AI, why chatbots can’t yet replace doctors, the caretaking burden on my one-child generation, and the tech industry that promises to ease our struggles. restofworld.org/2025/ai-chat...

When her mom, a kidney transplant patient in a small Chinese city, turned to DeepSeek for medical advice @violazhou.bsky.social asked doctors to review the chat logs. They said the AI bot was giving flawed advice. Read the firsthand account on @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/ai-chat...

When her mom became smitten with Dr. DeepSeek, @violazhou.bsky.social asked human doctors to review the chat logs. They said the AI bot is giving alarmingly flawed advice. But maybe her mom is after something more than just medical help. Read our new feature: restofworld.org/2025/ai-chat...

This week's @restofworld.org feature from @violazhou.bsky.social is really special: It's about Viola's mom, who — like so many sick and lonely people in the modern world — turned to AI as she struggled with her health. restofworld.org/2025/ai-chat...

This is an indictment of a lot of things but I'm not sure what it's indicting the most. Probably doctors.

Inside India's growing ~$1.5B e-waste recycling industry, about 95% of workers are employed informally, doing dangerous, toxic, and lawless work for meager pay (Yashraj Sharma/Rest of World) Main Link | Techmeme Permalink

An internal Israeli intelligence database reveals 83% of those killed by the IDF in Gaza were civilians, contradicting public claims to the contrary. www.972mag.com/israeli-inte...

A couple months ago I made an unusual request to my editors at @wired.com: I asked if I could go work at a tech company for a few days to learn how to vibe code. Then, for some reason, the $10 billion dollar startup Notion agreed to let me embed with them. 🧵

The UAE plans to become the world’s testing ground for autonomous vehicles and upend the lives of 30,000 cabbies in the process. Amar Diwakar in @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/uae-rob...

Syrian tech workers who fled during the civil war are returning home and launching startups. They face poor internet, unreliable electricity, and a regulatory void, but believe tech can help rebuild their war-battered nation, @kayagenc.bsky.social @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/syrian-...

WOW WHO COULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING????? techcrunch.com/2025/08/04/f...

An inside look at ex-unicorn Builder.ai's demise, which oversold its AI platform's abilities and frustrated customers with delivery delays and buggy products (Varsha Bansal/Rest of World) Main Link | Techmeme Permalink

BuilderAI raised $445 million as it boasted that its AI chatbot, Natasha, would radically simplify the process of building apps and websites. When the company collapsed, one viral tweet claimed Natasha was really just 700 human engineers. In our new feature, we set out to find the truth.

"...some analysts are holding up Builder.ai as a potential case of 'AI washing,' in which companies falsely promote products or services as AI to attract attention and funding." restofworld.org/2025/builder...

While all eyes were on BYD overtaking Tesla, smaller Chinese EV makers quietly rolled into the global top 10. Chinese automakers now control 70% of global EV production, reports Ananya Bhattacharya for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/chinese...

The EV revolution has sparked a dangerous boom in illegal lithium mining in countries like Zimbabwe. @restofworld.org's latest feature is about a deadly example of one such case restofworld.org/2025/zimbabw...

The EV boom has brought Chinese investment in Zimbabwe lithium mines. But locals feel left out, and some have turned to stealing, risking death from falls and cave-ins, as well as violent encounters with guards. Read in @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/zimbabwe-lithium-mining-boom

Out of space: Picturing the big, crowded business of satellite internet restofworld.org/2025...

Despite the billions in investment, and the thousands of satellites zipping around, it is still hard to really picture the satellite internet industry. @khadijaalam.bsky.social gathered data to help visualize this rapidly growing business for @restofworld.org. restofworld.org/2025/satelli...

Space-based internet is remaking Earth’s orbit — and fueling a gold rush. Come gawk at our new, immersive, visual feature restofworld.org/2025/satelli...

AI is being used to justify firing workers at major tech companies, leaving those that remain to pick up the pieces. AI code is being shoveled into crucial Google products, replacing trainers at TikTok, and worse. This, in tech workers' own words, is how AI is killing jobs in Silicon Valley.

I had wondered why I was reading about Palestinean-Israeli deaths last week, seemingly disproportionately

Scarred by long hours, low pay, and a hostile work culture, many chip workers for Samsung are leaving for competitors, including American companies. Michelle Kim's reporting from Seoul for @restofworld.org restofworld.org/2025/samsung...

Awesome to see @violazhou.bsky.social's @restofworld.org Gotion feature turned into a @planetmoney.bsky.social episode! Read the story: restofworld.org/2025/gotion-... And then listen to the segment! www.npr.org/2025/06/06/1...

Incredible headline/photo combo

Israeli tanks and drones open fire on Palestinians gathered at aid distribution sites run by a US-backed group in Gaza, killing more than 30 people in Rafah alone. www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblo...

There are more web-based facial recognition tools than ever. But what do we actually know about them? I uncovered surprising info about 9 services: 🔎 One is run from Iran 🔎 One uses pics of fake customers 🔎 Some won't say who owns them More @indicator.media: indicator.media/p/facial-rec... #OSINT

A profile of Byju's CEO Byju Raveendran, who refuses to take responsibility for the edtech company's implosion and is accused of hiding $533M from US lenders (Yudhijit Bhattacharjee/Rest of World) Main Link | Techmeme Permalink

Before she left, Lily wrote this reflection on her time at @restofworld.org - what she built, and what she learned. restofworld.org/inside/three...

BYJU’s was one of the world’s top ed-tech companies — until it was rocked by staggering allegations of fraud. Can its enigmatic founder rebuild his empire? Read our latest feature, by @yudhijit.bsky.social — restofworld.org/2025/byjus-o...

A global ed-tech giant collapses, $500m goes missing, and an IHOP in Florida at the heart of it. This story has it ALL. Fantastic reporting from @yudhijit.bsky.social who flew to Dubai to ride around in a Cadillac with Byju himself restofworld.org/2025/byjus-o...

Speaking of scams: @restofworld.org reports that young Indonesians who think they are applying for tech jobs are being trafficked to scam farms, where they are forced to use AI-generated deepfakes, voice clones, and other tech to con people out of their savings. restofworld.org/2025/fake-jo...

Fantastic to see @restofworld.org and @contextnewsroom.bsky.social win a Telly Award for our co-produced video series Gig Workers Rising. Congrats to everyone who contributed! www.tellyawards.com/winners/2025...

In early February, as many as 75% of Elon Musk's posts on X were about DOGE or U.S. politics. Recently, the figure has been more like 10%. Instead, he's posting WAY more about his companies. My latest w/ @sarahellison.bsky.social: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

“Elon happens to be from South Africa. This is what Elon wanted.” www.nytimes.com/live/2025/05...

NEW: Nice Democracy you have here… The Trump Admin has a pressure campaign to help Elon Musk’s biz. In Gambia, officials got a veiled threat of losing U.S. govt funding. www.propublica.org/article/trum...

Very few pieces of journalism have stuck with me like this one www.nytimes.com/2024/08/23/w...

"‘Are people shooting at me because they think I’m an idiot or a bad guy, or they don’t support my political views – or they don’t support me supporting this company?’” www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

Meta has gone to great lengths to hide its content moderation operation, where workers are tasked with reviewing disturbing content Workers say they were instructed to tell no one, not even their families, about the nature of their work (1/4) www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...