Inside Google’s 7-year mission to give AI a robot body

PLUS: Apple must pay $14.4 billion in back taxes. [View in browser]( | [Your newsletter preferences]( [WIRED Daily] 09.10.24 [SUBSCRIBE TO WIRED]( [FOR UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THESE STORIES](     [What to Expect in the Trump-Harris Presidential Debate and How to Watch It]( BY DAVID GILBERT | 3-MINUTE READ Donald Trump is already promoting outlandish conspiracies ahead of today's presidential debate with Kamala Harris.   [Image may contain: Architecture, Building, Office Building, Indoors, Interior Design, Person, and City](   [Apple Must Pay $14.4 Billion to Ireland in Crackdown On ‘Sweetheart Deals’]( BY MARGARET TAYLOR | 3-MINUTE READ The European Court of Justice has ordered Apple to pay billions in back taxes to Ireland, in a move that hands a victory to the European Commission against so-called ‘sweetheart deals’ between the country and big tech companies.   [Collage of a lawyer walking down Supreme Court steps with messy white paint covering his head](   [He Worked for a Law Firm Consulting on an Anti-Trans Supreme Court Case. Then We Asked About These Racist Posts]( BY DAVID GILBERT | 8-MINUTE READ A WIRED investigation reveals that one of two lawyers known to have worked for or with Lawfair, a firm working on a case that could affect minors’ access to gender-affirming care, has ties to accounts with long histories of posting white supremacist content. [The Big Story] [Image may contain: Adult, Person, Dancing, Leisure Activities, City, Face, Head, Photography, Portrait, and Clothing](   [Inside Google’s 7-Year Mission to Give AI a Robot Body]( BY HANS PETER BRONDMO | 15-MINUTE READ As the head of Alphabet’s AI-powered robotics moonshot, I came to believe many things. For one, robots can’t come soon enough. For another, they shouldn’t look like us. ADVERTISEMENT   [An image of the current lineup of the iPhone 16 by Apple.](   [This iPhone ‘Supercycle’ May Not Be So Super]( BY LAUREN GOODE | 4-MINUTE READ Some Apple analysts believe AI will spur a boom in iPhone sales. But not everyone’s buying the hype. More from the Apple Event: • Everything [Apple announced]( • Apple's iPhone 16 is [ready for Apple Intelligence]( • The [Apple Watch]( has a new look • Where is [CarPlay 2](?   [An AI-generated image of Kamala Harris sitting with Donald Trump reading WIRED Magazine in an office.](   [Why Is AI So Bad at Generating Images of Kamala Harris?]( BY WILL KNIGHT | 3-MINUTE READ Race and gender are part of it, but there’s more to those unconvincing pictures of the presidential candidate.   [An astronaut in a training flight](   [Billionaire Finally Launches on First Private Space-Walk Mission]( BY JONATHAN O’CALLAGHAN | 5-MINUTE READ Hampered last month by bad weather, launch tower problems, and issues with its ride from SpaceX, the Polaris Dawn mission is at last on its way.   [Image may contain: Architecture, Building, Corridor, Indoors, City, Spiral, and Urban](   [An Underwater Data Center in San Francisco Bay? Regulators Say Not So Fast]( BY PARESH DAVE AND REECE ROGERS | 6-MINUTE READ The YC-backed startup NetworkOcean plans to sink GPUs into San Francisco Bay. Multiple California regulators WIRED spoke with hadn’t heard about the test—and raised concerns about its potential environmental impact.   [A still of Darth Vader from the film, STAR WARS: EPISODE V - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.](   [James Earl Jones’ Darth Vader Has Already Been Immortalized With AI]( BY ANGELA WATERCUTTER | 2-MINUTE READ James Earl Jones died Monday at the age of 93. But long before he did, he gave Lucasfilm permission to recreate his iconic Darth Vader voice for shows like "Obi-Wan Kenobi."   [WIRED Hired. Powered by Amply] Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world on [jobs.wired.com](. [Unqork Architect]( Accenture Location: Chicago, IL, USA [APPLY NOW]( [Financial Professional Associate]( Prudential Location: Topeka, KS, USA [APPLY NOW]( ADVERTISEMENT   Thanks for reading. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Sign up here](. Plus, [browse more newsletters]( from WIRED. [Facebook]( [X]( [Instagram]( [TikTok]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( [Podcast](   You’re receiving this email because you signed up for the Daily newsletter from WIRED. [Manage your preferences]( | [View our Privacy Policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( Have questions or comments? [Send us a message](mailto:hello@wired.com?subject=Daily newsletter feedback). Need help? [Contact us](. Copyright © Condé Nast 2024. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.