MIT Technology Review

African farmers are using private satellite data to improve crop yields

After a devastating crop loss in 2023, Olabokunde Tope turned to technology to help run his cassava farm in Nigeria. He decided to work with EOS Data Analytics, a California-based provider of satellite imagery and data for precision farming. EOS’s models and algorithms deliver insights on crops’ health weekly through an online platform that farmers can use to make informed decisions about issues such as when to plant, how much herbicide to use, and how to schedule fertilizer use, weeding, or irrigation. In many developing countries, farming is impaired by lack of data. As harvest time draws

AI could be a game changer for people with disabilities

As a lifelong disabled person who constantly copes with multiple conditions, I have a natural tendency to view emerging technologies with skepticism. Most new things are built for the majority of people—in this case, people without disabilities—and the truth of the matter is there’s no guarantee I’ll have access to them. AI could make these kinds of jumps in accessibility more common across a wide range of technologies.

We finally have a definition for open-source AI

Open-source AI is everywhere right now. The problem is, no one agrees on what it actually is. Now we may finally have an answer. The Open Source Initiative (OSI), the self-appointed arbiters of what it means to be open source, has released a new definition, which it hopes will help lawmakers develop regulations to protect consumers from AI risks.

The race to save our online lives from a digital dark age

In June 2024, more than 20 years of music journalism disappeared when the MTV News archives were taken offline. This, and other online data wipeouts (like the accidental deletion of MySpace in 2016) have archivists alarm bells ringing.