The Download: threats from space mirrors and credit for AI drugs

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. This company’s plans to deploy space mirrors could jeopardize the night sky for many A company that plans to beam sunlight from space to Earth on demand might unintentionally brighten the night sky for many more people than intended, according to a new study. Later this year, Reflect Orbital plans to launch a test satellite that will extend an 18-by-18-meter mirror in orbit. The goal is to eventually launch up to 50,000 larger satellites that can reflect sunlight to Earth on demand. Reflect Orbital says the technology could extend sunlight for solar panel charging, emergency response, and military activities. But new research suggests the giant beams could shine as bright as 10,000 full moons and scatter light over tens of kilometers, raising concerns about dark skies, aviation, and wildlife. Read the full story on the fierce debate over the space mirrors . —Jonathan O’Callaghan When AI designs a drug, who gets the credit? When Insilico Medicine used its computer models to propose a promising drug for pulmonary fibrosis, it enthusiastically claimed that the molecule had been “discovered by” generative AI. But when it filed a patent, the company made no mention of AI. Instead, it named five humans as the drug’s “inventors.” The discrepancy points to a fascinating wrinkle in intellectual-property law. No matter how fundamental an AI is to a discovery, when it comes to winning rights to an invention, it’s humans—and only humans—who can take the credit. As AI models become capable of generating drug designs as easily as ChatGPT can write a thank-you note, the question of who actually invented something could get much harder to answer. Here’s how AI drug discovery could force patent law to confront what it means to invent . —Antonio Regalado This story is from The Checkup, our weekly biotech newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your i