Inexpensive seafloor-hopping submersibles could stoke deep-sea science—and mining

Q: Orpheus Ocean submersibles are descending 6,000 meters into the Pacific to map critical mineral depo

Orpheus Ocean submersibles are descending 6,000 meters into the Pacific to map critical mineral deposits at a fraction of traditional deep-sea research costs.

Q: US defense officials are using conversational AI advice engines to recommend which targets to strike

US defense officials are using conversational AI advice engines to recommend which targets to strike first, with China developing similar military AI tools.

Q: Anthropic is committing $200 billion to Google's cloud and chips over five years, while DeepSeek app

Anthropic is committing $200 billion to Google's cloud and chips over five years, while DeepSeek approaches a $45 billion valuation backed by a Chinese state fund.

The Download from MIT Technology Review·Wednesday, May 6, 2026·6 min read

Technology AI/ML Science

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AI Summary

MIT Technology Review's daily digest covers low-cost submersibles by Orpheus Ocean mapping the Pacific seafloor for critical minerals, AI advice engines entering military war rooms for targeting decisions, and a roundup of major AI industry news including Anthropic's $200B Google cloud deal and DeepSeek's $45B valuation.

Key Facts

✓Orpheus Ocean submersibles are descending 6,000 meters into the Pacific to map critical mineral deposits at a fraction of traditional deep-sea research costs.

✓US defense officials are using conversational AI advice engines to recommend which targets to strike first, with China developing similar military AI tools.

✓Anthropic is committing $200 billion to Google's cloud and chips over five years, while DeepSeek approaches a $45 billion valuation backed by a Chinese state fund.

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