The 2024 Good Tech Awards

In a year of continued A.I. progress, “founder mode” drama and a Trump election win, a few tech projects stood out for their clear benefits to humanity.

Kevin Roose | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Social Media Companies Face Global Tug-of-War Over Free Speech

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s picks for the F.C.C. and F.T.C. have vowed to remove censorship online. That conflicts with European regulators who are pushing for stricter moderation.

Cecilia Kang and Adam Satariano | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

A.I., the Electricians and the Boom Towns of Central Washington

The rural region is changing fast as electricians from around the country plug the tech industry’s new, giant data centers into its ample power supply.

Karen Weise and Jovelle Tamayo | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Nvidia’s Booming A.I. Business Collides With U.S.-Chinese Tensions

The chipmaker expects more than $10 billion in foreign sales this year, but the Biden administration is advancing rules that could curb that growth.

Tripp Mickle and Paul Mozur | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Is the Tech Industry Already on the Cusp of an A.I. Slowdown?

Companies like OpenAI and Google are running out of the data used to train artificial intelligence systems. Can new methods continue years of rapid progress?

Cade Metz and Tripp Mickle | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Tim Cook to Dine With Trump at Mar-a-Lago

The chief executive of Apple is the latest in a series of technology executives who are traveling to Florida to meet with the president-elect.

Theodore Schleifer and Tripp Mickle | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

What Is Venture Capital Now Anyway?

The opposing paths taken by two powerful firms — Benchmark and Andreessen Horowitz — embody a profound debate about the future of an industry that funds and fosters American innovation.

Erin Griffith | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Ev Williams Was Lonely. He Doesn’t Want You to Be.

The serial internet entrepreneur, who co-founded Twitter and created Medium, was turning 50 and feeling detached from friends. Maybe a new start-up could fix that.

Erin Griffith | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Google Unveils A.I. Agent That Can Use Websites on Its Own

The experimental tool can browse spreadsheets, shopping sites and other services, before taking action on behalf of the computer user.

Cade Metz and Nico Grant | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Quantum Computing Inches Closer to Reality After Another Google Breakthrough

Google unveiled an experimental machine capable of tasks that a traditional supercomputer could not master in 10 septillion years. (That’s older than the universe.)

Cade Metz | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

China Opens Antitrust Investigation Into Nvidia

The move by Chinese regulators came a week after the Biden administration expanded curbs on the sale of advanced U.S. technology to China.

Meaghan Tobin and John Liu | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Could Facial Recognition Help Find Man Sought in C.E.O.’s Killing?

Experts disagreed on whether running surveillance camera images released by the police through a facial recognition system would produce a reliable lead.

Kashmir Hill | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Amazon Invests $4 Billion in Anthropic, Deepening Its A.I. Ties

Since last September, the tech giant has pumped $8 billion into the artificial intelligence start-up, a sign of intense competition in developing tools that are reshaping the tech sector.

Adam Satariano | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

U.S. Proposes Breakup of Google to Fix Search Monopoly

In a landmark antitrust case, the government asked a judge to force the company to sell its popular Chrome browser.

David McCabe | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Are A.I. Clones the Future of Dating? I Tried Them for Myself.

A New York Times reporter tested a handful of chatbots to see if they could help improve his dating life. The results were decidedly mixed.

Eli Tan | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

How Tech Created a ‘Recipe for Loneliness’

Technology and loneliness are interlinked, researchers have found, stoked by the ways we interact with social media, text messaging and binge-watching.

Brian X. Chen | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Elon Musk Is Positioning X Behind the New Trump Presidency

Since the election, Mr. Musk has used his social media company to talk up how bright the future will be under the president-elect.

Kate Conger and Sheera Frenkel | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

How Elon Musk’s Own Account Dominates X

The billionaire has effectively become the star of his social media platform, transforming X into a reflection of his personal views before the election.

Kate Conger, Aaron Krolik, Santul Nerkar and Dylan Freedman | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Election Falsehoods Take Off on YouTube as It Looks the Other Way

The video site removed 2020 misinformation, fearing real-world harm. Now it’s amplifying and profiting from 2024 falsehoods, researchers said.

Nico Grant | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Two Students Created Face Recognition Glasses. It Wasn’t Hard.

A Boston man had a strange encounter at a subway station. A month later, he discovered he was the star of the students’ viral video.

Kashmir Hill | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Former OpenAI Researcher Says the Company Broke Copyright Law

Suchir Balaji helped gather and organize the enormous amounts of internet data used to train the startup’s ChatGPT chatbot.

Cade Metz | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Can A.I. Be Blamed for a Teen’s Suicide?

The mother of a 14-year-old Florida boy says he became obsessed with a chatbot on Character.AI before his death.

Kevin Roose | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

How to Use Images From Your Phone to Search the Web

If you’re not sure how to describe what you want with keywords, use your camera or photo library to get those search results.

J. D. Biersdorfer | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

This Ring on Your Finger Tracks Your Sleep. Is It Worth the Splurge?

The $350 Oura Ring 4 looks sleek and cool, and it may be useful for data-hungry health enthusiasts. But it failed this sleep-deprived parent.

Brian X. Chen | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Twitter Barred Them. What Happened When Elon Musk Brought Them Back?

Many users who were reinstated by X have continued to share the kinds of false narratives and conspiracies that once got them suspended.

Kate Conger, Tiffany Hsu and Aaron Krolik | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

The Endless Downfall of a Crypto Power Couple

Ryan Salame, an FTX executive, and Michelle Bond, a crypto policy advocate, were once a Washington power couple. Now they both face prison time.

David Yaffe-Bellany | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Google Triumphs on the Nobel Stage as Tough Antitrust Fight Looms

Two of the company’s A.I. researchers shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, just hours after the Justice Department started spelling out plans that could lead to its break up.

Cade Metz, Steve Lohr and David McCabe | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

How to Say No to Our A.I. Overlords

Google, Microsoft and Meta are shoving A.I. chatbots into our faces. Sometimes, there’s a way out.

Brian X. Chen | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

The Private Life of Telegram’s Founder Adds to His Troubles

The mother of three children with Pavel Durov has poked holes in the Russian tech titan’s carefully managed image through a criminal complaint and her account of their opulent lifestyle.

Adam Satariano and Paul Mozur | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

A Venture Capital Firm Does Something Rare: Give Money Back

CRV, based in Silicon Valley, plans to return to investors $275 million because the market for mature start-ups has soured.

Erin Griffith | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Why Is OpenAI Trying to Raise So Much Money?

The San Francisco A.I. start-up believes there is not enough computing power on Earth to build the artificial intelligence it wants to create.

Cade Metz | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Caroline Ellison, Star Witness at FTX Trial, Is Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison

A top adviser to Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced founder of FTX, Ms. Ellison pleaded guilty to conspiring with him to steal $8 billion and became a crucial witness for the prosecution.

David Yaffe-Bellany and Matthew Goldstein | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

F.T.C. Study Finds ‘Vast Surveillance’ of Social Media Users

Meta, YouTube and other sites collected more data than most users realized, a new report by the Federal Trade Commission finds.

Cecilia Kang | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Foldables Are Becoming Good Enough to Be Your Next Smartphone

New devices from Motorola and Google prove that phones with bendable screens keep getting better — and some are even becoming cheaper.

Brian X. Chen | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Live From San Francisco: Mark Zuckerberg Tapes a Podcast With 6,000 Friends

Mr. Zuckerberg talked success to a packed house Tuesday night for the “Acquired” podcast. It’s a sign of how tech titans reach the public now.

Mike Isaac | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

How False Claims About Dead Cats Became Trump Campaign Fodder

Falsehoods claiming migrants in Ohio are killing cats and decapitating ducks went viral this week. The Trump campaign embraced them.

Stuart A. Thompson | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Google and Apple Face Billions in Penalties After Losing E.U. Appeals

The cases had established the European Union as the world’s leading tech watchdog, but have since raised questions about its protracted appeals process.

Adam Satariano | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Start-Up Investors Push Back Against Venture Capital’s Bigger-Is-Better Mantra

A small but vocal group is forming new funds and taking new approaches to counter the swell of money into venture capital in recent years.

Erin Griffith | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

OpenAI, Still Haunted by Its Chaotic Past, Is Trying to Grow Up

The maker of ChatGPT is struggling to transform itself into a profit-driven company while satisfying worries about the safety of artificial intelligence.

Cade Metz and Mike Isaac | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Telegram Founder’s Indictment Thrusts Encryption Into the Spotlight

The criminal charges against Pavel Durov, Telegram’s founder, raised concerns in Silicon Valley about encryption and the app’s approach to privacy and security.

Mike Isaac and Sheera Frenkel | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

OpenAI in Talks for Deal That Would Value Company at $100 Billion

While some young A.I. companies have struggled to compete with the tech industry’s giants, OpenAI has been rapidly expanding.

Michael J. de la Merced and Cade Metz | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Google Says It Fixed Image Generator That Failed to Depict White People

The company will allow users of its Gemini chatbot to create images of people with artificial intelligence after disabling the feature six months ago.

Nico Grant | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

How Elon Musk Got Tangled Up in Blue

Twitter Blue, a revamped subscription service that let users buy verified badges, was the first big test for the platform’s new owner. It didn’t go well.

Ryan Mac and Kate Conger | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Apple Giving Ground on App Store Rules to Appease Regulators

The company faces pressure from governments around the world and complaints from companies that it is still too restrictive.

Tripp Mickle | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

How Has Tech Changed Your School Experience? We Want to Hear About It.

Some states are banning phones in schools to reduce classroom distraction and cyberbullying. Tell us about your experience with tech in schools.

Natasha Singer | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Where Are the Trumpiest Ads? All Over Truth Social.

Donald J. Trump’s social network is increasingly relying on a niche of the ad market that caters to hard-core Trump fans and Christian conservatives for revenue.

Matthew Goldstein, David Yaffe-Bellany and Stuart A. Thompson | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

What Do Conspiracy Theorists Do When Proved Wrong? Double Down or Move On.

An outlandish idea that President Biden was dead or nearly dead was quickly refuted. Few of the accounts that had spread it online recanted.

Stuart A. Thompson | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

Elon Musk Revives Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Sam Altman

The Tesla chief executive has renewed claims that the A.I. start-up put profits and commercial interests ahead of the public good.

Cade Metz | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

U.S. Sues TikTok Over Child Privacy Violations

The Justice Department said that TikTok illegally collected children’s data and knowingly allowed users under the age of 13 to create accounts.

David McCabe and Sapna Maheshwari | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure

The Wall Street Journal kept Gershkovich’s detention front and center.

The Journal staged several events in his honor and set up a part of its website to call attention to the plight of the journalist during his lengthy detention in Russia.

Katie Robertson | NYTimes Technology | Disclosure