When OpenAI launched ChatGPT, without fanfare, in late November 2022, no one within the company was prepared for a viral megahit. It was seen internally as a “research breakthrough,” a sneak peek at a more polished version of a two-year-old technology, and a way to fix some of its flaws.

But then it completely blew up. The company has been struggling to catch up and capitalize on its success ever since.

To get the inside story behind the chatbot (how it was made, how OpenAI has been updating it since launch, and how its creators feel about its success), our Senior AI Editor Will Douglas Heaven spoke with four people who helped to build what has become the most popular Internet application of all time.

—Will Douglas Heaven

The idea of ​​using a “three parent baby” technique for infertility just got a boost

This week my colleague Jessica Hamzelou posted a great story about a controversial treatment that creates babies with three genetic parents. The “three-parent baby” technique was thought to help parents avoid passing diseases to their children. But the new findings suggest that it doesn’t always work and could create babies at risk of serious disease.

The evidence comes from two babies born after the procedure was used to help couples with a different problem: infertility. It’s lucky we found the problem in these cases: These babies didn’t have parents with disease-causing mutations, so they should be fine.

And there is another positive side. The results add to growing evidence that the “three parents” technique could help treat infertility and shed light on why some people struggle to conceive. Read the full story.

This story is from The Checkup, Jessica’s weekly newsletter that covers all kinds of biotech breakthroughs. register to receive it in your inbox every Thursday.

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