Technology

For the next nine months, something unusual will be tended to inside the Canada Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale: the walls themselves. The installation, dubbed Picoplanktonics, consists of 3D printed architectural structures embedded with living cyanobacteria, requiring carefully calibrated light, humidity, and temperature to survive. Should these organisms die, the installation will fail.

This isn’t just an art piece; it’s a demonstration of a potentially revolutionary building material. Researchers are exploring how to harness the power of biology to create structures that actively capture carbon dioxide, potentially offering a new approach to sustainable construction. The project, developed over four years by the Living Room Collective, represents the largest known architectural structure composed of living materials, according to the Canada Council for the Arts.

Several kilometers away, in a laboratory setting, researchers have been tracking similar cyanobacteria embedded in hydrogel for over 400 days. A study published in Nature Communications details a dual carbon sequestration process, showing these encapsulated organisms continued capturing carbon dioxide throughout that period with minimal intervention beyond nutrient replacement. The organisms weren’t merely surviving; they were slowly transforming their surroundings, precipitating calcium carbonate that accumulated within the material and potentially strengthening it over time.

Carbon Capture Through Biological Processes

The Nature Communications study, led by researchers engineering photosynthetic living materials, quantified two distinct carbon sequestration mechanisms operating simultaneously within cyanobacteria-laden hydrogels. The first is biomass accumulation: as the Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7002 cells multiply, they fix atmospheric CO₂ into organic compounds through photosynthesis. The second involves microbially induced carbonate precipitation, where the organisms create alkaline conditions causing dissolved calcium and magnesium ions to precipitate as insoluble carbonates.

Data from the study shows the living materials sequestered 2.2 ± 0.9 milligrams of CO₂ per gram of hydrogel over the first 30 days of incubation. Extended observation over 400 days yielded cumulative sequestration of 26 ± 7 milligrams per gram. The researchers engineered the hydrogel matrix using Pluronic F-127 modified with urethane methacrylate groups, enabling both extrusion-based 3D printing and subsequent photo crosslinking for structural stability. Optical transmission measurements indicated the hydrogel transmitted 76 ± 3 percent of visible light, declining to approximately 30 percent after bacterial encapsulation.

A new living material grows in sunlight and could change the way buildings are constructed. © La Biennale di Venezia

Calcium staining of samples over the incubation period showed progressive accumulation of precipitates throughout the hydrogel volume. Control samples without cyanobacteria showed no such accumulation. The report notes that the mineral phase mechanically reinforces the living materials and stores sequestered carbon in a more stable form than biomass alone.

From Lab to Architectural Scale

The Picoplanktonics installation at the Venice Biennale, documented by ArchDaily in May 2025, utilizes a biofabrication platform developed at ETH Zürich capable of printing living materials at architectural scale. The exhibition space has been modified to accommodate the biological requirements of the cyanobacteria, and caretakers will remain on site for the duration of the exhibition, which runs until November 23, 2025, underscoring the need for long-term stewardship.

Andrea Shin Ling, the Canadian architect and biodesigner leading the Living Room Collective, explained that the project investigates the potential of co-constructing built environments with living systems. The team aims to move away from extractive production models by developing design methods grounded in natural systems.

The structures themselves serve as both demonstration and experiment, testing whether architectural-scale living materials can be maintained over months rather than days. This is a critical step in understanding the viability of this technology beyond the controlled environment of a laboratory.

Challenges and Future Directions

While the laboratory data establishes baseline performance, it also highlights the engineering challenges. Extrapolating from the 30-day data, a metric ton of hydrogel material would capture approximately 2.2 kilograms of CO₂ per month under optimal conditions. Achieving a meaningful impact on atmospheric carbon levels would require material volumes far exceeding current fabrication capabilities.

Researchers note that biological carbon sequestration through these systems is typically slower than industrial carbon capture methods, which require energy-intensive conditions. However, the living materials approach offers a passive solution, requiring no external energy input and producing no toxic byproducts. This contrasts with other biological reinforcement methods, such as ureolytic microbially induced carbonate precipitation, which can produce ammonia as a byproduct and requires a constant urea supply.

The Nature Communications data shows biomass accumulation reaching a plateau after approximately 25 days, suggesting a steady state between growth and mortality that would limit continued carbon uptake. Whether periodic harvesting or structural redesign could extend the sequestration period remains an open question.

The long-term performance of these materials remains uncertain. While the mineral phase accumulating within the hydrogels appears to mechanically reinforce the structure, whether this reinforcement follows predictable engineering parameters requires further investigation.

The Picoplanktonics installation represents a significant step toward exploring a new paradigm in construction – one where buildings aren’t simply built from the environment, but actively contribute to its health. Further research will focus on scaling production, optimizing carbon capture rates, and understanding the long-term durability and resilience of these living structures. The ongoing experiment at the Venice Biennale will provide valuable data as scientists and architects continue to explore the potential of building with biology.

What are your thoughts on the potential of living building materials? Share your comments below and let us know what innovations you’d like to see in sustainable construction.

Google recently revealed a sustained effort by “commercially motivated” actors to replicate its Gemini AI chatbot through a large-scale prompting campaign. The attack involved over 100,000 prompts, many in non-English languages, aimed at extracting information to train a competing model – a tactic Google terms “model extraction.” This incident highlights the growing concern around intellectual property protection in the rapidly evolving landscape of generative artificial intelligence.

The company detailed the attempted cloning in a self-assessment of threats to its products, framing itself as both the target and the defender. While such reports are common from tech giants, this instance sheds light on the increasingly sophisticated methods being used to circumvent the substantial costs and expertise required to build advanced LLMs like Gemini. The core issue revolves around the potential for unauthorized duplication of AI capabilities, raising questions about the future of innovation and competitive advantage in the AI sector.

Google’s response underscores the challenges of safeguarding proprietary AI models. The company’s terms of service explicitly prohibit data extraction, but enforcement remains a complex issue. This isn’t the first time Google has faced accusations related to AI model training practices. In 2023, The Information reported that Google’s Bard team was accused of utilizing outputs from ChatGPT, sourced from the ShareGPT website, to enhance its own chatbot’s training data. Jacob Devlin, a senior AI researcher at Google and creator of the BERT language model, reportedly raised concerns about violations of OpenAI’s terms of service before resigning and joining OpenAI. Google denied the allegations but reportedly ceased using the data in question.

What is Model Distillation?

The technique employed in these cloning attempts is often referred to as “distillation” within the AI industry. Essentially, distillation allows developers with limited resources to leverage the knowledge embedded in larger, more complex models – like Gemini – to train smaller, more efficient models. Instead of building an LLM from scratch, which requires massive datasets and computational power, developers can use a pre-trained model as a “teacher” to guide the learning process of a “student” model. This shortcut can significantly reduce development time and costs, but also raises ethical and legal concerns when performed without authorization.

Google believes the actors behind the recent prompting campaign are primarily private companies and researchers seeking a competitive edge. The attacks originated from various locations worldwide, but the company has not publicly identified any specific suspects. The scale of the attack – over 100,000 prompts – suggests a coordinated and deliberate effort to bypass Gemini’s safeguards and extract valuable training data. According to Google’s Gemini website, the model is capable of processing text, code, images, audio, and video simultaneously, making it a particularly attractive target for replication.

The incident comes as Google continues to refine and release new versions of Gemini. As of February 16, 2026, the latest models include Gemini 3 Pro, released November 18, 2025, and Gemini 3 Deep Think, released just two days prior on February 12, 2026. Other models in the Gemini family include Flash and various iterations of the 2.5 and 1.0 versions, as detailed on Wikipedia.

The broader implications of this attempted cloning extend beyond Google. It highlights the need for robust security measures and intellectual property protections within the AI ecosystem. As generative AI becomes increasingly integrated into various aspects of life, safeguarding these technologies from unauthorized replication will be crucial for fostering innovation and maintaining trust. The incident also raises questions about the effectiveness of current terms of service and the challenges of enforcing them in a globalized digital environment.

Looking ahead, we can expect to see continued efforts to refine AI security protocols and develop new methods for detecting and preventing model extraction attacks. The ongoing cat-and-mouse game between AI developers and those seeking to exploit their technology will likely shape the future of AI innovation and deployment. The development of more sophisticated watermarking techniques and access controls could play a key role in protecting AI models from unauthorized copying.

What are your thoughts on the security challenges facing generative AI? Share your comments below and let us know what you think should be done to protect these powerful technologies.

Apple has sent out invitations for its March 4th event, and while there won’t be a traditional livestream keynote from Apple Park, select press, including Applesfera, will be covering the launch from private presentations in New York, London, and Shanghai. This year, Apple is opting for a more intimate format, offering hands-on access to new products for invited media alongside a press release announcement.

As always, the design of the invitation is sparking speculation. Apple’s event imagery has a history of containing subtle clues about upcoming releases, and this year’s invite appears to be no different. Three key elements are drawing attention: a new “Liquid Glass” design language, visual echoes of the iPad’s current aesthetic, and a color palette that aligns with recent leaks regarding a more affordable MacBook.

The invitation’s logo features a layered, translucent glass effect, creating depth and soft shadows. This marks the first time Apple has used this visual technique in an event invitation, signaling a potential emphasis on its “Liquid Glass” design language, which has been gradually implemented in iOS 26. This aesthetic, characterized by fluid layers, smooth gradients, and a sense of depth, first appeared in the wallpapers of the 10th-generation iPad.

The layered aesthetic isn’t just a stylistic choice; it closely resembles the “chip” style wallpapers found on the base iPad. Rumors suggest the 12th-generation iPad will be a key announcement on March 4th, potentially featuring an A18 chip and 8GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence. The connection between the invitation’s design and the iPad wallpaper has fueled speculation that the new tablet will be a central focus of the event.

Color Clues and a Potential Affordable MacBook

Adding to the intrigue, the three colors featured in the invitation’s gradient – a light green, blue, and yellow – precisely match the colors reportedly planned for a more affordable MacBook. According to leaks, this new MacBook, expected to be powered by an A18 chip and offered at a competitive price point, would be the first Apple laptop to embrace such vibrant colors since the 24-inch iMac. This strategy aligns with Apple potentially creating a family of accessible products with a unified visual identity: bold colors, youthful finishes, and more affordable price tags.

What to Expect on March 4th

The list of rumored devices is extensive, though Apple is unlikely to unveil everything at once. Potential announcements include:

• An affordable MacBook with an A18 chip in light green, blue, and yellow
• A 12th-generation iPad with an A18 chip and 8GB of RAM
• MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips
• MacBook Air with the M5 chip
• iPad Air with M4 in both 11-inch and 13-inch sizes
• iPhone 17e
• New external displays for Mac

The iPhone 17e is particularly anticipated, with some reports suggesting a launch as early as this week. MacBook Pro models are also heavily tipped for a March release. And, given the prominent use of those three specific colors in the invitation, the affordable MacBook appears to be a strong contender for unveiling. The closed-door format of the event suggests Apple wants attendees to experience the products firsthand, which would be suitable for any of these devices, from the iPhone 17e to the new Macs.

Reading the Signs: Design Language and Product Strategy

While it’s always possible to overanalyze Apple’s event invitations, the connections this year feel particularly strong. The combination of Liquid Glass, the iPad base wallpaper aesthetic, and the leaked MacBook colors suggests a deliberate message. Apple has a history of embedding hints in its event imagery – the stars on the iPhone 14 invitation foreshadowed satellite connectivity in 2022, while the particles on the iPhone 15 Pro invite hinted at the titanium build in 2023, and the halos of light in 2024 alluded to Apple Intelligence. This year, all signs point towards mid-range products with striking colors and a new design language.

Apple’s strategic move towards a more accessible product line, signaled by the potential for a lower-priced MacBook and a refreshed iPad, could broaden its market reach and appeal to a wider range of consumers. The March 4th event promises to reveal whether these rumors hold true and how Apple intends to position these products within its existing ecosystem.

The event on March 4th will reveal which rumors materialize and which remain speculation. Stay tuned for further updates as we learn more.