This edition of The Download covers AI's evolving puzzle-solving abilities and a planned interstellar mission. AI models have rapidly improved at puzzles like the New York Times Connections, jumping from an 18% solve rate in late 2024 to near perfection by early 2025. These tests reveal key strengths and weaknesses in machine intelligence.

Readers can test their own skills against seven puzzles that have stumped models. Separately, the nonprofit Fermi Explorer Mission announced plans to launch a spacecraft to Alpha Centauri by the end of 2029. The 4.4 light-year journey could take up to 80,000 years, following a novel trajectory discovered by an AI system developed by PSI, a physics research lab.

Additionally, new books and a narrated podcast explore the shifting role of astronauts, framing space exploration as a fundamental human drive. The must-reads section highlights OpenAI restricting its next model, rated a "critical" cyber risk, and a Pentagon official selling millions in Perplexity AI stock.