Science

• Doubling trees in European cities could prevent thousands of deaths
  A modelling study of 93 European cities suggests that more than 2600 human heat-related deaths over just three months could have been prevented if these places increased their average tree coverage from 15 per cent to 30 per cent
• How the immune system changes with age and why
  We are gaining a better understanding of the effects of ageing on the immune system, with some surprising findings that it’s not all downhill after 65

AI news

• Legged robots need more testing before real-world use
  When it comes to the 'evolution' of mobile robots, it may be a long time before legged robots are able to safely interact in the real world, according to a new study.
• A fairy-like robot flies by the power of wind and light
  The loss of pollinators, such as bees, is a huge challenge for global biodiversity and affects humanity by causing problems in food production. Researchers have now developed the first passively flying robot equipped with artificial muscle. Could this artificial fairy be utilized in pollination?
• AI technology generates original proteins from scratch
  Scientists have created an AI system capable of generating artificial enzymes from scratch. In laboratory tests, some of these enzymes worked as well as those found in nature, even when their artificially generated amino acid sequences diverged significantly from any known natural protein.
• Versatile robo-dog runs through the sandy beach at 3 meters per second
  Meet the new addition to the robo-dog family, 'RaiBo', that can run along the sandy beach without losing balance and walk through grassy fields and back on the hard-floored tracking fields all on its own -- no further tinkering necessary.
• Person-shaped robot can liquify and escape jail, all with the power of magnets
  Inspired by sea cucumbers, engineers have designed miniature robots that rapidly and reversibly shift between liquid and solid states. On top of being able to shape-shift, the robots are magnetic and can conduct electricity. The researchers put the robots through an obstacle course of mobility and shape-morphing tests.
• Fish sensory organ key to improving navigational skills of underwater robots
  Scientists have been studying a fish sensory organ to understand cues for collective behavior which could be employed on underwater robots.
• Altered speech may be the first sign of Parkinson's disease
  Researchers attempted to identify early symptoms of Parkinson's disease using voice data. In their study, the researchers used artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze and assess speech signals, where calculations are done and diagnoses made in seconds rather than hours.
• New soft robots poised to be more agile, controlled
  One of the virtues of untethered soft robots is their ability to mechanically adapt to their surroundings and tasks. Now they are poised to become even more agile and controlled.
• 'Smart' walking stick could help visually impaired with groceries, finding a seat
  For people who are blind or visually impaired, finding the right products in a crowded grocery store can be difficult without help. A team of computer scientists is trying to change that.
• A precision arm for miniature robots
  Until now, microscopic robotic systems have had to make do without arms. Now researchers have developed an ultrasonically actuated glass needle that can be attached to a robotic arm. This lets them pump and mix minuscule amounts of liquid and trap particles.
• Feathered robotic wing paves way for flapping drones
  Birds fly more efficiently by folding their wings during the upstroke, according to a recent study. The results could mean that wing-folding is the next step in increasing the propulsive and aerodynamic efficiency of flapping drones.
• Project aims to expand language technologies
  Only a fraction of the 7,000 to 8,000 languages spoken around the world benefit from modern language technologies like voice-to-text transcription, automatic captioning, instantaneous translation and voice recognition. Researchers want to expand the number of languages with automatic speech recognition tools available to them from around 200 to potentially 2,000.
• Can the AI driving ChatGPT help to detect early signs of Alzheimer's disease?
  The artificial intelligence algorithms behind the chatbot program ChatGPT -- which has drawn attention for its ability to generate humanlike written responses to some of the most creative queries -- might one day be able to help doctors detect Alzheimer's Disease in its early stages. Research recently demonstrated that OpenAI's GPT-3 program can identify clues […]
• Words prove their worth as teaching tools for robots
  What is the best way to teach a robot? Sometimes it may simply be to speak to it clearly. Researchers found that human-language descriptions of tools can accelerate the learning of a simulated robotic arm lifting and using a variety of tools.
• Cheerful chatbots don't necessarily improve customer service
  Humans displaying positive emotions in customer service interactions have long been known to improve customer experience, but researchers wanted to see if this also applied to AI. They conducted experimental studies to determine if positive emotional displays improved customer service and found that emotive AI is only appreciated if the customer expects it, and it […]
• Should we tax robots?
  A small tax on robots, as well as on trade generally, will help reduce income inequality in the U.S., according to economists.
• New winged robot can land like a bird
  Researchers have developed a method that allows a flapping-wing robot to land autonomously on a horizontal perch using a claw-like mechanism. The innovation could significantly expand the scope of robot-assisted tasks.
• New robot does 'the worm' when temperature changes
  A new gelatinous robot that crawls, powered by nothing more than temperature change and clever design, brings 'a kind of intelligence' to the field of soft robotics.
• Model shows how intelligent-like behavior can emerge from non-living agents
  A new model describes how biological or technical systems form complex structures equipped with signal-processing capabilities that allow the systems to respond to stimulus and perform functional tasks without external guidance.
• Bolstering the safety of self-driving cars with a deep learning-based object detection system
  Self-driving cars need to implement efficient, effective, and accurate detection systems to provide a safe and reliable experience to its users. To this end, an international research team has now developed an end-to-end neural network that, in conjunction with the Internet-of-Things technology, detects object with high accuracy (> 96%) in both 2D and 3D. The […]

Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence

• Best Practices for Building the AI Development Platform in Government 
  By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor  The AI stack defined by Carnegie Mellon University is fundamental to the approach being taken by the US Army for its AI development platform efforts, according to Isaac Faber, Chief Data Scientist at the US Army AI Integration Center, speaking at the AI World Government event held in-person and virtually […]
• Advance Trustworthy AI and ML, and Identify Best Practices for Scaling AI 
  By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor   Advancing trustworthy AI and machine learning to mitigate agency risk is a priority for the US Department of Energy (DOE), and identifying best practices for implementing AI at scale is a priority for the US General Services Administration (GSA).   That’s what attendees learned in two sessions at the AI […]
• Promise and Perils of Using AI for Hiring: Guard Against Data Bias 
  By AI Trends Staff   While AI in hiring is now widely used for writing job descriptions, screening candidates, and automating interviews, it poses a risk of wide discrimination if not implemented carefully.  That was the message from Keith Sonderling, Commissioner with the US Equal Opportunity Commision, speaking at the AI World Government event held live and virtually in […]
• Predictive Maintenance Proving Out as Successful AI Use Case 
  By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor   More companies are successfully exploiting predictive maintenance systems that combine AI and IoT sensors to collect data that anticipates breakdowns and recommends preventive action before break or machines fail, in a demonstration of an AI use case with proven value.   This growth is reflected in optimistic market forecasts. […]
• Novelty In The Game Of Go Provides Bright Insights For AI And Autonomous Vehicles 
  By Lance Eliot, the AI Trends Insider   We already expect that humans to exhibit flashes of brilliance. It might not happen all the time, but the act itself is welcomed and not altogether disturbing when it occurs.    What about when Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems to display an act of novelty? Any such instance is bound to get our attention; […]
• Getting Government AI Engineers to Tune into AI Ethics Seen as Challenge 
  By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor   Engineers tend to see things in unambiguous terms, which some may call Black and White terms, such as a choice between right or wrong and good and bad. The consideration of ethics in AI is highly nuanced, with vast gray areas, making it  challenging for AI software engineers to […]
• Digital Natives Seen Having Advantages as Part of Government AI Engineering Teams 
  By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor   AI is more accessible to young people in the workforce who grew up as ‘digital natives’ with Alexa and self-driving cars as part of the landscape, giving them expectations grounded in their experience of what is possible.   That idea set the foundation for a panel discussion at AI World […]
• How Accountability Practices Are Pursued by AI Engineers in the Federal Government  
  By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor    Two experiences of how AI developers within the federal government are pursuing AI accountability practices were outlined at the AI World Government event held virtually and in-person this week in Alexandria, Va.  Taka Ariga, chief data scientist and director at the US Government Accountability Office, described an AI accountability framework he uses within his agency […]
• Startup: AssemblyAI Represents New Generation Speech Recognition 
  By AI Trends Staff   Advances in the AI behind speech recognition are driving growth in the market, attracting venture capital and funding startups, posing challenges to established players.   The growing acceptance and use of speech recognition devices are driving the market, which according to an estimate by Meticulous Research is expected to reach $26.8 billion […]
• Pursuit of Autonomous Cars May Pose Risk of AI Tapping Forbidden Knowledge
  By Lance Eliot, the AI Trends Insider     Are there things that we must not know?    This is an age-old question. Some assert that there is the potential for knowledge that ought to not be known. In other words, there are ideas, concepts, or mental formulations that should we become aware of that knowledge it could be […]

daily news

• Spotted a UFO? There’s an App for That
  Enigma Labs launches a project to crowdsource and quantify data about “unidentified aerial phenomena.”
• Why Bother Bringing Back the Dodo?
  Audacious plans to resurrect the long-extinct bird could be lucrative. But the moonshot raises thorny philosophical questions.
• Did the Seeds of Life Ride to Earth Inside an Asteroid?
  Biological amino acids could have celestial or terrestrial roots. An experiment simulated their formation in deep space—but the mystery isn’t solved yet.
• The Spaceport at the Edge of the World
  A tiny Scottish village is betting its future on rocket launches. But the plan may threaten the fragile landscape—and a tenacious billionaire’s ambitions.
• The Case of the Incredibly Long-Lived Mouse Cells
  Scientists kept the rodents’ immune T cells active four times longer than mice can live—with huge implications for cancer, vaccination, and aging research.
• ‘Nasty’ Geometry Breaks a Decades-Old Tiling Conjecture
  Mathematicians predicted that if they imposed enough restrictions on how a shape might tile space, they could force a periodic pattern to emerge. They were wrong.
• The American West’s Salt Lakes Are Turning to Dust
  A new research and monitoring program aims to conserve threatened but overlooked saline ecosystems.
• How Sensor-Dangling Helicopters Can Help Beat the Water Crisis
  A simultaneous solution to California’s extreme drought and flooding is to bank more water underground. Send in the choppers (and a few ATVs).
• You Might Survive a Nuclear Blast—if You Have the Right Shelter
  The escalating risks of Russia’s war in Ukraine have led scientists to study the unthinkable and model the aftermath of nuclear detonation.
• The Problematic Arrival of Anti-Obesity Drugs
  Fat activists say they’re tools of coercion. Celebrities are taking them to get slim. Is this really the road people want to go down?
• Is It Time to Call Time on the Doomsday Clock?
  It’s been ticking down the seconds to nuclear apocalypse for three-quarters of a century, but it’s not so helpful when it comes to climate change.
• This Startup Is Using AI to Unearth New Smells
  Google Research spinout Osmo wants to find substitutes for hard-to-source aromas. The tech could inspire new perfumes—and help combat mosquito-borne diseases.
• The World’s Farms Are Hooked on Phosphorus. It’s a Problem
  Half of the globe’s crop productivity comes from a key fertilizer ingredient that’s nonrenewable—and literally washing away.
• Why Not Cover Ugly Parking Lots With Solar Panels?
  In France, a plan to cover swaths of asphalt with photovoltaics will bring renewable energy even closer to urban areas where it’s needed.
• Hey EV Owners: It’d Take a Fraction of You to Prop Up the Grid
  If you agree to provide some of your car’s battery power in times of high energy demand, you’ll get paid, and help make the grid more stable.
• Why This Universe? Maybe It’s Not Special—Just Probable
  Two physicists find that our universe has a higher entropy—and is therefore more likely—than alternative possible universes.
• The Mesopotamian Marshes Are Disappearing, Again
  The World Heritage site in southern Iraq survived Saddam Hussein’s campaign to drain the wetlands. Now they’re drying up, and biodiversity is collapsing.
• You Can Use This Silly Game to Do Some Serious Physics
  In this cartoon world built to teach concepts from Randall Munroe’s book What If? 2, you can fly a rocket around randomly—or explore the physics of an alternate universe.
• It’s Not Sci-Fi—NASA Is Funding These Mind-Blowing Projects
  The space agency gave money to researchers working on liquid telescope mirrors, a lunar oxygen pipeline, and Martian building blocks made of fungi.
• The Battery That Never Gets Flat
  Your body generates enough energy to power wearables, medical sensors, and implanted devices—and tech designers are plugging in.

Geek Culture

• ChatGPT Is Making Universities Rethink Plagiarism
  Students and professors can’t decide whether the AI chatbot is a research tool—or a cheating engine.
• Why 'Velma' Is the Internet’s New Punching Bag
  The show’s got cred and lots of viewers, yet it’s still in the social media crosshairs. Blame the character’s legacy.
• 'Menswear Guy' Marks a Shift in Twitter's Main Characters
  It used to be someone who stepped into the fray. Now, it can be anyone.
• Gene Wolfe Was Sci-Fi's Most Enigmatic Writer
  Fans have spent years trying to comprehend his books, and many still don't have answers.
• The 10 Best Amazon Prime Films Right Now
  From One Night in Miami … to Licorice Pizza, these are the best films available on the streamer.
• The 25 Best Amazon Prime Shows Right Now
  From The Underground Railroad to Rings of Power, these are our picks for what you should be watching on the streamer.
• M&M’s Are the Best Trolls on the Internet
  After a long crusade by Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, the brand put its spokescandies on hiatus. It’s a savvy move that seems designed for social media.
• The Rise of the Tech Bro Supervillain
  For decades movie bad guys were easily identified by their mustaches or mwa-ha-has. These days, evil wears a hoodie.
• Generative AI Won’t Revolutionize Game Development Just Yet
  Hypesters say artificial intelligence will one day automate all the hard work of video game creation. But it’s not that simple.
• Celebrities, TikTok, and a Cat Bot Are Crashing Chess.com
  Millions of eager players have overrun the legacy website.
• The 10 Best Shows on Apple TV+ Right Now
  Whether you’re enjoying a free trial or signed up purely for Ted Lasso, these are WIRED’s top picks for Apple TV+.
• What 'Getting Curious' Taught Jonathan Van Ness About … Everything
  After seven years and 300 episodes, the podcast’s host tells WIRED about his nine favorite episodes.
• The Internet Is Breeding Hordes of Adult 'Bluey' Fans
  Sure, three-year-olds and critics love this animated series about a family of dogs. But its most vocal fans may be grownup commenters on TikTok.
• How to Spot AI-Generated Art, According to Artists
  Creatives disagree about the ethical uses of these tools, but one thing is clear: AI art identification is about to become a whole lot harder.
• All the Obnoxious Ways People Are Leaving Twitter
  Get over yourselves.
• Netflix 3.0 Is Coming
  Reed Hastings, cofounder and longtime CEO of the streamer, is stepping down after years of disrupting both the video rental market and Hollywood itself.
• Why Does AI Art Look Like a ’70s Prog-Rock Album Cover?
  The boom in generative AI art is creating an aesthetic movement—one that looks oddly familiar.
• Will the Metaverse Live Up to the Hype? Game Developers Aren’t Impressed
  Companies like Meta are still betting big on immersive virtual worlds, but people who have been building digital spaces for years don’t see the long-term potential.
• The Marvel Movies From Worst to Best—and Where to Stream Them
  Here’s our definitive ranking of all 30 films (and counting) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
• What It Takes to Build a Game in a War Zone
  The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 team has had to navigate war in Ukraine while developing the sequel to their hit shooter.

BUSINESS

• Ex-Twitter Workers Puzzle Over Elon Musk’s Abandoned Laptops
  The cash-strapped company recently auctioned off USB dongles but has left some corporate computers in the custody of laid-off staff.
• Alphabet’s Layoffs Aren’t Very Googley
  The company’s founders pioneered putting employees first and said they’d never bow down to Wall Street. How things have changed.
• ADS-B Exchange, the Flight Tracker That Powered @ElonJet, Sold to Jetnet
  ADS-B Exchange, beloved for resisting censorship, was sold to a company owned by private equity—and now even its biggest fans are bailing.
• Big Tech Is Really Bad at Firing People
  Workers from Google, Meta, and Twitter reveal the brutal ways they got dumped.
• Robot Cars Are Causing 911 False Alarms in San Francisco
  City agencies say the incidents and other disruptions show the need for more transparency about the vehicles and a pause on expanding service.
• Most Criminal Cryptocurrency Funnels Through Just 5 Exchanges
  The crypto money-laundering market is tighter than at any time in the past decade, and the few big players are moving a “shocking” amount of currency.
• ChatGPT Is Coming for Classrooms. Don't Panic
  The AI chatbot has stoked fears of an educational apocalypse. Some teachers see it as the reboot education sorely needs.
• Airlines and Cattle Farmers Have Beef With Google’s Climate Math
  The company offers estimates of the emissions impacts of flights and recipes. Businesses with sales at stake are pushing back.
• The Rebellion Amazon Can No Longer Ignore
  Warehouse workers in the UK are walking out for the first time, and they want the world to follow.
• The Earth Is Begging You to Accept Smaller EV Batteries
  Electric vehicles are selling fast. But unless people change how they get around, the demand for battery materials threatens its own environmental disaster.
• China Is the World’s Biggest Face Recognition Dealer
  Experts fear sales of the technology also export authoritarian ideas about biometric surveillance. The second largest exporter is the US.
• Meta Eyes a Moderation Partner With ‘Traumatizing’ Working Conditions
  Employees of outsourcing company Majorel have accused it of underpaying moderators and failing to support them.
• Tesla’s Problems Go Way Beyond Elon Musk
  The EV giant is alienating its customers, bringing in less revenue, and falling behind legacy carmakers.
• How to Spot AI-Generated Art, According to Artists
  Creatives disagree about the ethical uses of these tools, but one thing is clear: AI art identification is about to become a whole lot harder.
• The Small but Mighty Danger of Echo Chamber Extremism
  Research shows that relatively few people exist in perfectly sealed-off media bubbles—but they’re still having an outsize impact on US politics.
• My Week With the Future of Garbage Bins
  A device called Mill from veterans of Nest, the smart-thermostat creator, transforms your would-be kitchen waste into chicken feed.
• Tech Workers Fight for Iran Protesters as Big Tech Plays It Safe
  Companies like Google have offered a muted response to unrest in Iran. Grassroots coders are tackling internet censorship on their own.
• Cheaters Hacked an AI Bot—and Beat the 'Rocket League' Elite
  Expert players of the popular vehicular soccer game have been caught out by lesser players using a superhuman bot built on cutting-edge machine learning.
• A Damning US Report Lays Bare Amazon’s Worker Injury Crisis
  Investigators found that conditions in three of the company’s facilities risk “serious physical harm” to workers.
• Metaverse Landlords Are Creating a New Class System
  Virtual landowners have found a way to put their investments to work, but with unintended consequences.

IDEAS

• An AI Filter Revealed My Secret Self
  Yes, they're problematic. They can also reflect an alternate reality that feels eerily close to the truth.
• Neural Imaging Reveals Secret Conversational Cues
  Complex signals and subliminal signs underpin all human verbal communication—and a real-time translation is on the horizon.
• Doctors, Get Ready for Your AI Assistants
  Hospitals have begun using machine learning to help analyze and collect images, and the medical applications are endless.
• Climate Reparations Won’t Work
  For Tonga and other nations disproportionately impacted by the environmental crisis, cash is only a band-aid for a spiraling disaster.
• Crispr Wants to Feed the World
  The power to fight human diseases put genome editing on the map. But similar technology could help crops withstand the stress of climate change.
• ChatGPT Isn’t the Only Way to Use AI in Education
  AI can be a tool to create meaningful connections and learning experiences for children—and may help foster more equitable outcomes.
• The Workforce Is Failing Women. Business Leaders Can Stop It
  Workplaces must undergo huge structural changes if they are to stop the exodus.
• The Battle Over Bike Lanes Needs a Mindset Shift
  Installing protected routes tends to boost local shops. But many store owners remain attached to their street parking—and fight to protect it.
• The ‘Enshittification’ of TikTok
  Or how, exactly, platforms die.
• Hacktivism Is a Risky Career Path
  The IT Army of Ukraine saw a huge influx of first-time hackers. But what happens to them after the war?
• This Mythbustin’ Nashville YouTuber Is on a Guitar Gear Mission
  Why does your guitar sound that way? Is it your amp, your pickups, or your pedals? Jim Lill is trying to find out, one filmed A/B test at a time.
• Public Programs Are Only as Good as Their Data
  Most governments work off incomplete or inaccurate information, but it’s time to plug the gaps.
• ChatGPT Stole Your Work. So What Are You Going to Do?
  Creators need to pressure the courts, the market, and regulators before it’s too late.
• A Virtual Social Life Is Possible With Brain-Machine Interfaces
  VR and brain-computer interfaces will combine to give disabled people agency in both the real and virtual worlds.
• China’s Declining Population Can Still Prosper
  Research suggests that once low fertility becomes the norm, it’s unlikely to rebound. But this doesn’t need to spell disaster for the country or those with similar trends.
• Twitter’s ‘Vox Populi’ Is a Lie
  Twitter’s pseudo-democracy has failed to live up to its grand ideals, but the dream of a digital town square lives on.
• Infinite AI Interns for Everybody
  These assistants won’t just ease the workload, they’ll unleash a wave of entrepreneurship.
• Mental Health Apps Won’t Get You Off the Couch
  WIRED's spiritual advice columnist on whether digital tools can solve a health crisis they helped create.
• Mini Power Plants—on Wheels
  As the heart of a distributed energy network, EVs will be hard at work, even when they’re stationary.
• Robots With a Human Touch? Yes, Please
  To succeed in home settings, domestic mechanical assistants will need humanoid attributes.