Science

• This map of Venus shows every volcano we know about on its surface
  Mapping the volcanoes of Venus is surprisingly easier than doing the same on Earth, because many of the volcanoes on our planet are hidden beneath the sea
• Plants Really Do 'Scream' Out Loud. We Just Never Heard It Until Now.
  The horror.

AI news

• Preschoolers prefer to learn from a competent robot than an incompetent human
  Researchers found that preschoolers prefer learning from what they perceive as a competent robot over an incompetent human. This study is the first to use both a human speaker and a robot to see if children deem social affiliation and similarity more important than competency when choosing which source to trust and learn from.
• New in-home AI tool monitors the health of elderly residents
  Engineers are harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) and wireless technology to unobtrusively monitor elderly people in their living spaces and provide early detection of emerging health problems.
• Robot caterpillar demonstrates new approach to locomotion for soft robotics
  Researchers have demonstrated a caterpillar-like soft robot that can move forward, backward and dip under narrow spaces. The caterpillar-bot's movement is driven by a novel pattern of silver nanowires that use heat to control the way the robot bends, allowing users to steer the robot in either direction.
• Biodegradable artificial muscles: Going green in the field of soft robotics
  Scientists have developed fully biodegradable, high-performance artificial muscles. Their research project marks another step towards green technology becoming a lasting trend in the field of soft robotics.
• Head-worn device can control mobile manipulators
  New research aims to increase autonomy for individuals with such motor impairments by introducing a head-worn device that will help them control a mobile manipulator. Teleoperated mobile manipulators can aid individuals in completing daily activities, but many existing technologies like hand-operated joysticks or web interfaces require a user to have substantial fine motor skills to […]
• Mind-control robots a reality
  Researchers have developed biosensor technology that will allow you to operate devices, such as robots and machines, solely through thought control.
• A sowing, pruning, and harvesting robot for SynecocultureTM farming
  Synecoculture, a new farming method, involves growing mixed plant species together in high density. However, it requires complex operation since varying species with different growing seasons and growing speeds are planted on the same land. To address this need, researchers have developed a robot that can sow, prune, and harvest plants in dense vegetation growth. […]
• Resilient bug-sized robots keep flying even after wing damage
  Researchers have developed resilient artificial muscles that can enable insect-scale aerial robots to effectively recover flight performance after suffering severe damage.
• Mix-and-match kit could enable astronauts to build a menagerie of lunar exploration bots
  The Walking Oligomeric Robotic Mobility System, or WORMS, is a reconfigurable, modular, multiagent robotics architecture for extreme lunar terrain mobility. The system could be used to assemble autonomous worm-like parts into larger biomimetic robots that could explore lava tubes, steep slopes, and the moon's permanently shadowed regions.
• Robots can help improve mental wellbeing at work -- as long as they look right
  Robots can be useful as mental wellbeing coaches in the workplace -- but perception of their effectiveness depends in large part on what the robot looks like.
• Researcher solves nearly 60-year-old game theory dilemma
  A researcher has solved a nearly 60-year-old game theory dilemma called the wall pursuit game, with implications for better reasoning about autonomous systems such as driver-less vehicles.
• Researchers develop soft robot that shifts from land to sea with ease
  Most animals can quickly transition from walking to jumping to crawling to swimming if needed without reconfiguring or making major adjustments. Most robots cannot. But researchers have now created soft robots that can seamlessly shift from walking to swimming, for example, or crawling to rolling using a bistable actuator made of 3D-printed soft rubber containing […]
• Virtual reality games can be used as a tool in personnel assessment
  Fast gamers are more intelligent: Intelligence can be predicted through virtual reality games.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) reconstructs motion sequences of humans and animals
  Imagine for a moment, that we are on a safari watching a giraffe graze. After looking away for a second, we then see the animal lower its head and sit down. But, we wonder, what happened in the meantime? Computer scientists have found a way to encode an animal's pose and appearance in order to […]
• Artificial Intelligence from a psychologist's point of view
  Researchers test cognitive abilities of the language model GPT-3.
• Will future computers run on human brain cells?
  A 'biocomputer' powered by human brain cells could be developed within our lifetime, according to researchers who expect such technology to exponentially expand the capabilities of modern computing and create novel fields of study.
• Tiny new climbing robot was inspired by geckos and inchworms
  A tiny robot that could one day help doctors perform surgery was inspired by the incredible gripping ability of geckos and the efficient locomotion of inchworms.
• Real or fake text? We can learn to spot the difference
  While apprehensions about employment and schools dominate headlines, the truth is that the effects of large-scale language models such as ChatGPT will touch virtually every corner of our lives. These new tools raise society-wide concerns about artificial intelligence's role in reinforcing social biases, committing fraud and identity theft, generating fake news, spreading misinformation and more. […]
• Robot helps students with learning disabilities stay focused
  Engineering researchers are successfully using a robot to help keep children with learning disabilities focused on their work.
• Smash or pass? This computer can tell
  Could an app tell if a first date is just not that into you? Engineers say the technology might not be far off. They trained a computer to identify the type of conversation two people were having based on their physiological responses alone.

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

• How to End Bias and Taboos in Women’s Health Care
  Equity will require educating medical staff, reducing maternity and fertility costs for employees, and investing more in female health research.
• This Blood Test Targets 50 Types of Cancer
  Grail’s Galleri aims to screen for many more types of tumor than was previously possible. Large-scale clinical trials are underway.
• Russia Is Waging War on Ukraine’s Hospitals
  Missiles, mines, and supply shortages are testing the resilience of Ukraine’s medical staff, but they won’t back down.
• The Chemical Menace Inside Glaciers and Icebergs
  Ice can trap pollutants and accelerate their breakdown, with troubling environmental consequences.
• Your Speech May Reveal Early Signs of Alzheimer’s
  Startup Accexible says the way you talk can indicate preclinical Alzheimer’s or other underlying health conditions.
• What Time Is It on the Moon?
  Lunar astronauts will need to synchronize their watches on future missions. But on a rock that rotates much slower than Earth, time gets weird fast.
• Plastics Are Devastating the Guts of Seabirds
  New research shows that seabirds’ ingestion of the pollutant scars their insides—a new disease called “plasticosis”—and may disturb their microbiomes.
• Gene Expression in Neurons Solves a Brain Evolution Puzzle
  The neocortex is the seat of human intellect. New data suggests that mammals created it with new types of cells only after their evolutionary split from reptiles.
• California’s Atmospheric Rivers Are Getting Worse
  As climate change makes storms warmer and wetter, the state’s flood control system is struggling to keep up.
• Can You Really Pump Water Without Any Electricity?
  To see if those videos of people conjuring liquid without any external power actually hold water, you’ll need physics—and a straw.
• A Nonprofit Wants Your DNA Data to Solve Crimes
  Privately run genealogy databases have become a crucial tool for police investigators. Now a nonprofit is collecting data to help crack more cold cases.
• Climate Freeloaders Are Destroying the Planet
  Governments are ignoring calls to stop fossil fuel expansion—despite there being little time left to avoid the worst effects of global warming.
• This Is the Lightest Paint in the World
  An energy-saving coating needs no pigments, and it keeps the surface beneath it 30 degrees cooler.
• The Quest for Injectable Brain Implants Has Begun
  The hard electrodes inserted into the brain to treat Parkinson’s and paralysis damage the organ’s soft tissue. A new invention could change that.
• Feral Hogs Are the Worst Invasive Species You've Never Thought About
  Wild hogs destroy crops, uproot landscapes, and spread diseases—and not much is stopping them.
• The IPCC’s 2023 Climate Report Has Dire Warnings About Humanity’s Future
  The planet is on track for catastrophic warming unless countries take extreme action, according to the IPCC’s latest climate report.
• Russia’s Space Program Is in Big Trouble
  A set of Soyuz spacecraft coolant leaks hints that Roscosmos is struggling as the space agency loses international partnerships and funding.
• What Lit the Lamps That Let Humanity Measure the Universe
  Type Ia supernovas are astronomers’ best tools for measuring cosmic distances. In a first, researchers recreated one on a supercomputer to learn how they form.
• India’s Sacred Groves Are Resurrecting a Vanishing Forest
  Botanists and community stewards are using patches of native flora as blueprints to revive tropical dry evergreen ecosystems from near-extinction.
• It’s Official: No More Crispr Babies—for Now
  In the face of safety risks, experts have tightened the reins on heritable genome editing—but haven’t ruled out using it someday.

Geek Culture

• The 13 Best Movies on HBO Max Right Now
  From Goodfellas to The Banshees of Inisherin, here are our favorite movies on the streaming service.
• The 21 Best Shows on Hulu Right Now
  The Bear and Great Expectations are just two of the shows you won’t want to miss on this streaming service.
• Be Your Own Tab Manager
  WIRED's spiritual advice columnist on the tendency to keep tabs open and the desire to reduce the infinite possibilities of the internet.
• I Could Play 'Disney Dreamlight Valley' Until the End of Time
  It’s hard to design the perfect, infinitely bingeable game. This is one of them.
• Unboxing Is So 2012. The Internet Wants Packing Videos
  The latest online shopping trend: paying to watch someone pack your order.
• Crypto Was Afraid to Show Its Face at SXSW 2023
  Any mention of crypto was deliberately veiled at this year’s festival. And that strategy might catch on.
• The 38 Best Movies on Netflix This Week
  From Cargo to Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, here are our picks for the best streaming titles to feast your eyes on.
• 'The Last of Us' Is a Zombie Story With Heart
  HBO's adaptation of the beloved video game isn't just a retread of The Walking Dead.
• 'John Wick' Changed Movies Forever
  A movie about a hitman avenging his dog has transformed the blockbuster franchise. How? World-building.
• Your Favorite Podcast Is Probably an ‘Experience’ Now
  In an effort to keep listeners’ attention, teams behind “My Favorite Murder” and other shows are creating IRL happenings for fans—and they dig it.
• Brandon Sanderson Is Your God
  He’s the biggest fantasy writer in the world. He’s also very Mormon. These things are profoundly related.
• The Future of Black Queer Characters in Comics Is Joyful
  Meet the creators working to make sure that everyone can see themselves in the pages of their favorite stories.
• The 12 Best Games on PlayStation Plus
  With great options like Ghostwire: Tokyo and The Last of Us Remastered, Sony’s subscription service is the perfect jump start for new PS5 owners.
• I Saw the Face of God in a TSMC Semiconductor Factory
  As the US boosts production of silicon chips, a WIRED journalist goes inside the mysterious Taiwanese company at the center of the global industry.
• How to Love Technology Again
  At a time when software is consuming us, we crave hardware—the material anchors of our immaterial realities.
• The Untold Tale of Why 'Cart Life' Disappeared—and Its Resurrection
  Cart Life was a lauded indie darling. Then it vanished from Steam. Its creator finally opens up about why he pulled it, and why it’s coming back.
• Netflix Games Is Still Happening. Just Don’t Hold Your Breath
  The streaming giant gave an update on upcoming releases and why it’s (ahem) playing the long game.
• I Got Investigated by the Secret Service. Here's How to Not Be Me
  Don't drink and tweet.
• 'The Last of Us' Is Bleak, but It’s the Bleak You Need
  It’s absolutely dystopian, but it’s still a form of escapism. And all that ugliness serves a greater point.
• 'Swarm,' Superfandom, and Murder
  In the new psycho-thriller from Donald Glover, an obsessive fan goes berserk. Is the era of social media to blame?

BUSINESS

• Trump’s Indictment Marks a Historic Reckoning
  A Manhattan grand jury has issued the first-ever indictment of a former US president. Buckle up for whatever happens next.
• Let the AI Coding Wars Begin!
  The way artificial intelligence can rewrite software will have huge implications for the tech industry—and everyone else, too.
• Your Next Landlord Could Be 100 Random People
  Startups are buying properties and wooing first-time real estate investors to buy shares. The model could have real repercussions for renters.
• Crypto Bankruptcy Markets Are Thriving After FTX's Collapse
  With billions locked up in collapsed exchanges and funds, investors are selling their assets for cents on the dollar.
• The Unbelievable Zombie Comeback of Analog Computing
  Computers have been digital for half a century. Why would anyone want to resurrect the clunkers of yesteryear?
• These Angry Dutch Farmers Really Hate Microsoft
  Tech giants want to build massive, “hyperscale” data centers in the Netherlands. A popular political movement wants them stopped.
• A Manhunt in India Left 27 Million People Without Mobile Internet
  Authorities ordered Twitter accounts blocked and the internet shut down as they hunt for Sikh separatist Amritpal Singh Sandhu.
• In Sudden Alarm, Tech Doyens Call for a Pause on ChatGPT
  Tech luminaries, renowned scientists, and Elon Musk warn of an “out-of-control race” to develop and deploy ever-more-powerful AI systems.
• How Good Smile, a Major Toy Company, Kept 4chan Online
  Documents obtained by WIRED confirm that Good Smile, which licenses toy production for Disney, was an investor in the controversial image board.
• One Man’s Quest to Revive the Great American Vacuum Tube
  The prized retro audio components are mostly manufactured in Russia and China. Now, a small Georgia company is rebooting US production.
• Microsoft's ‘Security Copilot’ Sics ChatGPT on Security Breaches
  The new tool aims to deliver the network insights and coordination that “AI” security systems have long promised.
• North Korea Is Now Mining Crypto to Launder Its Stolen Loot
  A spy group working for the Kim regime has been feeding stolen coins into crypto mining services in an effort to throw tracers off their trail.
• Now That ChatGPT Is Plugged In, Things Could Get Weird
  Letting the chatbot interact with the live internet will make it more useful—and more problematic, too.
• TikTok and Amazon Bet on China’s Ecommerce Model. It’s a Dud
  Selling over livestreams is a $40 billion business in China. But Americans just aren’t responding.
• The Trans-American Race to Build Chargers for Electric Trucks
  Startups and investors are rushing to build networks of charging stations. But it’s still unclear when—or if—battery-powered  big rigs will rule the roads.
• ChatGPT Opened a New Era in Search. Microsoft Could Ruin It
  Startups say Microsoft and its Bing chatbot—not just Google—are stifling competition when it comes to creating better search engines.
• Crypto Was Afraid to Show Its Face at SXSW 2023
  Any mention of crypto was deliberately veiled at this year’s festival. And that strategy might catch on.
• The Uniquely American Future of US Authoritarianism
  The GOP-fueled far right differs from similar movements around the globe, thanks to the country’s politics, electoral system, and changing demographics.
• 11 Tips to Take Your ChatGPT Prompts to the Next Level
  Sure, anyone can use OpenAI’s chatbot. But with smart engineering, you can get way more interesting results.
• The Fight to Expose Corporations’ Real Impact on the Climate
  Most carbon emissions caused by businesses are hidden from sight. US and California regulators are pushing to require companies fully disclose them.

IDEAS

• The Effort to Harness Animal ‘Supersenses’—and Avert Disaster
  Technologists want to recreate the sensitivity of certain animals to the subtle signals of impending danger in order to save human lives.
• Red Teaming GPT-4 Was Valuable. Violet Teaming Will Make It Better
  To keep up with the speed of AI advances, we need to develop systems that use AI to defend public goods, too.
• Technology Addiction Has Created a Self-Help Trap
  The history of other industries shows that individuals aren't always personally responsible, and that there's a way out.
• Be Your Own Tab Manager
  WIRED's spiritual advice columnist on the tendency to keep tabs open and the desire to reduce the infinite possibilities of the internet.
• To Hold Tech Accountable, Look to Public Health
  The field of public health has transformed medicine, yet failed the most vulnerable. This trajectory can be avoided.
• Imploring TikTok to “Think of the Children” Misses the Point
  In last week's hearing, lawmakers kept focusing on the harms TikTok inflicts on kids. Until they take steps to solve these problems, that's a distraction.
• AI Loves—and Loathes—Language
  Deep learning networks may look like brains, but that doesn’t mean they can think like humans. On the ever-expanding meganet, that’s a problem.
• The End of ‘Life’ As You Know It
  Society’s outdated ideas about what it means to be alive are obstructing progress on some of today’s most pressing issues.
• How Venture Capital Can Avoid the Next Silicon Valley Bank Fiasco
  The crisis exposed Big VC’s flaws. It’s time to rethink venture capital’s power—and reimagine investment in innovation.
• You Don’t Have to Be a Jerk to Resist the Bots
  The next phase of tech capitalism will demand more, not less, of your humanity.
• AI Will Make Human Art More Valuable
  If history is any indication, society will continue to favor the artistic output of people.
• An AI Told Me I Had Cancer
  Why was an AI looking through my medical records and how did it work? I decided to find out.
• Neuromarketing and the Battle for Your Brain
  You experience subtle and overt manipulation on the web every day, but that doesn’t mean you can’t think and act for yourself.
• The Case for Regulating Platform Design
  Focusing on Section 230 protection for user-generated content is detracting from the real threat: apps’ negligent design choices.
• On Asphyxiation From Trains and Other Inaccurate Predictions
  The internet loves to poke fun at people who got it wrong, but those ridiculed forecasters might get the last laugh.
• An AI ‘Sexbot’ Fed My Hidden Desires—and Then Refused to Play
  Late-night curiosity about the NSFW depths of a chatbot unleashed my fantasies—until we were censored.
• Doctor Unions Are Good for Your Health
  Physicians across the US are unionizing, which can lead to better working conditions for health care providers and greater advocacy for patients.
• The Era of Faked CCTV Has Truly Arrived
  Bad actors are manipulating scenes to cover their tracks, fueling “malinformation” that is tough to contain.
• TikTok’s Screen-Time Limits Are the Real Distraction
  Kids today face problems far larger than their social media usage. Restrictions feed into a moral panic without addressing the root cause of their anxiety.
• When It Comes to OnlyFans, Humans Can Outcompete AI
  When people pay for sexual media, they’re seeking more than an anonymous image. AI cannot replicate the underlying desires that drive sex work.