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What Happened to TikTok’s Project Texas?
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What Happened to TikTok’s Project Texas?

TikTok developed a plan to address U.S. government national security concerns, but it was dismissed without serious consideration. Why? Fourteen months ago, in a conference room in TikTok’s Washington, D.C., office, TikTok CEO Shou Chew briefed a small group of think tank scholars, nongovernmental organization officials, and academics on a plan the company had developed...

It’s Hearty, It’s Meaty, It’s Mold
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It’s Hearty, It’s Meaty, It’s Mold

With animal-free dairy products and convincing vegetarian meat substitutes already on the market, it’s easy to see how biotechnology can change the food industry. Advances in genetic engineering are allowing us to harness microorganisms to produce cruelty-free products that are healthy for consumers and healthier for the environment. One of the most promising sources of...

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Is AI an Existential Risk? Q&A with RAND Experts

What are the potential risks associated with artificial intelligence? Might any of these be catastrophic or even existential? And as momentum builds toward boundless applications of this technology, how might humanity reduce AI risk and navigate an uncertain future? At a recent RAND event, a panel of five experts explored these emerging questions. While the gathering highlighted...

Guessing Game: Response May Bias Understanding of Future Scenarios
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Guessing Game: Response May Bias Understanding of Future Scenarios

Does previous experience bias a person in future estimations? Yes, Osaka Metropolitan University researchers in Japan report, but only if the person engages higher processing powers by responding, as opposed to simply observing. They made their findings through experiments involving participants estimating the number of dots flashed on a screen. Participants either had to input...

Faster and more accurate than some alternatives, this approach could be useful for robots that interact with humans or work in tight spaces.
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Faster and more accurate than some alternatives, this approach could be useful for robots that interact with humans or work in tight spaces.

Faster and more accurate than some alternatives, this approach could be useful for robots that interact with humans or work in tight spaces. Before a robot can grab dishes off a shelf to set the table, it must ensure its gripper and arm won’t crash into anything and potentially shatter the fine china. As part...

High Persuasiveness of Propaganda Written by AI
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High Persuasiveness of Propaganda Written by AI

Research participants who read propaganda generated by the AI large language model GPT-3 davinci were nearly as persuaded as those who read real propaganda from Iran or Russia, according to a study. Josh Goldstein and colleagues identified six articles, likely originating from Iranian or Russian state-aligned covert propaganda campaigns, according to investigative journalists or researchers....

UW-Developed Smart Earrings Can Monitor a Person’s Temperature
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UW-Developed Smart Earrings Can Monitor a Person’s Temperature

Smart accessories are increasingly common. Rings and watches track vitals, while Ray-Bans now come with cameras and microphones. Wearable tech has even broached brooches. Yet certain accessories have yet to get the smart touch. University of Washington researchers introduced the Thermal Earring, a wireless wearable that continuously monitors a user’s earlobe temperature. In a study of six...

Regulation Makes Crypto Markets More Efficient
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Regulation Makes Crypto Markets More Efficient

First-of-its-kind research on cryptocurrency finds that the most regulated coins create the most efficient markets. That crypto regulation, often provided by cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance, can also help protect investors by providing reliable, public information. “Both small and institutional investors should know, if they invest in coins without any regulation, they may suffer from price...

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A Sleeker Facial Recognition Technology Tested on Michelangelo’s David

Many people are familiar with facial recognition systems that unlock smartphones and game systems or allow access to our bank accounts online. But the current technology can require boxy projectors and lenses. Now, researchers report in ACS’ Nano Letters a sleeker 3D surface imaging system with flatter, simplified optics. In proof-of-concept demonstrations, the new system recognized the...

Why Artists Should Learn How to Use AI Tools
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Why Artists Should Learn How to Use AI Tools

In his talk at Rhizome’s 7×7 conference, the musician and comedian Reggie Watts said that artists should learn how to use the creative applications of artificial intelligence so they can ‘be at the table and have an opinion.’ His words summed up the ethos of the event, which invited artists who had not previously worked...