Robots & AI

A stylized digital illustration of a hand wearing a futuristic SIMA glove, manipulating a ghostly image of a game controller against a dark, gradient background.

Why AI playing video games is a big deal

Google’s SIMA can follow human instructions to play 3D video games. Researchers hopes the platform can one day help AI navigate real-world environments.

Kevin Dickinson

A high-tech setup with robotic arms and cameras digitally scanning the Herculaneum scrolls in a library.

“Bionic eye” discovers Plato’s final resting place

Plato’s final resting place has been identified thanks to a “bionic eye” built to read the Herculaneum scrolls.

Kristin Houser

A man wearing a gray beanie, white AI glasses, and a green puffer jacket smiles subtly against a light brown background.

How Brilliant Labs CEO is creating a “symbiosis of humanity and artificial intelligence”

CEO Bobak Tavangar discusses the philosophy behind Brilliant’s latest device, Frame, and his vision for the future of AI.

Kevin Dickinson

Transportation

Cruise robotaxi service is quickly expanding

General Motors subsidiary Cruise is quickly expanding its commercial robotaxi service to more cities in the US.

Kristin Houser

AI could help cancer patients avoid a deadly recurrence

A new study found that AI can use a patient’s initial skin cancer growth to predict their risk of melanoma recurrence.

Kristin Houser

Medicine

AI-discovered drug for ALS enters human trials in just four years

Verge Genomics has begun a trial of their AI-found ALS drug candidate, one of the first tests for this new method of drug discovery.

B. David Zarley

Deepfake audio has a tell – researchers use fluid dynamics to spot artificial imposter voices

Audio deepfakes potentially pose a huge threat, as people often communicate via phone calls, radio, and voice recordings.

Patrick Traynor and Logan Blue

Shutterstock will sell AI images — and compensate artists

Shutterstock will make AI-generated images available on its website, while also compensating creators for helping train the AI.

Kristin Houser

Oceans

How to prevent mass extinction in the ocean using AI, robots, and 3D printers

There is currently no possibility of the world reaching the 30% target for marine protected areas with existing policies. Tech to the rescue?

Saleem Mustafa

Robotics

Farming robot kills 200,000 weeds per hour with lasers

Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeder is a smart farming robot that identifies weeds and then kills them using high-power lasers.

Kristin Houser

AI is able to spot diseases before symptoms appear

New AI tools are helping doctors screen healthy patients for diseases early, when treatments are most effective.

Kristin Houser

Surveillance

Inventions that are fighting the rise of facial recognition technology

Combating the rise of facial-recognition technology, designers have created clothing and accessories to help to conceal people's identities.

Stephen Johnson

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