Machine learning & AI news

Consumer & Gadgets

Research finds hotel booking chatbots can 'creep out' customers

Travelers who use AI-powered chatbots on hotel booking platforms often feel uneasy. That discomfort can cause them to disengage or delay booking decisions, according to new research from the Texas A&M College of Agriculture ...

Hardware

New light-based switch could cut chip energy use and speed future AI photonics

Photonic devices are hardware systems that can process information using light instead of electricity. These systems could potentially perform computations faster than electronic devices, while also consuming less energy.

Computer Sciences

Enhanced YOLO framework boosts 360-degree small-object detection to 90% accuracy

Omnidirectional cameras are widely popular as they capture a full 360-degree view. They are often utilized for surveillance, traffic analysis, and autonomous systems. But the same wide-angle vision also leads to a technical ...

Machine learning & AI

AI controversy swirls around writer from Trinidad and Tobago who won a prestigious prize

A prize-winning Caribbean writer from Trinidad and Tobago is embroiled in the latest controversy involving the use of AI for a creative work, after allegations that artificial intelligence was used to write a short story.

Machine learning & AI

When AI imagines cities, smaller communities can disappear

When College of Natural Resources and Environment geospatial data scientist Junghwan Kim asked an artificial intelligence (AI) image generator to create a picture of Blacksburg, the result wasn't quite right. "The image looked ...

Robotics

What AI taxis and robots can learn from bees

Even advanced technology can struggle when the real world becomes unpredictable. In April 2026, a Waymo robotaxi in San Antonio, Texas, drove into a flooded lane during severe weather, prompting the company to recall about ...

Internet

US enforces law to crack down on sexual deepfakes

The United States on Tuesday began enforcing a law requiring tech platforms to remove sexual deepfakes and other non-consensual intimate imagery, but experts warned of shortcomings and raised online censorship concerns.

Machine learning & AI

From graduation boos to voter unease: AI anxiety grows in the US

Speakers promoting AI are getting booed at universities, voters are rebelling against data centers, and even AI-friendly Trump administration officials are starting to retreat as an artificial intelligence backlash gathers ...

Security

AI can seem more human than real humans in a classic Turing test

A new University of California San Diego study unveils the first empirical evidence that a modern artificial intelligence system can pass the Turing test—a major scientific benchmark that asks whether a machine can imitate ...

Machine learning & AI

How transparent is AI in the workplace and in recruitment?

As artificial intelligence continues to transform recruitment and workplace practices, questions around transparency, fairness, and trust are becoming increasingly urgent. A new article sheds light on how workers and job ...

Machine learning & AI

Don't let AI give your eulogy

There was something a bit off about a speech at one of my recent colleague's retirements. It was beautifully written, very generously worded and the pacing was impeccable. And yet, I hate to say it, it was utterly lifeless.

Robotics

Closing the gap between animal movement and robotic control

Animals move with a level of precision and adaptability that robots struggle to match. In Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Mechanical Engineering, researchers are developing a new AI-driven approach to uncover how ...

Internet

AI content moderation takes a lesson from economics

Spend enough time on the internet, and you'll likely encounter some pretty appalling content. Hate speech tends to flourish on social media and in online communities, particularly those with little to no moderation. Even ...

Machine learning & AI

60% of US teens have tried AI chatbots, 11.4% use them almost daily

As AI chatbots become increasingly part of daily life for American teens, a new national study documents widespread exposure to harm. While many use them for school, entertainment and support, researchers warn they may also ...

Software

AiiDAlab: Software that drives research forward

Whether on a smartphone, tablet, or PC, computer users like things to be convenient. Apps can be launched and configured with just a few clicks or taps on the screen, all with a clean, intuitive graphical interface. The AiiDAlab ...