https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/computer-sciences-news/ en-us The latest news on computer science, computer science technology, computer science technologies and technology science. Confidence is persuasive. In artificial intelligence systems, it is often misleading. Today's most capable reasoning models share a trait with the loudest voice in the room: They deliver every answer with the same unshakable certainty, whether they're right or guessing. Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have now traced that overconfidence to a specific flaw in how these models are trained, and developed a method that fixes it without giving up any accuracy. The team's research is published on the arXiv preprint server. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ai-im-cases-calibration-errors.html Computer Sciences Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:20:04 EDT news696092821 A coaching tool built into artificial intelligence (AI)-powered systems may raise user awareness of bias in AI algorithms and help individuals better prompt generative AI tools to produce more inclusive content, according to researchers at Penn State and Oregon State University. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-prompt-tool-user-awareness-bias.html Computer Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:00:02 EDT news695543535 Large language models (LLMs) can teach other algorithms unwanted traits, which can persist even when training data has been scrubbed of the original trait, according to new research published in Nature. In one example, a model seems to transmit a preference for owls to other models via hidden signals in data. The findings demonstrate that more thorough safety checks are needed when producing LLMs. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ai-chatbot-student-owls.html Computer Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:40:04 EDT news695485082 Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new AI-assisted tool that helps computer architects boost processor performance by improving memory management. The tool, called CacheMind, is the first computer architecture simulator capable of answering arbitrary, interactive questions about complex hardware-software interactions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-cachemind-chip-tuning-conversation-exposing.html Computer Sciences Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:40:02 EDT news695470804 Perfect AI alignment with human values and interests is mathematically impossible, according to a study, but behavioral diversity among AI agents offers the promise of some control. Published in PNAS Nexus, Hector Zenil and colleagues used Gödel's incompleteness theorem and Turing's undecidability result for the Halting Problem to show that any LLM complex enough to exhibit general intelligence or superintelligence will also be computationally irreducible and produce unpredictable behavior, making forced alignment impossible. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-alignment-ai-human-values-mathematically.html Computer Sciences Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:20:08 EDT news695387643 What if ChatGPT answered with the name of a minister from a year ago when asked, "Who was the minister inaugurated last month?" This is a prime example of the limitations of AI that fails to properly reflect the latest information. A KAIST research team has developed a new evaluation technology that automatically reflects changing real-world information while catching "temporal errors" that may appear correct on the surface. This is expected to drastically improve AI reliability. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ai-temporal-errors-reliability-medical.html Computer Sciences Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:40:04 EDT news695374741 Researchers have demonstrated a new training technique that significantly improves the accuracy of graph neural networks (GNNs)—AI systems used in applications from drug discovery to weather forecasting. GNNs are AI systems designed to perform tasks where the input data is presented in the form of graphs. Graphs, in this context, refer largely to data structures where data points (called nodes) are connected by lines (called edges). The edges indicate some sort of relationship between the nodes. Edges can be used to connect nodes that are similar (called homophily)—but can also connect nodes that are dissimilar (called heterophily). https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-harmonygnn-boosts-graph-ai-accuracy.html Computer Sciences Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:20:05 EDT news695318401 In a world where artificial intelligence is quietly shaping who gets hired, who receives loans, and even how medical decisions are made, a new question is emerging: How does AI judge us? A new study by Prof. Yaniv Dover and Valeria Lerman from Hebrew University suggests the answer is both reassuring and deeply unsettling. The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Science. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-revealing-hidden-logic-ai-judgments.html Computer Sciences Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:00:01 EDT news695318161 Published in Nature Communications, researchers from St. Olaf College and Syracuse University built a computer made entirely of mechanical components that can perform simple computations without electricity or batteries. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-mechanical-odd.html Engineering Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:40:03 EDT news695304905 Online data is generally pretty secure. Assuming everyone is careful with passwords and other protections, you can think of it as being locked in a vault so strong that even all the world's supercomputers, working together for 10,000 years, could not crack it. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-quantum-codes-faster.html Computer Sciences Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:40:05 EDT news695288102 Virtual reality tools have untapped potential to elicit positive emotions for use in education, health care, architecture and psychological therapy, according to a recent study from Murdoch University that looked at four core visual factors and associated sub-factors and how they contribute to realism and emotional engagement in virtual reality environments. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-hyper-real-virtual-worlds.html Consumer & Gadgets Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:00:03 EDT news695285701 It wasn't long ago that news headlines claimed that AI might soon assist radiologists in interpreting X-rays of broken bones and analyzing mammograms. We are still far from the destination, as a new study has brought to light the mirage effect, where AI creates detailed descriptions of images that do not exist. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ai-fake-visual-images-dont.html Computer Sciences Sun, 12 Apr 2026 13:00:02 EDT news694946192 There is an exciting future on the horizon—one in which your thoughts could directly control electronic devices you use every day. In many ways, that future is already here, enabled by neural interfaces—engineered devices designed to exchange information with the body's nervous system. From consumer wearables to clinical devices, electronics controlled by neural interfaces are making their way into the marketplace and medical practice. These technologies are demonstrating potential for augmenting, and even restoring, human capabilities in profound ways. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-neural-interfaces-game-theory-wearables.html Computer Sciences Sun, 12 Apr 2026 07:00:01 EDT news695187648 In a recent paper, SFI Complexity Postdoctoral Fellow Yuanzhao Zhang and co-author William Gilpin show that a deceptively simple forecasting strategy can outperform several leading machine learning forecasting models. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-simple-baseline-ai-machine.html Computer Sciences Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:00:06 EDT news695047170 Training a large artificial intelligence model is expensive, not just in dollars, but in time, energy, and computational resources. Traditionally, obtaining a smaller, faster model either requires training a massive one first and then trimming it down, or training a small one from scratch and accepting weaker performance. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-compression-technique-ai-leaner-faster.html Computer Sciences Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:20:01 EDT news694960323 Researchers at Skoltech have proposed a new approach to training neural networks for wave propagation in absorbing media. The method significantly improves the accuracy and stability of solutions and accelerates model training in the design of laser fusion systems, high-power laser facilities, and optical schemes with plasma elements, where the calculation of wave propagation and laser-plasma interaction consumes a significant portion of computational resources. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-method-neural-networks-faster-propagation.html Computer Sciences Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:00:05 EDT news694792201 A major problem with quantum computers is memory, as the information they contain can be quickly lost. Quantum computers are not yet fully reliable—they are far too unstable. However, all around the world, people are trying to improve them—some of whom are based in Norway. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-quantum-memory-problem.html Computer Sciences Sat, 04 Apr 2026 10:00:01 EDT news694354592 One of the most influential scientific and philosophical viewpoints is "More is Different," introduced in 1972 by Nobel Prize–winning physicist Philip W. Anderson, highlighting the limitations of the reductionist approach. The emergent properties cannot be derived from the fundamental laws that govern their elementary particles. The generalization of this approach suggests a hierarchical structure of science, where explainable properties of small-scale systems cannot necessarily predict the emerging phenomena on larger scales of similar systems. Its interdisciplinary perspective covers chemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, and social sciences besides physics. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-scale-ai-power-specialization-cooperation.html Computer Sciences Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:10:02 EDT news694436521 Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to help optimize decision-making in high-stakes settings. For instance, an autonomous system can identify a power distribution strategy that minimizes costs while keeping voltages stable. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ai-method-flags-fairness-autonomous.html Computer Sciences Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:20:04 EDT news694349461 Although AI is not intentionally biased, it can inherit biases from the data fed into it, learning and repeating them until the system becomes inherently unfair. This is complicated by the problem of identifying where the AI system introduced the bias, as most AI systems display their final decision without showing the steps that made it. Unfair patterns may go unnoticed simply because they are hard to identify. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-fair-decisions-fuzzy-ai-fairness.html Computer Sciences Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:40:03 EDT news694344001 When a customer calls to complain about a billing error or a delayed package, the person on the other end of the line is doing more than answering questions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-center-rep-emotionally-exhausted.html Business Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:40:01 EDT news694340360 The number of scientific papers is growing so rapidly that scientists are no longer able to keep track of all of them, even in their own research area. Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), in collaboration with scientific partners, have shown how new research ideas can still be obtained from this wealth of information. Using artificial intelligence (AI), they systematically analyzed materials science publications to identify potential new avenues of research. Their results have been published in Nature Machine Intelligence. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-ai-science-papers-trends-years.html Computer Sciences Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:20:05 EDT news694274532 Nano- and microplastics are increasingly being detected in the human body. However, their detection remains challenging, often relying on invasive techniques and specialized equipment. Researchers at the Institute of Computer Science at the University of Tartu are developing a device that can measure plastic in the human body. Their research is published in the journal Proceedings of the 27th International Workshop on Mobile Computing Systems and Applications. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-smartwatch-device-plastic-particles-human.html Computer Sciences Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:40:04 EDT news694106881 Artificial intelligence chatbots are so prone to flattering and validating their human users that they are giving bad advice that can damage relationships and reinforce harmful behaviors, according to a new study that explores the dangers of AI telling people what they want to hear. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ai-bad-advice-flatter-users.html Computer Sciences Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:30:02 EDT news693754230 Even with all the recent advances in the ability of large language models (like ChatGPT) to help us think, research, summarize, and learn complex and technical texts, how do they fare in understanding storytelling and literature? These questions around interpretive nuance remain. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ai-literature.html Computer Sciences Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:00:01 EDT news693820201 Capturing a picturesque scene through reflective materials, such as glass, often results in an unintended superimposition—showing both the transmitted scene and the undesired reflected scene. While traditional reflection removal techniques have made progress, they frequently struggle with complex reflection patterns and varying lighting conditions, leaving residual artifacts that diminish image quality. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-ai-excels-image.html Computer Sciences Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:40:05 EDT news693758281 Every second, scientific experiments produce a flood of data—so much that transmitting and analyzing it can slow down even the most advanced research. To help scientists better manage this data deluge, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have developed a new computer chip that rapidly compresses and processes the huge amounts of data generated by advanced X-ray detectors, like those at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), a DOE Office of Science user facility at Argonne. By compressing data right at the source, like shrinking a movie or song to make it easier to send, this technology makes experiments faster, more efficient, and more insightful than ever. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-detector-chip-compresses-ray-real.html Hardware Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:55:24 EDT news693564688 Large language models (LLMs), artificial intelligence systems that can process and generate texts in different languages, are now used daily by many people worldwide. As these models can rapidly source information and create convincing content for specific purposes, they are now also used in some professional settings or for gathering legal, medical, or financial information. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-highly-ai-agents-deception.html Computer Sciences Sat, 21 Mar 2026 11:00:05 EDT news692979468 Large language models (LLMs) can generate credible but inaccurate responses, so researchers have developed uncertainty quantification methods to check the reliability of predictions. One popular method involves submitting the same prompt multiple times to see if the model generates the same answer. But this method measures self-confidence, and even the most impressive LLM might be confidently wrong. Overconfidence can mislead users about the accuracy of a prediction, which might result in devastating consequences in high-stakes settings like health care or finance. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-method-overconfident-large-language.html Computer Sciences Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:00:03 EDT news693128401 Sheepdogs, bred to control large groups of sheep in open fields, have demonstrated their skills in competitions dating back to the 1870s. In these contests, a handler directs a trained dog with whistle signals to guide a small group of sheep across a field and sometimes split the flock cleanly into two groups. But sheep do not always cooperate. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-sheepdogs-reveal-robot-swarms.html Robotics Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:40:01 EDT news693041882