Artificial IntelligenceJanuary 17, 2025
Could Pain Help Test AI for Sentience?
A new study shows that large language models make trade-offs to avoid pain, with possible implications for future AI welfare
Artificial Intelligence
Climate ChangeJanuary 15, 2025
Biden Opens Publicly Owned Land to Data Centers Run on Clean Energy
President Biden issued an executive order to permit data centers on federal lands in a move aimed at bolstering clean energy and protecting national security during a boom in artificial intelligence
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Artificial IntelligenceJanuary 13, 2025
Health Care AI Requires a Lot of Expensive Humans to Run
Despite the hype over artificial intelligence in medicine, the systems require consistent monitoring and staffing to put in place and maintain
WeatherDecember 23, 2024
The Climate, Health and Tech Stories We’re Following in 2025
We’re closing out the year with a roundup of the science stories that stood out to our editors in 2024.
OpinionDecember 20, 2024
This Year’s Nobel Prizes Are a Warning about AI
Unless we pursue AI carefully, the Nobel committee will one day give a Peace Prize to the people cleaning up its terrible consequences, just as it did with nuclear physics
ConservationDecember 16, 2024
Audio and Imagery, Interpreted by AI, Are Improving Conservation Studies
Conservationists have access to massive amounts of data on wildlife—and machine learning is helping them make meaning out of them.
Artificial IntelligenceDecember 12, 2024
AI Agents with More Autonomy Than Chatbots Are Coming. Some Safety Experts Are Worried
Systems that operate on behalf of people or corporations are the latest product from the AI boom, but these “agents” may present new and unpredictable risks
Artificial IntelligenceDecember 11, 2024
Will AI Audio Replace Podcasts? Not So Fast
Translating complex information into captivating podcasts is no simple task. Is AI up to the challenge?
OpinionDecember 9, 2024
AI Will Turn Our Lives into The Truman Show
Large language models can create muddled, misinformed multiverses
TechnologyNovember 22, 2024
Could AI Ghosts of Ancient Civilizations Help Us Connect with Bygone Cultures?
Social psychologists could turn artificial-intelligence-powered tools like ChatGPT on to writings from past cultures. Will this help us study ancient civilizations?
Artificial IntelligenceNovember 14, 2024
Generative AI Is Poised to Worsen the E-Waste Crisis
Generative AI could saddle the planet with heaps more hazardous waste
OpinionNovember 7, 2024
Rainwater Could Help Satisfy AI’s Water Demands
A few dozen ChatGPT queries cost a bottle’s worth of water. Tech firms should consider simpler solutions, such as harvesting rainwater, to meet AI’s needs