A Political Battle Is Brewing Over Data Centers
An AI-related provision in the “Big Beautiful Bill” could restrict state-level legislation of energy-hungry data centers—and is raising bipartisan objections across the US.
Small Language Models Are the New Rage, Researchers Say
Larger models can pull off a wider variety of feats, but the reduced footprint of smaller models makes them attractive tools.
Making games like Red Dead Redemption 2 shouldn’t be such hard work
Reports that 2018’s blockbuster video game saw people working 100-hour weeks are troubling, given that tech firms could make workers’ lives easier, says Michael Cook
Flint water crisis: How AI is finding thousands of hazardous pipes
Artificial intelligence is helping to find the thousands of lead pipes responsible for the water crisis in Flint, Michigan
Robot laws: 5 new rules that could save human lives (at least on TV)
From Battlestar Galactica to The Terminator, on-screen robots have never been above a little rule-breaking. Could our new laws of robotics keep them in line?
Drones plus AI help to spot sick trees and plants in time
Drones fitted with multispectral cameras are scanning forests for beetle attack, and orchards and vineyards for signs of disease before it’s too late
What’s the best way to scare an elephant? Use an AI scarecrow
Elephants cause a lot of damage, but like other smart animals, they're too smart to scare away. An AI scarecrow that adapts its tactics for continuous scaring could be the answer
AI could put a stop to electricity theft and meter misreadings
An algorithm developed to detect electricity theft for companies in Latin America could also uncover billing errors
There is a good case to unleash job-killing AI on the high seas
Life on a container ship can be hellish, so maybe we shouldn't mourn the loss of these roles too much as the first crewless vessels take shape, says Paul Marks
Siri rival can understand the messy nature of our conversations
"Iris" has figured out how humans structure complex conversations – which may pave the way for more natural interactions with our digital personal assistants