Category: AI

The conversation around artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly expanded from research labs and tech companies to everyday discussions in mainstream media, coffee shops, and street corners. AI is a hot topic, with concerns ranging from its potential to revolutionize industries to fears of its impact on jobs and society. Recently, a friend shared a story about overhearing a group of men discussing the threats posed by AI, with one of them expressing his frustration by saying, “I want to punch AI in the face!”

While AI doesn’t have a face to punch, this reaction highlights the anxiety many people feel about the rise of machine intelligence. The potential dangers of AI are indeed concerning. It can be misused to reinforce biases, destabilize political systems, and deepen social inequities. Some experts even warn that AI could one day challenge our dominance as a species. But beneath these fears lies a more immediate concern: the potential economic impact of AI, particularly on jobs.

For over 60,000 years, since the time Neanderthals crafted flutes from bones, technology has played a significant role in shaping how we create and share music. From the analog recording era to today’s streaming services, technological advancements have continuously expanded our musical possibilities. However, the latest development—generative AI—represents a monumental shift with both transformative potential and significant risks.

Generative AI, which can produce text, images, and music from simple prompts, has opened new avenues for creativity. These tools promise to democratize music creation, enabling anyone, from seasoned professionals to young children, to craft music. Yet, this convenience comes at a cost. AI-generated music could undermine the livelihoods of human musicians, who rely on their craft to sustain themselves and their families.

A cutting-edge satellite equipped with artificial intelligence has made a significant breakthrough by identifying 142 ships near a port within minutes, showcasing the potential of real-time Earth observation. This remarkable achievement was made by the CogniSAT-6 satellite, operated by Dublin-based space technology firm Ubotica. Launched in March of this year, CogniSAT-6 is pioneering the use of AI to identify and analyze terrestrial objects in real time.

For the first time, a satellite has used AI to acquire and relay detailed information about Earth-based objects instantly, without any delay in transmission to ground controllers. According to Ubotica’s press release, this represents a global first for a commercial Live Earth Intelligence system, setting a new standard in Earth observation. This real-time capability could be instrumental in combating illegal fishing, monitoring ocean systems, and tracking climate change impacts.

The evolution of human civilizations is closely tied to the advancement of infrastructure, a relationship that has become increasingly evident with the rapid urbanization of recent years. As we stand on the brink of an era of ‘smart cities,’ driven by technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things, and big data analytics, the promise of sustainable urban development has never been greater. However, the progress toward these smart cities is being challenged by the growing impacts of climate change.

Natural disasters, particularly earthquakes, pose significant threats to buildings and infrastructure. A prime example of this is soil liquefaction—a hazardous phenomenon where saturated soil loses its strength and rigidity under stress, often due to earthquake-induced shaking or sudden loading. When this occurs, the soil behaves like a liquid, compromising its ability to support structures and creating substantial risks for urban environments.

Boston-based startup Perceptive is setting a new standard of care in dentistry by integrating advanced imaging, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics into its innovative technology. The company has successfully raised $30 million in funding from prominent investors, including PDS Health, Dr. Ed Zuckerberg (father of Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg), Innospark Ventures, KdT Ventures, Primavera Capital, Plaisance Capital, and Y Combinator.

Perceptive’s cutting-edge dental robotics system combines AI-driven 3D imaging software with a robotic arm to revolutionize restorative dentistry. The system is designed to enhance the speed and precision of dental procedures, starting with tasks like crown placements, which the robot can complete in just 15 minutes. Traditionally, such procedures require two office visits, each lasting at least one hour.

At SIGGRAPH in Denver, NVIDIA Corporation introduced groundbreaking research and innovations in simulation, generative artificial intelligence, and robotics. The company announced a comprehensive suite of services, models, and computing platforms designed to empower robotics and AI developers to “develop, train, and build the next generation of humanoid robotics.”

“The next wave of AI is robotics, and one of the most exciting developments is humanoid robots,” stated Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “We’re advancing the entire NVIDIA robotics stack, opening access for worldwide humanoid robotics developers and companies to use the platforms, acceleration libraries, and AI models best suited for their needs.”

Self-driving cars sometimes struggle with crashes because their visual systems can’t always process static or slow-moving objects in 3D space. This issue is reminiscent of the monocular vision found in many insects, which excels at motion-tracking but lacks depth perception. However, the praying mantis stands out with its exceptional vision, thanks to its binocular depth perception.

Inspired by the praying mantis, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed artificial compound eyes that address significant limitations in current visual data collection and processing systems. These limitations include accuracy issues, data processing lag times, and the need for substantial computational power.

On June 25, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) launched GOES-U, the fourth and final satellite of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)-R program. This launch continues and extends the program’s mission to serve as the Western Hemisphere’s most advanced system for observing weather and monitoring the environment, as endorsed by the World Meteorological Organization.

Since the first GOES-R satellite launch in November 2016, these satellites have equipped NOAA with sophisticated imagery and atmospheric measurements, real-time lightning activity mapping, space weather observations, and other critical data collected by an array of sensors and imagers.

Rogue waves, those unexpectedly massive ridges of water that can ambush ships and beachgoers, are now more predictable thanks to a new artificial intelligence model. Mechanical engineers Thomas Breunung and Balakumar Balachandran from the University of Maryland in College Park report their findings in the July 18 issue of Scientific Reports.

These waves, which crest more than twice as high as surrounding swells, can form where converging waves amplify a single ridge or where ocean currents compress swells into powerful billows. Despite recognizing certain patterns preceding these surges, researchers had not yet developed an effective forecasting tool (SN: 6/8/15). Such a tool could be lifesaving, given that from 2011 to 2018, rogue waves were responsible for 386 deaths and the sinking of 24 ships.

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed an innovative technique that allows artificial intelligence (AI) programs to more accurately map three-dimensional (3D) spaces using two-dimensional (2D) images captured by multiple cameras. This advancement promises to significantly improve the navigation capabilities of autonomous vehicles while operating efficiently with limited computational resources.

“Most autonomous vehicles use powerful AI programs called vision transformers to take 2D images from multiple cameras and create a representation of the 3D space around the vehicle,” explained Tianfu Wu, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at North Carolina State University. “However, while each of these AI programs takes a different approach, there is still substantial room for improvement.”

While much of the tech world remains fixated on the latest large language models (LLMs) powered by Nvidia GPUs, a quieter revolution is brewing in AI hardware. As the limitations and energy demands of traditional deep learning architectures become increasingly apparent, a new paradigm called neuromorphic computing is emerging – one that promises to slash the computational and power requirements of AI by orders of magnitude. To delve into this promising technology, VentureBeat spoke with Sumeet Kumar, CEO and founder of Innatera, a leading startup in the neuromorphic chip space.

“Neuromorphic processors are designed to mimic the way biological brains process information,” Kumar explained. “Rather than performing sequential operations on data stored in memory, neuromorphic chips use networks of artificial neurons that communicate through spikes, much like real neurons.” This brain-inspired architecture gives neuromorphic systems distinct advantages, particularly for edge computing applications in consumer devices and industrial IoT.

The rapid advancement of large language models (LLMs) is transforming various fields, including software engineering. In just a few years, LLMs have evolved from advanced code autocomplete tools to AI agents capable of designing software, implementing and correcting entire modules, and enhancing software engineers’ productivity.

While some excitement around AI-powered software engineering agents is overhyped, there is undeniable value for developers who harness these new AI tools to accomplish more in less time. There are three main ways that LLMs are changing the coding experience: