Food fraud is a growing economic and health issue – but AI and blockchain technology can help combat it

Food fraud costs billions globally. But blockchain and machine learning offer hope for a more transparent and safer food system.

Milind Tiwari, Lecturer in Fraud and Financial Crime Studies, Charles Sturt University • conversation
April 2, 2024 ~7 min

Sharks, turtles and other sea creatures face greater risk from industrial fishing than previously thought − we estimated added pressure from ‘dark’ fishing vessels

The toll on wildlife from illegal fishing, bycatch and entanglement in fishing gear is likely underestimated, because it doesn’t account for ‘dark’ fishing vessels, a new study finds.

Heather Welch, Researcher in Ecosystem Dynamics, University of California, Santa Cruz • conversation
March 6, 2024 ~7 min


We’ve been here before: AI promised humanlike machines – in 1958

Enthusiasm for the capabilities of artificial intelligence – and claims for the approach of humanlike prowess –has followed a boom-and-bust cycle since the middle of the 20th century.

Danielle Williams, Postdoctoral Fellow in Philosophy of Science, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis • conversation
Feb. 29, 2024 ~8 min

Forget dystopian scenarios – AI is pervasive today, and the risks are often hidden

The explosion of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and fears about where the technology might be headed distract from the many ways AI affects people every day – for better and worse.

Anjana Susarla, Professor of Information Systems, Michigan State University • conversation
Nov. 21, 2023 ~7 min

NASA's Mars rovers could inspire a more ethical future for AI

AI poses a variety of ethical conundrums, but the NASA teams working on Mars rovers exemplify an ethic of care and human-robot teamwork that could act as a blueprint for AI’s future.

Janet Vertesi, Associate Professor of Sociology, Princeton University • conversation
Sept. 21, 2023 ~10 min

Why humans can't trust AI: You don't know how it works, what it's going to do or whether it'll serve your interests

People can trust each other because they understand how the human mind works, can predict people’s behavior, and assume that most people have a moral sense. None of these things are true of AI.

Mark Bailey, Faculty Member and Chair, Cyber Intelligence and Data Science, National Intelligence University • conversation
Sept. 13, 2023 ~8 min

We're talking about AI a lot right now – and it's not a moment too soon

The seeds of the current commotion over AI were laid years ago.

Kimberley Hardcastle, Assistant Professor in Marketing, Northumbria University, Newcastle • conversation
Aug. 23, 2023 ~8 min

AI can help forecast air quality, but freak events like 2023's summer of wildfire smoke require traditional methods too

Air quality forecasting is getting better, thanks in part to AI. That’s good, given the health impact of air pollution. An environmental engineer explains how systems warn of incoming smog or smoke.

Joshua S. Fu, Chancellor's Professor in Engineering, Climate Change and Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee • conversation
Aug. 9, 2023 ~6 min


Giving AI direct control over anything is a bad idea – here's how it could do us real harm

Giving AI any degree of executive control could be dangerous for humans.

Guillaume Thierry, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Bangor University • conversation
July 31, 2023 ~7 min

How AI could take over elections – and undermine democracy

Artificial intelligence looks like a political campaign manager’s dream because it could tune its persuasion efforts to millions of people individually – but it could be a nightmare for democracy.

Lawrence Lessig, Professor of Law and Leadership, Harvard University • conversation
June 2, 2023 ~12 min

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