AI is killing choice and chance – which means changing what it means to be human

By letting machines recommend movies and decide whom to hire, humans are losing their unpredictable nature – and possibly the ability to make everyday judgments, as well.

Dan Feldman, Senior Research Fellow, Applied Ethics Center, University of Massachusetts Boston • conversation
Feb. 24, 2021 ~7 min

How explainable artificial intelligence can help humans innovate

AI algorithms can solve hard problems and learn incredible tasks, but they can't explain how they do these things. If researchers can build explainable AI, it could lead to a flood of new knowledge.

Forest Agostinelli, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, University of South Carolina • conversation
Jan. 13, 2021 ~7 min


Thousands of ocean fishing boats could be using forced labor – we used AI and satellite data to find them

Forced labor is a widespread problem in fisheries on the high seas. Between 2012 and 2018, an estimated 100,000 people may have been victims of forced labor on thousands of different boats.

Gavin McDonald, Senior Project Researcher, University of California Santa Barbara • conversation
Dec. 21, 2020 ~8 min

It takes a lot of energy for machines to learn – here's why AI is so power-hungry

Training neural networks burns through a lot of energy. As the AI field grows, it's working to keep its carbon foot print from growing with it.

Kate Saenko, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Boston University • conversation
Dec. 14, 2020 ~8 min

An AI tool can distinguish between a conspiracy theory and a true conspiracy – it comes down to how easily the story falls apart

Computational methods could help identify conspiracy theories as they emerge.

Timothy R. Tangherlini, Professor of Danish Literature and Culture, University of California, Berkeley • conversation
Nov. 13, 2020 ~10 min

What is an algorithm? How computers know what to do with data

A close look at how you decide what clothes to put on in the morning can help you understand how computers work.

Jory Denny, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, University of Richmond • conversation
Oct. 16, 2020 ~5 min

A-level results: why algorithms get things so wrong – and what we can do to fix them

Problems in the underlying data mean we can't leave algorithms to decide things on their own.

Jostein Engesmo, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology • conversation
Aug. 19, 2020 ~7 min

AI could help solve the privacy problems it has created

Artificial intelligence insatiable data needs has encouraged the mass collection of personal data, placing privacy at risk. But AI can help solve the very problem it creates.

Aryya Gangopadhyay, Professor, Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County • conversation
June 22, 2020 ~8 min


We designed an experimental AI tool to predict which COVID-19 patients are going to get the sickest

Researchers from New York University are designing AI algorithms to help predict COVID-19 outcomes.

Megan Coffee, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York University • conversation
May 14, 2020 ~7 min

AI tool searches thousands of scientific papers to guide researchers to coronavirus insights

The scientific community is churning out vast quantities of research about the coronavirus pandemic – far too much for researchers to absorb. An AI system aims to do the heavy lifting for them.

John Dagdelen, Graduate Student Researcher, Persson Group, University of California, Berkeley • conversation
May 12, 2020 ~5 min

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