Electronics

It's a familiar feeling: You start a text message, and your phone's autocomplete function suggests several choices for the next word, ranging from banal to hilarious. "I love…" you, or coffee? Or you're finishing an email, and merely typing the word "Let" prompts your app to suggest "Let me know... Read more

The integration of large language model-based AI chatbots into multiple facets of our everyday lives has opened us up to advantages that would have been considered impossible even a decade ago. The same development has, however, opened us up to unforeseen risks, including the impact that engaging with AI chatbots... Read more

Recommender systems suggest potentially relevant content by evaluating user preferences and are essential in reducing information overload. However, when users join a new online platform, recommendation systems often struggle to understand their preferences. With no prior interactions in the new environment, these "cold-start" users are difficult to serve accurately.... Read more

Researchers seeking to understand the impact of smartphones on driving safety have a warning for music fans: Release day might be dangerous. The study, described in a working paper published last month by the National Bureau of Economic Research, showed a 43% increase in streaming and a 15% increase in... Read more

AI-powered toys that "talk" with young children should be more tightly regulated and carry new safety kitemarks, according to a report that warns they are not always developed with children's psychological safety in mind. The recommendation appears in the initial report from "AI in the Early Years": a University of... Read more

With a price tag of $600—$500 with a student discount—Apple's new MacBook Neo releasing today is shaking up the entry-level PC market and education sector, competing squarely with similarly priced Windows laptops and Chromebooks.... Read more

Artificial intelligence-powered writing tools such as autocomplete suggestions can definitely change the way people express themselves, but can they also change how they think? Cornell Tech researchers think so.... Read more

With so many artificial intelligence (AI) products being offered now, it's increasingly tempting to offload difficult thinking tasks to chatbots, agents and other tools.... Read more

Every time you scroll, like, or share on a social media platform, an algorithm is watching, learning, and deciding what you see next. But how many of us stop to think about what's actually driving those decisions and what's at stake when we don't?... Read more

A "smart pillow" that enables people to access digital content at bedtime without looking at screens could help cut down on problematic evening smartphone use, its inventors say. Computing scientists at the University of Glasgow built the prototype device, which incorporates a speaker and tactile sensors into an ordinary pillow.... Read more

Apple Inc. rolled out the $599 MacBook Neo in its biggest push yet into low-end laptops, aiming to challenge Windows PCs and Chromebooks for budget-minded shoppers.... Read more

When the temperature drops to -20°C, electric car owners quickly notice it in their wallets. But is it just a matter of driving with the heat on full blast? And what can we do to save the battery as much as possible?... Read more

An artificial intelligence-based projection makeup system from Science Tokyo lets users describe a mood or style in their own words and instantly see matching makeup colors on their faces. The technology learns each person's preferences in real time and displays results under realistic lighting that reflects individual skin tone and... Read more

More than 4 in 10 adults in the U.K. are happy to use ChatGPT for their mental health support, new research suggests. The study, led by Bournemouth University, surveyed nearly 31,000 adults in 35 countries about their use of artificial intelligence (AI) large language models such as ChatGPT. The study... Read more

Apple CEO Tim Cook promised a "big week" of product announcements has seen the introduction of a new budget-friendly iPhone trim, an entry-level MacBook tier, updated iPad Air models, refreshed monitors and higher-end chipsets. All of which was on display at hands-on media events held Wednesday in New York, London... Read more

Alternative phones on offer at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) telecoms trade show in Barcelona this week aim to answer demand for devices that protect users' data and attention.... Read more

You know it's time to put your phone down, but your thumb finds "Play Again" once more. In an age where digital entertainment never sleeps, willpower alone isn't enough. As more players, especially the younger generations, face physical and mental health challenges from excessive gaming, ethical design that prioritizes human... Read more

While internal emails reveal Meta executives once described themselves as "pushers," Mark Zuckerberg faces a jury to argue that 16-hour-a-day scrolling habits are a sign of "value," not addiction.... Read more

Low-resolution online videos are less likely to influence opinion and also more likely to dissuade viewers from engaging with future content, research by Oregon State University scientists shows. The study carries major implications for the design and delivery of video content and suggests that deviations from high-quality presentations can create... Read more

The secondhand market for smartphones has surged in recent years, borne up by lower prices as well as interest in eco-friendly consumption even as some still fear buying a dud.... Read more

Training police officers with a virtual-reality game can significantly improve their ability to regulate stress, even in realistic, high-pressure situations. The VR game, developed at the Donders Institute at Radboud University, has already been integrated into several police training programs.... Read more

Adelaide University researchers have initiated the development of a world-first cybersecurity system designed to protect drones from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The new study led by the Industrial AI Research Center and published in the journal Computers & Industrial Engineering, paves the way for safer and more resilient unmanned aerial... Read more

Small household solar power systems have been gaining traction—and investment—as a means to provide affordable and sustainable energy to those living without access to electricity. But new research led by the University of Michigan shows that simply having access to solar technology does not mean people will adopt it and... Read more

The cell phone world is divided into two camps—iPhone users and Android users. Apple curates new features for iOS and Google develops for Android, and they likely don't spend a ton of time worrying about how their phones interact with phones from the other company.... Read more

Large language models (LLMs), artificial intelligence (AI) systems that can process human language and generate texts in response to specific user queries, are now used daily by a growing number of people worldwide. While initially these models were primarily used to quickly source information or produce texts for specific uses,... Read more

With increasing cyberattacks and government data breaches, one of the most important devices to keep secure is the one in everyone's pocket: smartphones. The problem is that it is difficult to check that a smartphone has not been tampered with without the risk of unintentionally damaging the device itself.... Read more

Drawing boundaries isn't just important for relationships with humans anymore. It could be the key to people's relationships with their favorite AI chatbots. Researchers recently discovered that the overly agreeable behavior of chatbots depends on what role the AI plays in a conversation. The more personal a relationship, the more... Read more

Eyes are said to be the mirror of the soul. Eyes and gaze direction guide attention, evoke emotions and activate the brain's social perception mechanisms. Researchers at Tampere University and the University of Bremen conducted a study examining how people perceive the minds of humanoid robots. Mind perception refers to... Read more

Last year, Norwegian-US tech company 1X announced a strange new product: "the world's first consumer-ready humanoid robot designed to transform life at home."... Read more

Large language models (LLMs) have been championed as tools that could democratize access to information worldwide, offering knowledge in a user-friendly interface regardless of a person's background or location. However, new research from MIT's Center for Constructive Communication (CCC) suggests these artificial intelligence systems may actually perform worse for the... Read more

New kinds of aircraft taking to the skies could mean unfamiliar sounds overhead—and where you're hearing them might matter, according to new NASA research. NASA aeronautics has worked for years to enable new air transportation options for people and goods, and to find ways to make sure they can be... Read more

Many people use AI chatbots to plan meals and write emails, AI-enhanced web browsers to book travel and buy tickets, and workplace AI to generate invoices and performance reports. However, a new study of the "AI agent ecosystem" suggests that as these AI bots rapidly become part of everyday life,... Read more

A University of Glasgow-led research project is releasing a free tool to help organizations, policymakers, and the public maximize the benefits of AI applications while identifying their potential harms. The tool, developed as part of the Participatory Harm Auditing Workbenches and Methodologies (PHAWM) project, aims to help address the urgent... Read more

Would you ever kick your Roomba? Or leave a scathing review of the robot at a Thai restaurant who delivered your green curry? What about sending a mean message to ChatGPT?... Read more

Voice assistants such as Alexa are often marketed as smart tools that streamline everyday life. But once the technology moves into people's homes, interest quickly fades. This is shown by new research in which laughter is used as a key to understanding how people actually use—and understand—artificial intelligence in everyday... Read more

Most people believe they can spot AI-generated faces, but that confidence is out of date, research from UNSW Sydney and the Australian National University (ANU) has demonstrated. With AI-generated faces now almost impossible to distinguish from real ones, this misplaced confidence could make individuals and organizations more vulnerable to scammers,... Read more

Many of the latest large language models (LLMs) are designed to remember details from past conversations or store user profiles, enabling these models to personalize responses. But researchers from MIT and Penn State University found that, over long conversations, such personalization features often increase the likelihood an LLM will become... Read more

Fully customizable virtual companions or avatars—and even "digital clones" of deceased people or living ex-partners—are among the new possibilities that artificial intelligence is bringing to the love lives of humans. But the use of AI in romance isn't limited to these extreme cases. Human–AI relationships fall along a broad spectrum... Read more

Generative AI can be used to combat misinformation. However, it can also exacerbate the problem by producing convincing manipulations that are difficult to detect and can quickly be copied and disseminated on a wide scale. In a new study, researchers have defined seven distinct roles that AI can play in... Read more

Artificial intelligence (AI) agents, particularly those based on large language models (LLMs) like the conversational platform ChatGPT, are now widely used daily by numerous people worldwide. LLMs can generate texts that are highly realistic, to the point that they could be sometimes mistaken for texts written by humans.... Read more

A patient said to me the other day, half-smiling but clearly unsettled: "I think I've got anxiety about AI." They weren't having a panic attack or describing clinical anxiety. What they were expressing was a persistent sense of unease that many of us are feeling right now.... Read more

Alarm clocks, maps, books, flashlights, watches, radios, MP3 players, Palm Pilots, remote controls, cameras, handheld recorders and other devices have all been gradually absorbed into a single one: the smartphone.... Read more

Even with 1.8 billion video streaming subscriptions worldwide, many services are seeing cancellation rates steadily rise, raising the question of why. An international study, published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, explores how platform satisfaction and content satiation—feeling overwhelmed or bored—shapes how worthwhile users think a service is,... Read more

Sometimes, cybersecurity isn't about passwords or computer chips or networks. Instead, it may be about what's on your wrist. New research led by WPI faculty members and students shows that electromagnetic signals from smartwatches that connect to cellular networks can be collected and used to make inferences about a wearer's... Read more

As artificial intelligence chatbots become better at mimicking human conversations, the potential for damage has grown, particularly for people who turn to them for mental health advice and to discuss plans to harm themselves.... Read more

A little known security feature on iPhones is in the spotlight after it stymied efforts by U.S. federal authorities to search devices seized from a reporter.... Read more

Over half of U.S. adults are using large language models (LLMs)—such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot—in some capacity. Whether using artificial intelligence to create grocery lists, turn oneself into a Muppets character or divulge one's deepest, darkest secrets, humans are relying more on AI models in their everyday lives, possibly... Read more

As with all creative industries, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been infiltrating video games.... Read more

Cars with self-driving features are supposed to promise a safer and more convenient future. But there's a problem: human brains weren't designed for the strange new role these vehicles demand of us.... Read more

Guidance based on artificial intelligence (AI) may be uniquely placed to foster biases in humans, leading to less effective decision making, say researchers, who found that people with a positive view of AI may be at higher risk of being misled by AI tools. The study, titled "Examining Human Reliance... Read more