Podcasts of the Year: Talking to Animals with Artificial Intelligence
Advanced sensors and artificial intelligence could have us at the brink of interspecies communication
Stories by Sophie Bushwick
Sophie Bushwick is tech editor at Scientific American. She runs the daily technology news coverage for the website, writes about everything from artificial intelligence to jumping robots for both digital and print publication, records YouTube and TikTok videos and hosts the podcast Tech, Quickly. Bushwick also makes frequent appearances on radio shows such as Science Friday and television networks, including CBS, MSNBC and National Geographic. She has more than a decade of experience as a science journalist based in New York City and previously worked at outlets such as Popular Science, Discover and Gizmodo. Follow Bushwick on X (formerly Twitter) @sophiebushwick
AI Can Now Read Your Cat’s Pain
Thanks to researchers, new AI tech is delving into feline feelings to see when cats could need medical help.
How Misinformation Spreads through Conflict
Three experts break down how misinformation and propaganda spread through conflict and how to debunk it yourself.
Generative AI Models Are Sucking Up Data from All Over the Internet, Yours Included
In the rush to build and train ever larger AI models, developers have swept up much of the searchable Internet, quite possibly including some of your own public data—and potentially some of your private data as well.
The State of Large Language Models
We present the latest updates on ChatGPT, Bard and other competitors in the artificial intelligence arms race.
See How AI Generates Images from Text
Generative AI algorithms use probability to create visuals from noise
Scientists Are Beginning to Learn the Language of Bats and Bees Using AI
The new field of digital bioacoustics is using machine learning to try decipher animal speak, including honeybee toots and quacks and whoops.
What the Luddites Can Teach Us about AI
The Luddites did not hate technology—but they did fight the way it was used to exploit humans.
Unregulated AI Will Worsen Inequality, Warns Nobel-Winning Economist Joseph Stiglitz
A Nobel laureate in economics explains how artificial intelligence will affect inequality—and how solutions such as a shorter work week might mitigate its negative effects
How to Roll a Joint Perfectly, according to Science
Scientists used a smoking machine—complete with a 3-D-printed mouthpiece—to figure out how to get the most cannabinoid per puff.
Here’s How AI Can Predict Hit Songs With Frightening Accuracy
New AI technology predicts hit songs—by listening to someone’s body.
Here’s Why Actors Are So Worried about AI
Here’s what’s behind the A.I technology that has worried so many actors—including something called “the orb.”
Should We Care About AI’s Emergent Abilities?
Here’s how large language models, or LLMs, actually work.
See How Crushing Pressures Increase in the Ocean’s Depths
If the missing Titan submersible was near the Titanic when it imploded, it would have experienced pressure higher than that of a great white shark bite
New Material Is Squishy, Conductive and Self-Healing
A new electrically conductive material could lead to better self-healing soft robots
Why We’re Worried about Generative AI
From the technology upsetting jobs and causing intellectual property issues to models making up fake answers to questions, here’s why we’re concerned about generative AI.
AI Chatbots and the Humans Who Love Them
Humans are building meaningful relationships with AI chatbots. What will the consequences be?
What You Need to Know about GPT‑4
The AI GPT-4 has emergent abilities—but that’s not why it’s scary.
Bizarre Material Combines the Best Traits of Gel and Metal
A new material was used in a simple snail robot, but it could one day make artificial nervous systems for more complex machines
Squeak Squeak, Buzz Buzz: How Researchers Are Using AI to Talk to Animals
The burgeoning field of “digital bioacoustics” is helping us understand animals like never before.
What the New GPT-4 AI Can Do
OpenAI just released an updated version of its text-generating artificial intelligence program. Here’s how GPT-4 improves on its predecessor
Controversy Surrounds Blockbuster Superconductivity Claim
Will a possible breakthrough for room-temperature superconducting materials hold up to scrutiny?
A Four-Day Workweek Reduces Stress without Hurting Productivity
The results of a test involving dozens of employers and thousands of employees suggests that working only four days instead of five is good for workers’ well-being—without hurting companies
Sorry, UFO Hunters—You Might Just Be Looking at a Spy Balloon
From space aliens to foreign surveillance, we spoke to experts to find out what’s really going on with the balloon brouhaha.