AI Flash News

MIT PhD students who interned with the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab Summer Program are pushing AI tools to be more flexible, efficient, and grounded in truth.

The coding framework uses modular concepts and simple synchronization rules to make software clearer, safer, and easier for LLMs to generate.

A new approach developed at MIT could help a search-and-rescue robot navigate an unpredictable environment by rapidly generating an accurate map of its surroundings.

MIT’s Teaching Systems Lab, led by Associate Professor Justin Reich, is working to help educators by listening to and sharing their stories.

MIT PhD student and CSAIL researcher Justin Kay describes his work combining AI and computer vision systems to monitor the ecosystems that support our planet.

USC researchers built artificial neurons that replicate real brain processes using ion-based diffusive memristors. These devices emulate how neurons use chemicals to transmit and process signals, offering massive energy and size advantages. The technology may enable brain-like, hardware-based learning systems. It could transform AI into something closer to natural intelligence.

More screen time among children and teens is linked to higher risks of heart and metabolic problems, particularly when combined with insufficient sleep. Danish researchers discovered a measurable rise in cardiometabolic risk scores and a metabolic “fingerprint” in frequent screen users. Experts say better sleep and balanced daily routines can help offset these effects and safeguard lifelong health.

Researchers at Tsinghua University developed the Optical Feature Extraction Engine (OFE2), an optical engine that processes data at 12.5 GHz using light rather than electricity. Its integrated diffraction and data preparation modules enable unprecedented speed and efficiency for AI tasks. Demonstrations in imaging and trading showed improved accuracy, lower latency, and reduced power demand. This innovation pushes optical computing toward real-world, high-performance AI.

A wireless eye implant developed at Stanford Medicine has restored reading ability to people with advanced macular degeneration. The PRIMA chip works with smart glasses to replace lost photoreceptors using infrared light. Most trial participants regained functional vision, reading books and recognizing signs. Researchers are now developing higher-resolution versions that could eventually provide near-normal sight.