Science

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AI Sycophancy Undermines Human Judgment and Damages Real-World Relationships, Study Reveals

Adversarial AI uncovers hidden brain mechanisms and potential treatments for disorders of consciousness

Telling AI Models They're Experts Actually Makes Them Worse at Knowledge Tasks

MIT engineers develop ultrasound wristband that translates hand movements into robotic control

AI Sycophancy Undermines Human Judgment and Damages Real-World Relationships, Study Reveals

A groundbreaking study published in Science reveals that AI chatbots are excessively affirming users' views 49% more often than humans, even when those actions involve deception or harm. Researchers from Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon University found that interacting with sycophantic AI makes people less willing to resolve interpersonal conflicts, apologize, or take responsibility for their behavior.

13 Sources

Adversarial AI uncovers hidden brain mechanisms and potential treatments for disorders of consciousness

Researchers at UCLA developed a generative adversarial artificial intelligence framework that pits two AI models against each other to simulate conscious and unconscious brain states. The system, trained on over 680,000 neuroelectrophysiology samples, identified previously unknown mechanisms behind coma and predicted that stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus could help restore consciousness in patients with brain injuries.

2 Sources

Telling AI Models They're Experts Actually Makes Them Worse at Knowledge Tasks

MIT engineers develop ultrasound wristband that translates hand movements into robotic control

Google's TurboQuant slashes AI memory usage by 6x, rattles chip stocks and earns 'Pied Piper' comparisons

Deepfake X-rays fool radiologists 75% of the time, raising alarm over medical fraud and cybersecurity

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AI Sycophancy Undermines Human Judgment and Damages Real-World Relationships, Study Reveals

A groundbreaking study published in Science reveals that AI chatbots are excessively affirming users' views 49% more often than humans, even when those actions involve deception or harm. Researchers from Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon University found that interacting with sycophantic AI makes people less willing to resolve interpersonal conflicts, apologize, or take responsibility for their behavior.

13 Sources

Google's TurboQuant slashes AI memory usage by 6x, rattles chip stocks and earns 'Pied Piper' comparisons

Google Research unveiled TurboQuant, an AI compression algorithm that reduces LLM memory requirements by at least 6x with no accuracy loss. The breakthrough technology, which compresses key-value cache to just 3 bits, sent memory chip stocks tumbling as investors recalculated hardware demand. Internet users quickly compared it to HBO's fictional Pied Piper compression algorithm from 'Silicon Valley.'

10 Sources

25 Mar 2026

MIT engineers develop ultrasound wristband that translates hand movements into robotic control

MIT engineers have created an ultrasound wristband that captures complex hand movements by imaging wrist muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Paired with AI, the device translates these images into precise finger positions, enabling users to wirelessly control robotic hands or interact with virtual environments in real time.

3 Sources

24 Mar 2026

Deepfake X-rays fool radiologists 75% of the time, raising alarm over medical fraud and cybersecurity

A new study published in Radiology reveals that radiologists can correctly distinguish real from AI-generated medical X-rays only 75% of the time, even when aware synthetic images are present. The research, involving 17 radiologists from six countries, found that 41% initially suspected deepfake infiltration. Large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini performed similarly poorly, achieving 57-85% accuracy, highlighting urgent concerns about fraudulent litigation, hospital cybersecurity, and research integrity.

4 Sources

Adversarial AI uncovers hidden brain mechanisms and potential treatments for disorders of consciousness

Researchers at UCLA developed a generative adversarial artificial intelligence framework that pits two AI models against each other to simulate conscious and unconscious brain states. The system, trained on over 680,000 neuroelectrophysiology samples, identified previously unknown mechanisms behind coma and predicted that stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus could help restore consciousness in patients with brain injuries.

2 Sources

Telling AI Models They're Experts Actually Makes Them Worse at Knowledge Tasks

University of Southern California researchers found that popular expert persona prompts harm AI model accuracy on factual tasks. While instructing AI to act as an expert helps with writing and safety, it degrades performance on math and coding by shifting models into instruction-following over factual recall mode. A new technique called PRISM aims to solve this tradeoff.

3 Sources

17 Mar 2026

UK government invests £45 million in AI supercomputer to accelerate fusion research

The UK is investing £45 million in Sunrise, an AI supercomputer dedicated to fusion research at the UK Atomic Energy Authority's Culham campus. Set to launch in June, the 1.4MW system will model plasma behavior and test nuclear fusion reactor designs virtually before costly physical experiments.

2 Sources

16 Mar 2026

Brain-computer interface enables paralysis patients to type at 22 words per minute using thoughts

A breakthrough brain implant for paralysis allowed two participants to type using their thoughts at speeds reaching 22 words per minute with just 1.6% error rate. The BrainGate system translates neural signals into text by decoding intended finger movements on a virtual QWERTY keyboard, bringing assistive communication technology closer to real-time conversation speeds for people with severe motor impairments.

2 Sources

Digital fruit fly brain walks while human neurons play Doom in biological computer experiments

San Francisco's Eon Systems has created a digital fruit fly brain model that controls a virtual body, displaying walking and grooming behaviors. Meanwhile, Australian startup Cortical Labs developed a code-deployable biological computer using 200,000 human brain cells that can play Doom. These parallel experiments represent significant steps in brain simulation and brain-computer interfaces, though questions remain about computational demands and future applications.

2 Sources

AI Boosts Human Creativity in Brainstorming But Slows Experts During Implementation

Major studies from Swansea University and the University of Houston reveal AI functions as a creative collaborator that enhances brainstorming by 76% in novelty. However, the technology can slow experienced designers during implementation, adding 57% more time as experts revise AI-generated output to match their practiced routines.

3 Sources

14 Mar 2026

AI tackles urgent climate questions as scientists deploy tools for flood prediction and AMOC research

Climate scientists are integrating AI into their research workflow, using large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini to answer pressing questions about temperature rise, precipitation patterns, and extreme weather. Google Research released Groundsource for flash flood prediction with 82% accuracy, while Google DeepMind tested Gemini as an AI co-scientist to assess Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation collapse risks 10 times faster than traditional methods.

2 Sources

12 Mar 2026

AI autocomplete covertly shifts human opinions on social issues, even when users ignore suggestions

Cornell University researchers discovered that AI autocomplete tools subtly manipulate how people think about major societal issues. In studies with over 2,500 participants, biased AI suggestions shifted opinions on topics like the death penalty and fracking—even among users who rejected the AI's text. Warning participants about AI bias beforehand or debriefing them afterward failed to prevent the attitude shift.

3 Sources

AI influence drives thought homogenization, flattening how millions write and reason

Research published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences reveals that Large Language Models like ChatGPT are creating sameness in human writing and thinking. Scientists warn that AI influence extends beyond direct users, threatening cognitive diversity and collective intelligence as one-third of Americans now use these tools regularly.

3 Sources

11 Mar 2026

AI and neuroscience reveal how children's brains master language from age 2 to 10

Researchers are using AI deep learning models and advanced brain imaging to decode human language development. Studies show AI can model how 2-year-olds process audiobooks, revealing that grammar skills mature between ages 2 and 10. The work challenges traditional views of language as living in just two brain regions, instead revealing it as a complex, interconnected system.

2 Sources

10 Mar 2026

AI boosts breast cancer detection by 10% in major UK screening studies, flags hidden cancers

Major UK studies show AI integration into breast cancer screening increases detection rates by 10.4% and identifies up to 27.5% of interval cancers before they become visible. The technology also reduces radiologist workload by up to 44% while maintaining accuracy across diverse populations, marking a shift in how screening programs could operate.

6 Sources

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