The Future

Science fiction movies capture a classic human flaw: getting the future mostly wrong.

Large language models are an impressive advance in AI, but we are far away from achieving human-level capabilities.

The robot can drive heavy steal beams into the ground at a rate of 1 per 73 seconds, which will help expedite solar farm construction.

Old coal mines can be converted into “gravity batteries” by retrofitting them with equipment that raises and lowers giant piles of sand.

A panel of healthcare professionals much preferred responses that came from the chatbot in a recent study.

As the stream of AI-generated art turns into a deluge, NFTs could become a cornerstone of the Virtual Renaissance.

Lean, green, and serene.

As AI evolves — and more robotic warfare systems are deployed — the nature of conflict could change beyond recognition.

Data scientists first gained prominence by making us click on ads — now the profession spans a multiverse.

Robots must identify themselves.

The biggest lingering question about GPT-4 isn’t if it’s going to destroy jobs or take over the world. Instead, it is this: Do we trust AI programmers to tell society what is true?

A new AI lie detector can dive into their hidden thoughts and reveal “what language models truly believe about the world.”

To what extent will our psychological vulnerabilities shape our interactions with emerging technologies?

Some would say AI is immortal and all-knowing — Godlike, even.

So far, two papers have been retracted, and a third is under investigation. Accusations of plagiarism appear convincing.

The nature of civilizational threats has changed in a mere decade.

In a state of “hyperwar,” accidents or unexpected AI decisions could lead to widespread devastation before humans could intervene.

Can ChatGPT help you power through writer’s block?

You can’t throw a DART at everything in space.

Skepticism is appropriate when gazing into the futurist’s crystal ball.

Catastrophes are difficult to predict because they are so rare. But AI using active learning can make predictions from very small data sets.

Apart from the energy needed to flip the switch, no other energy is needed to transmit the information.

Imagine going on a tour through the human circulatory system as a tiny cell. That is just one example of education in the metaverse.

We are traveling in a realm that once exclusively belonged to the gods. Space travel will force humanity to rethink everything.

One of Jetoptera’s VTOLs is expected to reach speeds of around 614 mph, about as fast as a commercial jet airliner.

The automated McDonald’s has a staff comparable to other stores. But the crew members are all focused on making and packaging orders instead of delivering them.

The authors call it “wildly theoretical” — but let’s take a look, anyway.

It was a particularly good year for biotech and medical technology. There were also notable advances in energy.

Some solar cells are so lightweight they can sit on a soap bubble.

It will be able to produce 22 million pounds of cultivated meat annually.