Oral exams are making a comeback to stop AI cheating. But they have their own problems
Universities are increasingly turning to oral exams to stop students from using artificial intelligence (AI) to cheat.
Science
phys.org
18.08.2026
The use of AI in biotechnology is changing faster than the rules governing either technology
The recent announcement of novel, viable viruses created by artificial intelligence (AI) was celebrated as a major advance in the fight against antibiotic resistance. But it also raised urgent concern
Science
phys.org
18.08.2026
Feeding our books into generative AI risks creating a cultural void
When we put our literature, games and films into AI models, we risk replacing our cultural history with a mishmash of auto-generated works. We desperately need to preserve human writing, says columnis
Science
newscientist.com
18.08.2026
AI learns to spot tomato diseases using nearly 9,000 field images
A breakthrough in AI-driven crop disease detection is set to reduce harvest losses and chemical-related health risks, thanks to a first-of-its-kind tomato leaf dataset comprising almost 9,000 images.
Science
phys.org
17.08.2026
We asked AI tools for financial advice: Results were practical, but with big blind spots
Ever used or thought of using artificial intelligence (AI) for financial advice? Is it a good idea?
Science
phys.org
17.08.2026
Survey finds social work needs clearer ethical guidance for AI use
Much like the automobile a century earlier, generative artificial intelligence has arrived in society with significant concerns. Just as cities and towns learned that cars required limits governing th
Science
phys.org
17.08.2026
Can AI replace traditional language learning? A new study says not yet
When university students set out to learn English as an additional language, it's not just about internalizing a new list of words; they also have to learn common word combinations.
Science
phys.org
25.08.2026
Metal ceramics under AI control: A new approach for calculating the mechanical properties of materials
Researchers from the Skoltech Materials Center have proposed a new approach to modeling the mechanical properties of heterogeneous materials, combining machine learning with active learning on local c
Science
phys.org
24.08.2026
Marker words suggest sharp rise in AI-assisted biomedical writing after ChatGPT
Up until two years ago, using large language models was still considered a special skill that everyone was encouraged to learn. Now, it is ubiquitous, especially in writing research papers that eventu
Science
phys.org
24.08.2026
Listening to the bush: How AI can help NZ rid its wilderness of 'hold‑out' pest possums
Possums are among New Zealand's most destructive introduced mammals. They damage native forests, prey on wildlife and remain a major target of the country's Predator Free 2050 program.
Science
phys.org
24.08.2026
An AI job boom? Here's what the tedious, temporary work in data labeling is actually like
Amid all the talk about artificial intelligence (AI) both creating and destroying jobs, a troubling reality flies under the radar.
Science
phys.org
24.08.2026
A hidden “on switch” in human DNA has finally been decoded
Researchers have used AI to uncover the DNA signature of a key genetic “switch” involved in turning genes on. After analyzing about 500,000 DNA sequences, the model identified the initiator in roughly
Science
sciencedaily.com
23.08.2026
AI mapping reveals hidden stage of Arctic freeze with climate implications
As autumn gives way to winter across the Arctic, the ground doesn't immediately freeze solid. Instead, soils often linger near the freezing point for days or even weeks in a phase called the zero curt
Science
phys.org
22.08.2026
Tourist sign translations made more culturally fluent by AI system
A new artificial intelligence, or AI, translation model could improve the accuracy and cultural appropriateness of Chinese-English public signs at tourist attractions, according to research in the Int
Science
phys.org
21.08.2026
AI screens 100,000+ membrane combinations, predicting carbon capture performance within seconds
Reducing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes and energy production remains one of the major technological challenges in addressing climate change. Membrane-based gas separation offers a
Science
phys.org
19.08.2026
Growing role of AI in youth services could put young people at risk
With AI use growing across the youth services sector, new research by Swinburne University of Technology and Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) has, for the first time, identified key risks to yo
Science
phys.org
19.08.2026
AI could lower the cost of designing more efficient airplane wings
AI agents devised a way to reduce friction of an airplane wing model even without access to a costly computer simulation
Science
newscientist.com
19.08.2026
Premium customer, quickest service? Not so fast, at least in a world of agentic AI-driven services
It's conventional wisdom in the business world: Premium customers get a pass to the front of the line. Think airports or amusement parks. But new research from the University of Michigan finds the bes
Science
phys.org
19.08.2026
Experiment shows how AI discoveries can shape human cultural evolution
Artificial intelligence can develop solutions that humans would be unlikely to discover on their own. But what happens when machines do more than solve individual problems and actually discover entire
Science
phys.org
18.08.2026
AI reconstructs hidden history of Earth's mantle flow from surface clues
The mantle, a rocky layer accounting for more than 80% of Earth's volume, circulates at rates of only a few centimeters per year. This circulation drives plate tectonics and influences major geologica
Science
phys.org
18.08.2026