Interdisciplinary approaches Archives | Page 132 of 190

Zoom launches AI Virtual Agent to replace human receptionists

Zoom has unveiled its Virtual Agent for Zoom Phone, a 24/7 AI concierge designed to replace or support human receptionists. The tool can greet callers naturally, process requests, and initiate next steps without human intervention, aiming to reduce missed calls and waiting times.

The AI agent is initially available in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Japanese, with more languages planned.

Companies can set up the system without coding expertise by training it with existing documents or company websites, allowing for a faster, personalised, and scalable customer experience.

Zoom highlighted use cases across sectors, including booking appointments in healthcare, checking stock and answering retail product queries, and providing financial service updates. The Virtual Agent promises to handle these tasks autonomously, giving businesses greater efficiency and flexibility.

In addition, Zoom has enhanced its AI Companion tool to manage meeting scheduling. The agent can coordinate invites, track responses, and suggest alternatives, freeing teams to focus on discussions rather than logistics.

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Study finds AI-generated responses flooding research platforms

Online questionnaires are being increasingly swamped by AI-generated responses, raising concerns that a vital data source for researchers is becoming polluted. Platforms like Prolific, which pay participants to answer questions, are widely used in behavioural studies.

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute noticed suspicious patterns in their work and began investigating. They found that nearly half of the respondents copied and pasted answers, strongly suggesting that many were outsourcing tasks to AI chatbots.

Analysis showed clear giveaways, including overly verbose and distinctly non-human language. The researchers concluded that a substantial proportion of behavioural studies may already be compromised by chatbot-generated content.

In follow-up tests, they set traps to detect AI use, including invisible text instructions and restrictions on copy-paste. The measures caught a further share of participants, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing online research platforms.

Experts say the responsibility lies with both researchers and platforms. Stronger verification methods and tighter controls are needed for online behavioural research to remain credible.

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Pakistan launches national AI innovation competition

Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives has launched a national innovation competition to drive the development of AI solutions in priority sectors. The initiative aims to attract top talent to develop impactful health, education, agriculture, industry, and governance projects.

Minister Ahsan Iqbal said AI is no longer a distant prospect but a present reality that is already transforming economies. He described the competition as a milestone in Pakistan’s digital history and urged the nation to embrace AI’s global momentum.

Iqbal stressed that algorithms now shape decisions more than traditional markets, warning that technological dependence must be avoided. Pakistan, he argued, must actively participate in the AI revolution or risk being left behind by more advanced economies.

He highlighted AI’s potential to predict crop diseases, aid doctors in diagnosis, and deliver quality education to every child nationwide. He said Pakistan will not be a bystander but an emerging leader in shaping the digital future.

The government has begun integrating AI into curricula and expanding capacity-building initiatives. Officials expect the competition to unlock new opportunities for innovation, empowering youth and driving sustainable development across the country.

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Gamescom showcases EU support for cultural and digital innovation

The European Commission will convene video game professionals in Cologne for the third consecutive year on August 20 and 21. The visit aims to follow developments in the industry, present the future EU budget, and outline opportunities under the upcoming AgoraEU programme.

EU Officials will also discuss AI adoption, new investment opportunities, and ways to protect minors in gaming. Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director-General of DG CONNECT, will deliver a keynote speech and join a panel titled ‘Investment in games – is it finally happening?’.

The European Commission highlights the role of gaming in Europe’s cultural diversity and innovation. Creative Europe MEDIA has already supported nearly 180 projects since 2021. At Gamescom, its booth will feature 79 companies from 24 countries, offering fresh networking opportunities to video game professionals.

The engagement comes just before the release of the second edition of the ‘European Media Industry Outlook’ report. The updated study will provide deeper insights into consumer behaviour and market trends, with a dedicated focus on the video games sector.

Gamescom remains the world’s largest gaming event, with 1,500 exhibitors from 72 nations in 2025. The event celebrates creative and technological achievements, highlighting the industry’s growing importance for Europe’s competitiveness and digital economy.

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USTA debuts AI Match Chat at US Open with IBM

The United States Tennis Association has introduced AI-powered experiences at the US Open in partnership with IBM. Fans can now access Match Chat, an AI assistant answering player stat questions and offering interactive insights during the 254 singles matches.

The assistant is powered by IBM WatsonX Orchestrate technology, combining AI agents and language models trained on US Open data. The organisations have also enhanced IBM SlamTracker, which projects live win probabilities and provides AI-generated post-match commentary for deeper analysis.

According to Brian Ryerson of the USTA, between 13 and 15 million visitors are expected to use these platforms. He noted the association’s roadmap has focused on hybrid cloud and AI for fan engagement and to strengthen core operations.

Behind the scenes, the USTA is streamlining infrastructure management, optimising costs, and enhancing resilience with IBM’s AI tools. Its editorial team has increased content production by 300% using bespoke AI systems, starting with AI match summaries before refining them manually.

Globally, sports bodies are also adopting AI for fans and operations. The NFL and Wimbledon have launched similar tools, while USTA’s hybrid cloud infrastructure ensures the Open withstands surges up to 50 times normal load without disrupting fan experiences.

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AI upskilling at heart of Singapore’s new job strategy

Singapore has launched a $27 billion initiative to boost AI readiness and protect jobs, as global tensions and automation reshape the workforce.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stressed that securing employment is key to national stability, particularly as geopolitical shifts and AI adoption accelerate.

IMF research warns Singapore’s skilled workers, especially women and youth, are among the most exposed to job disruption from AI technologies.

To address this, the government is expanding its SkillsFuture programme and rolling out local initiatives to connect citizens with evolving job markets.

The tech investment includes $5 billion for AI development and positions Singapore as a leader in digital transformation across Southeast Asia.

Social challenges remain, however, with rising inequality and risks to foreign workers highlighting the need for broader support systems and inclusive policy.

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China debuts quantum-embedded GNN for drug discovery

According to Science and Technology Daily, Chinese researchers have reported a breakthrough in quantum drug discovery using edge encoding. Origin Quantum, USTC, and the Hefei AI Institute built a quantum-embedded graph neural network (GNN) to predict drug-molecule properties.

In drug development, graph neural networks model molecules as atoms and bonds. Classical and some quantum approaches handle atoms well but struggle with bonds. The gap limits accuracy and screening speed.

The team from China introduced quantum edge and node embeddings to process bonds and atoms simultaneously at the quantum level. The quantum-embedded GNN unifies both signals in one pass. Results show sharper predictions for the properties of candidate drugs.

Validation on the Origin Wukong quantum computer indicates stable performance despite today’s noisy hardware. Benchmarking suggests efficiency gains for molecular screening pipelines. Researchers say the approach is production-oriented as devices scale.

Findings appear in the Journal of Chemical Information and Modelling. Collaboration highlights China’s push to integrate quantum computing with biopharmaceutical research and development. More exhaustive testing on larger qubit counts is anticipated.

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Automation boosts accounting’s popularity among potential career-changers

A recent survey by the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) finds that two in five people would consider a career in accountancy if AI could handle routine tasks. The research suggests automation may improve the profession’s appeal by shifting the focus from admin to strategic support.

Among current accountants, four in five agree that AI tools have made their roles easier by lightening administrative burdens, while 80% say it enables more problem-solving and advisory work. AI will enhance efficiency and accuracy, and allow finance professionals to concentrate on impactful tasks.

The survey reveals 42% of those who have worked in accounting say AI tools have been genuinely valuable; this rises to 55% for 25- to 34-year-olds. Most also support upskilling, with nearly 80% interested in developing AI and machine learning skills as part of workplace training.

Claire Bennison of AAT stresses that AI is not here to replace accountants but to empower them. She argues that building an AI-savvy workforce is essential in meeting skills shortages and modernising the finance profession.

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Why AI coding tools may follow the path of past tech revolutions

In mid-2025, the debate over AI in programming mirrors historic resistance to earlier breakthroughs in computing. Critics say current AI coding tools often slow developers and create overconfidence, while supporters argue they will eventually transform software creation.

The Register compares this moment to the 1950s, when Grace Hopper faced opposition to high-level programming languages. Similar scepticism greeted technologies such as C, Java, and intermediate representation, which later became integral to modern computing.

Current AI tools face limits in resources, business models, and capability. Yet, as past trends show, these constraints may fade as hardware, training, and developer practices improve. Advocates believe AI will shift human effort toward design and problem definition rather than manual coding.

For now, adoption remains a mixed blessing, with performance issues and unrealistic expectations. But history suggests that removing barriers between ideas and results catalyses lasting change.

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DeepSeek’s efficiency forces OpenAI to rethink closed AI model strategy

OpenAI has released reasoning-focused open-weight models in a strategic response to China’s surging AI ecosystem, led by DeepSeek’s disruptive efficiency. Unlike earlier coverage, the shift is framed not merely as competitive posturing but as a deeper recognition of shifting innovation philosophies.

DeepSeek’s rise stems from maximizing limited resources under the US’s export restrictions, proving that top-tier AI doesn’t require massive chip clusters. The agility has emboldened the open-source AI sector in China, where over 10 labs now rival those in the US, fundamentally reshaping competitive dynamics.

OpenAI’s ‘gpt-oss’ models, which reveal numerical parameters for customization, mark a departure from its traditional closed approach. Industry watchers see this as a hybrid play, retaining proprietary strengths while embracing openness to appeal to global developers.

The implications stretch beyond technology into geopolitics. US export controls may have inadvertently fueled Chinese AI innovation, with DeepSeek’s self-reliant architecture now serving as a proof point for resilience. DeepSeek’s achievement challenges the US’s historically resource-intensive approach to AI.

AI rivalry may spur collaboration or escalate competition. DeepSeek advances models like DeepSeek-MoE, while OpenAI strikes a balance between openness and monetization. Global AI dynamics shift, raising both technological and philosophical stakes.

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