Interdisciplinary approaches Archives | Page 152 of 190

Fujitsu launches AI scanner to assess tuna fat

Fujitsu has developed a new AI-powered inspection device that determines the fat content of frozen albacore tuna with unprecedented speed and accuracy. Replacing the traditional practice of slicing and thawing tuna tails for human evaluation, the technology uses ultrasonic waves and artificial intelligence to analyse the internal marbling of the fish without causing damage.

The system scans each tuna from four angles, generating waveforms that an AI algorithm interprets to assess fat levels. Results are displayed in seconds with labels such as ‘highly marbled’ or ‘low fat’, dramatically reducing the time required compared to manual inspection. While visual assessment typically takes around a minute, Fujitsu’s device completes the process in just 12 seconds.

Developed in partnership with Tokai University and with support from machinery firm Ishida Tech, the device promises greater consistency and the ability to inspect every fish in a catch, something previously considered too labour-intensive. Scheduled to launch in June, it will be priced between 30 million and 35 million yen (£160,000–£187,000). Fujitsu aims to expand the system to evaluate additional species like yellowfin and bonito, and to assess freshness and texture in future updates.

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Virtual AI agents tested in social good experiment

Nonprofit organisation Sage Future has launched an unusual initiative that puts AI agents to work for philanthropy.

In a recent experiment backed by Open Philanthropy, four AI models, including OpenAI’s GPT-4o and two of Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet models, were tasked with raising money for a charity of their choice. Within a week, they collected $257 for Helen Keller International, which supports global health efforts.

The AI agents were given a virtual workspace where they could browse the internet, send emails, and create documents. They collaborated through group chats and even launched a social media account to promote their campaign.

Though most donations came from human spectators observing the experiment, the exercise revealed the surprising resourcefulness of these AI tools. one Claude model even generated profile pictures using ChatGPT and let viewers vote on their favourite.

Despite occasional missteps, including agents pausing for no reason or becoming distracted by online games, the experiment offered insights into the emerging capabilities of autonomous systems.

Sage’s director, Adam Binksmith, sees this as just the beginning, with future plans to introduce conflicting agent goals, saboteurs, and larger oversight systems to stress-test AI coordination and ethics.

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Southampton Airport launches AI assistant to support passengers

Southampton Airport has launched an advanced AI-powered digital assistant to enhance passenger experience and accessibility throughout its terminal. The technology, developed in collaboration with Hello Lamp Post, offers real-time flight updates, personalised navigation assistance, and tailored support, especially for those requiring special assistance.

Following a successful trial at Glasgow Airport with Connected Places Catapult, the AI platform demonstrated a 50% reduction in customer service queries and supported over 12,000 additional passengers annually. Passenger satisfaction during the pilot reached 86%, prompting Southampton to expand the tool for all travellers. The assistant is accessible via QR codes placed throughout the terminal, effectively acting as a virtual concierge.

The initiative forms part of the airport’s broader commitment to inclusive and efficient travel. Southampton Airport recently received the Civil Aviation Authority’s top ‘Very Good’ rating for accessibility. Airport Managing Director Gavin Williams praised the new tool’s ability to enhance customer journeys, while Hello Lamp Post’s CEO, Tiernan Mines, highlighted the value in easing pressure on staff by handling routine queries.

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Scientists achieve breakthrough in quantum computing stability

A new study by researchers from the University of Oxford, Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, and Quantum Machines has made a major step forward in quantum computing.

The team has found a way to make Majorana zero modes (MZMs)—special particles crucial for quantum computers—far more stable, bringing us closer to building error-free, scalable machines.

Quantum computers are incredibly powerful but face a key challenge: their basic units, qubits, are highly fragile and easily disrupted by environmental noise.

MZMs have long been seen as a potential solution because they are predicted to resist such disturbances, but stabilising them for practical use has been difficult until now.

The researchers created a structure called a three-site Kitaev chain, which is a simplified version of a topological superconductor.

By using quantum dots to trap electrons and connecting them with superconducting wires, they created a stable ‘sweet spot’ where MZMs could be farther apart, reducing interference and enhancing their stability.

Lead author Dr. Greg Mazur believes this breakthrough shows that it is possible to keep MZMs stable as quantum systems grow. With further research, the team aims to build longer chains to improve stability even more, potentially opening the door to reliable, next-generation quantum materials and devices.

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Senator Warner warns TikTok deal deadline extension breaks the law

Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, has criticised President Donald Trump’s recent move to extend the deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US operations.

Warner argued that the 75-day extension violates the law passed in 2024, which mandates a complete separation between TikTok’s American entity and its Chinese parent company due to national security concerns.

The deal currently under consideration would allow ByteDance to retain a significant equity stake and maintain an operational role in the new US-based company.

According to Warner, this arrangement fails to satisfy the legal requirement of eliminating Chinese influence over TikTok’s US operations.

He emphasised that any legitimate divestiture must include a complete technological and organisational break, preventing ByteDance from accessing user data or source code.

The White House and TikTok have not issued statements in response to Warner’s criticism. In its second term, Trump’s administration has stated it is in contact with four groups regarding a potential TikTok acquisition.

However, no agreement has been finalised, and China has yet to publicly support a sale of TikTok’s US assets, one of the primary obstacles to completing the deal.

Under the 2024 law, ByteDance was required to divest TikTok’s US business by 19 January or face a ban.

Trump, who retook office on 20 January, chose not to enforce the ban immediately and instead signed an executive order extending the deadline.

The Justice Department further complicated the issue when it told Apple and Google that the law would not be enforced, allowing the app to remain available for download.

As the deadline extension continues to stir controversy, lawmakers like Warner insist that national security and legislative integrity are at stake.

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TikTok deal stalled amid US-China trade tensions

Negotiations to divest TikTok’s US operations have been halted following China’s indication that it would not approve the deal. The development came after President Donald Trump announced increased tariffs on Chinese imports.

The proposed arrangement involved creating a new US-based company to manage TikTok’s American operations, with US investors holding a majority stake and ByteDance retaining less than 20%. This plan had received approvals from existing and new investors, ByteDance, and the US government.

In response to the stalled negotiations, President Trump extended the deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US assets by 75 days, aiming to allow more time for securing necessary approvals.

He emphasised the desire to continue collaborating with TikTok and China to finalise the deal, expressing a preference to avoid shutting the app in the US.

The future of TikTok in the US remains unpredictable as geopolitical tensions and trade disputes continue to influence the negotiations.

On one side, such a reaction from the Chinese government could have been expected in exchange for the increase of US tariffs on Chinese products; on the other side, by extending the deadline, Trump would be able to maintain his protectionist policy while collecting sympathies from 170 million US citizens using the app, which now is a victim in their eyes as it faces potential banning if the US-China trade war doesn’t calm down and a resolution is not reached within the extended timeframe.

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Meta and UFC to transform fight experience

UFC President Dana White has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Meta, following his recent appointment to the tech giant’s board.

The collaboration marks a significant moment for both organisations, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a well-known MMA enthusiast and practitioner, praising White’s ability to elevate global sports brands.

The deal aims to revolutionise fan engagement through cutting-edge technologies. According to White, plans are already underway to redesign the UFC’s ranking system, with hopes of delivering more compelling matchups.

While details remain under wraps, he hinted that AI could be central to the project, potentially transforming how fights are scored and analysed in real time.

Zuckerberg expressed excitement about the future of UFC fan experiences, suggesting Meta’s tech resources could introduce innovative ways for audiences to connect with the sport.

Enhanced data analysis may also support fighters in training and strategy, leading to higher-quality contests and fewer controversial decisions.

The full impact of the partnership will unfold in the coming years, with fans and athletes alike anticipating significant change.

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OpenAI CEO says India leads in AI creativity

Sam Altman sparked interest among Indian users on X after praising the country’s rapid AI adoption and sharing an AI-generated image of himself playing cricket. In his 2 April post, the OpenAI CEO called India’s AI creativity an ‘explosion,’ claiming the country was outpacing the world in adoption rates.

Users questioned why Altman singled out India, with some turning to AI chatbots like Perplexity and Grok for verification. His comments followed a February visit to India, where he met IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and highlighted India as OpenAI’s second-largest market.

Altman’s remarks also came shortly after OpenAI’s GPT-4o update, which enhanced AI-generated images and illustrations. To showcase this, he shared an anime-style image of himself as a cricket player, sporting a Team India jersey.

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The overlooked legacy of the Lwów–Warsaw school in shaping modern AI

AI may seem like a modern marvel, but its foundations stretch back to early 20th-century philosophical thought—particularly to the Lwów–Warsaw School of Philosophy. In a recent blog by Jovan Kurbalija, Executive Director of Diplo, he highlights how this influential movement, established by Kazimierz Twardowski and active between the world wars, made groundbreaking contributions to logic, semantics, and analytical philosophy—fields that underpin today’s AI systems.

Despite being overshadowed by more famous contemporaries like the Vienna Circle, the Lwów–Warsaw School cultivated thinkers whose work continues to shape how machines process language and make decisions. Among the most influential figures was Alfred Tarski, whose formal definition of truth laid the groundwork for natural language processing (NLP), enabling AI to understand and generate human language.

Another key contributor, Jan Łukasiewicz, developed many-valued logic—a system that goes beyond simple true/false decisions and allows machines to reason through uncertainty, essential in complex tasks like autonomous driving or medical diagnostics. The school’s importance isn’t just technical.

Its strong emphasis on analytical rigour also offers tools for navigating AI’s growing ethical concerns—ranging from fairness in algorithmic decisions to broader questions about consciousness and societal impact. Though these philosophical aspects are less often discussed, they’re crucial for ensuring AI development remains responsible and aligned with human values.

The intellectual legacy is rarely acknowledged in mainstream AI history. Yet, as Kurbalija emphasises, AI’s roots are deeper and more diverse than we often realise. Revisiting the Lwów–Warsaw School highlights how past ideas can still guide us in shaping the technologies of tomorrow.

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CERN physicists explore quantum link in sheep

Physicists at CERN believe they’ve found evidence of quantum entanglement in sheep, potentially explaining the near-instantaneous coordination seen in flocks.

The study, by HERD collaboration, used tracking devices and quantum modelling to suggest that sheep may be mentally linked across distances.

Researchers discovered what they call ‘moutons’, fluffy leptons in the brain that may be behind this bizarre quantum connection.

Though the statistical result reached 4 sigma, it falls short of full scientific confirmation and further testing is required.

The team stresses the findings are serious science, despite the sheep-related puns. If verified, the results could open an entirely new frontier at the intersection of quantum physics and biology and perhaps even explain why some researchers feel inexplicably sleepy near the flock.

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