Interdisciplinary approaches Archives | Page 56 of 181

UAE joins US led Pax Silica alliance

The United Arab Emirates has joined Pax Silica, a US-led alliance focused on AI and semiconductor supply chains. The move places Abu Dhabi among Washington’s trusted technology partners.

The pact aims to secure access to chips, computing power, energy and critical minerals. The US Department of State says technology supply chains are now treated as strategic assets.

UAE officials view the alliance as supporting economic diversification and AI leadership ambitions. Membership strengthens access to advanced semiconductors and large-scale data centre infrastructure.

Pax Silica reflects a broader shift in global tech diplomacy towards allied supply networks. Analysts say participation could shape future investment in AI infrastructure and manufacturing.

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MIT tool combines AI and physics for 3D printing

MIT researchers have developed a generative AI system called MechStyle that allows users to personalise 3D-printed objects while ensuring they remain durable and functional.

The tool combines AI-driven design with physics simulations, allowing everyday items such as vases, hooks, and glasses to be customised without compromising structural integrity.

Users can upload their own 3D models or select presets and use text or image prompts to guide the design. MechStyle modifies the geometry and simulates stress points to maintain strength, enabling unique, tactile, and usable creations.

The system can personalise aesthetics while preserving functionality, even for assistive devices like finger splints and utensil grips.

To optimise performance, MechStyle employs an adaptive scheduling strategy that checks only the critical areas of a model, reducing computation time. Early tests of 30 objects, including designs resembling bricks, cacti, and stones, showed up to 100% structural viability.

The tool offers a freestyle mode for rapid experimentation and a careful mode for analysing the effects of modifications. Researchers plan to expand MechStyle to generate entirely new 3D models from scratch and improve faulty designs.

The project reflects collaboration with Google, Stability AI, and Northeastern University and was presented at the ACM Symposium on Computational Fabrication. Its potential extends to personal items, home and office décor, and even commercial prototypes for retail products.

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EMA and FDA set AI principles for medicine

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have released ten principles for good AI practice in the medicines lifecycle. The guidelines provide broad direction for AI use in research, clinical trials, manufacturing, and safety monitoring.

The principles are relevant to pharmaceutical developers, marketing authorisation applicants, and holders, and will form the basis for future AI guidance in different jurisdictions. EU guideline development is already underway, building on EMA’s 2024 AI reflection paper.

European Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi said the initiative demonstrates renewed EU-US cooperation and commitment to global innovation while maintaining patient safety.

AI adoption in medicine has grown rapidly in recent years. New pharmaceutical legislation and proposals, such as the European Commission’s Biotech Act, highlight AI’s potential to accelerate the development of safe and effective medicine.

A principles-based approach is seen as essential to manage risks while promoting innovation.

The EMA-FDA collaboration builds on prior bilateral work and aligns with EMA’s strategy to leverage data, digitalisation, and AI. Ethics and safety remain central, with a focus on international cooperation to enable responsible innovation in healthcare globally.

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Why young people across South Asia turn to AI

Children and young adults across South Asia are increasingly turning to AI tools for emotional reassurance, schoolwork and everyday advice, even while acknowledging their shortcomings.

Easy access to smartphones, cheap data and social pressures have made chatbots a constant presence, often filling gaps left by limited human interaction.

Researchers and child safety experts warn that growing reliance on AI risks weakening critical thinking, reducing social trust and exposing young users to privacy and bias-related harms.

Studies show that many children understand AI can mislead or oversimplify, yet receive little guidance at school or home on how to question outputs or assess risks.

Rather than banning AI outright, experts argue for child-centred regulation, stronger safeguards and digital literacy that involves parents, educators and communities.

Without broader social support systems and clear accountability from technology companies, AI risks becoming a substitute for human connection instead of a tool that genuinely supports learning and wellbeing.

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New UK research hub explores AI in the humanities

Researchers at the University of Wolverhampton in the UK are launching a Digital Futures Lab, focusing on virtual reality and AI in the humanities. The hub opens on 7 February.

The facility will support collaboration between academics, students, businesses and cultural organisations. Launch events will showcase practical uses of VR, AI and digital language tools across research and culture.

Speakers will discuss chatbots, algorithms and data analysis shaping modern arts and humanities research. The project builds on the university’s wider investment in cyber resilience and AI.

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Foam physics reveals unexpected parallels with AI learning

Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have found that foams, long assumed to behave like static glass, remain in constant internal motion while preserving their outward form.

Computer simulations revealed that bubbles in wet foams continue shifting through many configurations instead of settling into fixed positions.

Researchers observed that this behaviour closely mirrors the mathematics behind deep learning, where AI systems repeatedly adjust internal parameters during training. Instead of converging on a single optimal state, both foams and AI models operate within broad solution spaces that allow flexibility and resilience.

The study challenges earlier theories that treated foam bubbles as particles trapped in low-energy states. A revised mathematical approach shows that continuous reorganisation offers stability at a larger scale, rather than undermining structural integrity.

The findings suggest that learning-like dynamics may represent a broader organising principle across materials science, biology and computation.

Researchers believe the insight could inform the design of adaptive materials and improve understanding of dynamic biological structures such. as cellular scaffolding.

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Mars expands AI-driven food research

AI is no longer confined to chatbots and content tools. In the food and beverage sector, companies are utilising advanced AI systems to forecast consumer trends, expedite product development, and explore new ingredients for future products.

Mars, the multinational behind brands such as Dolmio, Pedigree, and Mars bars, is using AI to support its health and sustainability goals. Darren Logan, vice president of research at the Mars Advanced Research Institute, said the company is exploring plant compounds and alternative proteins.

Fermentation is also expanding Mars’ ingredient research by generating new chemical compounds through interactions between plants and microbes. Logan said combining plants with microbes increases chemical diversity, producing substances that would not otherwise exist.

The chocolate manufacturer partnered with UC Davis spin-out PIPA and its AI research platform LEAP to support this work. The system constructs knowledge graphs utilising scientific literature, databases, and the company’s proprietary data to establish connections between ingredients, microbes, and human health.

Logan said the platform helps reduce the time and cost of experimentation by guiding researchers towards more promising test options. Human oversight remains central to every AI-assisted decision.

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AI boom strains global memory chip supply

Gadget makers face rising costs as AI drives intense demand for memory chips. Supplies of DRAM and storage components have tightened across global markets.

Manufacturers have shifted production towards AI data centres, squeezing availability for consumer devices. Analysts warn the memory shortage could extend well into next year.

Higher prices are already affecting laptops, smartphones and connected devices. Some companies are redesigning products or limiting features to manage the costs of chip components.

Industry experts say engineers are writing leaner software to reduce memory use. The AI surge is marking the end of an era of cheap and abundant memory.

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UK drops mandatory digital ID plan for workers

The UK government has dropped plans for mandatory digital ID for workers. Ministers say existing right-to-work checks will be digitised instead.

Labour had argued compulsory digital ID would curb illegal working and fraud in the UK. Under the revised plan, checks will become fully online by 2029, without the need for a new standalone ID system.

The reversal follows a political backlash, collapsing public support and concern among Labour MPs. Keir Starmer faced criticism over unclear messaging and repeated recent policy U-turns.

Ministers say platforms like Gov.uk One Login remain central to reform. Regulators, including Ofcom, continue to oversee digital compliance and worker protections.

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New radar technology advances heart rhythm detection

Scientists have developed a radar-based sensor that detects irregular heart rhythms without physical contact. The system uses radio waves and AI to identify atrial fibrillation and allow earlier detection.

The technology was tested on more than 6,200 patients during routine heart checks. Results showed accuracy comparable to standard electrocardiogram tests, demonstrating its potential for clinical use.

Trials during sleep revealed that the system could detect hidden heart rhythm issues even when patients were at rest. Many episodes of atrial fibrillation go unnoticed at night, so this could improve early intervention.

Further studies will examine how the system performs in everyday life. Researchers hope these tests will show whether the technology can be used reliably outside clinics to monitor heart health.

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