Interdisciplinary approaches Archives | Page 99 of 183

Autonomous AI may improve diabetic eye screening in safety-net clinics

Researchers are testing if autonomous AI at FQHCs can boost diabetic retinopathy detection, accelerate diagnosis, and improve referral follow-through. The JAMA-published trial targets patients missing DR screening for 11 months, using FDA-cleared AI to analyse fundus photos during routine visits.

Immediate results allow same-day action, potentially reducing missed referrals for patients facing time, travel, and cost barriers.

The randomised, open-label trial at two San Diego County clinics compares point-of-care AI-DRS to usual-care referrals. Nonmydriatic fundus images are captured by trained staff, analysed by the AI algorithm, and results flow into the electronic health record (EHR).

Positive cases trigger immediate retina appointments, while ungradable images prompt urgent ophthalmology referrals. Outcomes at 90 and 180 days include screening completion, DR stage at detection, referral adherence, and patient-reported knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy.

The AI-DRS has demonstrated high accuracy in prior studies, detecting more-than-mild and vision-threatening DR with sensitivities above 96%. Workflow integration aims to cut diagnostic delays, using closed-loop referrals and ICD-10 coding for consistent documentation and population health tracking.

The study also evaluates implementation metrics such as image quality, acquisition success, and patient trust in AI-supported care.

If successful, the model could help clinics meet screening targets and streamline workflows for primary care providers. The protocol focuses on training, quality checks, and real-world use, providing a scalable way to prevent avoidable vision loss in underserved communities.

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OpenAI outlines Japan’s AI Blueprint for inclusive economic growth

A new Japan Economic Blueprint released by OpenAI sets out how AI can power innovation, competitiveness, and long-term prosperity across the country. The plan estimates that AI could add more than ¥100 trillion to Japan’s economy and raise GDP by up to 16%.

Centred on inclusive access, infrastructure, and education, the Blueprint calls for equal AI opportunities for citizens and small businesses, national investment in semiconductors and renewable energy, and expanded lifelong learning to build an adaptive workforce.

AI is already reshaping Japanese industries from manufacturing and healthcare to education and public administration. Factories reduce inspection costs, schools use ChatGPT Edu for personalised teaching, and cities from Saitama to Fukuoka employ AI to enhance local services.

OpenAI suggests that the focus of Japan on ethical and human-centred innovation could make it a model for responsible AI governance. By aligning digital and green priorities, the report envisions technology driving creativity, equality, and shared prosperity across generations.

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Large language models mimic human object perception

Recent research shows that large multimodal language models (LLMs) can develop object representations strikingly similar to human cognition. By analysing how these AI models understand and organise concepts, scientists found patterns in the models that mirror neural activity in the human brain.

The study examined embeddings for 1,854 natural objects, derived from millions of text-image pairings. These embeddings capture relationships between objects and were compared with brain scan data from regions like EBA, PPA, RSC and FFA.

Researchers also discovered that multimodal training, which combines text and image data, enhances model’s ability to form these human-like concepts. Findings suggest that large language models can achieve more natural understanding of the world, offering potential improvements in human-AI interaction and future model design.

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UK data stays in the UK as OpenAI rolls out residency

OpenAI will offer UK data residency for API Platform, ChatGPT Enterprise, and ChatGPT Edu from October 24. The option, announced by Deputy PM David Lammy, is tied to a Ministry of Justice partnership. The government says it boosts privacy, security, and resilience for public services and business.

Lammy will unveil the ‘sovereign capability’ at OpenAI Frontiers, citing early MoJ efficiency gains. Over 1,000 probation officers will use Justice Transcribe to record and auto-transcribe offender meetings. Hours of admin shift to AI so staff can focus on supervision and public protection.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says UK usage has quadrupled in the past year. The company pitches AI as a way to save time and lift productivity across sectors. MoJ pilots have sparked interest from other departments, with broader adoption expected.

Data residency is a key blocker for regulated sectors, and this move aims to address that gap. Keeping data within the UK can simplify compliance and reduce perceived risk. It also underpins continuity plans by localising sensitive workloads.

ChatGPT Atlas, an AI-first web browser, was also announced this week. Its arrival could nudge users away from keyword searches toward conversational answers. OpenAI faces rivals Anthropic, Perplexity, and big tech incumbents in that shift.

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Crypto hiring snaps back as AI cools

Tech firms led crypto’s hiring rebound, adding over 12,000 roles since late 2022, according to A16z’s State of Crypto 2025. Finance and consulting contributed 6,000, offsetting talent pulled into AI after ChatGPT’s debut. Net, crypto gained 1,000 positions as workers rotated in from tech, fintech, and education.

The recovery tracks a market turn: crypto capitalisation topping US$4T and new Bitcoin highs. A friendlier US policy stance on stablecoins and digital-asset oversight buoyed sentiment. Institutions from JPMorgan to BlackRock and Fidelity widened offerings beyond pilots.

Hiring is diversifying beyond developers toward compliance, infrastructure, and product. Firms are moving from proofs of concept to production systems with clearer revenue paths. Result: broader role mix and steadier talent pipelines.

A16z contrasts AI centralisation with crypto’s open ethos. OpenAI/Anthropic dominate AI-native revenue; big clouds hold most of the infrastructure share; NVIDIA leads GPUs. Crypto advocates pitch blockchains as a counterweight via verifiable compute and open rails.

Utility signals mature, too. Stablecoins settled around US$9T in 12 months, up 87% year over year. That’s over half of Visa’s annual volume and five times that of PayPal’s.

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Andreessen Horowitz backed Codi startup launches AI tool to streamline office operations

Codi, an Andreessen Horowitz–backed startup founded by Christelle Rohaut and Dave Schuman, has launched an AI-powered platform that is said to fully automate office management.

The San Francisco-based company was founded in 2018 to help firms find flexible workspaces. It first operated as a marketplace, matching companies to buildings with flexible office arrangements but has since evolved into an AI-powered software platform. The new AI agent handles logistics such as vendor coordination, cleaning and pantry restocking for any leased office, meeting a need that, according to Rohaut, remains very manual and costly.

Chief executive Christelle Rohaut said advances in AI made the shift possible. ‘Whatever office you lease, you can use this to automate your office logistics,’ she told TechCrunch.

The product entered beta in May and officially launched this week. Codi, which has raised $23 million to date, including a $16 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz in 2022 , reported reaching $100,000 in annual recurring revenue within five weeks of the beta launch.

The company says the platform can save firms hundreds of hours in administrative work and reduce costs compared with hiring an in-house or part-time office manager. Early adopters include TaskRabbit and Northbeam.

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CMC pegs JLR hack at £1.9bn with 5,000 firms affected

JLR’s cyberattack is pegged at £1.9bn, the UK’s costliest on record. Production paused for five weeks from 1 September across Solihull, Halewood, and Wolverhampton. CMC says 5,000 firms were hit, with full recovery expected by January 2026.

JLR is restoring manufacturing in phases and declined to comment on the estimate. UK dealer systems were intermittently down, orders were cancelled or delayed, and suppliers faced uncertainty. More than half of the losses fall on JLR; the remainder hits its supply chain and local economies.

The CMC classed the incident as Category 3 on its five-level scale. Chair Ciaran Martin warned organisations to harden critical networks and plan for disruption. The CMC’s assessment draws on public data, surveys, and interviews rather than on disclosed forensic evidence.

Researchers say costs hinge on the attack type, which JLR has not confirmed. Data theft is faster to recover than ransomware; wiper malware would be worse. A claimed hacker group linked to earlier high-profile breaches is unverified.

The CMC’s estimate excludes any ransom, which could add tens of millions of dollars. Earlier this year, retail hacks at M&S, the Co-op, and Harrods were tagged Category 2. Those were pegged at £270m–£440m, below the £506m cited by some victims.

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USB inventor and Phison CEO warns of an AI storage crunch

Datuk Pua Khein-Seng, inventor of the single-chip USB flash drive and CEO of Phison, warns that AI machines will generate 1,000 times more data than humans. He says the real bottleneck isn’t GPUs but memory, foreshadowing a global storage crunch as AI scales.

Speaking at GITEX Global, Pua outlined Phison’s focus on NAND controllers and systems that can expand effective memory. Adaptive tiering across DRAM and flash, he argues, will ease constraints and cut costs, making AI deployments more attainable beyond elite data centres.

Flash becomes the expansion valve: DRAM stays scarce and expensive, while high-end GPUs are over-credited for AI cost overruns. By intelligently offloading and caching to NAND, cheaper accelerators can still drive useful workloads, widening access to AI capacity.

Cloud centralisation intensifies the risk. With the US and China dominating the AI cloud market, many countries lack the capital and talent to build sovereign stacks. Pua calls for ‘AI blue-collar’ skills to localise open source and tailor systems to real-world applications.

Storage leadership is consolidating in the US, Japan, Korea, and China, with Taiwan rising as a fifth pillar. Hardware strength alone won’t suffice, Pua says; Taiwan must close the AI software gap to capture more value in the data era.

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Suzanne Somers lives on in an AI twin

Alan Hamel says he’s moving ahead with a ‘Suzanne AI Twin’ to honor Suzanne Somers’ legacy. The project mirrors plans the couple discussed for decades. He shared an early demo at a recent conference.

Hamel describes the prototype as startlingly lifelike. He says side-by-side, he can’t tell real from AI. The goal is to preserve Suzanne’s voice, look, and mannerisms.

Planned uses include archival storytelling, fan Q&As, and curated appearances. The team is training the model on interviews, performances, and writings. Rights and guardrails are being built in.

Supporters see a new form of remembrance. Critics warn of deepfake risks and consent boundaries. Hamel says fidelity and respect are non-negotiable.

Next steps include wider testing and a controlled public debut. Proceeds could fund causes Suzanne championed. ‘It felt like talking to her,’ Hamel says.

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DeepSeek dominates AI crypto trading challenge

Chinese AI model DeepSeek V3.1 has outperformed its global competitors in a real-market cryptocurrency trading challenge, earning over 10 per cent profit in just a few days.

The experiment, named Alpha Arena, was launched by US research firm Nof1 to test the investing skills of leading LLMs.

Each participating AI was given US$10,000 to trade in six cryptocurrency perpetual contracts, including bitcoin and solana, on the decentralised exchange Hyperliquid. By Tuesday afternoon, DeepSeek V3.1 led the field, while OpenAI’s GPT-5 trailed behind with a loss of nearly 40 per cent.

The competition highlights the growing potential of AI models to make autonomous financial decisions in real markets.

It also underscores the rivalry between Chinese and American AI developers as they push to demonstrate their models’ adaptability beyond traditional text-based tasks.

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