algorithms
Optimizing Machines Is Perilous. Consider ‘Creatively Adequate’ AI.
The future of artificial intelligence needs less data and can tolerate ambiguity.
Euler’s 243-Year-Old ‘Impossible’ Puzzle Gets a Quantum Solution
A surprising new solution to the famous “36 officers puzzle” offers a novel way of encoding quantum information.
Are You Sure You Know What a Photograph Is?
Once, I thought I had a definition of photography. Today, surrounded by thermal cameras, lidar, 3D printers, and AI software, I am not so sure.
When It Comes to Health Care, AI Has a Long Way to Go
Medical information is more complex and less available than the web data that many algorithms were trained on, so results can be misleading.
The Humanities Can't Save Big Tech From Itself
Hiring sociocultural workers to correct bias overlooks the limitations of these underappreciated fields.
This AI Software Nearly Predicted Omicron’s Tricky Structure
New algorithms that decipher complex sequences of amino acids offered an early view of the coronavirus variant. They could point the way to future drugs.
The Danger of Leaving Weather Prediction to AI
When it comes to forecasting the elements, many seem ready to welcome the machine. But humans still outperform the algorithms—especially in bad conditions.
The Creepy TikTok Algorithm Doesn’t Know You
The uncanny, addictive AI has turned math into a mystical force—and flattened humanity into a series of codes.
Crime Prediction Keeps Society Stuck in the Past
So long as algorithms are trained on racist historical data and outdated values, there will be no opportunities for change.
If AI Is Predicting Your Future, Are You Still Free?
Part of being human is being able to defy the odds. Algorithmic prophecies undermine that.
The Algorithm That Lets Particle Physicists Count Higher Than 2
Through his encyclopedic study of the electron, an obscure figure named Stefano Laporta found a handle on the subatomic world’s fearsome complexity.
'Algorithmic Reparation' Calls for Racial Justice in AI
Researchers are encouraging those who work in AI to explicitly consider racism, gender, and other structural inequalities.
Facebook Says Its New AI Can Identify More Problems Faster
The “Few-Shot Learner” system doesn’t need to see as many examples to identify troublesome posts, and it works in more than 100 languages.
'Worker Data Science' Can Teach Us How to Fix the Gig Economy
Gig workers are asking to see the algorithms that govern their labor. Their fight has important lessons for creating equitable workplaces for all.
Congress Takes Aim at the Algorithms
A new crop of Section 230 reform proposals focuses on amplification, not content moderation. But the devil is in the details.
The Movement to Hold AI Accountable Gains More Steam
A New York City law requires algorithms used in hiring to be “audited” for bias. It’s the first in the US—and part of a larger push toward regulation.
My Music App Knows Me Way Too Well. Am I Stuck in a Groove?
WIRED’s spiritual advice columnist on predictability, freedom—and the duality of rebellion.
Metadata From Encrypted Messages Can Keep People Safe
Sharing “metadata of the metadata” is crucial for informing product design that will fight misinformation without allowing security backdoors.
This Company Tapped AI for Its Website—and Landed in Court
Under pressure to make their sites accessible to visually impaired users, firms turn to software. But advocates say the tech isn't always up to the task.
Timnit Gebru Says Artificial Intelligence Needs to Slow Down
The AI researcher, who left Google last year, says the incentives around AI research are all wrong.
Kai-Fu Lee and Yoky Matsuoka Imagine AI's Potential for Good
The investor and entrepreneur discuss "human-in-the-loop" technology, and how artificial intelligence might be used for health and caregiving.
Facebook Drops Facial Recognition to Tag People in Photos
The social media company will delete data from images of more than 1 billion people.
This Program Can Give AI a Sense of Ethics—Sometimes
Researchers trained an algorithm to answer questions about human values. Some of the responses are troubling.
This AI Predicts How Old Children Are. Can It Keep Them Safe?
Yoti’s tech may be enticing for Big Tech companies: It works out if you’re under or over 13, the age most social media platforms require to create an account.