The Artificial Intelligence Database
Misdiagnosed
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.
By Tom Simonite
Ideas
When Mind Melds With Machine, Who’s in Control?
Brain-computer interfaces are getting better all the time—and they’re about to land us in a philosophical quagmire.
By Kelly Clancy
Un-folding
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.
By Tom Simonite
AI-ntibiotics
An AI Finds Superbug-Killing Potential in Human Proteins
A team scoured the human proteome for antimicrobial molecules and found thousands, plus a surprise about how animals evolved to fight infections.
By Max G. Levy
RE:WIRED
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.
By Brent Rose
Real Talk
The Long Search for a Computer That Speaks Your Mind
The trick is to use data from the brain to synthesize speech in real time so users can practice and the machine can learn. New brain computer interface systems are getting there.
By Adam Rogers
Machine Earning
AI’s Smarts Now Come With a Big Price Tag
As language models get more complex, they also get more expensive to create and run. Some companies are locked out.
By Will Knight
Bad Math
A New Formula May Help Black Patients’ Access to Kidney Care
The prior algorithm adjusted calculations for Black patients—making it harder for them to qualify for transplants and other treatments.
By Tom Simonite
eat right
The Poop About Your Gut Health and Personalized Nutrition
Researchers are coming around to the idea that there isn't a one-size-fits-all diet. Some companies are going further to find out what fits you, specifically.
By Debby Waldman
A Little Birdie
This AI Helps Detect Wildlife Health Issues in Real Time
A system that scans animal rehabilitation center data could provide early alerts when a disease is spreading.
By Jennifer Clare Ball
Structures
Without Code for DeepMind’s Protein AI, This Lab Wrote Its Own
The Google subsidiary solved a fundamental problem in biology but didn’t promptly share its solution. So a University of Washington team tried to re-create it.
By Grace Huckins
High Note
This Device Helps Paralyzed People Breathe—and Sing
Called the Exo-Abs, the robotic device uses artificial intelligence to gauge how much pressure to put on a person’s midsection.
By Khari Johnson
Cover Story
The Pain Was Unbearable. So Why Did Doctors Turn Her Away?
A sweeping drug addiction risk algorithm has become central to how the US handles the opioid crisis. It may only be making the crisis worse.
By Maia Szalavitz
Inside Out
These Algorithms Look at X-Rays—and Somehow Detect Your Race
A study raises new concerns that AI will exacerbate disparities in health care. One issue? The study’s authors aren’t sure what cues are used by the algorithms.
By Tom Simonite
What's This?
Google Launches a New Medical App—Outside the US
The dermatology AI app won approval for use in the EU but not with the FDA, an odd twist on Europe's reputation for tough rules on tech.
By Tom Simonite
False Alarms
An Algorithm That Predicts Deadly Infections Is Often Flawed
A study found that a system used to identify cases of sepsis missed most instances and frequently issued false alarms.
By Tom Simonite
Oops
Don't End Up on This Artificial Intelligence Hall of Shame
A list of incidents that caused, or nearly caused, harm aims to prompt developers to think more carefully about the tech they create.
By Tom Simonite
Touching Story
This Brain-Controlled Robotic Arm Can Twist, Grasp—and Feel
Nathan Copeland learned to move a robotic arm with his mind, but it was kind of slow. Then researchers gave him touch feedback.
By Max G. Levy
Opinion
Hackers Used to Be Humans. Soon, AIs Will Hack Humanity
Like crafty genies, AIs will grant our wishes and then hack them, exploiting our social, political, and economic systems like never before.
By Bruce Schneier
Doctor, Doctor
Microsoft Makes a $16 Billion Entry Into Health Care AI
The company plans to buy Nuance, a speech-recognition firm that grasps the specialized language of medicine—tech that won’t be easy for others to replicate.
By Will Knight