Author: The Conversation

Artificial intelligence (AI) is fast becoming part of the furniture. A decade after IBM’s Watson triumphed on “Jeopardy!,” generative AI models are in kitchens and home offices. People often talk about AI in science fiction terms, yet the most consequential change in 2025 may be its banal ubiquity. To appreciate how ordinary AI use has become, it helps to remember that this trend didn’t start with generative chatbots. A 2017 Knowledge at Wharton newsletter documented how deep learning algorithms were already powering chatbots on social media and photo apps’ facial recognition functions. Digital assistants such as Siri and Alexa were performing everyday tasks,…

The consulting firm Accenture recently laid off 11,000 employees while expanding its efforts to train workers to use artificial intelligence (AI). It’s a sharp reminder that the same technology driving efficiency is also redefining what it takes to keep a job. And Accenture isn’t alone. IBM has already replaced hundreds of roles with AI systems, while creating new jobs in sales and marketing. Amazon cut staff even as it expands teams that build and manage AI tools. Across industries, from banks to hospitals and creative companies, workers and managers alike are trying to understand which roles will disappear, which will evolve and which new ones will emerge. I research and teach at Drexel University’s LeBow…

Inspired by the human eye, our biomedical engineering lab at Georgia Tech has designed an adaptive lens made of soft, light-responsive, tissuelike materials. Adjustable camera systems usually require a set of bulky, moving, solid lenses and a pupil in front of a camera chip to adjust focus and intensity. In contrast, human eyes perform these same functions using soft, flexible tissues in a highly compact form. Our lens, called the photo-responsive hydrogel soft lens, or PHySL, replaces rigid components with soft polymers acting as artificial muscles. The polymers are composed of a hydrogel − a water-based polymer material. This hydrogel muscle changes the shape of a…

I have worked in AI for more than three decades, including with pioneers such as John McCarthy, who coined the term “artificial intelligence” in 1955. In the past few years, scientific breakthroughs have produced AI tools that promise unprecedented advances in medicine, science, business and education. At the same time, leading AI companies have the stated goal to create superintelligence: not merely smarter tools, but AI systems that significantly outperform all humans on essentially all cognitive tasks. Superintelligence isn’t just hype. It’s a strategic goal determined by a privileged few, and backed by hundreds of billions of dollars in investment, business incentives, frontier AI technology, and some of the world’s best researchers.…

Passwords are the keys to our digital lives – think how many times you log in to websites and other systems. But just like physical keys, they can be lost, duplicated and stolen. Many alternatives have been proposed in recent years, including passkeys. These offer a significant improvement in terms of user friendliness and potential for widespread use. But what exactly are they – and how do they differ from passwords? Passwords are vulnerable In simple terms, a password is a secret word or phrase that you use to prove who you are to computer systems and/or online. If you…

Artificial intelligence is now part of everyday life. It’s in our phones, schools and homes. For young people, AI shapes how they learn, connect and express themselves. But it also raises real concerns about privacy, fairness and control. AI systems often promise personalisation and convenience. But behind the scenes, they collect vast amounts of personal data, make predictions and influence behaviour, without clear rules or consent. This is especially troubling for youth, who are often left out of conversations about how AI systems are built and governed. https://youtu.be/wIc50ju_OUo The author’s guide on how to protect youth privacy in an AI world. Concerns about privacy…

Buying and selling online with e-commerce is old news. We’re entering the age of A-commerce, where artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly able to shop for us. At the end of September, OpenAI launched its “Buy it in ChatGPT” trial in the United States, using AI agents built to interact with us to do more of people’s browsing and shopping. The technology is known as “agentic commerce”, sometimes shortened to A-commerce. American shoppers can now ask for shopping suggestions from US Etsy sellers within a ChatGPT chat – then buy a product immediately, without having to navigate away to look at individual shop pages. ChatGPT already helps millions…

Imagine a student using a writing assistant powered by a generative AI chatbot. As the bot serves up practical suggestions and encouragement, insights come more easily, drafts polish up quickly and feedback loops feel immediate. It can be energising. But when that AI support is removed, some students report feeling less confident or less willing to engage. These outcomes raise the question: Can AI tools genuinely boost student motivation? And what conditions can make or break that boost? As AI tools become more common in classroom settings, the answers to these questions matter a lot. While tools for general use…

In recent years, several websites selling ultra-low-cost goods have appeared on the French market. Shein, Temu and AliExpress, to name but a few, are shaking up the online retail landscape. According to a study conducted by BPCE Digital & Payments, the number of payment cards recording at least one monthly transaction on a discount site increased by 20% between the first quarters of 2022 and 2023. This is hardly surprising given that Temu’s website has millions of French visitors every month, according to data from the Federation of E-commerce and Distance-Selling (FEVAD). In mid-July 2025, low-cost platforms accounted for 22% of parcels handled by the…

Your phone buzzes at 6 a.m. It’s ChatGPT: “I see you’re travelling to New York this week. Based on your preferences, I’ve found three restaurants near your hotel. Would you like me to make a reservation?” You didn’t ask for this. The AI simply knew your plans from scanning your calendar and email and decided to help. Later, you mention to the chatbot needing flowers for your wife’s birthday. Within seconds, beautiful arrangements appear in the chat. You tap one: “Buy now.” Done. The flowers are ordered. This isn’t science fiction. On Sept. 29, 2025, OpenAI and payment processor Stripe launched the Agentic…