Teens are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support – here’s how to keep kids safe
Chatbots were designed to emulate empathy, but not to provide meaningful mental health support. Chebotkevich/iStock via Getty Images Plus It’s…
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Artificial intelligence news, explainers and analysis — republished from licensed sources.
‘Starwashing’: How space companies use the greenwashing playbook while engaging in environmentally damaging practices
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket carrying an all-female crew, including musician Katy Perry, lifted off in 2025. Justin Hamel/Getty Images…
China is shaping the future of open-source technology – including AI
Chinese AI companies such as Minimax made a big splash during the World AI Conference in Shanghai in July 2026.…
Layoffs tied to AI hurt worker productivity – and the reason may surprise managers
When companies announce layoffs as a result of AI, they overlook the damaging effect on workers' morale. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images…
Years After He Quit Smoking, a Lung Cancer Scan Saved His Life
Dennis Schmidt started smoking as a teenager, when that was so unexceptional that his Catholic high school designated outdoor “senior…
New tech adds phone tracking to license plate readers, associating devices with identifiable cars
License plate readers like this one could soon be joined by sensors that detect phones inside passing cars. Justin Sullivan/Getty…
New drug-resistant fungal disease increases among vulnerable patients
More than half the states have reported cases this year of people sick with candida auris, a drug-resistant fungus. (Photo…
Patients Wary of Governments, Companies Pushing AI as a Rural Healthcare Solution
HOT SPRINGS, S.D. — Two of the nation’s most powerful health officials predict artificial intelligence will play a key role…
How do computers talk with voices that sound like people?
How often do you hear a phone, computer or video game speak with a humanlike voice? Phynart Studios/E+ via Getty…
Governors and lawmakers say they’re getting serious about states’ rights
Kristen Welker, host of NBC’s Meet the Press, interviews Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis and Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox…
States begin banning ‘surveillance pricing’ that uses personal data to charge more
A few states have enacted laws to limit surveillance pricing, which uses a customer’s personal data to set prices. (Photo…
White House plan for a ‘golden age’ of science ignores the structures that made the US a scientific superpower
Does the White House report Science: A New Golden Age signal twilight for US global scientific leadership? Charles Smith/Corbis/VCG via…
Taxi drivers rarely die of Alzheimer’s – how complex mental maps and spatial reasoning protect your brain
Figuring out a circuitous route between point A to point B can strengthen your brain. justhavealook/iStock via Getty Images Plus…
How hackers attack municipal water systems – and why the utilities are so vulnerable
A July 2026 cyberattack targeted more than 30 water systems in Minnesota municipalities, including Plymouth. AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt Hackers tried…
Missouri senator running for majority leader loses GOP primary
In all, voters settled 11 competitive Senate primaries profiled this summer by The Independent — nine Republican and two Democratic…
Nurses Chase Cyclospora, Aided by Interviews, Fast-Food Receipts — And the Messy Details
More than 900 people in Washtenaw County, Michigan, have been sickened with cyclosporiasis since mid-June. Linda Kim, a public health…