Category Technology/Electronics

Centaur: AI that thinks like us—and could help explain how we think

AI that thinks like us—and could help explain how we think
Evaluation in different held-out settings. Credit: Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09215-4

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich have developed an artificial intelligence model that can simulate human behavior with remarkable accuracy. The language model, called Centaur, was trained on more than ten million decisions from psychological experiments—and makes decisions in ways that closely resemble those of real people. This opens new avenues for understanding human cognition and improving psychological theories.

For decades, psychology has aspired to explain the full complexity of human thought. Yet traditional models could either offer a transparent explanation of how people think—or reliably predict how they behave. Achieving both has long seemed out of reach.

The team le...

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RisingAttacK: New technique can make AI ‘see’ whatever you want

AI eye
Credit: AI-generated image

Researchers have demonstrated a new way of attacking artificial intelligence computer vision systems, allowing them to control what the AI “sees.” The research shows that the new technique, called RisingAttacK, is effective at manipulating all of the most widely used AI computer vision systems.

At issue are so-called “adversarial attacks,” in which someone manipulates the data being fed into an AI system to control what the system sees, or does not see, in an image. For example, someone might manipulate an AI’s ability to detect traffic signals, pedestrians or other cars—which would cause problems for autonomous vehicles. Or a hacker could install code on an X-ray machine that causes an AI system to make inaccurate diagnoses.

“We wanted to find an eff...

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Magically reducing errors in quantum computers: Researchers invent technique to decrease overhead

Comparison of zero-level distillation (right) and logical-level distillation (left). Credit: PRX Quantum (2025). DOI: 10.1103/thxx-njr6

For decades, quantum computers that perform calculations millions of times faster than conventional computers have remained a tantalizing yet distant goal. However, a new breakthrough in quantum physics may have just sped up the timeline.

In an article titled “Efficient Magic State Distillation by Zero-Level Distillation” published in PRX Quantum, researchers from the Graduate School of Engineering Science and the Center for Quantum Information and Quantum Biology at the University of Osaka devised a method that can be used to prepare high-fidelity “magic states” for use in quantum computers with dramatically less overhead and unprecedented accuracy...

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MXene-polymer composite enables printed, eco-friendly device for energy harvesting and motion-sensing

MXene-polymer composite enables printed, eco-friendly device for energy harvesting and sensing
Graphical abstract. Credit: Nano Energy (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2025.111206

Researchers at Boise State University have developed a novel, environmentally friendly triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that is fully printed and capable of harvesting biomechanical and environmental energy while also functioning as a real-time motion sensor. The innovation leverages a composite of Poly (vinyl butyral-co-vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate) (PVBVA) and MXene (Ti3C2Tx) nanosheets, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional TENGs that often rely on fluorinated polymers and complex fabrication.

TENGs are innovative energy-harvesting devices that convert mechanical energy into electricity using the triboelectric effect. They were invented by Prof...

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