Category Technology/Electronics

Among the many predictions about the future of artificial intelligence is that models will one day be able to conduct scientific research on their own, leaving humans out of the equation. Already, they can write code, run experiments and search scientific literature, but carrying out open-ended research would require a significant leap in ability.

In a paper posted on the arXiv preprint server, researchers tested AI’s ability to conduct open-ended research and found that it came up short.

Putting AI to the test
The study authors gave frontier agents (cutting-edge, state-of-the-art AI tools designed to carry out complex, multistep tasks autonomously) six days to conduct research and write papers based on two then-unpublished AI conference submissi...

Artificial intelligence models are jacks of many trades, including writing, generating images, and creating 3D models. But they aren’t as helpful when it comes to testing robots or designs for vehicles in diverse environments, since they don’t understand physics as well as they do pixels or text.

To build an AI system that can reliably simulate a variety of physical scenarios, engineers need physics data at a scale that is not yet feasible. That’s because it is very time-consuming to generate even a few data points that neural networks can understand. They rely on algorithms called “numerical solvers” to calculate physical properties at different points of a 3D shape...

Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), secure elements used to connect devices to a mobile network, can pose severe security risks when compromised. A malicious SIM could allow attackers to gather information about a device, interfere with its connectivity and serve as an entry point for further cyberattacks.

Presenting their findings at the 2026 USENIX WOOT Conference on Offensive Technologies in Baltimore, University of Birmingham researchers reveal a new attack surface exposed to malicious and compromised SIMs.

A feature known as Proactive SIM allows a SIM card to send a limited number of special commands directly to a device’s modem...