This week’s list of top data news highlights covers July 20, 2024 to July 26, 2024, and includes articles on a new robot masseur and an AI-powered dashboard that helps manage cyber defense teams.
Researchers at Google have developed a new weather prediction model that uses AI to make traditional forecasting methods more accurate and cost-effective. The model uses conventional mathematical techniques for large atmospheric changes while incorporating AI for smaller-scale predictions, like cloud formations. The new model requires less computational power than existing methods.
The State of Maryland has launched a new data dashboard using statistics on fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses from the Department of Health that allows users to search data by zip code, age, race, and gender. The Department will update the dashboard every month to provide up-to-date access to the statewide data.
Colin Kaepernick, former NFL quarterback and civil rights activist, has launched Lumi, a storytelling platform that uses generative AI to help creators turn their stories and ideas into graphic novels and comics. Users answer a set of questions to help the platform create their desired characters, plan the storyline, and generate images.
4. Enhancing Internet Searches
Online search engine Bing has rolled out a revamped layout for search results that displays AI-generated summaries and other details front and center while showing traditional search results on the right sidebar. The updated layout, currently being tested for a few queries, fills the search results page with different summaries that address different aspects of users’ questions and includes things like videos related to the query, as well as all sources.
5. Elevating the Spa Experience
New York-based robotics company Aescape has developed a robot that provides 30-minute massage sessions to enhance customers’ spa experience. The robot analyzes data from sensors on a customer’s body and creates a customized treatment plan based on each individual’s specific body type. The robot’s orbs closely resemble human palms, and a touch screen allows users to adjust comfort settings, like massage pressure.
U.K.-based startup Stability AI has launched Stable Video 4D, a new generative AI model that turns videos containing one object into several variations of the video that display the same object from different angles and perspectives. Users upload a video and specify desired 3D camera angles, after which the model generates multiple new frames in minutes. Stable Video 4D will allow developers in game development, video editing, and virtual reality to create more immersive experiences and streamline video generation.
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and ETH Zurich have developed an AI model that can accurately identify the stages of DCIS, a type of preinvasive tumor that sometimes progresses to a highly deadly form of breast cancer, using images of breast tissue. The model analyzes both the state and placement of cells in the tissue to help doctors diagnose simpler cases without labor-intensive tests and help doctors predict which tumors will likely become deadly.
Lockheed Martin, a U.S.-based aerospace and defense manufacturer, has created a dashboard for the U.S. Cyber Command to improve battle management in cyberspace. The dashboard uses AI and real-time metrics to assess the capability and capacity of cyber personnel, teams, equipment, and infrastructure, allowing commanders to track and deploy specialized cyber forces more effectively.
Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have developed an AI model that accurately predicts wildfire spread using satellite data and generative AI. They analyzed historical wildfire data and trained the AI model to recognize patterns and factors influencing fire spread in real-time, such as terrain and fuel sources. The model will help first responders combat wildfires more effectively by providing more precise information regarding wildfire progression in hotspots like California.
10. Tracking Parkinson’s Disease
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a machine learning tool that analyzes quick tapping movements between the thumb and index finger in Parkinson’s patients to track the disease’s progression. By detecting the smallest alterations in finger movement, which are hard for doctors to identify, the system will help clinicians identify and evaluate the severity of the disorder more accurately.
