This week’s list of top data news highlights covers November 9, 2024 to November 15, 2024, and includes articles on the digital replica of Saint Peter’s Basilica and NASA’s new AI chatbot.
1. Identifying High-Risk Patients
Researchers at the University of Freiburg in Germany and at the Harvard Medical School have developed a deep learning algorithm to analyze chest CT scans and identify features that can help predict cardiovascular mortality risk. The model analyzed features like volume and diameter in a patient’s main artery system and more accurately predicted risk of cardiovascular disease and death than traditional methods.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has launched a new data dashboard called MiAir that provides residents with real-time information on air quality. The dashboard pulls data on metrics like the amount of carbon monoxide from 40 monitoring stations statewide and also provides access to historical statistics. Users can sign up to receive alerts when air quality drops below safe levels.
OpenAI is working on an autonomous agent called Operator, set to launch in January 2025, that will use AI to complete tasks like writing code or making travel arrangements with minimal user involvement. Operator works by breaking complex tasks into smaller steps and connecting with different applications and data sources, allowing it to complete each part of a request efficiently and independently.
4. Digitizing Cultural Heritage
Microsoft has partnered with the Vatican to create a detailed AI-generated digital replica of Saint Peter’s Basilica, traditionally believed to be the burial site of Saint Peter. The digital replica allows for virtual visits, better conservation monitoring, and improved visitor management for one of the world’s most visited churches.
The Washington Post has launched a new generative AI tool called Ask The Post AI that allows users to ask questions and receive answers based on the newspaper’s prior coverage. The tool summarizes and curates answers based on the user prompt.
Google Maps has launched a new augmented reality feature that allows users to explore Paris’ most iconic landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower or the Notre Dame cathedral, in a virtual, interactive format. Users can virtually travel to these landmarks and customize their experience by navigating to different historical periods to see how they looked.
7. Translating in Real-Time
DeepL, a German AI startup, has added a new voice translation feature called DeepL Voice, which can translate speech in real-time across 13 languages, displaying translations as text outputs. The tool can deliver accurate translations for live interactions, such as during virtual meetings.
Researchers at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology have created drones using taxidermied bird bodies filled with the drone technology to enhance wildlife monitoring. These drones mimic the flight, swimming, and perching behaviors of pheasants, ducks, and pigeons, reducing noise and minimizing disruption to ecosystems. The drones have cameras that allow them to transfer video recording in real-time, providing observation tools for monitoring wildlife, with potential applications in conservation and ecological research.
9. Upgrading Video Editing Tools
Apple has added several new AI features to its video editing software. One of these new features, Magnetic Mask, uses AI to make it easier to mask objects or people in a video faster, while new iPad features enhance color correction and tactile editing using the Apple Pencil.
NASA has partnered with Microsoft to launch Earth Copilot, a new tool in beta testing that uses Microsoft’s Azure AI service to give the public access to information on the Earth and climate. The chatbot can answer user questions in a conversational manner and can help policymakers, educators, and the general public access data.
Image credit: Benjamin Fay
