This week’s list of top data news highlights covers February 22, 2025 to February 28, 2025, and includes articles on streamlining manufacturing with AI tools and scanning for evidence of life on Mars with a rover.
1. Addressing Teen Mental Health
Sonar Mental Health, a mental health services company based in California, has developed Sonny, an AI-powered wellbeing companion to support teen mental health. Trained in motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, and teen vernacular, Sonny engages users in a familiar and accessible way. More than 4,500 schools in low-income and rural districts across the country, where mental health services remain scarce, have adopted Sonny to alleviate the burden on overbooked counselors. Since its implementation, a school supervisor in Arkansas has reported a 25 percent drop in student behavior infractions.
AstroForge, a California-based space company, is launching Odin, a robotic spacecraft designed to detect metal-rich asteroids. The mission targets 2022 OB5, a near-Earth asteroid believed to contain high metal content, with Odin expected to reach it in late 2025. Using ground-based telescopes, AstroForge analyzed the asteroid’s brightness to assess its metallic composition. Odin will capture images to improve asteroid detection techniques and assess the potential for mining. If successful, AstroForge aims to advance asteroid mining and secure a long-term metal supply for Earth.
Schaeffler, a Germany-based automotive parts manufacturer, has deployed Microsoft’s Factory Operations Agent to improve production efficiency. This AI-powered system acts as a reasoning agent, allowing workers to ask natural language questions about factory operations. Using large language models, it analyzes data from manufacturing equipment, quality assurance systems, and energy usage logs to identify inefficiencies. Workers use it to diagnose the causes of defects, machine downtime, and excess energy consumption, enabling faster troubleshooting and better decision-making on the factory floor.
Stanford University researchers have developed Mal-ID, a diagnostic tool that uses DNA sequencing and machine learning to detect multiple diseases from a single blood sample. The system analyzes immune cell receptors, which undergo physical changes in response to infections, autoimmune diseases, and vaccinations, serving as biomarkers of past immune activity. AI models identify patterns in these receptor sequences, allowing Mal-ID to improve disease diagnosis with greater accuracy and interpretability.
5. Reducing Clinical Administrative Tasks
Ufonia, a UK-based AI healthcare company, has developed Dora, an AI clinical assistant that automates pre-surgery assessments for cataract patients. Used across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Dora conducts phone screenings to collect patient information and ensure they are ready for surgery, reducing administrative delays. By streamlining referrals and freeing up clinical staff for surgical work, Dora has helped cut cataract surgery wait times from 35 weeks to 10 weeks or less by 2025, with 92 percent of surveyed patients reporting high satisfaction.
Researchers at the National Institute of Technology at Rourkela in India have created an AI-powered model that accurately predicts blood sugar levels in diabetes patients. Trained on glucose trends, insulin dosage, meal information, and physical activity, the model provides comprehensive predictions to help healthcare providers and patients adjust insulin, plan meals, and manage activity levels. By making diabetes management more efficient, the technology could reduce reliance on specialists, improve healthcare access, and support better medication adherence.
The United States and South Korea are testing a generative AI platform during Freedom Shield, their annual joint military exercise focused on defense readiness. Developed by South Korea’s Defense Ministry, the AI system has been trained on non-classified operational and logistical data rather than military secrets. It will assist with command and control systems during the exercise and handle administrative tasks, aiming to reduce manual workload and allow soldiers to focus on critical operations.
8. Curing Loneliness in Seniors
Mynd Immersive, a Texas-based virtual reality (VR) company, has developed VR goggles to combat loneliness among seniors. Designed for comfort and ease of use, the lightweight headset is tailored for older adults in various care settings.Its programs offer mental stimulation and emotional engagement, providing seniors with novel experiences and challenges to combat isolation and maintain cognitive health.
The Oakley Cabin African American Museum and Park in Maryland, has introduced QR codes to enhance visitors’ engagement with the site’s history. By scanning the codes, visitors can use augmented reality to simulate life on the land after emancipation, focusing on the period when it became tenant housing for both free Black and white laborers. The experience allows guests to create small farms, follow audio-guided tours, and explore the lives of past tenants.
10. Searching for Life on Mars
An international team of researchers has analyzed data from China’s Zhurong rover, suggesting that a vast ocean once covered much of Mars. The rover, which landed in a crater on Mars known as Utopia Basin, used ground-penetrating radar to scan up to 262 feet beneath the surface. The scans revealed layers of sand and debris, forming sloping features that resemble shorelines. This discovery could provide the first direct evidence of a Martian ocean, supporting the idea that Mars may have once been habitable.
