This week’s roundup of data news highlights from May 9, 2026, to May 15, 2026, featuring a robotic therapy seal helping patients manage anxiety and researchers using AI-driven image analysis to uncover previously unknown Nazca Lines in Peru.
1. Resolving Scheduling Problems
U.S.-based AI company Recentive Analytics has partnered with the National Football League to help optimize the league’s annual schedule using machine-learning tools. Its system evaluates billions of possible game arrangements while accounting for travel demands, stadium logistics, and television scheduling needs. The models rank each scenario for fairness, efficiency, and fan appeal, helping NFL planners refine the strongest options more quickly.
2. Reducing Anxiety
U.K.-based mental health provider, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust, has deployed a robotic baby seal called Sammy to support patients struggling with anxiety, dementia, and social isolation. The device uses sensors, gentle movements, and responsive sounds to mimic a calming therapy animal without the risks of a live pet. Staff say Sammy helps patients relax, engage more easily, and build emotional comfort during treatment sessions.
3. Purifying Air
Singapore-based household appliance company Dyson has built an air purifier that uses an AI-equipped camera to track a person’s movement and direct airflow toward them. The system identifies people’s body shapes and movement without storing images, preserving user privacy. Its computer-vision model analyzes motion in real time, allowing the purifier to rotate automatically and keep cooling and filtration focused on whoever is in the room.
4. Discovering Artwork
Researchers from Yamagata University in Japan have identified dozens of previously unknown Nazca Lines, massive ground drawings etched into the Peruvian desert. Using high-resolution aerial surveys and AI-assisted image analysis, the team trained models to scan images for faint patterns linked to ancient drawings, helping researchers discover human figures, animals, and geometric shapes created more than 1,500 years ago.
5. Tracking Flood Risk
The city of Philadelphia has launched a monitoring platform that gives residents real-time insight into rainfall, water levels, and flood risks across vulnerable neighborhoods. The system pulls data from sensors and cameras placed along flood-prone waterways, such as Cobbs Creek and Darby Creek. Its live feeds and environmental readings help residents assess road safety and prepare for storms before conditions worsen.
6. Detecting Potholes
San Francisco-based transportation technology company Samsara has partnered with cities including Chicago to deploy an AI-powered system that detects potholes using footage from commercial truck cameras. Its model analyzes millions of miles of road video to identify damage and track how quickly it worsens over time. The platform converts these detections into alerts that help officials prioritize repairs and verify citizen reports with privacy-protected footage.
7. Spotting Tax Fraud
The U.K.’s HM Revenue and Customs agency has deployed an AI-powered platform to help identify complex tax fraud by analyzing large networks of financial relationships and transactions. The platform uses AI models that connect related people, businesses, and accounts that might otherwise appear unrelated. Its real-time risk scoring helps investigators spot suspicious patterns earlier and focus resources on the biggest threats to the tax system.
8. Tracking Trains
New Jersey’s Transportation Department has created a mobile app that gives riders live service updates, train tracking, and clearer alerts across the transit system. The app also includes GPS-powered LiveView so commuters can see train locations without relying on third-party tools. It centralizes delay notices, accessibility information, and station-level alerts into a more reliable source of transit data.
9. Asking Better Questions
Vanderbilt University in Tennessee has deployed a new AI tool to its online patient portal, MyHealth, to help patients craft clearer and more effective messages to clinicians. The system analyzes a patient’s draft note in real-time and suggests ways to make symptoms, timelines, or questions more precise. Its language-model engine identifies missing details and prompts users to add context, helping care teams respond faster and more accurately.
10. Personalizing Online Shopping
Amazon has introduced an AI-powered shopping assistant, Alexa for Shopping, into its search bar to help customers find products more quickly. The tool uses Alexa-based language models to interpret natural-language queries, suggest clearer search terms, and surface relevant items even when shoppers use conversational descriptions. It can also answer follow-up questions about features, compatibility, or alternatives, creating a more guided shopping experience.
