Consumer News

Amid hot discussion on screen time, social media use and the impact of digital devices on our well-being, a seven-month study from Aalto University in Finland sheds new light on what overwhelms users the most—and the results aren't what you might think.... Read more

Can using a large language model (LLM) make a person more creative? Prior work has shown that using LLMs can make creative outputs more homogeneous, but this homogenization could stem from the specific LLM used or from widespread use of the same model.... Read more

The US Federal Communications Commission on Monday banned authorizations for all new consumer routers produced in foreign countries, citing "national security" reasons.... Read more

During the First World War, the British government was looking for ways to help people stretch their limited food supplies. It found pamphlets from a noted 19th-century herbalist who said rhubarb leaves could be used as a vegetable along with the stalks.... Read more

I remember sitting very close to the television as a child and seeing the image was made up of tiny colored dots, each of which broke down into miniature vertical strips of red, green and blue when I looked even closer.... Read more

Googling isn't quite what it used to be. Now, when typing something into Google's search engine, the first response flashing to life on your screen is not the top-ranked search result but an "AI Overview." When asked why (using Google's search engine), the AI Overview replied: "… to provide users... Read more

A Los Angeles courtroom is hosting what may become the most consequential legal challenge Big Tech has ever faced. This is an inflection point in the global debate over Big Tech liability: For the first time, an American jury is being asked to decide whether platform design itself can give... Read more

While large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are adept at answering countless questions, they often remain unaware of a user's minor habits or previous conversational contexts. This is why AI, despite being deeply integrated into our daily lives, can still feel like a "stranger." Overcoming these limitations, researchers at KAIST,... Read more

It's a familiar feeling: You start a text message, and your phone's autocomplete function suggests several choices for the next word, ranging from banal to hilarious. "I love…" you, or coffee? Or you're finishing an email, and merely typing the word "Let" prompts your app to suggest "Let me know... Read more

The integration of large language model-based AI chatbots into multiple facets of our everyday lives has opened us up to advantages that would have been considered impossible even a decade ago. The same development has, however, opened us up to unforeseen risks, including the impact that engaging with AI chatbots... Read more

Recommender systems suggest potentially relevant content by evaluating user preferences and are essential in reducing information overload. However, when users join a new online platform, recommendation systems often struggle to understand their preferences. With no prior interactions in the new environment, these "cold-start" users are difficult to serve accurately.... Read more

Researchers seeking to understand the impact of smartphones on driving safety have a warning for music fans: Release day might be dangerous. The study, described in a working paper published last month by the National Bureau of Economic Research, showed a 43% increase in streaming and a 15% increase in... Read more

AI-powered toys that "talk" with young children should be more tightly regulated and carry new safety kitemarks, according to a report that warns they are not always developed with children's psychological safety in mind. The recommendation appears in the initial report from "AI in the Early Years": a University of... Read more

With a price tag of $600—$500 with a student discount—Apple's new MacBook Neo releasing today is shaking up the entry-level PC market and education sector, competing squarely with similarly priced Windows laptops and Chromebooks.... Read more

Artificial intelligence-powered writing tools such as autocomplete suggestions can definitely change the way people express themselves, but can they also change how they think? Cornell Tech researchers think so.... Read more