Tag: News Approved

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The Download: AI can run your admin department now

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

How small businesses can leverage AI

From accounting to design to market research and product development, there’s a staggering breadth of skills needed to run a business. Large companies can hire experts to handle these tasks, but small businesses don’t always have that luxury.

That’s where AI comes in. Today’s models can already take on a range of basic administrative work, from organizing notes and summarizing meetings to invoicing, goal-setting, and social media planning. Find out how small-business owners can put AI to work.

—Peter Hall

This article is from Making AI Work, MIT Technology Review’s limited-run newsletter examining how to apply LLMs across industries. To receive it in your inbox, sign up here.

The must-reads

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.

1 Anthropic has confidentially filed for IPO ahead of OpenAI
It aims to go public as early as this fall. (CNN)
+ The company did not disclose its target valuation. (Guardian)
+ It’s expected to list shortly after a trillion-dollar IPO by SpaceX. (BBC)
+ Beating OpenAI in the IPO race could have a big impact. (WSJ $)

2 The EU may exclude US cloud giants from critical contracts
The likes of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google could be shut out. (Reuters $)
+ The EU aims to reduce its dependence on US tech. (FT $)
+ Trump supercharged this sovereignty push. (Politico $)

3 Florida has become the first state to sue OpenAI
The lawsuit targets ChatGPT’s alleged child safety risks. (NPR)
 + Florida says OpenAI put profit ahead of safety. (Reuters $)
+ Chatbots are now starting to check user ages. (MIT Technology Review)

4 Hackers stole Instagram accounts just by asking Meta AI for them
They easily broke into a host of celebrity profiles. (404 Media)
+ The exploit shows the risk of offloading support to AI. (TechCrunch)
+ AI is making online crimes easier. (MIT Technology Review)

5 Chinese universities with military ties are seeking Nvidia chips
Two are blacklisted by the US Commerce Department. (Bloomberg $)
+ The Chinese military has sought restricted Nvidia chips for years. (NYT $)
+ US senators have slammed a loophole in chip export rules. (Reuters $)

6 Blue Origin and NASA disagree on a crucial rocket’s next flight
+ Blue Origin says the rocket will fly again this year. (Engadget)+ But NASA is less optimistic. (CNBC)+ The rocket’s failure cast doubt on NASA’s moon plans. (BBC)

7 Moderna has won funding to develop an Ebola mRNA vaccine
The CEPI has pledged over $60 million to the effort. (Ars Technica)
+ To fight an outbreak raging out of control. (MIT Technology Review)

8 China is using AI to predict future political dissent
A company called Geedge Networks is developing the tech. (NYT $)

9 Geoengineering can thicken Arctic ice, but melt results are mixed
Trials show the tech has had a limited impact. (New Scientist $)

10 Top AI labs are expanding research into machine ‘consciousness’
Meta, Anthropic, and DeepMind are increasing their investments. (FT $)
+ A new tool could show how consciousness works. (MIT Technology Review)

Quote of the day

“Sam Altman and ChatGPT have chosen the AI race over the safety and security of our kids. They have chosen profit over public safety, and we’re not going to stand for it in here in Florida.” 

—Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier tells reporters why his state is suing OpenAI, the LA Times reports.

One More Thing

An open door in a corrugated metal building
The entrance to the Moscow storage facility of KrioRus, which was until recently the only cryonics company in Eurasia.
ALESSANDRO GANDOLFI


Why the sci-fi dream of cryonics never died

Cryonics is best known for its appearance in sci-fi films like 2001: A Space Odyssey. But its adherents have held on to a dream that advances in medicine will one day allow for resuscitation and additional years on Earth.

Around 500 people are preserved in liquid nitrogen globally, while another 4,000 are on waiting lists. Despite scant evidence that cryonics can work, believers remain optimistic that future science could eventually revive them.

Discover why the hope of human reanimation refuses to die.

—Laurie Clarke

We can still have nice things

A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)

+ Hear Dolly Parton reimagined through this spot-on Dire Straits-style cover of “Jolene”.
+ Find out which birds people search for most in this interactive visualization of bird popularity.
+ Explore thousands of Q&As between students and astronauts on the ISS at this interactive site.
+ Paris’s oldest bridge disappeared beneath a giant inflatable cave in this surreal public art installation.

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Chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment and non-pharmacological interventions targeting the nervous system: a systematic review

BackgroundChemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) represents an increasingly recognized problem in the growing cancer survivor population within the US and worldwide. CRCI is characterized by deficits in memory, sustained attention, and executive function, which significantly worsens the cancer survivors’ quality of life. An increasing number of studies have been conducted using novel intervention approaches aimed at mitigating CRCI. In this systematic review, we sought to summarize the current evidence of cognitive improvement in cancer survivors receiving non-pharmacological interventions with neurostimulatory effects following chemotherapy.MethodsWe screened five databases (Embase, MEDLINE, PubMED, Scopus, and PsycINFO) for original articles reporting the administration of any type of brain stimulation or complementary/alternative therapies targeting the central and/or peripheral nervous system to improve cognitive outcomes in cancer survivors reporting CRCI. We systematically extracted information from each eligible study using participant, intervention, comparison, outcome(s), and study design (PICOS) framework according to Cochrane recommendations. We used the critical appraisal tool by Joanna Briggs Institute to assess the risk of bias.ResultsAfter screening 2,708 manuscripts, we performed a full-text review of 77 papers and identified 17 studies that met our inclusion criteria: nine randomized controlled trials, four case reports, one case series, two quasi-experimental study, and one cohort study. We identified seven studies which focused on CRCI and 10 others where cognitive function was properly reported for inclusion. Subjective and objective cognitive outcome measures reflecting overall performance, attention, working memory, processing speed, and quality of life with separate cognitive function reporting were assessed in patient(s) treated with transcranial direct current stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, multisensory stimulation, Flexyx neurotherapy system, acupuncture, and electroacupuncture. Mild improvements in some of the cognitive outcome measures were observed in all studies. The weaknesses of these studies can be attributed to insufficient statistical power and testing, lack of a control group, randomization, blinding, and incorrect statistical methods.Discussion and conclusionWe found only a handful of trials reporting cognitive outcomes in CRCI interventions, with small sample sizes and biased study designs limiting the validity of the statistically significant findings. Our systematic review provides rationale for assessing the impact of non-pharmacological neurostimulatory techniques on CRCI in large-scale randomized controlled trials.
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Determinants of mental health distress among health workers in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Healthcare workers (HCWs) remain at elevated risk of psychological distress, yet post-pandemic evidence from the United Arab Emirates is scarce. This cross-sectional electronic survey assessed depression, anxiety, and stress among physicians and nurses providing direct clinical care across Abu Dhabi Health Services Company in March 2024. Mental health outcomes were measured using the DASS-21, and multivariable logistic regression identified associated factors. Among 383 HCWs (mean age 40.8 years; 70% female; 65% nurses), the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress was 49%, 45%, and 46%, respectively. Middle Eastern HCWs had significantly higher odds of depression (Adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR)=1.94; 95% CI: 1.13–3.35), anxiety (aOR=1.80; 95% CI: 1.03–3.21), and stress (aOR=2.42; 95% CI: 1.37–4.33) compared with Asian HCWs. Workplace conflict strongly predicted distress as conflicts with colleagues increased the odds of depression (aOR=3.36; 95% CI: 1.92–6.05), anxiety (aOR=1.99; 95% CI: 1.14–3.53), and stress (aOR=3.78; 95% CI: 2.10–7.00). Chronic fatigue was associated with depression (aOR=4.21; 95% CI: 1.61–13.2), anxiety (aOR=3.89; 95% CI: 1.39–13.8), and stress (aOR=3.34; 95% CI: 1.32–9.63). Protective factors included age ≥40 years for stress (aOR=0.61; 95% CI: 0.39–0.96) and postgraduate education for anxiety (aOR=0.55; 95% CI: 0.31–0.94) with nurses had lower stress than physicians (aOR=0.47; 95% CI: 0.23–0.94). Post-pandemic mental-health symptoms remain substantial among Abu Dhabi HCWs, particularly younger providers and those exposed to workplace conflict or chronic fatigue. Sustained mental-health programs, routine screening, and targeted support for high-risk groups are urgently required to protect clinician well-being and healthcare system resilience.
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Platform shift in mental health support among undergraduates: from campus counselors to GenAI-based consultation​

China is advancing the implementation of the “AI+” initiative and exploring the promotion of AI technology in scenarios such as health management and assisted diagnosis. Against this backdrop, universities are accelerating the adoption of GenAI virtual counseling tools to address the growing psychological issues among undergraduates, including depression, anxiety, and academic stress. However, research on why students are shifting from traditional in-person psychological consultations to GenAI consultations remains limited. Therefore, this study focuses on the student population, collecting data through online questionnaires and employing the PLS-SEM method to systematically analyze the key factors and underlying mechanisms influencing students’ willingness to transition from campus psychologists to GenAI virtual doctors. The findings reveal that privacy concerns, social anxiety, and stigma surrounding mental illness significantly enhance students’ inclination toward AI consultations. The comfort level of interacting with AI and the accessibility of AI services play mediating roles. Additionally, perceived AI information quality significantly moderates the pathways through which privacy concerns, social anxiety, and stigma influence the willingness to switch. This study provides a theoretical foundation and practical reference for universities to develop intelligent psychological support systems that align with students’ actual needs.
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Suicide risk assessment: clinical implications of the unpredictability of suicidal behavior

Risk assessment in the context of suicidal ideation and behavior cannot be conducted with certainty. Recent meta-analyses demonstrate that neither individual risk factors, composite risk scores, clinical judgment, nor adherence to theoretical models or artificial intelligence enables sufficiently accurate prediction of suicidal behavior. This raises the question of how clinicians should respond to the well-documented limitations in the precision of risk assessment. This article first reviews the current state of empirical evidence and subsequently reflects on the implications of these findings for clinical practice. Three alternative approaches to risk assessment are presented. Building on these, an integrated model for risk assessment is introduced in a practice-oriented manner.
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Reduced left dorsolateral prefrontal activation and right inferior frontal de-oxygenation differ between psychotic and non−psychotic adolescent depression during verbal fluency

BackgroundAdolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) who exhibit psychotic symptoms (MDD-Psy) often show greater clinical severity and higher suicide risk than those without psychosis (MDD-NonPsy). It remains unclear whether prefrontal hemodynamic responses during cognitive challenge can differ between these subgroups.MethodsWe recruited 273 adolescents aged 14–16 years (110 MDD-NonPsy, 163 MDD-Psy). All completed a 60-s verbal fluency task (VFT) while 53-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy recorded oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin (HbO, HbR) from six frontal ROIs. Whole-brain FDR correction identified baseline-deviated channels, and ROC analyses tested the discriminative value of significant channels/ROIs. Clinical severity was indexed by the Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale (KDAS) and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS).ResultsCompared with MDD-NonPsy, adolescents with MDD-Psy exhibited higher KDAS (median 16 vs 13; z = -7.07, p < 0.001) and BPRS total scores (median 35 vs 28; z = -11.02, p < 0.001). After FDR correction, MDD-NonPsy showed positive deviations at channels 8 and 23 (t = 2.10-2.70, pFDR=0.038), whereas MDD-Psy exhibited negative deviation at channel 2 (MNI –60, 19, 18; left middle frontal gyrus; t =-2.89, pFDR = 0.004). Across ROIs, only right inferior frontal gyrus HbR differed between groups (median –0.03 vs 0.00 mM·mm; z = -2.18, pFDR = 0.030). No ROI-level HbO differences survived correction. At the single-channel level, HbO at channel 2 and HbR in IFG_R correlated modestly with lower KDAS and restlessness scores (ρ = –0.14 to –0.16, p <0.050). ROC analyses indicated modest but significant classification accuracy for psychosis (AUC = 0.577-0.581, p = 0.030).ConclusionsLeft dorsolateral and right inferior prefrontal hemodynamic signatures differ between adolescents with MDD who present with versus without psychotic features. However, given the absence of healthy control or other psychiatric comparison groups, these findings cannot establish diagnostic specificity. Pending replication in independent samples, these fNIRS−derived hemodynamic signatures may inform future hypothesis−driven research.
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15-strain live biotherapeutic product or same donor fecal microbiota transplant for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection: a randomized phase 1b trial

Nature Medicine, Published online: 02 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04442-2

A randomized, single-blind, parallel-group, phase 1b clinical trial compared fecal microbiota transplant or a 15-strain live biotherapeutic product (MTC01) derived from the same donor and found similar efficacy and engraftment between treatments.