wire - news in brief

An EPFL Master's student in civil engineering has evaluated the effectiveness of new computer-based methods for inspecting potentially dangerous cracks in concrete. A crucial aspect of civil engineering is determining the exact condition of cracks in concrete bridges, dams, tunnels and other types of infrastructure.

In an era where algorithms operate at the core of many products, a new study involving the University of Lucerne has investigated consumer preferences in relation to AI-driven technologies. The study shows how adaptive and pre-programmed algorithms can influence product preferences and purchasing decisions.

ETH Zurich and EPFL are launching the "Swiss AI Initiative", whose purpose is to position Switzerland as a leading global hub for the development and implementation of transparent and reliable artificial intelligence (AI).

Warfare is increasingly spreading to the realm of cyberspace. In response, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) wants to protect its digital infrastructure and that of humanitarian organisations with a digital emblem.

Cut/Paste , a new exhibition at EPFL Pavilions , Pavilion A, delves into the history of comics and showcases how artificial intelligence is changing the art and adapting classic 1950s narratives for today's varied mediums.

Researchers from the UNIL-CHUV Department of Oncology and the Lausanne branch of the Ludwig Institute publish a new study in "Immunity", demonstrating that machine learning improves the prioritization of specific mutations in certain cancer candidates for immunotherapy treatment. Some forms of cancer contain numerous mutations, but only a restricted sub-population, usually a few dozen, can be incorporated into the immunotherapy strategy.

Technology has become critical in shaping our world today, especially in the digital age. It is integrated into almost every aspect of our lives, from smartphones to smart homes.

Researchers at EPFL have uncovered a fundamental flaw in the training of machine learning systems and elaborated a new formulation for strengthening them against adversarial attacks.

Two research studies carried out at USI by Professor Piotr Didyk from the Faculty of Informatics were presented at ACM SIGGRAPH, the world's largest computer graphics conference.

EPFL is collaborating with academic and industrial partners to develop a cardiac intervention simulator. This platform is designed to train interventionalists in much the same way as flight simulators are used to train pilots. More and more cardiac interventions are now performed by inserting a small tube called a catheter into a blood vessel in the arm or groin, and from there into the heart chambers.

Platforms like ChatGPT are already changing the world. From healthcare to the arts and the way we work, how we can ensure AI and Machine Learning benefit all of society? World renowned experts have gathered at EPFL today to explore this topic.

STUDENT PROJECT - As part of the Assistive Technologies Challenge, EPFL students developed two apps to help people with low or no vision: one app orally communicates the information contained in a box of medicine and the other helps them find empty seats on public transport.

Large language models such as GPT-3 are able to learn new concepts by interacting with their users. Researchers at ETH and Google may now have uncovered a key mechanism behind this capability. Despite their huge success, the inner workings of large language models such as OpenAI's GPT model family and Google Bard remain a mystery, even to their developers.

STUDENT PROJECT - Intelligent robots - for search and rescue, exploration and surveillance - are a new and challenging field. Unique and versatile, could robot snakes advance the abilities of machines in these fields? Serpentine robots are a ground-breaking innovation in robotics. These flexible and slithering machines excel at navigating complex and confined spaces, offering immense potential in various fields.

There are plenty of plant identification apps - but only few, that directly help research.

A new mobility app brings together public transport, micromobility solutions and private carpooling.

Mathematician Siddhartha Mishra has been awarded this year's Rössler Prize for his research on solutions for highly complex flow and wave phenomena.

During her doctoral studies, Liliane Ableitner developed a trading and billing tool for energy communities.

To date, inputting text in virtual reality has been difficult. Now researchers from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Basel have discovered a way to make the process easier - by adapting the principle of the swipe keyboard for the VR world. Until now, inputting text in virtual spaces - when searching for a digital exhibition or using a business application, for instance - meant typing in every single letter individually on a virtual keyboard.

Researchers from ETH Zurich created a new open-source platform and programming language called LMQL. This programming language makes it easier, cheaper, and safer to interact with large language models like ChatGPT. The language model ChatGPT is widely known by people in the tech community and the general public.

There are concerns that ChatGPT could undermine the educational system, and growing demands for rules governing its use.

Finally, a cat flap that prevents feline friends from bringing their prey indoors. Powered by artificial intelligence and backed by Swiss know-how and talent ETH Zurich start-up, Flappie Technologies is poised to become the cat's meow.

New imaging methods are being developed and adopted at a rapid pace in both research and industry. To equip EPFL graduates with the skills they'll need, the School's Center for Imaging is introducing a minor specifically in this area starting in the 2023-2024 school year.

Psychologist Verena Zimmermann joins computer scientists Joachim Buhmann and Elgar Fleisch to discuss whether our feelings can be measured, what role they play in human-machine interactions, and the use of smart technologies.

AI chatbot ChatGPT exploded onto the scene in November 2022. It can write essays, WordPress plugins and even pass an MBA exam - yet scientists still don't fully understand how these general artificial intelligence programs work.

It's International Women's Day 2023 and this year the focus is on innovation, technological change and education in the digital age for gender equality.

The LOOP Zurich research centre is creating a central platform for the exchange of health data between the University of Zurich, ETH Zurich and the four university hospitals. This will allow data to be utilised quickly and easily to the benefit of patients. When a patient is in intensive care, there are numerous instruments to monitor their state of health.

Waste causes problems not only on Earth, but also in space. A research team from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts is currently developing a space debris detector. This can autonomously control satellites that are to clean up space in the future. Above our heads, there is a huge mess: In low-Earth orbits - about 800 km above the Earth - there are currently around 5,500 active and defective satellites orbiting.