Empowered by the rapid advancement of digital technologies, including Big Data, artificial intelligence (AI), and virtual reality, human society has transformed from the era of information to the era of digital intelligence. Unlike previous social formations, the digital-intelligent society has disrupted many long-held consensus norms and introduced numerous difficult challenges. To cultivate adaptive talents with general literacy of digital intelligence and specific professional competences, psychology, as one of the foundations of social sciences, must launch a revolution in future-oriented education. In higher education, the two principal components, defined by their nature and objective, are knowledge-oriented and research-oriented teaching. The former is designed to provide an introduction to the fundamental principles and basic knowledge of psychology for freshmen and sophomores, while the latter is intended to equip junior and senior undergraduates with the skills necessary for conducting scientific research. First, it is both possible and necessary to integrate AI throughout the processes of knowledge-oriented teaching. In this article, we propose a “loop model” to demonstrate the applications of AI in the knowledge-oriented phase. Furthermore, to provide a reference criterion for nurturing innovative and research-oriented students, we present a theoretical framework of “chimeric research” to provide a comprehensive overview of psychology research in the era of AI. In conclusion, psychology education needs to be aligned with the demands of modern society and embrace digital intelligence in both knowledge- and research-oriented teaching phases.

Scientists have mapped the neural mechanisms that allow organisms to generalize learning from past experiences to new situations. The comprehensive review traces these pathways from hippocampus to cortex across rodents, primates, and humans, offering new insights into how different brain regions cooperate to create flexible thinking.

Animal abduction: On Panama’s Jicarón island, biologists documented five male capuchin monkeys carrying at least eleven different infant howler monkeys—a behavior never before seen in wild primates.

Rise and spread: The sightings were remotely recorded by over 85 camera traps, which allowed scientists to pinpoint the origin and subsequent spread of this social tradition over a 15-month period. (See interactive timeline https://www.ab.mpg.de/671374/Capuchin-tool-use/interspecies-abduction-tradition).

Novel animal tradition: The research offers the first known documentation of a cultural tradition in which animals repeatedly abduct and carry infants of another species—without any clear benefit to themselves.

Research collaboration: The study was led by a team from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB) in Germany, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama, Universidad del Rosario in Colombia and Ithaca College in the United States.