EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Home

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

This month, we’re focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), a topic that continues to capture attention everywhere. Here, you’ll find the latest research news, insights, and discoveries shaping how AI is being developed and used across the world.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 18-Nov-2025 01:11 ET (18-Nov-2025 06:11 GMT/UTC)

Our online world relies on encryption. What happens if it fails?

Boston University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A BU-led team is working on a new approach to data security and privacy that could make our connected world more secure.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Artificial intelligence for the most precise measurements possible

Vienna University of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Imagine seeing the world through a cloudy glass plate. Is it possible, in principle, to reconstruct a true image of the world from the distorted data you get? Researchers have derived the limits of image precision - and they developed an AI which comes very close to what's physically possible.

Journal: Nature Photonics

Why AI can’t understand a flower the way humans do

Ohio State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Even with all its training and computer power, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool like ChatGPT can’t represent the concept of a flower the way a human does, according to a new study.

Journal: Nature Human Behaviour

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researchers several steps closer to harnessing patient's own T-cells to fight off cancer

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Prof. Schvartzman and Prof. Porgador have designed artificial nanostructured surfaces specifically optimized for generating potent CAR T cells with long-lasting immunotherapeutic activity.

Journal: Advanced Materials

AI-generated memes funnier on average, but humans' gags rated funniest

KTH, Royal Institute of Technology
Reports and Proceedings

A new study suggests artificial intelligence can create internet memes as funny as those made by humans. The researchers found that on average, memes made entirely by AI scored higher than those made by humans or human-AI teams. But the top-performing memes told a different story: humans were funniest, while human-AI collaborations stood out in creativity and shareability.

Heterogeneous aquatic robot system: architecture and core technologies

ELSP
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Published in Robot Learning, this study reviews recent advances in heterogeneous aquatic robot systems, which integrate underwater, surface, and aerial robots to perform coordinated tasks in complex marine environments. It highlights key developments in communication, sensing, navigation, control, decision-making, and energy management. Real-world applications—from ocean monitoring to underwater archaeology—are discussed, along with technical challenges and future directions. This work offers a roadmap for building intelligent, collaborative robotic systems to support sustainable marine exploration.

Journal: Robot Learning

Finding the heart in the machine

Edith Cowan University

Researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) are helping machines become more emotionally aware, using a new method that allows them to better recognise human facial expressions.