EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Artificial Intelligence

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.

Research uses machine learning to identify ‘thermal switch’

University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Xiangyu Li and Shaodong Zhang at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville developed a machine learning-assisted model to predict heat flow in advanced materials like graphene foam. Their research enables intelligent thermal switches, advancing energy-efficient electronics, wearable devices, and streamlined material development through precise molecular simulations. Sponsored by the AI Tennessee Initiative, their work bridges atomic-scale accuracy with practical applications.

15-Oct-2025

ISE project helps DOD manage parts supply chain

University of Tennessee at Knoxville

University of Tennessee, Knoxville researchers are developing an AI agent for the U.S. Department of Defense to manage parts obsolescence in military systems. The tool aims to reduce downtime, optimize inventory, and identify cost-saving opportunities, ensuring readiness and mitigating supply chain vulnerabilities for aging equipment.

15-Oct-2025

World’s largest rays may be diving to extreme depths to build mental maps of vast oceans

Frontiers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

When we leave familiar areas, we might need a moment to reorientate ourselves. Similarly, oceanic manta rays, the largest species of ray which travels thousands of kilometers between habitats, may need to gather information about their new surroundings after moving away from the coasts. They are capable of diving to extreme depths, up to more than 1,200 meters – and a new study showed that this behavior might help them navigate across the open ocean. These extreme dives could help the animals sample environmental cues and allow them to travel between ecosystems.

Journal: Frontiers in Marine Science

14-Oct-2025

Generative art enhances virtual shopping experience

Cornell University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Employing algorithm-fueled generative art, So-Yeon Yoon, professor of human centered design at Cornell University, found that the installation in a virtual store enhanced perceptions of exclusivity and aesthetic pleasure for both mass-market and luxury retailers.

Journal: Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services
Funder: National Research Foundation of Korea

14-Oct-2025

New AI tool makes medical imaging process 90% more efficient

Rice University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Rice researchers developed an AI tool that makes medical imaging process 90% more efficient.

Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, U.S. National Science Foundation

14-Oct-2025

Understanding global carbon emission peaks: a deep dive into national drivers

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

In a comprehensive analysis that offers a global view of carbon emission trends, researchers are exploring the factors driving CO2 emission peaks in countries worldwide. The study, titled "Carbon Emission Peaks in Countries Worldwide and Their National Drivers," is led by Prof. Chao He from the Collaborative Innovation Center for Emissions Trading System Co-Constructed by the Province and Ministry in Wuhan, China, and the National Science Library (Wuhan) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This research provides critical insights into the national drivers behind carbon emission peaks, offering a detailed understanding of global emission trends.

Journal: Carbon Research

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

Latest News Releases

Research uses machine learning to identify ‘thermal switch’

ISE project helps DOD manage parts supply chain

World’s largest rays may be diving to extreme depths to build mental maps of vast oceans

Generative art enhances virtual shopping experience

New AI tool makes medical imaging process 90% more efficient

Understanding global carbon emission peaks: a deep dive into national drivers

Checking the quality of materials just got easier with a new AI tool