EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Artificial Intelligence

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: 3-Nov-2026 10:16 ET (3-Nov-2026 15:16 GMT/UTC)

10-Aug-2026

Where milliseconds matter: Scripps Research scientists build new ML model to predict protein movements essential for biological function

Scripps Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a new Nature study published on August 10, 2026, Scripps Research scientists developed Dyna-1, a machine learning (ML) model that can predict protein dynamics on the micro-to-millisecond timescale. In seconds, Dyna-1 identifies regions of proteins likely to undergo these movements, revealing aspects of protein function that have remained hidden from conventional computational approaches. Because these micro-to-millisecond dynamics are particularly conserved across biology since they control function, mapping them could help researchers uncover new connections between protein movement and human health.

Journal: Nature

10-Aug-2026

KAIST shapes a "templates a ‘gas lattice’ in porous materials”: the moment gas forms a crystal-like lattice

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

- Professor Jihan Kim's team in KAIST's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering has demonstrated for the first time that a porous material can arrange disordered gas molecules into a crystal-like structure.

- The team discovered a new principle for controlling both adsorption and separation simultaneously, with potential applications in next-generation carbon-capture and hydrogen-storage materials

- Using machine learning, the team computationally designed candidate materials that induce a desired gas lattice, confirming that gas lattices are a "designable" adsorption state.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: National Research Foundation of Korea, Ministry of Science and ICT

10-Aug-2026

Computing professor wins $584K NSF CAREER Award for ‘smart cities’ research

Binghamton University
Grant and Award Announcement

A professor at Binghamton University, State University of New York has won a $584,000 CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation to create AI models to improve commute times, traffic safety, and more in urban areas.

10-Aug-2026

Digital Science connects AI agents to world-leading research data with new Dimensions MCP servers

Digital Science
Business Announcement

Digital Science has announced the launch of new Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for Dimensions, giving enterprise AI agents direct, license-aligned access to one of the world's largest interconnected global research databases.

10-Aug-2026

University of Phoenix research chair presents pilot findings on AI-assisted empathy at 2026 American Psychological Association convention

University of Phoenix
Reports and Proceedings

Rodney Luster, PhD, University research chair and chair of the Center for Leadership and Entrepreneurial Research (CLER) in the University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies, presented pilot research examining the potential use of generative artificial intelligence to support structured empathy practice at the 2026 American Psychological Association annual convention. Luster’s virtual poster, “In-Session AI Reflection and Empathy: Pilot Findings and Practice Implications,” was presented August 8 as part of the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy, Division 29 virtual poster session. The study explored whether professionally facilitated engagement with researcher-constructed AI personas could provide a repeatable environment for practicing perspective-taking, emotional labeling, validation and repair-oriented communication.

10-Aug-2026

Deploying AI-driven smart control for practical energy management in Hong Kong’s built environment

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems play a crucial role in smart building management, but their energy consumption is a significant concern. Prof. Shengwei WANG, Chair Professor in Building Energy and Automation and Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Professor in Smart Buildings in the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has designed a versatile framework to integrate AI into building automation systems to improve energy efficiency.

Journal: Energy

10-Aug-2026

BU researcher awarded $2.2 million NIH grant

Boston University School of Medicine
Grant and Award Announcement

Chao Zhang, PhD, assistant professor of medicine/computational biomedicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, has received a five-year, $2.2M R35 grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of General Medical Sciences for his project, “A Deep Learning Framework for Discovering Temporal Changes in Host-Microbiome Interactions.”