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.

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers create artificial intelligence tool to manage modern power grid

Florida State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new artificial intelligence tool developed by researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and Florida State University’s Center for Advanced Power Systems treats the power grid as a connected network to generate more accurate forecasts. The research was published in IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering.

Journal: IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering

5-Aug-2026

Team's AI agent to speed Alzheimer's treatment

Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Business Announcement

Vanderbilt Health researchers have received a grant from Eli Lilly and Company, a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, to build an artificial intelligence (AI) tool within the electronic health record system (EHR) to get patients with Alzheimer's disease to treatment faster. The computer project is designed for transferability to other health systems.

5-Aug-2026

American black bears sleep twice as much during hibernation periods as during summer months, spending just 1/3 of this time awake, per machine-learning analysis of data from captive bears recorded over a period of 5 years

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

American black bears sleep twice as much during hibernation periods as during summer months, spending just 1/3 of this time awake, per machine-learning analysis of data from captive bears recorded over a period of 5 years

Journal: PLOS One

5-Aug-2026

Why do people’s pupils dilate when they’re surprised? Brown researchers explain

Brown University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

When people encounter new information that challenges their expectations, their pupils are likely to dilate. This physiological response is a sign that something is happening in the brain to help the person adapt to the new situation, according to a study led by Brown University researchers and published in Nature Human Behaviour.

Journal: Nature Human Behaviour

5-Aug-2026

First-in-class small molecule inhibitor designed with AI support shows promise against pancreatic cancer in preclinical studies

Mayo Clinic
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed an experimental drug with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) to target the "undruggable" PDZ-domain of GIPC1 protein that helps different types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer, to grow and resist treatment.

Journal: Cell Reports
Funder: National Institutes of Health, Florida State Fund for the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program, U.S. Department of Defense

5-Aug-2026

AI models nearly erase female characters when they write kids stories about animals

University of Washington
Reports and Proceedings

AI systems such as Google’s Gemini Storybook now let parents or teachers conjure illustrated, personalized kids stories. UW researchers found that when six leading AI models made stories about talking animals, 57% of characters were either gender neutral or ungendered, 41% were male, and just 2% were female.

5-Aug-2026

How hand gestures can support communication for those with autism and ADHD, and/or language impairments

Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

BBRF is hosting a free webinar, “How Hand Gestures Can Support Communication for Those With Autism and ADHD, and/or Language Impairments” on August 11, 2026, at 2pm ET. Dr. Nadya Modyanova will share research exploring how the brain understands hand gestures and how caregiver hand gestures can help make communication easier and more accessible for people with autism, ADHD, and language impairments. The webinar will be moderated by Jeffrey Borenstein, M.D., President & CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and host of the Emmy® nominated television series Healthy Minds.

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

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers create artificial intelligence tool to manage modern power grid

Team's AI agent to speed Alzheimer's treatment

American black bears sleep twice as much during hibernation periods as during summer months, spending just 1/3 of this time awake, per machine-learning analysis of data from captive bears recorded over a period of 5 years

Why do people’s pupils dilate when they’re surprised? Brown researchers explain

First-in-class small molecule inhibitor designed with AI support shows promise against pancreatic cancer in preclinical studies

AI models nearly erase female characters when they write kids stories about animals

How hand gestures can support communication for those with autism and ADHD, and/or language impairments