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.

AI learns from animals: New approach to improve surgical imaging

German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), and Mannheim University Medical Center (UMM) are presenting a method that enables artificial intelligence (AI) to learn how to transfer medical image data from animals to humans. This “xeno-learning” could help make surgical procedures safer and more precise in the future—without relying on human training data.

Journal: Nature Biomedical Engineering

26-Jan-2026

Scientists optimized wastewater use for green hydrogen production through artificial intelligence

University of Malaga
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists from the Departments of Inorganic Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of the University of Malaga participate in an international collaboration which has optimized, through artificial intelligence, the process of producing bio-hydrogen from wastewater.

Journal: Energy
Funder: University of Malaga

26-Jan-2026

Artificial intelligence makes quantum field theories computable

Vienna University of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Quantum field theories are fundamental to modern physics, but simulating them accurately on a computer is notoriously difficult. Researchers at TU Wien show how artificial intelligence can make these calculations far more precise and efficient, opening new possibilities for numerical studies of fundamental physics.

Journal: Physical Review Letters

26-Jan-2026

Perceiving AI as a 'job killer' negatively influences attitudes towards democracy

University of Vienna
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing our society and economy. A new study shows that the majority of people believe that artificial intelligence is displacing more human labour than it is creating new opportunities. Scientists at the University of Vienna and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) demonstrated a causal link: the stronger this perception, the more dissatisfied people are with democracy – and the less they participate in political debates about future technological developments. These effects occur even though artificial intelligence has had only a limited impact on the labour market so far. The study was recently published in the renowned journal PNAS.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

26-Jan-2026

EdUHK showcases two major AI education tools "Technology + Humanities" supporting language learning and emotional health

The Education University of Hong Kong

The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) has long been committed to advancing education technology that integrates innovation with human-centred design. Yesterday, the University announced the application of two inventions developed by its researchers. First is a language‑learning social robot designed for nursery and primary children. In trials, the robot boosted English comprehension scores by up to 21.2% and extended attention spans by 5.43% during a 20-minutes reading session, outperforming both tablets and more mechanical-looking robots.

The second innovation, EmoCare, is an AI-powered emotional health support application built on the positive psychology model PERMA. It helps users avoid excessive immersion in negative states by embedding positive elements into generated images and conversations, thereby supporting emotional regulation. The launch comes amid growing concern over adolescent suicides linked to unmoderated online chat rooms powered by generative AI without structured psychological safeguards.

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

AI learns from animals: New approach to improve surgical imaging

Scientists optimized wastewater use for green hydrogen production through artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence makes quantum field theories computable

Perceiving AI as a 'job killer' negatively influences attitudes towards democracy

EdUHK showcases two major AI education tools "Technology + Humanities" supporting language learning and emotional health

Perceiving AI as a ‘job killer’ negatively influences attitudes toward democracy

Continued exposure to certain heavy metals linked to ADHD in childhood