The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) developed a hybrid signal processing method that integrates an annealing-based quantum computer with classical computing for next-generation mobile communication systems. By implementing this method into a base station, simultaneous communications with 10 devices were successfully demonstrated through outdoor experiments, addressing the massive connectivity requirements anticipated for the 6G era. The proposed approach utilizes quantum annealing to efficiently solve the combinatorial optimization problem arising in signal detection under multi-antenna and multi-carrier transmission. This result represents a significant step toward realizing large-scale machine-to-machine communications in future 6G networks, including applications involving drones, robots, and XR devices.

This work was presented on January 9, 2026, at the international conference IEEE Consumer Communications & Networking Conference (CCNC) 2026.

The race to develop a virtual scientist — an AI creation that conducts every stage of research, from idea to publication — has consumed researchers, start-up founders, and tech juggernauts alike.

It has also illuminated fundamental philosophical questions about the process of doing science. Is the scientific method really the best approach to learning about the world?

A new paper in Collective Intelligence applies the scientific method to itself, finding that some common strategies that scientists consider gold standards for designing experiments perform worse than random choice. In other words: random exploration may produce better theories than carefully-planned experiments.

Researchers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center have developed an AI-based tool called BIOPREVENT that uses blood biomarkers and clinical data to predict serious complications after stem cell and bone marrow transplants months before symptoms appear. In a study of more than 1,300 transplant recipients, the tool outperformed standard clinical models, identifying patients at higher risk for chronic graft-versus-host disease and transplant-related death. By providing earlier, personalized risk information through a free web-based application, BIOPREVENT could support closer monitoring and future prevention strategies in transplant care.

Loneliness has a critical impact on the mental health of citizens, particularly among the elderly. Robots capable of perceiving and responding to human emotions can serve as heart-warming companions to help lift the spirits. A research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has discovered that the combined power of music and empathetic speech in robots with artificial intelligence (AI) could foster a stronger bond between humans and machines. These findings underscore the importance of a multimodal approach in designing empathetic robots, offering significant implications for their application in health support, elder care, education and beyond.

Artificial intelligence becomes a predictive tool that can provide assistance in defining a nutritional plan for preterm infants. This is the concept of an innovative study recently published in the Journal of Perinatology, part of the Nature portfolio. It is the joint work of researchers from the IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Foundation (FSGT) and the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering (DEIB) of the Politecnico di Milano.