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: 27-Jun-2026 18:15 ET (27-Jun-2026 22:15 GMT/UTC)

15-Jun-2026

Writing with AI demands more thought from students, not less

Iowa State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a new study, an Iowa State researcher upends the idea that AI simplifies writing, showing instead that it raises the cognitive stakes for students. The study identifies three key thresholds that reveal why using AI well takes more judgment, experimentation and agency than many students expect.

Journal: Computers and Composition

15-Jun-2026

Cleveland Clinic and IBM forum highlights advancements in AI and quantum computing for healthcare research

Cleveland Clinic
Meeting Announcement

The third annual Cleveland Discovery and Innovation Forum, hosted by Cleveland Clinic and IBM, highlighted progress in applying quantum computing and AI to healthcare and life sciences research. The forum brought together global leaders in healthcare, science and technology to share insights into how advanced computing is accelerating discovery and shaping the future of patient care.

The one-day event, held today on Cleveland Clinic’s Main Campus, featured more than 30 speakers from academia, industry, foundations, venture capital and government.

15-Jun-2026

Q&A: Boosting NASA’s Swift Observatory to support continued space observation

Penn State

In the first mission of its kind, a spacecraft will launch from Earth and rendezvous with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to boost it to a higher altitude and extend its life. This Q&A explores Swift’s role in scientific discovery, the upcoming boost mission and activities at the Swift Mission Operations Center, which is located at Penn State.

15-Jun-2026

New imaging system sees through murky waters

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Reports and Proceedings

Sonar-MASt3R is a new underwater mapping technique developed at MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) that may allow vehicles to see through murky, low-visibility waters.

Funder: NASA Headquarters

15-Jun-2026

Exploring language learning in adults

Society for Neuroscience
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Apart from brain areas typically linked to language, the arrangement of brain areas related to attention and cognitive control can predict how well adults learn a new language.

Journal: JNeurosci
Funder: Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Key Research and Development Program of Guangdong, China

15-Jun-2026

Acoustic analysis of primary care patient–clinician conversations to screen for cognitive impairment

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In this diagnostic study, machine learning models trained on acoustic features from brief clinical conversations identified cognitive impairment with high accuracy. These findings support the feasibility of passive, speech-based screening during routine primary care.

Journal: JAMA Neurology

15-Jun-2026

Study finds students with highest distress use AI for mental health at elevated rates

Brigham and Women's Hospital
Peer-Reviewed Publication

College students have rapidly adopted generative AI, but critical questions remain about its use for mental health support. In a study co-led by investigators at Mass General Brigham, 18% of surveyed college students reported using artificial intelligence (AI) for mental health. Students with more severe mental health symptoms were more likely to do so. The findings are published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Journal: Journal of Affective Disorders