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 14:17 ET (3-Nov-2026 19:17 GMT/UTC)

New National Digital Health Index identifies communities most at risk of being left behind in the digital health era

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As telehealth, remote monitoring, and artificial intelligence-powered health tools become increasingly integrated into healthcare delivery, a new study published in JAMA Network Open introduces the first comprehensive national measure designed to assess whether communities are prepared to benefit from digital health services.

Journal: JAMA

Paint it black(er): A new way to make cars darker than ever

Cell Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Scientists have developed a practical way to make ultra-black coatings fit to meet the demand for trendy, luxury vehicles in China. The coating, described in a paper publishing June 18 in the Cell Press journal Matter & Light, is made up of a composite of carbon black pigment and carbon nanotubes. The resulting color is a deep jet black that also meets automotive standards, opening the door for car manufacturers to develop distinguished, high-end models in darker-than-ever hues.

Journal: Matter & Light
Funder: Color Technology, Group Core R&D (Shanghai), NIPSEA Group

Weekly Conferences | From San Diego to Shanghai: Insilico Medicine showcases new advances in AI-driven drug discovery

InSilico Medicine
Meeting Announcement

Led by Dr. Alex Zhavoronkov, Founder, CEO, and CBO of Insilico Medicine, the Insilico Medicine team will meet with biopharma partners, investors, and researchers at Booth #4021 to explore collaboration opportunities. Insilico Medicine will showcase the core capabilities of its end-to-end Pharma.AI platform as well as its latest R&D pipeline.

Team builds best-performing detection system for next-generation accelerators

University of California - Santa Cruz
Peer-Reviewed Publication

This system is crucial for enabling next-generation particle accelerators to better reveal fundamental biological and chemical processes, as well as advance materials science and energy research. The compact detector is a technological breakthrough, combining artificial diamonds, custom microchips, and cutting-edge assembly techniques into one unit.

Journal: Physical Review
Funder: UC National Laboratory Fees Research Program

AI speed up the use of optical tweezers

University of Gothenburg
Peer-Reviewed Publication

By teaching an AI to use optical tweezers, researchers from the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology, have sped up the analysis of life’s smallest components. The AI platform captures particles, takes measurements and loads new samples, all without human intervention.

Journal: Nature Methods

Language processing Human brain and AI both work with predictions

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Even while listening, the brain attempts to anticipate the next words. This is the conclusion reached by a current study conducted by an interdisciplinary team of researchers led by PD Dr. Patrick Krauss, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), and PD Dr. Achim Schilling, Heidelberg University. The researchers combined three methods: a natural listening situation, high resolution measurements of brain activity, and an AI language model as reference. The higher the probability of a certain word occurring in the relevant context, the weaker the neural reaction during processing. At the same time, the data indicate a rise in pre-onset activity before the word begins, suggesting the brain works with predictions.

Journal: NeuroImage

How AI helps World Cup referees make the call

University of Rochester

This year, the World Cup tournament’s officiating toolkit includes Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology, which supports video assistant referees (VAR), goal-line technology, advanced semi-automated offside technology, and a “last touch” feature for corner and goal kicks. An expert in computer vision explains how it works.