How can we understand what a society thinks without relying on traditional surveys that require large samples and significant investment? The Social Probing project, now completed and coordinated by researcher Antonio Fernández Anta at IMDEA Networks, was carried out in collaboration with UC3M, UPM, and Universitat Jaume I to achieve precisely that: develop scalable, cost-effective, and privacy-preserving tools that allow for continuous societal monitoring. Their solution: indirect surveys.

Challenging traditional meritocratic models, this research calls for redefining the purpose of education in the age of AI. It argues that systems based on ranking and standardized testing ignore deep social inequalities and are misaligned with a world shaped by artificial intelligence and complexity. Instead, the authors propose an education model rooted in human interdependence—emphasizing collaboration, empathy, and creativity as essential skills for thriving in an interconnected, uncertain, and rapidly evolving global landscape.

Scientists from Chongqing University and Zhejiang University used AI to design more than 7,000 brand-new proteins that dissolve easily, stay stable under heat, and are ready for lab testing—helping drug and diagnostic companies work faster and cut early-stage development costs.