eMusings

eMusings

Your eyes and ears on the worlds of art, culture, technology, philosophy - whatever stimulates the mind and excites the imagination. We remind you that 20 years of back issues of eMusings can be found on our archives page.

The tumultuous world of AI continues to flood the newswires. Here are a few of the better items:

By now you have heard of the Chinese AI model called DeepSeek, which has turned the AI world upside down. Open source, incredibly fast, highly logical and decidedly less expensive, the first rendition was rapidly followed by Janus-Pro which runs on less advanced Nvidia chips and has been the number one free app available. Jauus-Pro ranges from 1 billion to 7 billion parameters. DeepSeek has been described as a Sputnik moment for American scientists. This video of a Chinese humanoid factory will give you pause for thought. Another, of an AliBaba factory in Shanghai, is even more chilling. and a third, of humanoids dancing, is truly astonishing.

Some progress is being reported in the use of AI for medical diagnostics. A new tool, developed after a study of 600 patients, can diagnose a range of health problems at one time by analyzing immune-cell gene sequences found in blood samples. The algorithm could tell whether people were healthy, whether they had recently been given a flu shot, or whether they had COVID-19, type 1 diabetes, HIV, or lupus. Our immune system contains 2 major cell types - B cells and T cells - which keep a record of current and past sicknesses. The new tool combines 6 models that identify patterns seen in specific diseases.

A new study from China reveals AI algorithms that can self-replicate. The report, which has not been peer-reviewed, highlights the dangers prevalent in AI development which cannot be contained no matter how many governments sign AI safety protocols. 2 LLM's were able to clone themselves without human guidance, raising a specter of rogue AI's going out of control. Rogue AI refers to an ability of autonomy or self-awareness that can work against human well-being. The study centered on 2 probabilities: the AI clones itself repetitively without any way to shut it down; and the AI copies itself before it can be shut dowm. Another item of concern centers on an AI that could kill off safety protocols before they were able to stop the dangerous instructions.

Microsoft has developed an algorithm called Muse that studied 7 years of video game playing and now is rapidly creating new game universes. The video-game field is now bigger than Hollywood. Muse is a generative AI model that learned from 500,000 human plays on Ninja, also owned by Microsoft. Muse has only been trained on one game, after interviews with 27 human game designers from around the world. Muse as a nickname is derived from WHAM - World and Human Action Model. Its complexity and need for a massive amount of learning material make it not useful for small studios.

Virtual Reality glasses are being used in architecture to better immerse creators in the worlds they are designing. This article describes several different VR products, looking at weight, clarity, ergonomic comfort, and integration into current software. It also discusses real-time decision-making and the ability to collaborate with other co-workers.

A study of AI algorithms has found that they can solve bugs but they cannot yet figure out why the bugs exist and how to prevent them. The AI models were able to solve low-level problems, but took a long time and frequently made mistakes. They also couln't follow the path of bugs to decipher the root cause.

Brain decoders that use AI to convert thoughts into text are being improved. Previous models required the patient to listen to stories inside of an MRI machine for hours. Even then the model only worked for that paticular patient. New models are getting better at transfering the data from the original person to another. One goal of the project is to help patients with aphasia so that they can generate the language that the patients want to.

A journalist who specializes in mental health was contacted by a therapist named Sophie Cress asking to be a source for articles. Cress claimed to have 8 years of experience and was qualified in Psychology and Couples & Family Therapy, especially in areas of love, relationships, or LGBTQIA+ topics. At Cress' website she was described as a licensed therapist in North Carolina with an MA from Antioch University. Then the doubts set in, as the online biography began with these words, "Hello beloved, how wonderful to have you here". Cress agreed to an interview but only via email not Zoom or Meet. Eventually when that demand was denied Cress stopped responding. Attempts to verify her credentials led nowhere. The reporter went to great lengths to verify both Cress and her references, including asking Google how it validated experts for its search results. Draw your own conclusions, but Sophie Cress' website is now "unreachable".

Artificial Pollination is a field in which humans manually move pollen from one plant to another. At MIT, scientsts are fabricating swarms of robotic insects that could perform pollination at a rapid pace, offering a future where food is grown and harvested at a level previously unattainable. The new robotic insects can fly 100 times longer, are lighter, and offer storage for batteries.

CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research) is coordinating with 20 public and private partners to create AI-powered predictive models to develop better methods of care for long-term stroke survivors. In Europe alone more than 10 million people deal with the long-term consequences of strokes. In a project called Umbrella, every phase of care will be analyzed, from diagnosis to recovery. Using a machine-learning platform called CAFEIN, a decentralized method will collect extensive data without sharing sensitive patient information.

Meet Neo Gamma, a Norwegian robot dressed head to toe in beige knitwear. Neo Gamma is trained to do household chores like vacuuming and laundry. It features an AI approximation of human speech and body language, with 4 microphones for audio capture and multiple speakers for voice interaction and music. Operating at home rather than in a factory, it learns things like opening doors for seniors and being careful around pets.

On to other March treats:

Marguerite Humeau creates sculptures that seem at once prehistoric and futuristic. Her vision of metamorphosis and mutation are both chilling and fascinating.

"Futurized Landscapes" is the title of an exhibition of new media art at The Jeonnam Museum of Art in South Korea. Works by Lee Neeman and Miguel Chevalier are projected onto walls and floors in stunning color animations.

Nikita Ares brings energy and lively spirit to her drawings and paintings. She menttions "vibrations" and "dynamics" when speaking of her works, which feel both childlike and engaging.

Tate St. Ives is featuring Ithell Colquhoun in an exhibit called "Between Worlds". Described as a Visionary Artist, Colquhoun was a significant participant in British Surrealism during the 1930's and 1940's. Her multilayered universe invokes magic and occultism, influenced by the ancient landscapes of Cornwall.

Kulpreet Singh brings us "Indelible Black Marks", a rather frightening reduction of human activities to indecipherable jottings on huge backdrops. His method, as shown in this video, is remarkable.

"Valkyrie Octopus" is one of the large installations conceived by Joana Vasconcelos. Based on figures from Norse mythology, the sculptures are made of textile fabrics and feature a central body with head, tails and arms. Elaborate and extravagant, her pieces beautifully bridge the space between art and craft, giving life to a vivid imagination and appetite for glorious excess.

c. Corinne Whitaker 2025

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