News: According to new research, AI-assisted radiologists are more successful in diagnosing breast cancer than when they work alone. That same AI also produces more accurate results in the hands of a radiologist than when working alone.
Why it matters: The large-scale study, published this month in The Lancet Digital Health, is the first to directly compare the performance of artificial intelligence in breast cancer diagnosis, whether it is used on its own or as an aid to a human expert. The process meant that nearly three-quarters of screening studies did not need to be reviewed by radiologists, which could help alleviate a global shortage of specialists.
What happens next: While the findings are promising, the next step would be to confirm how well the AI works over a longer period of time in real clinics with real patients. It is hoped that in the future such systems could save lives by detecting cancers that doctors miss, freeing up radiologists to see more patients and easing the burden in places where there is a severe shortage of specialists. Read the full story.
—Hannah Kiros
Materials with nanoscale components will change what is possible
Materials scientists have long been fascinated by the hierarchical patterns found in nature that repeat themselves down to the molecular level, imbuing the material with extraordinary strength, durability and color. In the future, we may be able to engineer such properties directly into manufactured materials, and even program some degree of intelligence directly into them, which could enable new features and functionality.
Those on this year’s MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 list are working toward the ultimate goal of creating architectural materials and devices imbued with the ability to make autonomous decisions. Read more about their work and what it takes to help them succeed in this essay by Julia R. Greer, materials scientist at the California Institute of Technology.
This essay is part of MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35 2022 package, which recognizes the most promising young people working in technology today. See the full list here.
Required reading
I’ve combed the internet to find you the funniest/most important/scary/fascinating stories about technology today.
1 A new wave of covid is sweeping the USA
At a time when there are almost no public health measures. (WP $)
2 Elon Musk and Twitter are going to court
But whether the company can get the volatile Musk to buy it remains to be seen. (WSJ $)
+ In the legal battle, experts believe that Twitter has the upper hand. (FT $)
+ Musk’s response to Twitter’s threat to sue him was, of course, a meme. (Bloomberg $)
3 crypto traders want their money back
And that can only mean one thing: lawsuits. Lots and lots of lawsuits. (Info $)
+ What crypto companies can learn from the dot-com bust. (protocol)
4 Uber executives behaved worse than you think
She broke the law and used violence against her drivers, the leaked files revealed. (The Guardian)
5 Costa Rica is struggling to recover from a severe cyber attack
Although the group that hacked the country disbanded. (FT $)
+ American defense firm L3 Harris is no longer in talks to buy NSO Group. (The Guardian)
+ A hacker group called Predatory Sparrow claims to have started a fire at an Iranian steel producer. (BBC)
6 AI has an ethical disconnection problem
Some researchers resent having to think about how their inventions will be used in the real world. (protocol)
+ Big Tech’s guide to talking about the ethics of artificial intelligence. (MIT Technology Review)
7 artists experiment with DALL-E 2
But they will find that it does not match their imagination. (The Guardian)
+ The dark secret behind those cute AI-generated animal pictures. (MIT Technology Review)
8 Meet the YouTubers who hunt—and eat—invasive species
Experts are divided on whether this is a beneficial or positive development. (Info $)
+ Scientists worry that species will die out before we even discover them. (CNET)
+ Why you shouldn’t believe everything nature ID apps tell you. (shale)
9 Vasectomy influencers are having a moment
In the post-Roe world, there is growing interest in more permanent methods of birth control. (Atlantic $)
10 The optimal shape for a home in space could be a cone
It could help recreate the gravity that humans are used to. (quartz)
