• How AI Bots Spread Misinformation Online and Undermine Democratic Politics

    By Sophia Melanson Ricciardone

    As we navigate this era of digital discourse, awareness of blind spots in our social psychology is our best defense. Understanding how cues or triggers affect us can reduce their influence over time. The more aware we are of bots and how they work, the more able we are to protect ourselves from misleading rhetoric, ensuring our democratic processes remain robust and inclusive.

  • Q&A: If You’re Seeing This, Is It Meant for You?

    By Mary Fetzer

    Thanks to algorithms, social media platforms can generate content that feels like it’s made just for you. Some TikTok users acknowledge the technology underlying personalized content online but can’t deny sometimes feeling that a higher power is involved, according to Penn State researchers.

  • States Strike Out on Their Own on AI, Privacy Regulation

    By Paige Gross

    There’s been no shortage of AI tech regulation bills in Congress, but none has passed. In the absence of congressional action, states have stepped up their own regulatory action. States have been legislating about AI since at least 2019, but bills relating to AI have increased significantly in the last two years.

  • S&T Deploys DETER at the Indy 500

    The DHS S&T, CISA, and ERDC teamed up to deploy a new vehicle barrier at this year’s race. S&T is evaluating DETER in real-world environments like the Indy 500 and last year’s NFL Draft to identify operational requirements for law enforcement.

  • How AI Can Aid Decision Making in Mass-Casualty Events

    By Yulia Karra

    EMTs and paramedics are sometimes confronted with a series of life-and-death questions and dilemmas at the scene. Researcher Omer Perry says his team’s study on paramedic behavior during high-stress situations helped them develop a potentially lifesaving algorithm.

  • Nature-Based Solutions to Disaster Risk from Climate Change Are Cost Effective

    Nature-based solutions (NbS) are an economically effective method to mitigate risks from a range of disasters—from floods and hurricanes to heatwaves and landslides—which are only expected to intensify as Earth continues to warm.

  • Detroit Takes Important Step in Curbing the Harms of Face Recognition Technology

    By Tori Noble

    In a first-of-its-kind agreement, the Detroit Police Department recently agreed to adopt strict limits on its officers’ use of face recognition technology as part of a settlement in a lawsuit brought by a victim of this faulty technology.

  • How 'Islamic State' Uses AI to Spread Extremist Propaganda

    By Cathrin Schaer

    Groups like the “Islamic State” and al-Qaeda are urging followers to use the latest digital tools to spread their extremist message, avoid censorship and recruit.

  • Get Ready for AI-supercharged Hacking

    By Niusha Shafiabady and Mamoun Alazab

    Artificial intelligence can supercharge the effect of hacking attacks. As use of AI widens, people and organizations will have to become much more careful in guarding against its malicious use. So far, the only answer to all this is increased vigilance, by individuals and their employers. Governments can help by publicizing the problem. They should.

  • The New Fintech That Knows Whether Your Voice Matches Your Face

    By John Jeffay

    Your face is no longer your own. Nor is your voice. Fraudsters can steal them both from the Internet. And, using the power of AI, they can create a deepfake version of you that’s so convincing it’ll beat bank security. Banks and financial institutions increasingly use voice biometrics these days to confirm a caller’s identity.

  • Uranium Science Researchers Investigate Feasibility of Intentional Nuclear Forensics

    Despite strong regulations and robust international safeguards, authorities routinely interdict nuclear materials outside of regulatory control. Researchers are exploring a new method that would give authorities the ability to analyze intercepted nuclear material and determine where it originated.

  • Transformers: Cooler Side of the Grid

    Failures in transformers cause widespread disruptions across electrical networks, severely affecting grid stability. The financial impact of such failures often goes beyond just the cost of replacing the transformer. Simulations on NSF-funded Stampede2 provide models for a resilient and sustainable electric grid.

  • Tornadoes Are Deadly. These New Building Codes Will Save Lives.

    Because of its unique geography, the United States has more tornadoes, and more intense tornadoes, than any other country. Tornadoes are deadly, but until recently there were no building codes designed to protect communities from tornadoes. Tornado winds push and pull on buildings in unique ways that require special safety designs. NIST research led to the first building code provision for tornado resilience.

  • Hundreds of Tech Companies Want to Cash In on Homeland Security Funding. Here's Who They Are and What They're Selling.

    By Dave Maass

    Whenever concerns grow about the security along the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration, the U.S. government generate dollars — hundreds of millions of dollars — for tech conglomerates and start-ups. Who are the vendors who supply or market the technology for the U.S. government’s increasingly AI-powered homeland security efforts, including the so-called “virtual wall” of surveillance along the southern border with Mexico?

  • Businesses Are Harvesting Our Biometric Data. The Public Needs Assurances on Security

    By Kamran Mahroof, Amizan Omar, and Irfan Mehmood

    Visual data capturing and analysis are particularly critical compared to non-visual data. That’s why its growing use by businesses raises so many concerns about privacy and consent. While the public remains unaware of the extent to which their visual data is being captured and utilized, their information will be vulnerable to misuse or exploitation.