Advanced Imaging and AI Reveal Smoking-Related Toxins in Placenta Samples
Rice University scientists and collaborators at Baylor College of Medicine have developed a new method for detecting smoking-related toxins in human placenta samples using advanced imaging and AI. The research team used a combination of light-based imaging techniques and machine learning algorithms to identify and label polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives (PACs), which are toxic compounds generated through the incomplete combustion of organic materials. Exposure to these chemicals during pregnancy can result in negative health outcomes such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and developmental problems.
The new method was used to analyze the placentas of women who reported smoking during pregnancy and self-reported nonsmokers, confirming that PAHs and PACs were present only in the samples collected from smokers. The findings offer a critical tool for environmental and health monitoring, enabling the identification and labeling of harmful toxins associated with smoking as well as other sources such as wildfires, conflagrations, Superfund sites, and other high-pollution environments and contaminated products.
Paris AI Summit Highlights EU's Regulatory Challenges
The Paris AI Summit, co-hosted by Emmanuel Macron and Narendra Modi, brought together world leaders, tech moguls, and civil society groups to discuss AI-related issues. The summit highlighted the EU's regulatory challenges, with Europe's approach to AI being overly complicated and dragged down by regulation. Tech giants and startups have joined forces to call for simpler EU rules on AI and data, with the European arm of a US VC, General Catalyst, leading the initiative.
The initiative aims to engage with the Commission in a structural process on how to de-regulate and accelerate the adoption of AI. The EU's president has made streamlining the bloc's rules to foster AI innovation, with a European Innovation Act planned to include measures to shrink red tape on AI developers and more explicit ecosystem-support measures.
AMD CEO Joins Board of Arabian AI University
AMD CEO Lisa Su has joined the board of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), a move that raises the university's global visibility and strengthens its connection with the semiconductor and AI hardware industries. The university has expanded its board to nine members, including business, high-technology, and academic leaders, with a focus on deeper integration with Abu Dhabi's economic and technological initiatives.
AI Data Centers in Need of 'Power Plugs'
As AI demand continues to rise, AI data centers are in need of more power. Joseph Majkut, director of Energy Security and Climate Change at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, discussed the future of energy use and production on Bloomberg Technology. He emphasized the need for more efficient energy use and production to meet the growing demands of AI data centers.
Americans Trust Journalists More Than AI-Generated News
A survey by Rutgers University found that Americans trust news produced by mainstream journalists more than AI-generated content. While 62% of respondents said they trust journalistic content "some" or "a lot
Sources
- Advanced imaging and AI reveal smoking-related toxins in placenta samples
- 5 Notes from the Big Paris A.I. Summit
- AI Data Centers in Need of 'Power Plugs'
- Bit Digital secures AI hardware colocation deal
- AMD CEO Lisa Su joins board of Arabian AI university
- [Expert Panel] Effortless Conversions: Close More Sales With AI Data [Webinar]
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- Emmanuel Macron hosts AI summit, while EU braces for Trump tariffs
- Survey highlights an emerging divide over artificial intelligence in the US
- Tech giants and startups join forces to call for simpler EU rules on AI, data