Why Humanoid Robots Still Can’t Survive in the Real World
General-purpose robots remain rare not for a lack of hardware but because we still can’t give machines the physical intuition humans learn through experience
Inside the Empire of AI: Karen Hao on Power, Ideology and Environmental Costs
Journalist Karen Hao unpacks the rise of AI “empires,” their ideological roots, and the hidden environmental and societal costs of OpenAI’s quest for artificial general intelligence.
Teen AI Chatbot Use Surges, Raising Mental Health Concerns
A new survey offers the clearest national snapshot yet of how U.S. teens are using artificial intelligence
Satirical Art Exhibit Takes on Tech Titans and Our AI Future
Billionaire-headed machines lampoon tech power and the way our images quietly become fuel for AI
OpenAI’s Secrets are Revealed in Empire of AI
On our 2025 Best Nonfiction of the Year list, Karen Hao’s investigation of artificial intelligence reveals how the AI future is still in our hands
Are We Seeing the First Steps Toward AI Superintelligence?
Today’s leading AI models can already write and refine their own software. The question is whether that self-improvement can ever snowball into true superintelligence
Daniel H. Wilson on Finding a Native Take on Traditional Alien Invasion Stories
Hole in the Sky, by Daniel H. Wilson, is one of Scientific American’s best fiction picks of 2025. In the novel, aliens talk through an AI headset and land in the Cherokee Nation, while the military scrambles to contain and control the unknown
AI Chatbots Are Shockingly Good at Political Persuasion
Chatbots can measurably sway voters’ choices, new research shows. The findings raise urgent questions about AI’s role in future elections
The Her Talking Phone May Have Arrived—She Speaks Chinese
The company behind TikTok is rolling out a smartphone AI assistant that behaves less like an app and more like a secretary
Could Symbolic AI Unlock Human-Like Intelligence?
Combining newer neural networks with older AI systems could be the secret to building an AI to match or surpass human intelligence
U.S. Launches Apollo-Style Mission to Harness AI and Big Data for Scientific Discovery
A new federal initiative aims to accelerate scientific discovery by uniting artificial intelligence with large federal datasets
Is This Our First AI Thanksgiving?
As AI slips into kitchens, conversations and memories, Thanksgiving has become a test of how much we’re willing to outsource