Language

Large language models such as ChatGPT tend to make things up. A new approach now allows the systems to explain their responses—at least partially

Indigenous groups are developing data storage technology that gives users privacy and control. Could their work influence those fighting back against invasive apps?

An endangered language family suggests that early humans used their bodies as a model for reality

Researchers are still struggling to understand how AI models trained to parrot Internet text can perform advanced tasks such as running code, playing games and trying to break up a marriage

The 1934 puzzle book Cain’s Jawbone stumped all but a handful of humans. Then AI took the case

OpenAI just released an updated version of its text-generating artificial intelligence program. Here’s how GPT-4 improves on its predecessor

Portable sensors and artificial intelligence are helping researchers decode animal communication—and begin to talk back to nonhumans

Scientists cannot always differentiate between research abstracts generated by the AI ChatGPT and those written by humans

Languages from Hindi to Korean tone down swear words by inserting gentler consonants into speech. Here’s how “Let’s go Brandon” got started

An expert in emerging technologies warns that software designed to summarize, translate and write like humans might exacerbate distrust in science

A new algorithm writes wine and beer reviews that sound like they were penned by human critics. Is that a good thing?

What shape do you see when you hear “bouba”? What about “kiki”? It turns out that nonsense words that evoke certain shapes have something to say about the origins of language.