Monthly Archives: October 2024

AI has a stupid secret: we’re still not sure how to test for human levels of intelligence

AI has a stupid secret: we’re still not sure how to test for human levels of intelligence

Two of San Francisco’s leading players in artificial intelligence have challenged the public to come up with questions capable of testing the capabilities of large language models (LLMs) like Google Gemini and OpenAI’s o1. Scale AI, which specialises in preparing the vast tracts of data on which the LLMs are trained, teamed up with the Center for […] … learn more→

At work, women are more stressed than men

At work, women are more stressed than men

It is well established that the existence of stressful work environments has negative consequences for employees (deterioration in health, loss of income), organizations (decreased productivity, increased sick leave, increased absences from work and worsening of the company image) and society in general (increased resources allocated to health, decreased production of the country, etc.). In short, […] … learn more→

What needs to be improved in the climate change education guide?

What needs to be improved in the climate change education guide?

At the end of August 2024, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) through the Education Standards, Curriculum, and Assessment Agency (BSKAP), released a climate change education guide . This is the first concrete result of a long planning process for the integration of climate change education into formal education in Indonesia that began in mid-2023 . This guide is […] … learn more→

Studying science fiction films can help students understand the power societies have to shape our lives

Studying science fiction films can help students understand the power societies have to shape our lives

Title of course: Sociology, Science Fiction Film, and Artificial Intelligence What prompted the idea for the course? A colleague in the sociology department used to teach a course using a film genre from the 1940s and 1950s that presented a bleak view of modern societies. I liked the idea of using film in my classes, […] … learn more→

I got generative AI to attempt an undergraduate law exam. It struggled with complex questions

I got generative AI to attempt an undergraduate law exam. It struggled with complex questions

It’s been nearly two years since generative artificial intelligence was made widely available to the public. Some models showed great promise by passing academic and professional exams. For instance, GPT-4 scored higher than 90% of the United States bar exam test takers. These successes led to concerns AI systems might also breeze through university-level assessments. However, my recent study paints a different […] … learn more→

United States : Student debt, a threat to universities and a major political issue

United States : Student debt, a threat to universities and a major political issue

Is a college education still a worthwhile investment when it means taking on decades of debt? A growing portion of young Americans believe the benefits of their degrees don’t justify the price. With the Supreme Court blocking the Biden administration’s attempt to ease the burden of that debt, the situation is putting pressure on universities […] … learn more→

I investigated millions of tweets from the Kremlin’s ‘troll factory’ and discovered classic propaganda techniques reimagined for the social media age

I investigated millions of tweets from the Kremlin’s ‘troll factory’ and discovered classic propaganda techniques reimagined for the social media age

Gentlemen, we interfered, we interfere, and we will interfere … Carefully, precisely, surgically, and in our own way, as we know how. During our pinpoint operations, we will remove both kidneys and the liver at once. These are the words of the architect of Russian online disinformation, Yevgeny Prigozhin, speaking in November 2022, just before the […] … learn more→

Being bullied in high school can make teens less optimistic about the future

Being bullied in high school can make teens less optimistic about the future

The effects of bullying on teens’ mental health are well-documented. But could bullying also shape their future aspirations? Our latest research reveals that teens who are bullied in ninth grade become more pessimistic about their educational and career prospects beyond high school. Specifically, being bullied increases teens’ risk for depression, which leaves them feeling hopeless about the future. As […] … learn more→

Indigenous students and faculty are on the rise — and universities have a moral obligation to support them

Indigenous students and faculty are on the rise — and universities have a moral obligation to support them

As we close out September, universities across Canada are well into their new year of learning. An exciting change is underway. An increasing number of First Nations, Inuit and Métis students have enrolled in post-secondary studies. Many universities are aware of this growing interest in post-secondary studies among Indigenous Peoples and have actively recruited from this […] … learn more→