From macabre AI to egotistical researchers – 2024 in CORDIS science
We keep hearing about all the mind-blowing things AI can do to transform our lives. But how about our lives … beyond the grave? We have chatbots, so why not deadbots that simulate the dead? Welcome to the digital afterlife, but be warned, say University of Cambridge ethicists. We go from creepy to curious. Thanks to a new web-based platform from Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists, you can talk to your much older self. Their objective is to get us to think more about the outcomes of the choices we make today. Two AI tools, two vastly different uses. Now what could go wrong? Well, leading AI experts caution decision-makers to act quickly on the risks posed by AI before it’s too late.
The future of work is now
Remote and hybrid work are here to stay. But does this form of work make us less innovative and creative? You never get a second chance to make a good first impression, and it’s no different with online interactions. Science explains how to successfully navigate the digital workplace. Do you feel drained after virtual meetings? Researchers present a simple feature to overcome videoconference fatigue. They say that love goes through the stomach. Could food like pizza be the answer to building teamwork at work? Speaking of the office and colleagues, don’t brag about how busy you are. Study says it could have the opposite effect and backfire on you.
Just what the doctor ordered
In a post-pandemic world, physical, mental and social well-being have never been more important, even if you are at work. It only takes a few minutes to improve our health at the office, says research. No choice but to sit for most of the day? This is how many steps will offset the effects of sitting. Want to get active? Then go solo. Study claims you’ll benefit more if you exercise alone. However, you should definitely drink with your partner if you want to live longer! Our health professionals advise us to lose weight, watch our diet, stop smoking and get some exercise. It’s a good thing that they do, isn’t it? Go searching for the fountain of youth on foot or by bicycle, bus, car, train, plane, ship or other means. Travel if you want to feel and look younger. The complex and multifaceted emotion known as happiness is ever so elusive. A first-ever study explores if happiness can be learnt. Can money really buy happiness? Another study revisits this enduring question. Are you a young scientist or researcher who wants to succeed in academia? Size matters – of the academic team, that is. But how does the size of the team directly influence a successful career? On the topic of scientists and researchers, the public seems to trust some more than others. It all depends on which field you’re in. Oh, a Swedish study says researchers may be arrogant, overconfident, cocky. We don’t know any such researchers, do we?
Keywords
CORDIS, AI, work, happiness, hybrid, digital, remote, virtual meeting, researcher, scientist, exercise