Onward and Upward with Technology
Bluesky’s Quest to Build Nontoxic Social Media
X and Facebook are governed by the policies of mercurial billionaires. Bluesky’s C.E.O., Jay Graber, says that she wants to give power back to the user.
Is a Chat with a Bot a Conversation?
An artificial voice has long been a dream of tinkerers and technologists. Now that A.I. can talk, though, we may forget who we’re talking to.
How Lawrence Abu Hamdan Hears the World
The artist and audio investigator, who calls himself a “private ear,” investigates crimes that are heard but not seen.
Can You Read a Book in a Quarter of an Hour?
Phone apps now offer to boil down entire books into micro-synopses. What they leave out is revealing.
How Perfectly Can Reality Be Simulated?
Video-game engines were designed to mimic the mechanics of the real world. They’re now used in movies, architecture, military simulations, and efforts to build the metaverse.
Holly Herndon’s Infinite Art
The artist and musician uses machine learning to make strange, playful work. She also advocates for artists’ autonomy in a world shaped by A.I.
How Much Can Duolingo Teach Us?
The company’s founder, Luis von Ahn, believes that artificial intelligence is going to make computers better teachers than humans.