The information: A brand new robotic coaching mannequin, dubbed “KnowNo,” goals to show robots to ask for our assist when orders are unclear. On the similar time, it ensures they search clarification solely when mandatory, minimizing pointless back-and-forth. The consequence is a brilliant assistant that tries to verify it understands what you need with out bothering you an excessive amount of.

Why it issues: Whereas robots may be highly effective in lots of particular situations, they’re usually unhealthy at generalized duties that require widespread sense. That’s one thing giant language fashions may assist to repair, as a result of they’ve lots of commonsense data baked in. Learn the total story.

—June Kim

Medical microrobots that journey contained in the physique are (nonetheless) on their method

The human physique is a labyrinth of vessels and tubing, filled with limitations which are tough to interrupt by way of. That poses a severe hurdle for medical doctors. Sickness is commonly brought on by issues which are onerous to visualise and tough to entry. However think about if we may deploy armies of tiny robots into the physique to do the job for us. They may break up hard-to-reach clots, ship medicine to even probably the most inaccessible tumors, and even assist information embryos towards implantation.

We’ve been listening to about using tiny robots in medication for years, possibly even many years. And so they’re nonetheless not right here. However specialists are adamant that medical microbots are lastly coming, and that they could possibly be a sport changer for numerous severe illnesses. Learn the total story.

—Cassandra Willyard