New Scientist - Technology

1. Risk algorithm used widely in US courts is harsher than human judges
   When deciding whether to let people await trial at home or in jail, US judges can use a risk score algorithm. But it often makes harsher recommendations than humans do
2. Majority of people believe their devices spy on them to serve up ads
   There is no evidence that advertisers use covert recordings of conversations to target people with adverts, an accusation widely denied by the industry, and yet this belief persists
3. Robotic pigeon reveals how birds fly without a vertical tail fin
   A flying robot uses its bird-like tail to maintain stability in flight – a technique that could enable more aerodynamic aircraft designs that use less fuel
4. AI simulations of 1000 people accurately replicate their behaviour
   Using GPT-4o, the model behind ChatGPT, researchers have replicated the personality and behaviour of more than 1000 people, in an effort to create an alternative to focus groups and polling
5. IBM entangled two quantum chips to work together for the first time
   IBM has bet big on a modular approach to building quantum computers, and now it has successfully linked two quantum chips together to operate as a single device, a key step towards that goal