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Top headlines
Lead story
People worry about artificial intelligence replacing human workers – from truck drivers to middle managers. But there’s another type of replacement that also bears watching: AIs replacing aspects of being human, like composing music or writing an essay.
USC psychologist Joe Árvai puts another aspect of the human experience in the spotlight: the ability to make thoughtful decisions. Árvai spells out what’s involved in thoughtful decisions and how AI undermines the process. And, like it or not, he writes, many of us have already received advice from AIs without being aware of it.
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In the movie ‘WALL-E ,’ the technology-coddled humans of the future weren’t doing so well.
Courtesy Pixar
Joe Árvai, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
AI has the potential to diminish the human experience in several ways. One particularly concerning threat is to the ability to make thoughtful decisions.
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Arts + Culture
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Frankie Bailey, University at Albany, State University of New York
Since the ‘trial of the century,’ the lines between news and entertainment have become increasingly blurred.
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Environment + Energy
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Jonathan Fisk, Auburn University; John C. Morris, Auburn University; Megan E. Heim LaFrombois, Auburn University
Extreme downpours and droughts, both fueled by rising global temperatures, are taking a toll on water infrastructure. Communities trying to manage the threats face three big challenges.
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Kyri Baker, University of Colorado Boulder
Turning off power is a last-ditch strategy for utilities to reduce the risk that their systems could spark wildfires. In most states, deciding whether to take that step is up to utilities.
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Science + Technology
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Matthew Farrer, University of Florida
No treatments are currently available to cure Parkinson’s disease. Better understanding the genetic foundation of this condition can help researchers find ways to slow or halt its progression.
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Mark M. Lambert, Des Moines University
Historians are working to shine a light on Alice Ball’s legacy and contributions to an early treatment of a dangerous and stigmatizing disease.
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Politics + Society
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Karrin Vasby Anderson, Colorado State University; Tim Bakken, United States Military Academy West Point
Donald Trump stands trial – the first former president to do so – on April 15, 2024.
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Philip A. Goduti, Jr., Quinnipiac University
With wealth, charm and tactful leadership, John F. Kennedy set the standard for working toward the common good and decency in public discourse
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International
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Javed Ali, University of Michigan
Tehran has warned that no Israeli embassy is safe following deadly bombing of its mission in Damascus.
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Health + Medicine
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Christopher P. Holstege, University of Virginia
Initially developed in the 1950s, nitazenes are a type of synthetic opioid that has reappeared in Philadelphia’s street drug supply.
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Ethics + Religion
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Joelle Rollo-Koster, University of Rhode Island
Medieval Europeans thought about politics in terms of leadership and often criticized rulers for ‘tyranny’ − both in government and in the church.
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Anshu Malhotra, University of California, Santa Barbara
The spirit of Baisakhi for Sikhs is reminiscent of the ideals of their gurus, who encouraged them to work toward building a just society.
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