spectrum.ieee.org

For a different perspective on AI companions, see ourQ&A with Jaime Banks: How Do You Define an AI Companion?Novel technology is often a double-edged sword. New capabilities come with new risks, and artificial intelligence is certainly no exception.AI used for human companionship, for instance, promises an ever-present digital friend in an increasingly lonely world. Chatbots dedicated to providing social support have grown to host millions of users, and they’re now being embodied in physical companions. Researchers are just beginning to understand the nature of these interactions, but one essential question has already emerged: Do AI c

For a different perspective on AI companions, see our Q&A with Brad Knox: How Can AI Companions Be Helpful, not Harmful?AI models intended to provide companionship for humans are on the rise. People are already frequently developing relationships with chatbots, seeking not just a personal assistant but a source of emotional support.In response, apps dedicated to providing companionship (such as Character.ai or Replika) have recently grown to host millions of users. Some companies are now putting AI into

If it feels these days as if everything in technology is about AI, that’s because it is. And nowhere is that more true than in the market for computer memory. Demand, and profitability, for the type of DRAM used to feed GPUs and other accelerators in AI data centers is so huge that it’s diverting away supply of memory for other uses and causing prices to skyrocket. According to Counterpoint Research, DRAM prices have risen 80-90 precent so far this quarter.The largest AI hardware companies say they have secured their chips out as far as 2028, but that leaves everybody else—makers of PCs, consumer gizmos, and everything else that needs to temporarily

Meet the recipients of the 2026 IEEE Medals—the organization’s highest-level honors. Presented on behalf of the IEEE Board of Directors, these medals recognize innovators whose work has shaped modern technology across disciplines including AI, education, and semiconductors.The medals will be presented at the IEEE Honors Ceremony in April in New York City. View the full list of 2026 recipients on the

The hunt is on for anything that can surmount AI’s perennial memory wall–even quick models are bogged down by the time and energy needed to carry data between processor and memory. Resistive RAM (RRAM)could circumvent the wall by allowing computation to happen in the memory itself. Unfortunately, most types of this nonvolatile memory are too unstable and unwieldy for that purpose.Fortunately, a potential solution may be at hand. At December’s IEEE Internationa

Most 3D design software requires visual dragging and rotating—posing a challenge for blind and low-vision users. As a result, a range of hardware design, robotics, coding, and engineering work is inaccessible to interested programmers. A visually-impaired programmer might write great code. But because of the lack of accessible modeling software, the coder can’t model, design, and verify physical and virtual components of their system. However, new 3D modeling tools are beginning to change this equation. A new prototype program called A11yShape aims to close the gap. There are alrea

Boardroom priorities are shifting from financial metrics toward technical oversight. Although market share and operational efficiency remain business bedrocks, executives also must now manage the complexities of machine learning, the integrity of their data systems, and the risks of algorithmic bias.The change represents more than just a tech update; it marks a fundamental redefinition of the skills required for business leadership.Research from the

Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion.ICRA 2026: 1–5 June 2026, VIENNAEnjoy today’s videos! To train the next generation of

While quantum computers continue to slowly grind toward usefulness, some are pursuing a different approach—analog quantum simulation. This path doesn’t offer complete control of single bits of quantum information, known as qubits—it is not a universal quantum computer. Instead, quantum simulators directly mimic complex, difficult-to-access things, like individual molecules, chemical reactions, or novel materials. What analog quantum simulation lacks in flexibility, it makes up for in feasibility: quantum simulators are ready now.“Instead of usin

MVK Chari, a pioneer in finite element field computation, died on 3 December. The IEEE Life Fellow was 97.Chari developed a finite element method (FEM) for analyzing nonlinear electromagnetic fields—which is crucial for the design of electric machines. The technique is used to obtain approximate solutions to complex engineering and mathematical problems. It involves dividing a complicated object or system into smaller, more manageable parts, known as finite elements, according to