Technology

Emily Levesque, an associate professor of astronomy at the UW who specializes in massive stars and supernovas, joined host Leah Pezzetti on The Sky Above to discuss the biggest and best discoveries to come from the James Webb Space Telescope this past year.

A space-based wildlife tracking system that could revolutionize the study of animal migrations and behavior is set to get back online with SpaceX's recent launch. Briana Abrahms, associate professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Several English classes at Sedro-Woolley High School are implementing lesson plans designed by Linsey Kitchens to help students understand the limitations of artificial intelligence programs such as ChatGPT. The UW's Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology, and Jevin West, professor in the Information School, are mentioned.

Over the course of two months, Bloomberg Businessweek conducted interviews with 18 people who either have experienced delusions after interactions with chatbots or are coping with a loved one who has, and analyzed hundreds of pages of chat logs from conversations that chronicle these spirals. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

"When we tell students they can get 'answers' from a chatbot, we are failing to model or encourage the kind of sophisticated information-seeking behavior that underlies critical thinking," writes Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW.

Ashleigh Theberge, a UW professor of chemistry, pursues projects ranging from designing at-home biological sample collection kits to exploring the physics of liquid flow to investigating molecules made by filamentous fungi. Her broad-ranging interests made her a fit for the Schmidt Polymaths Program, which supports mid-career scientists pursuing interdisciplinary research.

To prepare students for professional success, the UW College of Arts and Sciences offers “gesture,” a mock startup company where student interns gain skills that employers seek. 

The next time your phone’s virtual assistant gives you a quick answer instead of nudging you to think harder, remember Andre Ye (Computer Science / Philosophy, 2025). He’s part of a new generation of researchers reimagining how AI supports human thought.

UW researchers at the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences and in the Allen School are exploring the potential for training AI to value altruism.

Three years into its mission, the James Webb Space Telescope has advanced the search for alien life more than any machine before it. What will it find next? Victoria Meadows, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

In part two of this investigation, public records show a Bellingham staffer asking ChatGPT to write responses to emails about parking, traffic, a homeless camp and more. As generative AI tools like ChatGPT are used more and more by local governments, adoption is often outpacing potential safeguards and ethical guardrails. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

The American people do not want woke Marxist lunacy in the AI models, proclaimed President Donald Trump in July just before signing a series of executive orders, including one apparently aimed at stopping artificial intelligence (AI) models from brainwashing users with left-wing propaganda. Jillian Fisher, doctoral student of statistics and of computer science and engineering at the UW, is quoted.

"Perceptions of AIs relentless march toward becoming more intelligent than humans, even becoming a threat to humanity, came to a screeching halt Aug. 7. That was the day when the most widely followed AI company, OpenAI, released GPT-5, an advanced product that the firm had long promised would put competitors to shame and launch a new revolution in this purportedly revolutionary technology. As it happened, GPT-5 was a bust," writes Michael Hiltzik. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

Perched on a high, flat-topped mountain called Cerro Pachn, the Rubin Observatory was conceived back in the 1990s to give astronomers the unprecedented ability to probe the cosmos in every dimension. With a wide and deep view of the sky, Rubin can investigate some of the universes slowest, most eternal processes, such as the assembly of galaxies and the expansion of the cosmos. eljko Ivezi, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

Today the UW announced the results of a study looking at the potential influence artificial intelligence can have on our political decision making.Jillian Fisher, doctoral student of statistics and of computer science and engineering at the UW, is interviewed.