Technology

  • Thinking outside the bot

    MFA alum Brian Christian explores the tricky dynamics between human behavior and artificial intelligence. After moving to Seattle—drawn by both it’s tech and literary scenes—he decided to pursue a master’s in creative writing at the UW. He studied creative nonfiction and poetry but did not lose touch with his affinity for computer science.

    06/25/2025 | UW Magazine
  • UW event unveils new wonders of the night sky

    Astronomers and skywatchers alike gathered Monday at the UW to see the first colorful images from the worlds largest digital camera, discoveries that are expected to revolutionize the field of astronomy. The UW's eljko Ivezi and Mario Juri, both professors of astronomy, and Sam Charney, a student at the UW, are quoted.
    06/24/2025 | The Seattle Times
  • Analysis: Is AI a con? A new book punctures the hype and proposes some ways to resist

    "Is AI going to take over the world? Have scientists created an artificial lifeform that can think on its own? Is it going to replace all our jobs, even creative ones, like doctors, teachers and care workers? Are we about to enter an age where computers are better than humans at everything?" writes Luke Munn research fellow at the University of Queensland. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.
    06/24/2025 | The Conversation
  • Rubin Observatory makes its debut and registers first discoveries

    After more than 20 years of planning and construction, astronomers celebrated the release of the first images from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory today and also registered hundreds of the first discoveries from the worlds newest eye on the sky. Mario Juri, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.
    06/23/2025 | GeekWire
  • UW astronomers help power up telescope featuring worlds largest digital camera to map the night sky

    Perched high on a ridge in the South American Andes, a new observatory aims to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos and unravel some of the mysteries it holds. Featuring the worlds largest digital camera, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will spend the next 10 years constantly surveying and recording time-lapse movies of the stars, galaxies, asteroids and other objects moving across the southern hemisphere. Mario Juri, professor of astronomy at the UW, is interviewed.
    06/23/2025 | Oregon Public Broadcasting
  • Vera Rubin telescope quickly found 1,200 new asteroids

    The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is expected to find millions of unknown objects in our solar system, and perhaps even a mysterious Planet Nine. Mario Juri, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.
    06/23/2025 | The New York Times
  • New faculty books: Artificial intelligence, 1990s Russia, song interpretation, and more

    Recent faculty books from the University of Washington include those from linguistics, Slavic languages and literature and French. UW News spoke with the authors of four publications to learn more about their work. Scrutinizing and confronting AI hype Emily M. Bender, UW professor of linguistics, co-authored The AI Con: How to Fight Big Techs Hype...
    06/11/2025 | UW News
  • 5 dark facts to remember in the face of AI hype

    Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, and Alex Hanna share five key insights from their new book,"The AI Con: How to Fight Big Techs Hype and Create the Future We Want." This bookis an exploration of the hype around artificial intelligence, whose interests it serves and the harm being done under this umbrella.
    06/06/2025 | Fast Company
  • Simulation predicts a bonanza of solar system discoveries

    A new type of computer simulation predicts that the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile will discover millions of previously undetected objects in the solar system over the course of the coming decade. Mario Juri, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.
    06/04/2025 | GeekWire
  • Opinion: 'Foolhardy at best, and deceptive and dangerous at worst': Don't believe the hype here's why artificial general intelligence isn't what the billionaires tell you it is

    "Unfortunately, the goal of creating artificial general intelligence isnt just a project that lives as a hypothetical in scientific papers. Theres real money invested in this work, much of it coming from venture capitalists," co-writes Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW.
    06/04/2025 | Live Science
  • Millions of new solar system objects to be found and filmed in technicolor studies predict

    A group of astronomers from across the globe, including a team from the University of Washington and led by Queens University Belfast, have revealed new research showing that millions of new solar system objects will be detected by a brand-new facility, which is expected to come online later this year.
    06/03/2025 | UW News
  • Nobody wants a robot to read them a story! The creatives and academics rejecting AI at work and at home

    Is artificial intelligence coming for everyones jobs? Not if this lot have anything to do with it. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.
    06/03/2025 | The Guardian
  • Muon g-2 announces most precise measurement of the magnetic anomaly of the muon

    On June 3, scientists working on the Muon g-2 experiment (pronounced "mew-on gee-minus-two") released the third and final measurement of the muon magnetic anomaly. This result agrees with the published results from 2021 and 2023 but with a much better precision of 127 parts per billion, surpassing the original experimental design goal of 140 parts per billion.
    06/03/2025 | UW News
  • You can't trust everything generative AI tells you here's what to do about it

    If you're reaching for a chatbot instead of a search engine or a trusted source, think twice before acting on the information it gives you. Katy Pearce, associate professor of communication at the UW, is interviewed.
    05/22/2025 | CNET
  • UW professor looks for ways to make the ethical best of AI-enhanced learning

    When generative artificial intelligence, or AI, dropped into our lives two and a half years ago, educators around the world went into a panic. Suddenly there was a chatbot easily accessible to students that could help them cheat on tests and assignments and likely get away with it. Fast forward, and now students are complaining that teachers are using AI in their jobs, and they don't like it. Should they? Katy Pearce, associate professor of communication at the UW, is interviewed.
    05/21/2025 | KUOW