Technology

Recording memories, reading thoughts and manipulating what another person sees through a device in their brain may seem like science fiction plots about a distant and troubled future. But a team of multi-disciplinary researchers say the first steps to inventing these technologies have already arrived. They want to put in place safeguards for our most precious biological possessions: our mind. Sara Goering, professor of philosophy at the UW, is quoted.

In a paper published online last month, Bo Zhao, assistant professor of geography at the UW, employed AI techniques similar to those used to create so-called deepfakes to alter satellite images of several cities. Zhao and colleagues swapped features between images of Seattle and Beijing to show buildings where there are none in Seattle and to remove structures and replace them with greenery in Beijing.

The Defense Innovation Unit, an organization within the U.S. Department of Defense focused on adopting commercial technology, is building an Uber-like app called “Gig Eagle” to match part-time service members possessing private sector experience with program managers. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

HBO Max’s sci-fi series "Made for Love" reveals the dangers of a controversial new technology. Sara Goering, professor of philosophy at the UW, is quoted.

Aseem Prakash, professor of political science, explains how a shortage of charging stations may limit the potential of electric vehicles.

It appears satellites from a SpaceX launch danced in the night sky over western Washington Tuesday, catching the attention of stargazers once again. People shared photos and videos on social media just after 9 p.m. Tuesday showing a long streak of lights moving through the sky. James Davenport, research assistant professor of astronomy at the UW, is interviewed.

Imagine a world where high-speed internet blankets every corner of the globe, transforming the way people access health care, education and entertainment. That’s the promise of up-and-coming satellite broadband — an ambitious and controversial plan to connect far reaches of the planet. Saadia Pekkanen, professor of international studies at the UW, is interviewed on the “2025: Tomorrow, Today” podcast.

Techniques such as “location spoofing” and deepfake geography present significant risks for our increasingly connected society. Because of this, a team of researchers at University of Washington are working to identify ways to detect these fakes, as well as proposing the creation of a geographic fact-checking system. Bo Zhao, assistant professor of geography at the UW, is quoted.

While the concept of “deepfakes,” or AI-generated synthetic imagery, has been decried primarily in connection with involuntary depictions of people, the technology is dangerous (and interesting) in other ways as well. For instance, researchers have shown that it can be used to manipulate satellite imagery to produce real-looking — but totally fake — overhead maps of cities. Bo Zhao, assistant professor of geography at the UW, is quoted.

Bo Zhao, assistant professor of geography, has authored a new study on deepfake geography.

Biology Professor Carl Bergstrom has released a new paper discussing how scientific communication has the potential to spread misinformation.

Two Yup'ik engineers, Christopher Egalaaq Liu and Lonny Alaskuk Strunk, who recieved his masters in computational linguistics from the UW, have worked on a new advanced Yugtun translation tool.

Two Yup’ik engineers are trying to push the Yugtun language into the future using technology. Their latest project opens the door for Yugtun autocorrect, grammar checkers and automatic subtitles on Yup’ik videos. Lonny Alaskuk Strunk developed the technology for Yugtun.com during his master’s program in computational linguistics at the University of Washington.

U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers, Republican of Washington, drew kudos from across the aisle last month when she questioned the CEOs of Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet about the impact of their platforms on children. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

Amazon warehouse employees voted against unionization in Bessemer, Alabama, in a victory for the company and a defeat for organized labor. But even if the results hold, was this really a win for Amazon? Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.