Interview
Statistical or embodied? Comparing people and LLMs in their processing of color metaphors: an interview with Douglas Guilbeault
We sat down with Douglas Guillbault to discuss his paper, " Comparing Colorseeing, Colorblind, Painters, and Large Language Models in Their Processing of Color Metaphors ". The results have interesting implications for how we model human cognition, and in turn, how the concept of synaesthesia could be integrated to develop more intelligent AI models. A color metaphor is the use of color to describe something in a way that is not immediately literal. For example, to say "green with envy" would be a color metaphor, because envy doesn't have an immediate visual structure to it - we're evoking a broader, more flexible notion of what green conveys, beyond just its visible properties. What makes metaphors very interesting is that they often use past experience or cultural associations in new ways to talk about something beyond our current perception - either something imagined or in the future, which are many steps of abstraction away from the present. Metaphors provide an alternative pathway to get there.
Interview with AAAI Fellow Sanmay Das: multiagent systems
Each year the AAAI recognizes a group of individuals who have made significant, sustained contributions to the field of artificial intelligence by appointing them as Fellows. We're talking to some of the 2026 AAAI Fellows to find out more about their work. In this interview, we chat to Sanmay Das, who was elected as a Fellow . Could you start with a quick introduction, where you work, and your general area of research? Broadly speaking, I work in multiagent systems. I've done a lot of work at the intersection of AI and economics, and over the last decade or so I've thought a lot about projects in the AI for social impact and social good space. In particular, my interest has been in the allocation of scarce societal resources, thinking about how AI can be integrated, and what it tells us about systems where we don't necessarily want full free market resource allocation.
Sumitomo Mitsui Trust mulls up to 380 billion in digital investment
Manatomo Yoneyama, president of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, speaks during an interview at the bank's headquarters in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on May 22. | JIJI Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank plans to invest ¥360 billion ($2.2 billion) to ¥380 billion in digital technologies over three years, President Manatomo Yoneyama said in an interview. The bank also plans to spend ¥30 billion to optimize its operations. It will utilize artificial intelligence technology for office tasks and reposition some 900 employees to client-facing roles. The bank made an AI agent, which can handle people's tasks, "100% internally," said Yoneyama, who took the helm of Sumitomo Mitsui Trust in April after working on digital innovation at the bank. He said the bank is "sensing the advantage" of the in-house development, including smooth utilization of data. It aims to sell the AI agent in fiscal 2028.
How Putin became master of the image
Throughout his time as Russian President, Vladimir Putin has been alert to the power of visual imagery. The first time I interviewed him in 2001, an aide swooped in just before the cameras went live and snatched away the small water glasses on the table in front of us. Why did you do that? We wouldn't want anyone to think they were for vodka, came the reply. And anyway, we can't risk a glass spilling live on TV.
Meta Is in Crisis, Google Search's Makeover, and AI Gets Booed by Graduates
Meta Is in Crisis, Google Search's Makeover, and AI Gets Booed by Graduates This week on, the team discusses Meta's recent layoffs and what they've been hearing from employees about the increasingly grim vibes at the company. They also talk about Elon Musk losing his lawsuit against OpenAI and share highlights from Google's annual conference--including an ambitious AI vision to change how people search the web. Finally, what do recent college graduates and women whose spouses work in AI have in common? Google Search Goes Agentic--and Doesn't Need You Anymore Write to us at [email protected] . You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link . We spoke to more than a dozen employees and it turns out the job cuts are far from the only reason why Meta employees are really going through it. He lost his lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI in really as full a way as you can, as dramatically as possible. I know, Zoë, you're looking forward to talking about that. We're going to get into why young adults might be using AI, but they have very complicated feelings about it. And later in the show, we're going to hear about why women married to AI bros have had enough . This week, the company is letting go of roughly 10 percent of its workforce, which is about 8,000 employees total. It's the latest round of job cuts, adding to the roughly 25,000 jobs that have been cut in the past few years as part of Mark Zuckerberg's Year of Efficiency that started in 2023 and now the latest AI-forward workplace, which he is trying to develop and impose. And while these latest cuts are not as big as some of the rounds of layoffs that have already happened, they're getting a ton of attention because Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO, has said that the reason they're happening, in part at least, in large part, is because the company is spending so much money on AI and data centers.
Morgan Wallen fans erupt with rage after country star is snubbed at popular awards show
Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt might have set a bridesmaids record, fighting in the Dover parking lot & wings! Nothing to see here: Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his ex's bridesmaid are just friends Can't sleep, Japanese bear-fighting robo-wolves will eat me and a gorilla trade captivates the nation A replica of KITT from'Knight Rider' got a traffic ticket in another state despite being in a museum Jena Sims covers her butt with a bow at the SI Swimsuit party, the NFL saves us from Romo & is Star Wars dead? Taylor Sheridan shocks'Yellowstone' fans with new spinoff series, provides viewers with dark ride Early reviews for new'Star Wars' movie are generally horrific, but does anyone even care at this point? Retired Navy admiral makes bombshell claim about UFOs and'non-human intelligence' controlling them Mother's Day chaos at a steakhouse includes knives thrown at waiters and a touching mother-daughter arrest Japanese bear-fightin' robo-wolves are pure unleaded nightmare fuel but they're working Dr. Ben Carson urges Americans to'stand up for what they believe in' after Rededicate 250 event Trump sends WARNING to Iran: 'CLOCK IS TICKING' Trump warns Iran'the clock is ticking' as US discusses military options The'Tennessee Fan' singer's album'I'm the Problem' went 4x Platinum but he left without a single trophy Country music star Reba McEntire says the cowboy way of life brought her and boyfriend Rex Linn together in an interview with Fox News Digital ahead of the ACM Awards. Morgan Wallen was iced out Sunday at the ACM Awards, and country music fans aren't happy.
Trump's Tech Posse in China, Who's Winning in Musk v. Altman, and Hantavirus Conspiracy Theories
Today on, we discuss how Donald Trump's visit to China could influence conversations between world leaders at a moment when the economic and foreign policy stakes couldn't be higher. This week on, the team dives into Trump's selected entourage for his high-stakes visit to China, ranging from Silicon Valley's tech billionaires to director Brett Ratner. We also break down the latest developments in Elon Musk's lawsuit against Sam Altman, alleging that OpenAI abandoned its original nonprofit mission for profit-driven goals, and whether either side is actually gaining an edge in the trial. Plus, Leah shares with us some of the most outlandish conspiracy theories that have been swirling around the hantavirus outbreak. Elon Musk Had'Hair-Raising' Idea of Passing OpenAI On to His Kids, Sam Altman Says Write to us at [email protected] . You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link . The high profile testimonies we've heard this week, including from OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman himself, have resurfaced a lot of past events and a lot of drama, but we're asking will this actually be consequential to the trial's verdict? He's accompanied by a select number of Silicon Valley's top CEOs. We'll discuss how their presence could influence conversations between world leaders at a moment when the economic and foreign policy stakes could not be higher for the US. A lot of them have been recycling very similar conspiracy theories from the Covid-19 pandemic . We're going to tell you what they're sharing and also how to spot this kind of harmful misinformation.
Why the Future of College Could Look Like OnlyFans
Universities have become generic, one professor and former dean argues. In the A.I. era, students may demand something they can't get elsewhere. Last week, I asked whether, as a forty-six-year-old father of two, I should keep contributing to my children's college funds, or if perhaps some combination of anti-establishment fervor, A.I., and a shifting economy could save me some money. I don't have a particularly good answer yet, at least not one good enough to inspire the purchase of a midlife-crisis car, my son's and daughter's futures be damned. But, after wrestling with that query in Part 1 of what will be a series of articles, I think there may be a better one to ask. The question is not, I think, "How will A.I. change higher education?" I wanted to talk with someone who stood outside the polite consensus which holds that college as we know it will survive, if only because, as I wrote last week, humans will always want to differentiate their children from other people's children.
Trump Pivots on AI Regulation, Worker Ousted by DOGE Runs for Office, and Hantavirus Explained
Today on, we're diving into recent reports that the Trump administration is considering an executive order that would establish some sort of federal oversight over new AI models. This week on, the team discusses the surprising reports of the Trump administration seemingly reversing its stance when it comes to AI safety and regulation. We also look into what exactly is going on with the Hantavirus outbreak, and whether you should be worried. Also, we get into the story of how a former federal employee who was ousted by Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency is now running for office. Plus, a Spirit Airlines laid off employee shares with us how they experienced the company's shutdown news last weekend and what they'll miss most about the job. A Federal Worker Was Fired for Filming DOGE. Write to us at [email protected] . You can always listen to this week's podcast through the audio player on this page, but if you want to subscribe for free to get every episode, here's how: If you're on an iPhone or iPad, open the app called Podcasts, or just tap this link . And we're going to talk about whether this move actually signals a meaningful shift in future regulation of this technology.