Modern plant science increasingly relies on large, heterogeneous datasets, but challenges in experimental design, data preprocessing, and reproducibility hinder research throughput. Here we introduce Aleks, an AI-powered multi-agent system that integrates domain knowledge, data analysis, and machine learning within a structured framework to autonomously conduct data-driven scientific discovery. Once provided with a research question and dataset, Aleks iteratively formulated problems, explored alternative modeling strategies, and refined solutions across multiple cycles without human intervention. In a case study on grapevine red blotch disease, Aleks progressively identified biologically meaningful features and converged on interpretable models with robust performance. Ablation studies underscored the importance of domain knowledge and memory for coherent outcomes. This exploratory work highlights the promise of agentic AI as an autonomous collaborator for accelerating scientific discovery in plant sciences.

AI in education is more than science fiction. One study found that 34 hours on Duolingo's app are equivalent to a full university semester of language education. But educational AI and the broader category of educational technology (EdTech) go well beyond language learning. Companies like Carnegie Learning and Fuel Education apply artificial intelligence to K-12 learning. One of the most popular EdTech platforms, McGraw Hill's ALEKS, is a web-based, AI-powered assessment and learning system that covers K-12, homeschool and even college content.

Schools may be critiqued as "factories," but robots aren't going to replace human teachers any time soon. Still, that doesn't mean that artificially intelligent systems won't transform education just as they are changing a variety of fields and practices, from the way oncologists diagnose cancer to how lawyers analyze cases. Intelligent-tutoring systems like ALEKS (for Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces), Cognitive Tutor, and a new program in development by IBM's Watson initiative are starting to expand in K-12 education, and experts argue that teachers need new training not only to use intelligent systems in the classroom but also to prepare students for careers in increasingly technology-integrated fields. "Any skill that a computer can teach is going to be done by a computer in the workplace, and that's something people don't think about enough," said Christopher Dede, an education and technology professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. For that reason, he said, teachers can use computer programs not simply to replace pieces of their instruction, but to model for students how to work with technology professionally.

Businesses ranging from startups to large corporations are increasingly looking to new technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, to protect their consumers. AI can provide an effective way to stop advanced and sophisticated malware attacks that have never been seen before. There's also a real opportunity for advanced phishing attacks by automating the human bad guy. Prepare is about building a proper cybersecurity program taking a risk based and business approach to security.

Children come to school with very different needs and abilities, and millions of students struggle with basic reading or math skills. If teachers had more time to work with their students one-on-one, they would learn exactly where each child is having trouble. Often, that's not always possible in a typical classroom setting but this is where adaptive learning can help. Based on machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies, adaptive learning software can adjust to how students are performing in real time, changing the education model by anticipating and then delivering the specific types of learning content that students need to progress. The software acts like an intelligent tutor that responds dynamically to each child's needs and abilities, supplementing the instruction that a teacher provides and giving struggling students the personalized attention they need to succeed. The New Media Consortium's 2015 K-12 Horizon Report identified adaptive learning as one of the technologies that's likely to reach a critical mass of adoption in K-12 schools within the next few years.

According to the Financial Times, Pablo Picasso once said, "Computers are useless. They can only give you answers." Unfortunately for us, computers may now be asking more questions than they answer. As a result, the possibilities are rather overwhelming, with answers more ambiguous and uncertain than straightforward. Similarly, we might ask ourselves where we draw the line when it comes to what we find ethically acceptable in terms of artificial intelligence (AI) as it relates to composition/creation in the worlds of art, writing, performing arts and music--as well as liberal arts education. Most of us are aware of music streaming services that select songs for us based on data about users' listening preferences.