Dense retrieval models are commonly used in Information Retrieval (IR) applications, such as Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Since they often serve as the first step in these systems, their robustness is critical to avoid failures. In this work, by repurposing a relation extraction dataset (e.g. Re-DocRED), we design controlled experiments to quantify the impact of heuristic biases, such as favoring shorter documents, in retrievers like Dragon+ and Contriever. Our findings reveal significant vulnerabilities: retrievers often rely on superficial patterns like over-prioritizing document beginnings, shorter documents, repeated entities, and literal matches. Additionally, they tend to overlook whether the document contains the query's answer, lacking deep semantic understanding. Notably, when multiple biases combine, models exhibit catastrophic performance degradation, selecting the answer-containing document in less than 3% of cases over a biased document without the answer. Furthermore, we show that these biases have direct consequences for downstream applications like RAG, where retrieval-preferred documents can mislead LLMs, resulting in a 34% performance drop than not providing any documents at all.

Cyberpunk 2077 looked for years like it would be an instant classic. A neo-noir role-playing game with laser-sharp graphics and a gritty dystopian setting, Cyberpunk debuted its first trailer in 2013 and quickly became one of the most anticipated video games ever. Polygon called it "visceral, claustrophobic and beautiful." Players couldn't wait to tailor their characters with cybernetic enhancements, join factions to fight evil megacorporations, and explore Night City, the game's vast, mysterious setting. Last week, Cyberpunk 2077 finally came out. But players found it riddled with disruptive, often catastrophic glitches.

Drone footage captured Notre Dame cathedral's beauty just five months before Monday's fire. Video game publisher Ubisoft, which recreated the Notre Dame Cathedral in its 2014 game "Assassin's Creed Unity," is willing to help in restoration efforts. The company announced Wednesday it is making a contribution of 500,000 Euros (about $565,000) to the rebuilding of the cathedral. And the Paris-headquartered game maker said Wednesday it will make its virtual rendition of the cathedral available to those involved in the rebuilding of the church. Ubisoft is also making "Assassin's Creed Unity" available free to players on PC for the next week.

Ubisoft's upcoming new Assassin's Creed game has leaked once again ahead of its official reveal at E3 2017. A preorder card for Assassin's Creed: Origins has surfaced online, confirming the game's Egyptian setting and bonus content. The leaked preorder card for Assassin's Creed: Origins was first shared online on the NeoGAF forums. The card appears to be from retailer Target and confirms the game will have a steelbook gold edition. This version of the game appears to include the deluxe pack and season pass.