Technology
Artificial intelligence, the tools built on it, and the innovation shaping what comes next.
Intelligent Three Level Learning Architecture for Autonomous UAV Swarms in Search and Rescue
This paper introduces a new three-level hierarchical learning architecture designed for autonomous UAV swarms in search and rescue operations. It integrates distinct learning mechanisms—Hebbian neuroplasticity, multi-agent reinforcement learning with graph neural networks, and model-agnostic meta-learning with BDI reasoning—to enable individual adaptation, tactical coordination, and strategic decision-making. The architecture provides formal guarantees for safety, optimality, and resilience, addressing limitations in existing hierarchical reinforcement learning approaches.
Move over, GPS: Navigation satellites in low-Earth orbit are making a comeback
New navigation satellites in low-Earth orbit, such as those from Xona Space Systems, promise significantly stronger signals than GPS, enabling greater accuracy in challenging environments and improved resilience to interference. Xona plans to launch its first production satellites in 2026, with a full constellation aiming for centimeter-level global positioning. These satellites will also offer precise timing services for various industries.
How hard is it to build orbital data centers, actually?
This article explores the technical challenges of building orbital data centers, including launching, heat dissipation, radiation, and latency. SpaceX envisions a constellation of 1 million satellites to power GPUs for data center services, with Elon Musk stating much of the technology is already developed for Starlink. While the physics are sound, the economics and massive technical hurdles remain a subject of debate among industry experts.
Lawsuit claims Meta's layoff decisions were made by AI, not humans
A lawsuit filed by 26 former Meta employees alleges that the company used AI tools to select individuals for layoffs, disproportionately targeting those with disabilities or who took protected medical or family leaves. The complaint claims Meta's AI systems, including "Metamate," scored and ranked employees based on metrics that did not account for these circumstances. Meta denies the allegations, stating that layoff decisions were made by people, not AI.
Hackers can use 9 of the most popular AI tools to assemble massive botnets
Researchers have developed a new pull-based prompt injection attack called HalluSquatting, which can exploit nine popular AI coding tools to create massive botnets and perform large-scale DDoS attacks. This method leverages an LLM's tendency to hallucinate resource identifiers, allowing attackers to infect numerous devices indiscriminately by registering and seeding predicted identifiers with malicious instructions. This marks a significant advancement in prompt injection attacks, enabling widespread compromise with minimal effort.
Where Will SpaceX Be in 100 Years?
SpaceX aims to commercialize its Starship megarocket, which is crucial for its long-term goals. The company plans to launch orbital data centers and enhance its Starlink internet service to support the AI economy. Ultimately, SpaceX envisions establishing a presence on the Moon and other planets.
Auto-FL-Research: Agentic Search for Federated Learning Algorithms
Federated learning (FL) research involves numerous algorithmic choices that are challenging to explore manually. This work introduces Auto-FL-Research (AFR), an agent-based workflow designed to automate the search for optimal FL algorithmic recipes. AFR evaluates candidate training algorithms across various healthcare and grouped-client datasets, demonstrating gains in several tasks while also identifying seed-sensitive and search-selected failure cases.
The MMM Data Model -- A Normative Specification for Knowledge Interoperability in a Decentralisable Knowledge Commons
The MMM data model is introduced as a new approach to knowledge documentation, designed to overcome the limitations of traditional document-centric information systems. It combines normative constraints with free-text labels to facilitate interoperability across disciplines and applications without requiring semantic convergence. A reference implementation and pilot deployment data demonstrate its implementability and early usability.
Google’s AI buildout drove 37% increase in electricity use in 2025
Google's electricity consumption surged by 37% in 2025, the largest increase in its history, driven by the expansion of AI data centers. Despite this, the company claims to have reduced operational carbon emissions by purchasing significant amounts of clean energy. Google's total electricity usage has grown over 250% since 2019, with its data centers consuming more electricity than entire countries.