Tracking Guinness prices
An AI-driven project has been used to map the price of Guinness across Ireland. After noticing high prices and a lack of official tracking since 2011, a startup founder created an AI voice agent using ElevenLabs to call more than 3,000 pubs and collect data. The information was analysed using Claude to build a dynamic price index called the ‘Guinndex’. The tool allows updates from users and businesses. Findings showed an average price of 6.01 pounds, prompting some pubs to adjust prices competitively.
Particle physics principles
Researchers at New York University, Abu Dhabi, have shown that AI can independently identify key principles of particle physics. The study, published in the Journal of High Energy Physics, trained models on historical experimental data from the 1950s and 1960s. Without prior theoretical input, the system identified fundamental symmetries such as baryon number and isospin, and reconstructed frameworks like the Eightfold Way. It also reproduced Regge trajectories, which relate particle mass and spin, demonstrating AI’s ability to uncover patterns that took decades for scientists to establish.
Question over AI’s creativity
A study published in Advanced Science examines the nature of AI-generated creativity. Conducted by researchers from institutions including the University of Barcelona and the Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, the research analysed how generative AI systems produce outputs. The findings indicate that while AI can generate content that appears creative, its processes do not match human creativity. Human participants ranked highest in creative performance, while unguided AI systems scored lowest, suggesting that current AI models rely on pattern replication rather than independent imaginative thinking.
Predicting Cherry blossoms
Moving over computer analysis of weather patterns, Japan this Spring is using AI to determine the blossoming of cherry trees across regions to reduce the chances of wrong predictions. Experts are using AI systems to analyse decades of temperature data, and to deliver maps and “bloom meters” for trees in more than 1,000 spots, which blossom at different times across Japan. Forecasters are crowdsourcing photos from the public and feeding them into AI-powered databases that can track the growth of buds, which form in the summer, stay dormant through the winter, and take anywhere from two
to four weeks to blossom after turning green in the spring.
Ask Maps in India
Google Maps has launched a new AI feature called Ask Maps in India and the US to enhance travel planning. The tool allows users to ask conversational questions instead of entering simple search terms. It draws on a database of over 300 million locations and contributions from more than 500 million users. The feature integrates reviews, traffic insights, and popular timings to generate personalised suggestions. It also supports follow-up queries, enabling users to refine plans without restarting searches, and displays results on a customised interactive map.
Wrongful jail time
A woman in Tennessee was detained for over five months after an AI facial recognition system linked her to bank fraud cases in North Dakota. The identification error led to her arrest despite her having no connection to the location of the crimes. Authorities later acknowledged mistakes in the investigation process. The case has raised concerns about the reliability of AI-based identification systems in law enforcement and the consequences of errors, particularly when automated tools are used without sufficient verification or oversight.
Bias concerns
A researcher from Berkeley Law found that multiple AI headshot generators altered religious representation by removing her hijab from images. After testing over 25 tools, all produced similar results, with some showing incomplete or distorted coverings. None of the applications prompted users to retain religious attire. The findings highlight potential systemic bias in AI image generation and raise broader questions about representation, discrimination, and how algorithmic systems handle visible expressions of identity.