Research

From Our Neurons to Yours is a podcast that crisscrosses scientific disciplines to bring you to the frontiers of brain science. Nik Sawe, a neuro-economist who uses brain imaging to study environmental decision making helps us understand why are our brains so bad at perceiving this existential, long-term risk to our society and our planet. And are there ways we could work with our brains' limitations to improve our decision-making around environmental issues and the future more broadly?

This year's AI Index, an independent initiative at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) is out. The 500 page report tracking 2023's worldwide AI trends is available here. This year’s report covers the rise of multimodal foundation models, major cash investments into generative AI, new performance benchmarks, shifting global opinions, and new major regulations. The high level overview in 13 charts is available here.

Stanford researchers have unveiled a new type of frequency comb, a high-precision measurement device, that is innovatively small, ultra-energy efficient, and exceptionally accurate. Among the many applications the researchers envision for their versatile technology are powerful handheld medical diagnostic devices and widespread greenhouse gas monitoring sensors.

A new report from the Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (Stanford HAI) analyzes the risks of AI and offers potential solutions. This article outlines the main findings of a published white paper titled “Rethinking Privacy in the AI Era: Policy Provocations for a Data-Centric World.”

Stanford HAI released a paper on the societal impact of open foundation models. The paper's aim is to bring clarity to pressing questions about how foundation models should be released and propose paths forward for researchers, developers, and policymakers.

Researchers at Stanford University have invented a way to augment electric motors to make them much more efficient at performing dynamic movements through a new type of actuator, a device that uses energy to make things move. Their actuator, published March 20 in Science Robotics, uses springs and clutches to accomplish a variety of tasks with a fraction of the energy usage of a typical electric motor. 

The Stanford Environmental Research Year in Review, produced by the Woods Institute for the Environment, provides a snapshot of key studies from scholars across Stanford’s seven schools. This year’s review spans a wide range of topics that can inform environmental policies, technology, conservation, business, and decision-making.

Bill Barnett, The Thomas M.

Stanford researchers are getting closer to building a tiny electron accelerator based on “accelerator-on-a-chip” technology with broad potential applications in studying physics as well as medical and industrial uses. 

A Stanford-led consortium of 22 universities, national laboratories, and NGOs aims to help communities balance top priorities for a decarbonized grid. The three-year project will be primarily funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and will be led by Inês Azevedo, associate professor of energy science and engineering seen here at left.