Nestlé is brewing up data science- and artificial intelligence-powered innovations to breed climate-resilient plants in an environmentally challenged landscape. With climate change reducing the amount of land that can grow hardy and weather-resilient coffee plants, Nestlé plant scientists have looked to data science to better identify a combination of factors that will yield healthy crops. Us...

Character.AI launched a free feature last month that allows users to talk to chatbots over calls in multiple languages and with reduced latency in a two-way voice conversation. Users can also seamlessly switch between calling and texting.The a16z-backed startup noted that calls with AI characters can be useful for practicing language skills, giving mock interviews, and people development for ga...

To prepare for a world of lower fuel sales, forecourt retailers can harness advanced analytics and AI to increase revenues from electric vehicle charging and convenience.The mobility retail market is in for a period of change and disruption as the world shifts away from traditional fuels. Oil demand growth shows signs of slowing and across multiple scenarios demand is expected to begin to decli...

The company combines the physical and digital worlds with AR skins to stay up to date with the latest social media trends.When it comes to the latest TikTok and social media trends such as “Barbiecore” and “Coquette bows,” phenomena seemingly rise in hype overnight — leading brands to need to act quickly. Brands are now struggling to retain relevancy with trendy items in demand more than e...

In just two decades, the global annual production of plastic waste has increased from 180 million tonnes to nearly 400 million tonnes, according to the OECD's Global Plastics Outlook report. Meanwhile, plastic waste is expected to nearly triple worldwide by 2060, with half of all waste expected to be in landfill while less than one-fifth of it will be recycled.In recent years, growing awareness...

Human cells isolated from juvenile foreskin are flexible enough to grin when moved.In a new study, researchers from the University of Tokyo, Harvard University, and the International Research Center for Neurointelligence have unveiled a technique for creating lifelike robotic skin using living human cells. As a proof of concept, the team engineered a small robotic face capable of smiling, cover...

The majority of concept designs that we see for future automobiles seem to revolve around self-driving vehicles cruising along wide and nearly empty highways. Given our present reality, however, the future might not be as idyllic as those images try to conjure up, at least in terms of traffic volume. There is a higher probability that there will be even more cars in the future, self-driving or...

The promise of generative AI technology to transform companies, industries, and societies is leading tech giants and beyond to spend an estimated ~$1tn on capex in coming years, including significant investments in data centers, chips, other AI infrastructure, and the power grid. But this spending has little to show for it so far. Whether this large spend will ever pay off in terms of AI benefi...

Kate Spade New York has dipped into a new aesthetic for its Summer 2024 collection by squeezing with Heinz. The pieces, whimsically spilling ketchup nuances, celebrates fans’ “irrational love” for the condiment and the over-the-top lengths they go to for flavor. This limited-edition “condiment couture,” as described by the fashion label, infuses the classic Heinz ketchup imagery into an ar...