Author: Frank Salvato

A newly introduced FDA-cleared device from Solius Labs is drawing attention by promising to deliver personalized UVB light exposure that stimulates the body’s natural production of vitamin D without requiring prolonged time outdoors. The Solius Pro measures a user’s skin tone before each session to tailor UVB dosing while excluding UVA wavelengths associated with most photoaging. Company officials argue the technology offers a controlled alternative to both excessive sun exposure and oral supplements, particularly as vitamin D deficiency remains common among Americans. However, dermatologists caution that UVB radiation still carries inherent risks because it can damage DNA, arguing that healthy…

Humanoid robots have reached another significant milestone in the evolution of surgical medicine after researchers successfully used human-like robots to perform live laparoscopic gallbladder removal procedures on pigs, marking the first known instance of humanoid robots participating in live surgical operations. The project, led by researchers at the University of California San Diego, utilized modified Unitree G1 humanoid robots capable of manipulating standard surgical instruments in operating rooms designed for human surgeons rather than specialized robotic systems. Researchers conducted two successful procedures—one involving a robot working alongside a human surgeon and another with two humanoid robots collaborating under remote human…

Meta has filed a patent for an AI-powered wearable device capable of continuously analyzing a user’s emotional state by monitoring vocal cues such as sighs, laughter, tone of voice, surrounding environmental context, location, and even the timing of medication use. According to the patent, the system is intended to generate personalized fitness coaching by identifying when users are emotionally best prepared for exercise and by tracking long-term emotional trends. Meta emphasized that patents often describe concepts that may never become commercial products. Nevertheless, the filing has intensified concerns over digital privacy, particularly given the company’s extensive history of collecting user…

Artificial intelligence is not affecting every occupation equally, according to a new analysis of employment data for the San Francisco metropolitan area. Drawing on occupational research comparing workplace tasks against current AI capabilities, the report finds that knowledge-based professions—including software developers, management analysts, office clerks, sales representatives, and other white-collar positions—face substantially higher levels of AI exposure than jobs centered on physical labor or direct personal care. While AI can already assist with a significant share of work performed in many professional occupations, the evidence remains mixed on whether that exposure will translate into widespread job losses. The data indicate…

California officials and private developers are exploring a proposal that would transform portions of the historic Cow Palace in Daly City into a small “edge” data center complex under a long-term lease, part of a broader initiative by Global Stack LLC to establish similar facilities at fairgrounds across the state. Unlike hyperscale data centers, the proposal envisions relatively modest facilities paired with multi-level parking structures and helicopter landing pads intended to support emergency response operations while generating stable, long-term revenue for financially strained fairgrounds. Supporters argue the concept represents an innovative public-private partnership that could preserve aging public venues without…

The advance of artificial intelligence into the operating room is no longer a speculative exercise—it is an unfolding reality. Robotic systems already assist surgeons with precision tasks, reducing human tremor and enhancing visualization. Yet the prospect of AI systems not merely assisting, but independently conducting surgeries, raises profound ethical questions that cut deeper than any scalpel. At stake is not only the future of medicine, but the preservation of human accountability, dignity, and trust in life-and-death decision-making. Proponents of AI-driven surgery argue from a standpoint of efficiency and capability. Machines do not tire. They do not suffer lapses in judgment…

Nobel Prize-winning chemist Omar Yaghi is leaving the University of California, Berkeley, to lead Tsinghua University’s newly created AI Chemistry and Materials Research Institute in Beijing, adding to concerns that the United States is losing world-class scientific talent to an increasingly ambitious China. Yaghi, who shared the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for pioneering work on metal-organic frameworks, will oversee research combining artificial intelligence, chemistry, and advanced materials science. While supporters characterize the move as part of the normal global exchange of scientific expertise, critics argue it highlights China’s aggressive strategy of recruiting elite researchers and raises broader questions about…

Roughly 200 demonstrators marched through San Francisco on Saturday, stopping at the offices of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind to demand a halt to the development of increasingly powerful artificial intelligence systems. Organized by the activist group “Stop the AI Race,” the protest drew students, researchers, longtime Bay Area residents, and even some AI industry professionals who argued that the rapid race to develop frontier AI is creating unacceptable risks. Protesters cited concerns ranging from job displacement and rising housing costs to environmental impacts and the possibility of advanced AI systems escaping meaningful human control. While AI companies continue to…

Artificial intelligence may dominate headlines and investor enthusiasm, but one of the technology industry’s most prominent executives says the economics simply do not yet justify widespread corporate deployment. Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora argues that AI must become roughly ten times more efficient—or approximately 90 percent less expensive—before enterprises can adopt it at the scale many technology vendors envision. While acknowledging recent improvements in model efficiency, Arora maintains that today’s high token, computing, and infrastructure costs remain a significant barrier for businesses weighing return on investment. His remarks reinforce a growing recognition across corporate America that AI’s long-term promise…

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence venture has completed its transition from xAI to SpaceXAI while simultaneously unveiling Grok 4.5, a new flagship AI model focused on coding, autonomous (“agentic”) tasks, and advanced knowledge work. The rebranding reflects Musk’s broader strategy of integrating his AI initiatives more closely with the broader SpaceX ecosystem following the companies’ consolidation earlier this year. According to the company, Grok 4.5 delivers significant performance gains while being priced aggressively for enterprise customers, signaling an effort to compete directly with leading AI developers by emphasizing both capability and affordability. For supporters of private-sector innovation, the announcement underscores how…