Artificial intelligence (AI) systems promise transformative advancements, yet their growth has been limited by energy inefficiencies and bottlenecks in data transfer. Researchers at Columbia Engineering have unveiled a groundbreaking solution: a 3D photonic-electronic platform that achieves unprecedented energy efficiency and bandwidth density, paving the way for next-generation AI hardware.

The study, “3D Photonics for Ultra-Low Energy, High Bandwidth-Density Chip Data Links,” led by Keren Bergman, Charles Batchelor Professor of Electrical Engineering, is published in Nature Photonics.

The research details a pioneering method that integrates photonics with advanced complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) electronics to redefine energy-efficient, high-bandwidth data communication. This innovation addresses critical challenges in data movement, a persistent obstacle to realizing faster and more efficient AI technologies.

Keywords: technological advances, economical inequality, GinI coefficient, Ricci flow, Perelman models, technological innovations, research and development, innovations, sensitive analyze, automatization, economic stability, socio-economic challenges.

JEL Classification: E22, O11, O32.

Cite as: Gondauri, D. (2024). SocioEconomic Challenges, 8, 161–175. https://doi.org/10.61093/sec.8.161-175.2024.

Scientists resolve a key uncertainty in muonic atom research, paving the way for more precise nuclear structure studies.

A new kind of memristor mimics how the brain learns by combining analog and digital behavior, offering a promising solution to the problem of AI “catastrophic forgetting.”

Unlike traditional deep neural networks that erase past knowledge when learning something new, this innovative component may retain previous learning, just like our own brains.

Understanding “Catastrophic Forgetting” in AI.

Scientists have developed a model that predicts a massive boost in OLED brightness using polaritons—hybrid light-matter states.

By fine-tuning the number of molecules involved, they achieved a staggering 10-million-fold improvement in efficiency. This discovery could transform OLED technology, making displays brighter and more power-efficient than ever.

A bright new future for oleds?

This collaboration marks a significant step in both companies’ efforts to address the pressing needs in cancer treatment through innovative solutions.

OBT has developed a proprietary discovery platform, OGAP-Verify, which has enhanced sensitivity and specificity for identifying promising drug targets.

This platform is central to collaboration, as it allows for selecting targets with improved attributes crucial for effective drug development.

In today’s column, I debunk the common myth that if we attain artificial general intelligence (AGI) the resultant AI will be a solo colossus or said-to-be “one big brain”

Let’s talk about it.

This analysis of an innovative AI breakthrough is part of my ongoing Forbes column coverage on the latest in AI, including identifying and explaining various impactful AI complexities (see the link here).

A new type of time crystal could represent a breakthrough in quantum physics.

In a diamond zapped with lasers, physicists have created what they believe to be the first true example of a time quasicrystal – one in which patterns in time are structured, but do not repeat. It’s a fine distinction, but one that could help evolve quantum research and technology.

“They could store quantum memory over long periods of time, essentially like a quantum analog of RAM,” says physicist Chong Zu of Washington University in the US. “We’re a long way from that sort of technology. But creating a time quasicrystal is a crucial first step.”

Where can you find lasers, electric guitars, and racks full of novel batteries, all in the same giant room? This week, the answer was the 2025 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit just outside Washington, DC.

Energy innovation can take many forms, and the variety in energy research was on display at the summit. ARPA-E, part of the US Department of Energy, provides funding for high-risk, high-reward research projects. The summit gathers projects the agency has funded, along with investors, policymakers, and journalists.

Hundreds of projects were exhibited in a massive hall during the conference, featuring demonstrations and research results. Here are four of the most interesting innovations MIT Technology Review spotted on site.

From laser steel to fuel made from rocks, we look inside the 2025 ARPA-E energy technology conference.

University of Queensland researchers have made a breakthrough in muonic atom research, clearing the way for new nuclear physics experiments.

A team at the UQ School of Mathematics and Physics has combined theory and experiments to show that nuclear polarization does not limit studies of muonic atoms. The research was published in Physical Review Letters.

Co-author Dr. Odile Smits said the finding provides a clear path for using muonic atoms to better understand the magnetic structure of the nucleus.