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Lowering barriers to explainable AI: Control technique for LLMs reduces resource demands by over 90%

Large language models (LLMs) such as GPT and Llama are driving exceptional innovations in AI, but research aimed at improving their explainability and reliability is constrained by massive resource requirements for examining and adjusting their behavior.

To tackle this challenge, a Manchester research team led by Dr. Danilo S. Carvalho and Dr. André Freitas have developed new software frameworks—LangVAE and LangSpace—that significantly reduce both hardware and energy resource needs for controlling and testing LLMs to build explainable AI. Their paper is published on the arXiv preprint server.

Their technique builds compressed language representations from LLMs, making it possible to interpret and control these models using geometric methods (essentially treating the model’s internal language patterns as points and shapes in space that can be measured, compared and adjusted), without altering the models themselves. Crucially, their approach reduces computer resource usage by more than 90% compared with previous techniques.

Anode-free battery can double electric vehicle driving range

Could an electric vehicle travel from Seoul to Busan and back on a single charge? Could drivers stop worrying about battery performance even in winter? A Korean research team has taken a major step toward answering these questions by developing an anode-free lithium metal battery that can deliver nearly double driving range using the same battery volume.

A joint research team led by Professor Soojin Park and Dr. Dong-Yeob Han of the Department of Chemistry at POSTECH, together with Professor Nam-Soon Choi and Dr. Saehun Kim of KAIST, and Professor Tae Kyung Lee and researcher Junsu Son of Gyeongsang National University, has successfully achieved a volumetric energy density of 1,270 Wh/L in an anode-free lithium metal battery. This value is nearly twice that of current lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles, which typically deliver around 650 Wh/L. The article is published in Advanced Materials.

An anode-free lithium metal battery eliminates the conventional anode altogether. Instead, lithium ions stored in the cathode move during charging and deposit directly onto a copper current collector. By removing unnecessary components, more internal space can be devoted to energy storage, much like fitting more fuel into the same-sized tank.

MIT Engineers Create 3D-Printable Aluminum 5 Times Stronger Than Conventional Alloys

By applying machine learning techniques, engineers at MIT have created a new method for 3D printing metal alloys that produce parts far stronger than those made using traditional manufacturing approaches. MIT engineers have created a new aluminum alloy designed for 3D printing that holds up under

Italy fines Apple $116 million over App Store privacy policy issues

Italy’s competition authority (AGCM) has fined Apple €98.6 million ($116 million) for using the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) privacy framework to abuse its dominant market position in mobile app advertising.

ATT requires developers to request consent to collect their data for targeted advertising before tracking them across websites, apps, and services owned by other companies. Apple introduced ATT in June 2020 and began enforcing it in April 2021 with the release of iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5.

As the AGCM said in a Monday press release following a two-year investigation, Apple’s ATT policy requires third-party apps to display a standardized prompt requesting user permission to track activity across other companies’ apps and websites.

Microsoft rolls out hardware-accelerated BitLocker in Windows 11

Microsoft is rolling out hardware-accelerated BitLocker in Windows 11 to address growing performance and security concerns by leveraging the capabilities of system-on-a-chip and CPU.

BitLocker is the native full-disk encryption feature in Windows that protects data from being readable without proper authentication. During normal device boot, it relies on the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to securely manage encryption keys and automatically unlock the drive.

Microsoft states that as non-volatile memory express (NVMe) storage has become more performant, BitLocker’s cryptographic operations have a more noticeable performance impact for gaming and video editing activities.

WebRAT malware spread via fake vulnerability exploits on GitHub

The WebRAT malware is now being distributed through GitHub repositories that claim to host proof-of-concept exploits for recently disclosed vulnerabilities.

Previously spread through pirated software and cheats for games like Roblox, Counter Strike, and Rust, WebRAT is a backdoor with info-stealing capabilities that emerged at the beginning of the year.

According to a report from Solar 4RAYS in May, WebRAT can steal credentials for Steam, Discord, and Telegram accounts, as well as cryptocurrency wallet data. It can also spy on victims through webcams and capture screenshots.

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