Yale University researchers are advancing understanding across diverse fields, from artificial intelligence reliability to human evolutionary genetics and medical ethics. New studies highlight efforts to demystify AI errors, uncover ancient DNA's impact on modern biology, and examine conflicts of interest in healthcare.
In AI research, Yale scientists are delving into the "black box" of chatbots to understand why they become misinformed or misaligned with user intentions. Their work aims to develop more reliable AI systems, addressing the inherent risks alongside productivity benefits.
Concurrently, a study of genomes from the southwestern Pacific by Yale scientists reveals how DNA inherited from Neanderthals and Denisovans provided crucial evolutionary advantages to early humans and continues to influence modern biology. This offers new clues to human evolution.
Furthermore, Yale researchers investigated medical prescribing, finding that doctors who received drug-specific industry payments were more likely to prescribe those therapies. Elizabeth Tarras of Yale said, "Conflicts of interest introduce the potential for influence, which makes it important for us to openly acknowledge and discuss them."